Mazda Motor Corporation

Sumitomo Light Metal Industries, Ltd.

Toshihiro Hara

Kazuki Fujise

Tetsuro Butsuen

Koji Iwase

Yusaku Takeda

Atsuhide Kishi

Kazuo Nishikawa

Koji Ueda

Tohru Yoshioka

Hiroki Uemura

Masatoshi Yoshida

Yasunori Yamamoto

Ayumu Doi

Tomohiko Adachi

Haruhisa Kore

Toshihiro Ishikawa

Satoshi Morioka

Keizo Nanba

Taro Iwamoto

Kenichi Okuda

Yoshihisa Okamoto

Takeshi Takagi

Satoru Matsuoka

Takahide Nouzawa

Hiromichi Sano

Koji Tobita

Yasuhiro Takabe

Kazuhiro Murashige

Takeaki Baba

Naoyuki Hikida

Takahide Nozawa

Yoshio Takeshima

Tadashi Isa

Richard Veale

Atsuo Muneto

The present invention includes: a visual perception target determination unit for determining a visual perception target by using a saliency model for determining that an object to be visually perceived at a glance is a visual perception target, a surprise model for determining that an object behaving abnormally is a visual perception target, and a normative model for determining that an object to be visually perceived by a viewing action of a driver serving as a norm is a visual perception target; and a visual guidance unit for determining whether or not an overlooked visual perception to which a line-of-sight direction detected by a line-of-sight detection unit is not directed is present, and guiding a line-of-sight of a driver toward the overlooked visual perception target, when the overlooked visual perception target is present.

Visual perception assistance system and visual-perception target object detection system

An edge of, for example, a windshield which serves as range of vision is defined by front pillars, a roof, and a dashboard. A modification area is provided at a peripheral portion of the windshield. In the modification area, visual saliency (visual conspicuousness) can be partially increased by means of, e.g., liquid crystals.

Device controlling range of vision

An information display system for a vehicle includes: a display for displaying, an operation screen for operating at least one piece of in-vehicle equipment; a first operation section including a leftward moving switch, a rightward moving switch, and a selection enter switch capable of being manipulated upward and downward and being pushed; and a controller. The controller changes a position of the operation menu selected point in the operation menus horizontally arranged on the operation screen for selecting any one of the operation menus in response to a manipulation signal from the leftward moving switch or the rightward moving switch and executes an operation relating to the selected operation menu in response to an upward or downward manipulation signal from the selection enter switch.

Automotive information display system

An integrated controller for a vehicle comprises a contact preventive device for detecting a distance between a vehicle and an obstacle and a relative speed, and deciding whether the vehicle may come in contact with the obstacle based on the results of detection so as to perform automatic braking or automatic steering, and a characteristic changing device for causing the suspension or steering characteristic of the vehicle to be changed. The control part of the characteristic changing device changes the suspension or steering characteristic based on information from the control part of the contact preventive device when operating the contact preventive device. In case the characteristic changing device is an active suspension device, the control part changes the suspension characteristic so as to increase a control gain when performing automatic braking and to inhibit the vehicle from being rolled when performing automatic steering. Consequently, it is possible to early change the suspension characteristic when operating the contact preventive device. Thus, the running stability of the vehicle can be enhanced.

Integrated controller for vehicle

A control system for opening or closing an opening-closing member when a foreign material is caught by the opening-closing member. The event that the opening-closing member catches the foreign material is decided on the basis of a driving state of a motor for driving the opening-closing member such as a power window. For example, the event that the event of catching the foreign material is decided when a driving acceleration or a driving velocity is less than a predetermined threshold X or Y, respectively. Each of the thresholds X and Y is set basically on the basis of the previous driving acceleration and velocity of the opening-closing member. The thresholds X and Y are corrected on the basis of a condition exerting an influence upon the driving state of the motor, for example, on the basis of a driving voltage or a resistance to a sliding movement of the opening-closing member.

Control system for opening or closing an opening-closing member

A contact preventive system for vehicles using an automatic braking device and an automatic steering device together. Contact forecasting mechanism forecasts the contact of a vehicle with an obstacle. When the contact of the obstacle is forecasted, automatic braking control mechanism operates the automatic braking device. Environment detecting mechanism detects the change of environment such as a friction coefficient of a road. Automatic steering control mechanism operates the automatic steering device to alter the advance direction of the vehicle when a possibility of contact is caused by the change of environment during automatic braking. Thus, contact can be avoided.

Contact preventive apparatus for vehicles

In an energy absorbing apparatus for a vehicle body, when a shock sensing output signal is obtained from one of first and second shock sensors a control unit operates one or both of first and second bag inflators in accordance with an operation mode according to the seating states of passengers represented by a sensing output signal obtained from seating state sensors, and the use states of the seat belts represented by a sensing output signal obtained from belt use state sensors so as to inflate one or both of first and second energy absorbing bags in accordance with the seating states of passengers and the use states of the seat belts.

Body side mounted air bag control system

A passenger attitude control apparatus for use in combination with an air bag disposed to restrain the upper body of a passenger at the moment of a collision. Under normal conditions, a passenger is seated on a cushion supported by a cushion spring having one end fixed to the back side of a seat and with the other end fixed to a rotatable shaft having an attached end plate which is prevented from turning by a locking member. At substantially the same time as the operation of the air bag, upon the occurrence of a collision, the locking member releases the end plate enabling the shaft to turn, causing the passenger and seat to descend. The passenger is distanced from the front portion of the compartment to prevent the passenger from sustaining injury.

Apparatus for controlling attitude of passenger

A honeycomb panel structure for thermal and acoustic insulation and for load bearing capability has a honeycomb panel which comprises a honeycomb core laminated with two facing plates, and a pair of housings. Each housing has a channel to engage and support a edge of the honeycomb panel. A first neutral axis passes through the center of gravity of the honeycomb panel and extends in the direction of the panel. A second neutral axis passes through the centers of gravity of the housings and extends parallel to the first neutral axis. The first and second neutral axes are spaced apart in a vertical direction so that the structure has much higher flexural rigidity.

Honeycomb panel structure

Growing community of inventors

Hiroshima, Japan

Toshihiro Hara