Abstract: In an airbag system for a vehicle, when the state of a passenger at a front passenger seat (including the attached state of a child seat) can be detected, airbags are controlled on the basis of the detection state (S19, S21), and that detection state is stored in a RAM (S23). When it is detected that one of "position offset" of the child seat, "input signal abnormality", "hardware error", and passenger detection sensor failure has occurred at the front passenger seat (S12-S15), the contents of the RAM are referred to, and the airbags and the like are controlled on the basis of the sensor state one cycle before that state has been detected (S22).

Abstract: A suspension apparatus for vehicles capable of changing the characteristic of the suspension by controlling supply/release of fluid into/from hydraulic cylinders which are respectively provided between a vehicle body and-at least two wheels provided on the right and left side of the vehicle body. The suspension apparatus includes a pressure detection sensor for detecting a pressure in the hydraulic cylinders and an acceleration detection sensor for detecting a lateral acceleration signal of the vehicle body. A target pressure difference is set to control supply/release of the fluid into/from the right and left cylinders based on the detected pressure differences of the right and left cylinders.

Abstract: A vehicle which can execute both vehicle-speed based auto-cruising control and vehicle-interval distance based auto-cruising control has a single operation knob having a SET switch, a RESUME switch, and a COAST switch. In order to allow the single operation knob to set both a target vehicle speed and a target vehicle-interval distance, when the SET switch is operated during the vehicle-speed based auto-cruising control, a vehicle speed at the time of the operation or at the end of the switch operation is set to be the target vehicle speed; when the SET switch is operated during vehicle-interval distance based auto-cruising control, a vehicle-interval distance at the time of the operation or at the end of the switch operation is set to be the target vehicle-interval distance.

Abstract: In a vehicle having a pair of right and left front wheels and a pair of right and left rear wheels, when the front wheels are driven wheels, a differential limiting mechanism such as a multi-disc viscous clutch is arranged between axle members coupled to axles of the front wheels via universal joints, or when the rear wheels are driven wheels, the differential limiting mechanism is arranged between axles of the rear wheels. The differential limiting force of the differential limiting mechanism is controlled on the basis of various physical quantities (a steering angle .theta.h, a vehicle speed V, a brake hydraulic pressure P, a vertical acceleration G, and a road-surface .mu.) associated with the traveling state of the vehicle detected by sensors. Therefore, there can be provided a driven wheel differential limiting apparatus for a vehicle, which has high reliability and durability since the differential limiting force is controlled via, e.g.

Abstract: A multiplex transmission system includes a plurality of multiplex nodes interconnected by a common multiplex transmission line. Data frames are transmitted among the multiplex nodes through the multiplex transmission line. A data frame transmitted from a sending multiplex node includes a data area which is divided into subdivided areas in accordance with data transmitted therefrom and data transmitted from receiving multiplex nodes which send data in response to a send request, in accordance with the number of data pieces or the number of bits, and the receiving nodes send data to respective subdivided areas in a predetermined order, to thereby carry out a data transmission. Accordingly, the sending multiplex node can simultaneously collect data from the receiving multiplex nodes which are functionally subordinate. When any of the receiving multiplex nodes fails to return an ACK signal, the sending multiplex node retransmits the data frame.

Abstract: When a message is transmitted, frame by frame, from any one (10) of a plurality of multiplex nodes to a common multiplex bus (MB) to which the multiplex nodes are connected, each of the multiplex nodes (20 and 30) determines that transmission of a frame therefrom is allowed when it detects a transmission permission signal (b, b') added to the frame after detection of and idle state of the multiplex bus, and starts transmitting a message data frame. This makes it possible to properly implement priority-based control according to the priority levels of the data frames irrespectively of variations in the reference clocks of the multiplex nodes. Further, receiving multiplex nodes perform frame synchronization at the rise of a special code (a) of a start code (SOM) of a message data frame, and then perform re-synchronization at the rise of a special bit pattern (b") which includes a passive bit and a dominant bit.

Abstract: A multiplex transmission system of this invention includes a plurality of multiplex nodes interconnected by a common multiplex transmission line. A frame of data is transmitted among the multiplex nodes through the multiplex transmission line. When a data frame transmitted from an air conditioner switch multiplex node (subnode) is received, an air conditioner unit multiplex node (main node), which is predetermined as a destination node, detects the contents of each data from an ID-a of the received data, performs a calculation on SOM to DATA 4 received, generates collation data (CRC) in accordance with the result of the calculation and transmits same. The subnode generates collation data (CRC), which is an error check code, through a calculation on the transmitted SOM to DATA 4, and compares the thus-generated CRC with the CRC received from the main node, to determine whether or not the data transmission was properly carried out.

Abstract: A multiplex transmission system of this invention includes a plurality of multiplex nodes interconnected by a common multiplex transmission line. A plurality of groups of different combinations of the multiplex nodes are predetermined, and a frame of data is transmitted among the multiplex nodes through the multiplex transmission line. The data frame includes a group specifying area specifying a group of nodes from which an acknowledge signal is to be returned. When a data frame transmitted from a sending node is received, each multiplex node determines whether or not it belongs to the group specified by bits in the group specifying area of the transmitted frame. When the data frame is properly received, only those multiplex nodes which belong to the specified group return the acknowledge signals to an acknowledge signal area in the data frame in accordance with the bits in the group specifying area, whereby the transmission efficiency is improved.

Abstract: An electrical harnessing structure for connecting to vehicle electrical components to an instrument panel, which is constituted by an instrument panel core to which the vehicle electrical components are mounted, and an instrument panel mount member for mounting the instrument panel core to a vehicle body component portion. The harnessing structure includes an electrical harnessing member divided at least into a first electrical harnessing member portion and a second electrical harnessing member portion, and consisting of a bundle of a plurality of electric wires, a first mounting member for mounting the first electrical harnessing member portion to the instrument panel mount member, a second mounting member for mounting the second electrical harnessing member portion to the instrument panel core, and a connect member for connecting the first and second electrical harnessing member portions to each other.

Abstract: The data storing system according to the present invention is used for a communication control circuit. The communication control circuit is equipped with a communication sequencer, which takes in a message to be transmitted to a multiplex bus, an ID table which registers data IDs of messages necessary for the station, and the first and second memory circuits which have memory areas keyed to the data IDs. When the communication sequencer takes in a message, it determines whether its data ID exists in the ID table. If the data ID exists and the frequency of occurrence is high, then data following the data ID is temporarily stored in a memory area keyed to a data ID of the first memory circuit. If the data ID exists and the frequency of occurrence is low, then the data following the data ID is temporarily stored in a memory area of the second memory circuit.

Abstract: A device for controlling the current consumption of a power supply which applies a voltage to a transmission control circuit for transmitting a transmission signal with respect to a transmission line is provided. A power supply stabilizing circuit for stabilizing a voltage applied from the power supply; an amplitude detection circuit for detecting a transmission signal input from the transmission line; a switching circuit for interrupting application of a voltage from the power supply stabilizing circuit to the transmission control circuit; and a control circuit for controlling the open/closed state of the switching circuit according to the presence or absence of a transmission signal detected by the amplitude detection circuit are provided, and only when the amplitude detection circuit has detected the transmission signal, the control circuit sets the switching circuit into the closed state so as to permit a voltage to be applied to the transmission control circuit.

Abstract: A multiplex transmission system according to this invention includes a plurality of multiplex nodes connected to one another via a common multiplex bus, for effecting data transfer between the nodes. When reception nodes correctly receive data transmitted from one of the nodes for each frame, each of the reception nodes returns an ACK signal to the multiplex bus, registers all of the nodes connected to the multiplex bus into the ACK table in response to the ACK signal, and effects the ACK management. In this case, for example, if a door FR multiplex node causes an interruption to transmit a frame while an air-conditioning unit multiplex node is retransmitting a frame, the air-conditioning unit multiplex node effects the ACK management without regarding the ACK signal for the interruption frame as an object of the updating logic of its own ACK table.

Abstract: A rear steering control system for a motor vehicle includes an antiskid braking system which controls a braking force in a brake device in a respective wheel in accordance with a deceleration condition of the respective wheel so as to prevent wheel locking in a braking operation. The sytem includes a rear steering control system for establishing a ratio of steering amount of the rear wheels to that of the front wheels as a predetermined steering ratio characteristic. An input device inputs an operation condition of the antiskid braking system and an control condition of the brake device for the respective wheel conducted by the antiskid braking system to the rear steering control system. A device is provided in the system for amending the predetermined steering ratio characteristic in accordance with the control condition of the brake device for the respective wheel when the antiskid braking system is in operation.

Abstract: A control system for an engine with an automatic transmission, including an output reducing system for reducing an output of the engine by a predetermined quantity in a speed change operation of the automatic transmission, so as to suppress a speed change shock generated in the speed change operation; and an output reduction control system for controlling a start timing of operation of the output reducing system so as to make a timing when output reduction of the engine is completed by the output reducing system coincide with a start timing of an actual gear shift operation of the automatic transmission. Accordingly, the engine output is reduced in the speed change operation of the automatic transmission, and the speed change shock generated in the speed change operation can be greatly suppressed by making the timing when the output reduction of the engine is completed coincide with the start timing of the actual gear shift operation of the automatic transmission.

Abstract: A suspension system for a vehicle includes a steering knuckle for supporting a wheel which is used for steering and also for driving, an upper arm for connecting an upper portion of the steering knuckle to a frame of the vehicle, and a lower arm for connecting a lower portion of the steering knuckle to a frame of the vehicle. At least one of the arms includes two link members. Each of the link members is pivotally connected to the frame of the vehicle at one end thereof and to the steering knuckle at an opposite end thereof. The link members are so disposed as to set a transverse distance between a kingpin axis and a center of the wheel at a positive value such that the kingpin axis is located inside of the center of the wheel in relation to a transverse direction of the vehicle, and reduce the distance as the wheel is turned toward an outward direction wherein the wheel is located radially outwardly in relation to a turning circle.

Abstract: A power transmitting system for a vehicle includes an input shaft, left and right output shafts, a speed reduction mechanism for transmitting a driving force from the input shaft to the output shafts, a left hydraulic clutch disposed between the speed reduction mechanism and the left output shaft for transmitting the driving force, a right hydraulic clutch disposed between the speed reduction mechanism and the right output shaft, and an oil pump for supplying a hydraulic pressure to the left and right clutches. The left and right hydraulic clutches being disposed in the speed reduction mechanism, and the input shaft constitutes a primary element of the oil pump. A compact power transmitting system can be obtained in accordance with the invention.

Abstract: A vehicle rear suspension system includes a wheel carrying member for rotatably carrying a wheel of a vehicle, three lateral links extending in a transverse direction and connected with the wheel carrying member at their outer ends, and a trailing arm extending in a longitudinal direction. The trailing arm is connected with a body member of the vehicle at front end through a single joint. The trailing arm is formed with biforked portions, at a rear end, extending in the up and down direction. One of the biforked portions is connected with a lower one of the three lateral link and the other of the biforked portions is connected with an upper one of the three lateral links or the wheel carrying member. The number of connecting points or joints between the trailing arm and the wheel carrying member can be reduced with an improved controllability of wheel attitude.

Abstract: In a suspension system for a vehicle comprising a shock absorber of which damping force characteristic can be changed into three or more characteristics, the predetermined running state of the vehicle is detected by detecting means and there is limited to two or so the number of the damping force characteristics to be selected from the three or more characteristics of the shock absorber according to the running state. The damping force characteristic of the shock absorber is selected and changed on the basis of a given control rule only within the limited damping force characteristics. In addition, the threshold of the control rule is changed such that the damping force characteristic of the shock absorber can easily be changed into the higher or lower level side according to the rate of change in the predetermined running state. Thus, it is possible to prevent noise and oscillation from being caused by the large change of the damping force characteristic.

Abstract: A suspension system for vehicles, in which the supporting center on the vehicle body side of an assist link is offset from the axial center of a bush of a suspension arm member so as to control the swinging locus of the suspension arm member at bumping of the wheel by the different swinging locus of the assist link. By the supporting center on the wheel support member side of the suspension arm member which is offset from the central axis of rotation of the wheel, the wheel at bumping is made toe-in for oversteering tendency to enhance turning ability at turning or is made toe-out for understeering tendency to enhance driving stability at turning and the camber angle of the wheel is made larger for enhancing straight driving stability or is made smaller for enhancing riding comfort and reducing steering power required for turning. Thus, the present invention makes it possible to change properly the toe-control and the camber-control according to characteristics of each kind of vehicle.

Abstract: An automobile air-conditioner capable of controlling the displacement of a compressor in view of the traveling condition and air-conditioning condition of an automobile so as to maintain a pleasant feeling of the air-conditioning and an accelerating ability of the automobile in harmony with each other. The air-conditioner includes an air-conditioning preference judgment device by means of which a normal control of the air-conditioning operation is maintained when the judgment of this judgment means indicates the existence of an air-conditioning preference condition. The air-conditioning is performed in preference to acceleration of the automobile depending on the degree of acceleration of the automobile even when the automobile is accelerated.