Abstract: An alighting assistance device D of the present disclosure may be a device moving a driver seat rearward in a case where a determination is made that an occupant seated on the driver seat of a vehicle alights. The device may include a reclining mechanism as one example of an angle changer which changes an angle of a seat back of the driver seat with respect to a horizontal plane, a sitting height acquirer which acquires a sitting height of the occupant, and a seat controller as one example of an angle controller which controls the angle changer such that the angle of the seat back becomes closer to be perpendicular as the sitting height acquired by the sitting height acquirer is higher in the case where a determination is made that the occupant alights.

Abstract: A vehicle control method is applied to a vehicle 1 in which a front wheel 2 is driven by an engine 4, and the method includes a basic torque setting step of setting basic torque to be generated by the engine 4, based on an operational state of the vehicle 1; an acceleration torque setting step of setting acceleration torque, based on a reduction in steering angle of a steering apparatus 5 mounted on the vehicle 1; a torque generation step of controlling the engine 4 so that torque based on the basic torque and the acceleration torque is generated; and an acceleration torque changing step of changing the acceleration torque, based on a vehicle-width-direction mounting position of a steering wheel 6 and an operation direction of the steering wheel 6 when the steering angle is reduced.

Abstract: A design method for a vehicle control system includes designing in such a manner that an allowable delay time that is allowed from when operation information is input to an information acquisition unit to when a control signal of an actuator to be operated is output is set in the actuator, and in a case where the allowable delay time is less than a predetermined reference time, an operation-signal generation unit of the actuator is provided in a zone ECU disposed in each predetermined zone of a vehicle and to which the actuator to be operated is connected.

Abstract: An engine system is provided, which includes a main combustion chamber, a subchamber, an injector that injects fuel into the main combustion chamber, a main spark plug that ignites a mixture gas inside the main combustion chamber, a subspark plug that ignites the mixture gas inside the subchamber, an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) device and a control device. In a specific range where EGR is performed, the ignition devices are controlled so that a subignition timing is retarded from a main ignition timing, and an ignition phase difference that is a retard amount of the subignition timing from the main ignition timing becomes larger under a high EGR condition than a low EGR condition, the EGR conditions being conditions in the specific range where engine speeds are the same and EGR rates are different, and the high EGR condition being larger in the EGR rate than the low EGR condition.

Abstract: A microorganism having at least one SPX gene encoding SPX protein responsive to phosphorus deficiency, and characterized in that a function of the SPX protein is decreased or lost by introducing gene mutation into the SPX gene.

Abstract: A travel mode switching device for a vehicle is provided, which is switchable between a plurality of travel modes including a sport travel mode and a towing travel mode. The device includes a travel mode selection interface that allows a driver to select one of the travel modes, a towing detection sensor that detects a towing state, and a processor configured to execute a travel mode switching module to switch the travel mode to the travel mode selected by the travel mode selection interface, and a travel mode regulating module to regulate the selection of the sport travel mode by the travel mode selection interface when the towing state is detected by the towing detection sensor, and regulate the selection of the towing travel mode by the travel mode selection interface when the towing state is not detected.

Abstract: An engine system is provided, which includes a cylinder block, a cylinder head, a piston, a main combustion chamber, a subchamber, an injector that injects fuel into the main combustion chamber, a main spark plug that ignites a mixture gas inside the main combustion chamber, a subspark plug that ignites the mixture gas inside the subchamber, and a controller electrically connected to the injector and the main spark plug and the subspark plug. In a low-load range where an engine load is below a given reference load, the controller controls the main spark plug and the subspark plug so that the subignition is performed after performing the main ignition, and the controller retards the timing of the subignition in a high-speed range where an engine speed is above a given reference engine speed, compared with a low-speed range below the reference engine speed.

Abstract: A trunk structure for a vehicle is provided which can house both a spare tire and a tonneau cover below a floor board in a trunk, and has high operability in housing, removing, and replacing the spare tire and the tonneau cover. A trunk of a vehicle has a spare tire housing and a tonneau cover housing below a floor board. A tonneau cover has a tube portion, a sheet portion, and an extension plate portion. The tonneau cover housing has a portion located between the spare tire and a rear end of the trunk, in which the tube portion of the tonneau cover is stored in a rolled state. The housing also has a portion above a part of the spare tire where the extension plate portion, extending outward from the tube portion when the sheet portion is rolled in the tube portion, is horizontally disposed.

Abstract: A vehicle sound generation device includes a controller that generates a sound signal representing a sound and sets the localization of the sound, and left and right front speakers and left and right rear speakers that output sounds corresponding to the sound signals for which localization has been set by the controller, in which the controller sets the localization of the sounds based on the change amounts (such as the pitch rate, the torque change amount, the roll rate, and steering angular speed) per unit time of the physical quantities correlated with a driving operation by the driver of the vehicle so that the sound image of at least part (low frequency component) of frequency components of the sound is located toward the wheel where the ground load is increasing according to the driving operation.

Abstract: A pipe connection portion of a damper case has an opening opened toward the rear side. In an end surface around the opening in the pipe connection portion, a recess is formed in an inner diameter portion. The recess is recessed to the front side as compared to another portion of the end surface. In an end surface of a pipe member, a groove portion is formed in an outer diameter portion. The groove portion is recessed to the rear side as compared to another portion of the end surface. A first seal member and a second seal member are interposed between the end surface of the damper case and the end surface of the pipe member, and the damper case and the pipe member are sealed by the seal members in a liquid-tight manner.

Abstract: Provided is a start controller for an engine capable of reducing torque of a starter consumed to start the engine. The start controller includes a stop position sensor that detects a position of a piston in each cylinder at an engine stop time, an intake pressure sensor that detects an intake pressure in an intake passage, and a processor that determines whether the position of the piston in each of the cylinders detected by the stop position sensor is within a specified target range after the engine is stopped. In the case where it is determined that the position of the piston in each of the cylinders after the engine stop is out of the target range and the intake pressure detected by the intake pressure sensor is lower than an atmospheric pressure, the engine is started by a motor even when an engine start condition is not satisfied.

Abstract: A driver assistance system enables brake and accelerator operation by an operation bar in a manner close to a sense of a driver of a vehicle, regardless of the degree of operation of the operation bar. Embodiments include an operation bar extending downward toward a vehicle floor panel from a manual operation area where a seated driver manually operates the operation bar, and whose lower portion is supported in a slidingly displaceable manner along an axial direction in a front-down, rear-up tilted state. The operation bar includes a brake actuation section, below the manual operation area, that actuates a brake mechanism by sliding displacement of the operation bar in a front-down direction; and an accelerator actuation section that actuates an acceleration mechanism by sliding displacement of the operation bar in a rear-up direction that is a reverse direction on the same axis from the sliding displacement in the front-down direction.

Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus has a steering wheel 6, an engine 4 for outputting a driving force of a vehicle 1, a brake apparatus 16 capable of applying different braking forces to left and right wheels, and a PCM 14 including a processor and the like. When executing vehicle yaw control, which controls the brake apparatus 16 to apply to the vehicle 1 a yaw moment in the direction opposite to the yaw rate generated in the vehicle 1, after executing vehicle attitude control for reducing an output torque of the engine 4 based on a turning operation of the steering wheel 6, when the control amount of the vehicle attitude control is large, the PCM 14 increases the control amount of the vehicle yaw control compared to when the control amount of the vehicle attitude control is not large.

Abstract: A vehicle control device includes a plurality of IC units, while maintaining the operational reliability. The vehicle control device includes an IC unit for performing image processing on outputs from cameras; an IC unit for performing recognition processing of an external environment of the vehicle; and an IC unit for performing judgment processing for cruise control of the vehicle. A control flow is provided so as to allow the IC unit to transmit a control signal to the IC units and. The control flow is provided separately from a data flow configured to transmit the output from the cameras, the image data, and the external environment data.

Abstract: To meet both a request to improve the thermal efficiency in the medium load operation of an engine and a request to suppress knocking in the high load and high rotation operation of the engine, the engine includes a main combustion chamber comprising a cylinder block, a cylinder head, and a piston; a pre-chamber having a plurality of injection holes that open into the main combustion chamber; and a spark plug that ignites an air-fuel mixture in the pre-chamber. A compression ratio of the main combustion chamber is not less than 14 and not more than 24. A first index, which is the product between a total cross-sectional area of the plurality of injection holes and the compression ratio, is not less than 0.1496 cm2 and not more than 0.8449 cm2.

Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus includes circuitry for controlling a vehicle. The circuitry is configured to search for a stop location where the vehicle is to stop, on a basis of road shoulder region information, generate an evacuation path on a basis of road information to the stop location, and guide the vehicle to the stop location from a first travel lane adjacent to a road shoulder region. The circuitry is further configured to calculate a collision risk of collision with an on-road obstacle. When the collision risk is a predetermined degree or higher, the circuitry is to interrupt the guidance, otherwise the circuitry is to guide the vehicle to enter the stop location and stop the vehicle at the stop location.

Abstract: An automatic transmission includes a brake including a fixed-side cylindrical member spline-coupled to a transmission case, a rotation-side cylindrical member coupled to a given rotating member, a plurality of friction plates disposed between the fixed-side cylindrical member and the rotation-side cylindrical member, and including a fixed-side friction plate configured to be spline-engaged with the fixed-side cylindrical member and a rotation-side friction plate configured to be spline-engaged with the rotation-side cylindrical member, and a piston configured to engage the plurality of friction plates. The automatic transmission further includes a shock absorbing member disposed between a spline part of the transmission case and a spline part of the fixed-side cylindrical member and configured to absorb impact when the fixed-side cylindrical member rotates relative to the transmission case.

Abstract: A speaker disposition structure of a vehicle comprises a left hinge pillar and a right hinge pillar both extending in a vehicle up-down direction; a speaker box fixed to a lower portion of one of the left and right hinge pillars, and the speaker box having a closed inner space; and a partition located on a vehicle width direction inner side of the speaker box. A port opening connects with the inner space of the speaker box and is located in a front face of the speaker box. A space portion is surrounded by the front face of the speaker box, the dash panel, the hinge pillar, and the partition. The space portion connects with an occupant space of the space portion. A length of the space portion, from the port opening in a front-rear direction of the vehicle, is greater than a maximum length of the port opening.

Abstract: A vehicle control system can have an in-vehicle camera that monitors a state of the driver; a center display and a meter device that notify the occupant of information; and a controller that executes automatic stop control in the case where the driver abnormality is determined. The controller can perform: a first operation to decelerate the vehicle to a specified speed when the abnormality is determined; a second operation to further decelerate and stop the vehicle after the first operation; a third operation to change a lane of the vehicle between the first operation and the second operation; and a fourth operation to move the vehicle to a road shoulder between the first operation and the second operation. The controller can notify the operation performed, and notify of a stop of the operation in the case where the operation performed is stopped.

Abstract: There are provided a side panel constituting a vehicle side face at a higher level than a damper attachment portion suspending a rear wheel, a retractor fixed to a cabin-inside face of the side panel, a frame member forming a closed-cross section extending vertically in corporation with the side panel, and a reinforcing member fixed to the side panel. The reinforcing member comprises a retractor attachment portion to attach the retractor, a gusset portion to partition the closed-cross section of a C pillar reinforcement vertically, and a vibration-damping joint portion joined to the side panel via a vibration-damping material. Herein, the reinforcing member is formed integrally by a member which is configured to be continuous over a range of the retractor attachment portion, the gusset portion and the vibration-damping joint portion.