Abstract: A driving assist ECU determines that a current situation is a specific situation where it is predicted that there is no object that is about to enter an adjacent lane from an area outside of a host vehicle road on which a host vehicle is traveling, when a road-side object is detected at a part around an edge of the adjacent lane, and/or when a white line painted to define the adjacent lane is detected at the part around the edge of the adjacent lane and no object near the detected white line is detected. The driving assist ECU does not perform a steering control for avoiding a collision, the steering control for letting the vehicle enter the adjacent lane, when it is not determined that the current situation is the specific situation.

Abstract: A control apparatus includes a controller configured to acquire, based on whether a vehicle selected by a user has an accident history, at least one piece of change information indicating a change in performance of the vehicle before and after an accident and output the acquired change information.

Abstract: A cladding method for a valve seat in a cylinder head blank includes a combustion chamber, an intake port or an exhaust port communicating with the combustion chamber, and an annular countersunk groove formed in an opening end of the port on the combustion chamber side, the method being for forming a cladding layer by irradiating metal powder supplied in the countersunk groove with a laser beam. A gas flow regulating wall is provided, which projects from the countersunk groove to an inner side of the countersunk groove and to the combustion chamber side, gas is sprayed during irradiating with the laser beam, and the gas is flown by the gas flow regulating wall from the inner side to an outer side of the countersunk groove.

Abstract: There is provided a vehicle cowl structure including: a cowl main body section that forms an S-shaped cross-section configured from an upper side curved portion a lower side curved portion curving, and in which an upper portion extending from the upper side curved portion toward the vehicle front-rear direction rear side is joined to a lower face of a lower end portion of a front windshield, and a lower portion is joined to a dash panel; and a front side reinforcement member that curves to as to bulge out toward the vehicle front-rear direction front side, in which an upper end portion is joined to a location between the upper side curved portion and the lower side curved portion, and a lower end portion is joined to a location between the lower side curved portion and the lower portion joined to the dash panel.

Abstract: A fuel cell system is turned off without using up the electric power of a secondary battery in the case where a fuel cell fails to start up, while reducing the startup time of the fuel cell system. When an ignition key is turned on, a controller calculates allowable waiting time for a fuel cell to start up on the basis of the electric power stored in a secondary battery. If the fuel cell fails to start up during the period of time from the instant the ignition key was turned on until the allowable waiting time elapses, then the controller turns on an alarm lamp which indicates the startup failure of the fuel cell. Meanwhile, in the case where the fuel cell starts up, the controller begins a normal operation in which a traction motor and the like are actuated by using the electric power generated by the fuel cell and the electric power stored in the secondary battery.

Abstract: When the relation of battery temperature Tb1>battery temperature Tb2 is satisfied, a temperature increase request for a power storage unit becomes relatively large. Therefore, a target power value P2* for the power storage unit is determined with priority. The target power value P2* is calculated by multiplying the required power value Ps* by a distribution ratio Pr2 (0.5?distribution ratio Pr2?1.0) determined in accordance with temperature deviation between battery temperature Tb1 and battery temperature Tb2. The target power value P1* is determined by subtracting the target power value P2* from the required power value Ps*.

Abstract: A vehicle onboard device having characteristics capable of being changed communicates with a vehicle to set a characteristic value to an optimum value. Parameters for setting conditions of an electronic device are called out of an E.sup.2 PROM 14.sub.i of the vehicle 10.sub.i and are transmitted to a technology center 40 via a dealer 20.sub.1, and an information center 30.sub.1. Each dealer 20.sub.1, the information center 30.sub.1, and the technology center 40 accumulate the parameters. The technology center 40 can collect the parameters of numerous vehicles and characteristic values for electronic control of each of the vehicles and can calculate newest and optimum parameters. The technology center 40 transmits this newest and optimum vehicle information to the vehicle 10.sub.i, and each vehicle updates the parameters thereof to these newest and optimum parameters. Accordingly, the parameters of the vehicle are set as the newest parameters.

Abstract: In an electrically heated catalyst support, when necessary, reinforcing layers are formed on the inner circumference and the outer circumference of a honeycomb body. On an end surface of the honeycomb body on the downstream side of exhaust gas, there are provided a plurality of insulating ceramic bars on the outer circumferential layer and/or the inner circumferential layer in such a manner that the insulating ceramic bars cross a non-reinforcing layer of the honeycomb body. End portions of the ceramic bars are held on the reinforcing layer by pins or a ring-shaped holding member joined to an external metallic cylinder. Due to the foregoing arrangement, telescoping of the honeycomb body in the direction of gas flow and damage of the metallic foil can be prevented without obstructing the generation of heat when electricity is supplied. Accordingly, durability of the catalyst support can be remarkably enhanced.