Abstract: A situation determining unit determines a situation a vehicle currently faces. A control processing unit controls a vehicle equipment based on a determination of the situation determining unit. An arbitration processing unit determines, when a conflict of control requests occurs, contents of the control by settling the conflict, and when different control requests are issued to an identical vehicle equipment, sets a priority in the control requests, adjusts a timing of performing the control, and adjusts an amount for the control. The control processing unit performs the control based on the contents of the control determined by the arbitration processing unit.

Abstract: An air bag cover opening mechanism for an air bag for use in a vehicle. An air bag cover for closing an opening provided in an air bag case with an air bag accommodated therein has at one end thereof a hinge formed integrally with an inner surface layer of the air bag cover. A slit is provided in the inner surface layer of the air bag cover at the other end thereof to allow one end of a retainer to be retained therein. The other end portion of the retainer has a hole. With this hole aligned with a hole provided in a side wall of the air bag case, a spacer is inserted into the aligned holes, and a bolt is threadedly inserted into an internally threaded hole provided in the spacer and is tightened, thereby allowing the retainer to be rotatably held onto the air bag case and the other end of the air bag cover to be fixed.