Abstract: A vehicle capable of traveling using electric power from a power storage device mounted thereon has an ECU executing, when traveling by electric power from the power storage device: the step of calculating a reference electric consumption based on an average operating point determined by an average vehicle speed and average driving force for every predetermined period; the step of calculating an actual electric consumption based on power consumption and travel distance during the period; the step of calculating a predicted electric consumption by a smoothing processing based on the reference electric consumption and actual electric consumption; and the step of calculating an allowed travel distance RMD that the vehicle can travel by the electric power remaining in the power storage device, based on the predicted electric consumption and the SOC of the power storage device.

Abstract: In control over a power supply system that includes a plurality of parallel connected batteries, electric power is supplied from the plurality of batteries to an electrical device at a total output upper limit value that is obtained by applying a first computing to individual output upper limit values of the plurality of batteries, and, when there is an abnormality in at least one of the plurality of batteries, the at least one of the plurality of batteries, having an abnormality, is isolated, and a total output upper limit value is set by applying a second computing to the battery having no abnormality, the total output upper limit value being smaller than the total output upper limit value obtained through the first computing.

Abstract: A creep travel capability of an electric vehicle is secured when an abnormality occurs in a brake sensor. When an accelerator operation amount reaches 0% in a low vehicle speed region, a target creep torque is set, whereupon a motor-generator is controlled toward the target creep torque. The target creep torque is reduced as a brake pedal is depressed in order to suppress heat generation and the like in the motor-generator during vehicle braking. Hence, in an electric vehicle in which the target creep torque is varied in accordance with the brake operation amount, when an abnormality occurs (step S11) in a brake sensor for detecting a brake operation amount, a preset prescribed creep torque is employed as the target creep torque regardless of the brake operation amount (step S15). The prescribed creep torque is set at a required magnitude for securing the creep travel capability.

Abstract: An ECU executes a program including the steps of: executing addition processing when current IB is equal to or more than a current upper limit value IB(0) and there is a divergence between command power Pc and an upper limit value Woutf of an allowable range of electric power at the time of agreement between the current IB and the current upper limit value IB(0); and executing normal Woutf determination processing when the current IB is less than the current upper limit value IB(0) or there is no divergence between the command power Pc and the upper limit value Woutf at the time of agreement between the current IB and the current upper limit value IB(0).

Abstract: In a first condition, the sum of discharging power from a first battery stack and discharging power from a second battery stack is limited in accordance with the sum of a limit value of discharging power from the first battery stack and a limit value of discharging power from the second battery stack. In a second condition, electric power of the battery stacks is limited in accordance with either the limit value of discharging power from the first battery stack or the limit value of discharging power from the second battery stack.

Abstract: A control device for an electric vehicle where a threshold storing unit is provided which stores two large and small thresholds and (first threshold>second threshold), and a drive state switching unit is provided which reduces torque output of a drive motor, while allowing accessories to operate, when a remaining energy capacity SOC from a remaining energy capacity detecting unit fails below the first threshold, and stops power supply to the drive motor, while allowing the accessories to operate, when the remaining energy capacity SOC from a remaining energy capacity detecting unit falls below the second threshold.

Abstract: An SOC display displayed on a display includes a first region and a second region. The first region presents an SOC range capable of ensuring the minimum traveling performance. The SOC display displays an SOC within the first region. The second region presents an SOC range incapable of ensuring the minimum traveling performance. The boundary between the first region and the second region corresponds to an SOC lower limit value indicating the SOC lower limit capable of ensuring the minimum traveling performance. The SOC lower limit value is set based on the temperature of a power storage device.

Abstract: When the sum of a first state of charge of a first battery stack and a second state of charge of a second battery stack is large, a higher state of charge is selected as a priority state of charge. When the sum of first state of charge of the first battery stack and the second state of charge of the second battery stack is small, a lower state of charge is selected as the priority state of charge. A first coefficient and a second coefficient are set in accordance with the priority state of charge. The second coefficient is set so as to be lower than the first coefficient. The product of the first coefficient and the priority state of charge is added to the product of the second coefficient and the other state of charge, to thereby calculate a state of charge of a power storage system.

Abstract: In a first condition, the sum of discharging power from a first battery stack and discharging power from a second battery stack is limited in accordance with the sum of a limit value of discharging power from the first battery stack and a limit value of discharging power from the second battery stack. In a second condition, electric power of the battery stacks is limited in accordance with either the limit value of discharging power from the first battery stack or the limit value of discharging power from the second battery stack.

Abstract: When the sum of a first state of charge of a first battery stack and a second state of charge of a second battery stack is large, a higher state of charge is selected as a priority state of charge. When the sum of first state of charge of the first battery stack and the second state of charge of the second battery stack is small, a lower state of charge is selected as the priority state of charge. A first coefficient and a second coefficient are set in accordance with the priority state of charge. The second coefficient is set so as to be lower than the first coefficient. The product of the first coefficient and the priority state of charge is added to the product of the second coefficient and the other state of charge, to thereby calculate a state of charge of a power storage system.

Abstract: When a battery of an electric vehicle charged with an external power source (AC 100 V), the electric vehicle and the external power source are connected with each other by the intermediary of a charging cable. Upon this charging, it is determined whether or not an input voltage from the external power source is 95 V or more. When the input voltage is less than 95 V, that is, a decline of the voltage in the charging cable is large, since a wiring resistance in the charging cable possibly increases, an upper limit of an output power to the battery is reduced. Consequently, the electric power delivered from the external power source can be limited, and thereby excessive heat generation is inhibited and safety is ensured. Furthermore, since the output power is caused to be limited when the wiring resistance possibly increases, the battery can be charged continuously.

Abstract: A control device for an electric vehicle where a threshold storing unit is provided which stores two large and small thresholds and (first threshold>second threshold), and a drive state switching unit is provided which reduces torque output of a drive motor, while allowing accessories to operate, when a remaining energy capacity SOC from a remaining energy capacity detecting unit fails below the first threshold, and stops power supply to the drive motor, while allowing the accessories to operate, when the remaining energy capacity SOC from a remaining energy capacity detecting unit falls below the second threshold.

Abstract: A creep travel capability of an electric vehicle is secured when an abnormality occurs in a brake sensor. When an accelerator operation amount reaches 0% in a low vehicle speed region, a target creep torque is set, whereupon a motor-generator is controlled toward the target creep torque. The target creep torque is reduced as a brake pedal is depressed in order to suppress heat generation and the like in the motor-generator during vehicle braking. Hence, in an electric vehicle in which the target creep torque is varied in accordance with the brake operation amount, when an abnormality occurs (step S11) in a brake sensor for detecting a brake operation amount, a preset prescribed creep torque is employed as the target creep torque regardless of the brake operation amount (step S15). The prescribed creep torque is set at a required magnitude for securing the creep travel capability.

Abstract: The present invention provides a control apparatus for an electric vehicle which improves safety in an electric vehicle capable of traveling using creep torque. The electric vehicle includes a motor/generator for driving vehicle wheels. In a low vehicle speed region during startup or the like, creep torque is output from the motor/generator even when an accelerator pedal has not been operated, and therefore the electric vehicle can be started gently. The electric vehicle is also provided with a friction brake system for applying vehicle braking through frictional force. When an EV control unit for setting a target creep torque of the motor/generator determines that an abnormality has occurred in the friction brake system (step S20), the target creep torque is set lower than normal (step S30).

Abstract: There are equipped a first recurrent neural network formed by connecting plural nodes so as to have a loop in which the output from one node is input to another node in accordance with a predetermined coupling weight coefficient. Meanwhile, the output of at least one node is fed back to the node concerned or another node, and an optimizing unit for determining the optimum solution of the coupling weight coefficient in the first recurrent neural network based on a learning rule using a hereditary algorithm. In this case, the first recurrent neural network outputs a first parameter indicating a motion state of a vehicle based on predetermined input information, thereby functioning as a vehicle motion model.

Abstract: An apparatus for adjusting a brightness balance of a stereoscopic camera includes a gain control amplifier and a micro-computer. The gain control amplifier adjusts a brightness balance of a pair of images outputted from the stereoscopic camera by gain. The micro-computer calculates a first evaluation value representing a magnitude of an entire brightness of a first evaluation window established in a reference image outputted from the gain control amplifier and calculates a second evaluation value representing a magnitude of an entire brightness of a second evaluation window established in a comparison image outputted from an adjusting device, and established in an area having a brightness correlation with the first evaluation window. Also, the micro-computer corrects a gain so as to reduce the difference between the first evaluation value and the second evaluation value.

Abstract: A distance correcting apparatus of a surroundings monitoring system includes a stereo imaging means for stereoscopically taking a pair of images of a frontal scenery, a parallax calculating means for calculating a parallax based on the pair of images, a distance calculating means for calculating a distance to an object based on the parallax and a parameter for correcting distance, an approximation line calculating means for calculating a plurality of approximation lines extending in the distance direction in parallel with each other based on the images, a vanishing point calculating means for calculating a vanishing point of the images from a point of intersection of the approximation lines and a parameter correcting means for correcting the parameter based on the calculated vanishing point.

Abstract: There are equipped a first recurrent neural network formed by connecting plural nodes so as to have a loop in which the output from one node is input to another node in accordance with a predetermined coupling weight coefficient. Meanwhile, the output of at least one node is fed back to the node concerned or another node, and an optimizing unit for determining the optimum solution of the coupling weight coefficient in the first recurrent neural network based on a learning rule using a hereditary algorithm. In this case, the first recurrent neural network outputs a first parameter indicating a motion state of a vehicle based on predetermined input information, thereby functioning as a vehicle motion model.

Abstract: A positional deviation adjusting apparatus of a stereoscopic camera includes a correction circuit for transforming images geometrically according to transformation parameters and a calculating section. A plurality of reference areas are established on a reference line of one image and a reference point is established for every reference area. The calculating section identifies correlation points having a correlation with the respective reference points in the other image. Further, the calculating section calculates an approximation line based on the correlation points and corrects the transformation parameters in such a manner that the approximation line coincides with the reference line.

Abstract: A stereo type vehicle monitoring apparatus with a fail-safe function comprises a pair of cameras 1, 2, a stereo image producer 3, 4, 5, a calculator 12 and a fail decision unit 12. The pair of cameras 1, 2 take pictures of scenes outside of a vehicle. The stereo image producer 3, 4, 5 produces a first image and a second image respectively based on pictures; taken by the cameras 1, 2. The calculator 12 calculates a level of brightness of a first monitor area in the first image produced by the stereo image producer 3, 4, 5 and a level of brightness of a second monitor area in the second image produced by the stereo image producer 3, 4, 5. The fail decision unit 12 determines a failure of the vehicle monitoring apparatus when a difference between the brightness level of the first monitor area and the brightness level of the second monitor area exceeds a predetermined value. The second monitor area positionally corresponds to the first monitor area.