Abstract: When a transmission condition regarding a state detected by a state detection unit (vehicle sensor, operation detection sensor, external environment sensor, or internal environment sensor) is satisfied while a travel controller performs a travel control, a vehicle control system transmits attentional state information representing a travel state, an operation state, or an environment state to a travel assist server through a communication device.

Abstract: When a transmission condition regarding a state detected by a state detection unit (vehicle sensor, operation detection sensor, external environment sensor, or internal environment sensor) is satisfied while a travel controller performs a travel control, a vehicle control system transmits attentional state information representing a travel state, an operation state, or an environment state to a travel assist server through a communication device.

Abstract: A display device for a vehicle which includes: an image-taking unit which takes images of an area ahead of the vehicle at predetermined intervals; a display which displays the images taken by the image-taking unit; and a controller which divides a display area of the display into a plurality of areas including a center area and a right-and-left side area, wherein the controller sets a first interval for the image-taking unit for taking images to be displayed in the right-and-left side area of the display to become longer than a second interval for the image-taking unit for taking images to be displayed in the center area.

Abstract: A display device for a vehicle which includes: an image-taking unit which takes images of an area ahead of the vehicle at predetermined intervals; a display which displays the images taken by the image-taking unit; and a controller which divides a display area of the display into a plurality of areas including a center area and a right-and-left side area, wherein the controller sets a first interval for the image-taking unit for taking images to be displayed in the right-and-left side area of the display to become longer than a second interval for the image-taking unit for taking images to be displayed in the center area.

Abstract: The invention relates to a failure detection system for an electric power steering system. The system detects ON failure of one of first to fourth switching elements of an H-bridge circuit of the electric power steering system. The system detects ON failure by measuring the value of the current and the fluctuation in the value of the current. Therefore, the system can detect ON failures even when the value of the current is within normal ranges.

Abstract: In an electric power steering system, during initial processing after an ignition switch is turned on, when a main CPU completes calculation of an offset voltage, it sends an offset voltage calculation request signal to a sub CPU. When the time from sending the offset voltage calculation request signal until the main CPU receives an offset voltage calculation completion signal from the sub CPU is within a predetermined period of time, it is determined that a communication function between the main CPU and the sub CPU and an offset voltage calculation function of the sub CPU are normal, and at the same time it is possible to maintain synchronism of the offset voltage calculation in the main CPU with the offset voltage calculation in the sub CPU. Thus, it is possible to carry out in a short time a check of the communication function between the main CPU and the sub CPU, while maintaining the synchronism in the offset voltage calculations by the two CPUs when calculating an actual motor current.

Abstract: The invention relates to a failure detection system for an electric power steering system. The system detects ON failure of one of first to fourth switching elements of an H-bridge circuit of the electric power steering system. The system detects ON failure by measuring the value of the current and the fluctuation in the value of the current. Therefore, the system can detect ON failures even when the value of the current is within normal ranges.

Abstract: In an electric power steering system, during initial processing after an ignition switch is turned on, when a main CPU completes calculation of an offset voltage, it sends an offset voltage calculation request signal to a sub CPU. When the time from sending the offset voltage calculation request signal until the main CPU receives an offset voltage calculation completion signal from the sub CPU is within a predetermined period of time, it is determined that a communication function between the main CPU and the sub CPU and an offset voltage calculation function of the sub CPU are normal, and at the same time it is possible to maintain synchronism of the offset voltage calculation in the main CPU with the offset voltage calculation in the sub CPU. Thus, it is possible to carry out in a short time a check of the communication function between the main CPU and the sub CPU, while maintaining the synchronism in the offset voltage calculations by the two CPUs when calculating an actual motor current.

Abstract: The invention provides a suspension control system that executes control of actuators that apply a vertical force to the vehicle wheels depending on the travel state of the vehicle, and at the same time, carry out power generation by using the energy of the vertical motion of the wheels and use the obtained energy to drive the actuator motor. In the suspension control apparatus in which the vehicle wheels can receive a force in the vertical direction from a motor, power generation is carried out by the motor depending on the vertical motion of the vehicle wheels, and a storage cycle that stores energy in a storage apparatus and a discharge cycle that drives the motor by the energy stored in the storage apparatus are repeated.

Abstract: A suspension control method for controlling a suspension which includes respective actuators for left and right wheels of a vehicle, and which can apply forces in the upwards and downwards direction to the left and right vehicle wheels via these actuators. While the vehicle is being driven in a straight line, control is performed by giving priority to ride comfort; and, while the vehicle is being driven around a curve, control is performed by giving priority to roll suppression.

Abstract: The invention provides a suspension control system that executes control of actuators that apply a vertical force to the vehicle wheels depending on the travel state of the vehicle, and at the same time, carry out power generation by using the energy of the vertical motion of the wheels and use the obtained energy to drive the actuator motor. In the suspension control apparatus in which the vehicle wheels can receive a force in the vertical direction from a motor, power generation is carried out by the motor depending on the vertical motion of the vehicle wheels, and a storage cycle that stores energy in a storage apparatus and a discharge cycle that drives the motor by the energy stored in the storage apparatus are repeated.

Abstract: A suspension control method for controlling a suspension which includes respective actuators for left and right wheels of a vehicle, and which can apply forces in the upwards and downwards direction to the left and right vehicle wheels via these actuators. While the vehicle is being driven in a straight line, control is performed by giving priority to ride comfort; and, while the vehicle is being driven around a curve, control is performed by giving priority to roll suppression.

Abstract: A stabilizer effectiveness control device that has an actuator for changing the apparent torsion rigidity of a stabilizer provided between the left and right wheels of a motor vehicle, a control device for controlling the output of the actuator, and a device for detecting the degree of sharpness of a turn when the vehicle is turning. The actuator is driven and controlled in response to the degree of sharpness of the turn when the vehicle is turning so as to change the torsion rigidity of the stabilizer between the left and right wheels of the vehicle. When the sharpness of the turn is small the change in attitude of the vehicle body is controlled by the actuator to prioritize vehicle riding comfort, whereas when the degree of sharpness of the turn is increased the actuator bottoms out, thus allowing the intrinsic rigidity of the stabilizer to control the handling or running stability of the vehicle.

Abstract: Control unit in an electric power steering apparatus includes a motor drive inhibition section for inhibiting output of a motor control signal on the basis of at least a steering torque signal supplied from a steering torque sensor. The control unit also includes a zero-value setting section for, when drive inhibition signals are output by the motor drive inhibition section, setting a target motor current signal to a zero value irrespective of a value of the steering torque signal, and an inhibition cancellation section for cancelling the drive inhibition signals when an offset between the target motor current signal and the detected motor current signal becomes zero after the target motor current signal is set to the zero value by the zero-value setting section.

Abstract: In a motor drive apparatus, a motor drive circuit includes an H bridge circuit composed of four field effect transistors or FETs, and resistors each having electrical resistance sufficiently higher than that of each of the FETs which would be presented when the FET has an ON-state trouble. These resistors are connected in parallel to the respective FETs. To perform a ON-state trouble detecting test on the individual FETs, an OFF signal is fed to all the FETs. If all the EFTS are free of the ON-state trouble, electric potential, representing a result of higher potential of a battery being divided by the resistors, appears at two input terminals of an electric motor connected to the motor drive circuit. If two of the FETs, having their drains connected to a higher-potential electrode of the battery, have the ON-state trouble, the higher potential of the battery appears at the two terminals of the electric motor.

Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus which quickly returns the steering wheel to the neutral position with a satisfactory steering feeling by switching a steering wheel return control for assisting the steering wheel return and a steering wheel convergence control for converging the steering wheel to the neutral position by braking a motor, according to the steering condition such as the rotational speed of the steering wheel is fast or slow when returning the steering wheel to the neutral position even when the vehicle speed is equal.