Abstract: A control device sets avoidance traveling reaching points, avoidance traveling target points, and a final avoidance target point of an obstacle to be avoided based on the position of the obstacle to be avoided and the position of the vehicle for the target passing position based on obstacle information recognized by a stereo camera, and an environment recognition unit, inputs the target actual steering angle as a vehicle motion parameter obtained according to a vehicle motion model to an electric power steering control device with these target passing positions as a target, and guides the avoidance traveling. The increase of the number of operations is controlled thereby to a minimum, and the obstacle is smoothly, efficiently and stably avoided based on actual behavior of the vehicle.

Abstract: a vehicle surrounding monitoring system including a vehicle travel information detecting unit for detecting travel information of an own vehicle, a solid object recognizing unit for detecting solid objects existing in front of the own vehicle and recognizing at least a preceding vehicle from the solid objects, a target route calculating unit for calculating a target route for the own vehicle in accordance with the present position of the preceding vehicle and the present position of the own vehicle, an alarm area setting unit for setting an alarm area on the basis of the target route, and an alarm control unit for giving an alarm in accordance with an existing state of solid objects existing in the alarm area.

Abstract: In the event that the differential value of the target node deviation is equal to or greater than a deviation threshold, and the absolute value of the steering torque is equal to or greater than a steering torque threshold, the system outputs signals to a brake control device such that deceleration of the vehicle is made with a predetermined deceleration, and outputs signals to an electric power steering control device so as to cancel automatic steering, whereby the system enters a normal power steering mode, and the automatic driving mode is canceled. Thus, abnormal situations are precisely detected during automatic driving, giving consideration to the control error and the intent of the user, thereby enabling driving control matching the intent of the user.

Abstract: Follow-up steering control is executed in a vehicle speed region where vehicle speed V0 is less than V1, and for a vehicle speed region to the higher speed side, a target yaw rate ?t for the vehicle is calculated depending on the current positions of a preceding vehicle and the vehicle, and a power steering instructed current value ic for following up the preceding vehicle is calculated based on the target yaw rate ?t and output to an electrical power steering control unit. On the other hand, for a vehicle speed region to the lower speed side, a target steering angle St for the vehicle is calculated depending on the current positions of the preceding vehicle and the vehicle, and a power steering instructed current value ic for following up the preceding vehicle is calculated based on the target steering angle St.

Abstract: A particular area extending in a widthwise direction of a vehicle is established in a lower part of a picture image taken by CCD cameras and the area is divided into six small areas. It is judged that a stop marker exists when an average brightness of respective three successive small areas of the six small areas rises from a low level to a high level and then descends from the high level. As a result of recognition of a stop marker, in case where a stop marker exists and there is a solid object immediately ahead of the stop marker, a drive assist system gives a warning to a vehicle operator or a congestion follow-up mode is turned off. Further, in case where a stop marker exists and there is a solid object immediately ahead of the stop marker, while the vehicle is in a standstill, the drive assist system prohibits the vehicle operator from starting the vehicle.

Abstract: An oncoming vehicle is detected on the basis of images captured by CCD cameras when an own vehicle is making a turn with passing over an oncoming lane at an intersection. On this occasion, after the own vehicle has reached a predetermined turning state, by extracting three-dimensional objects having speed components Vnz not lower than a first threshold in the longitudinal direction of the own vehicle and in a direction along which the oncoming vehicle is coming closer to the own vehicle and having other speed components Vnx not lower than a second threshold in the lateral direction of the same and by detecting an oncoming vehicle out of the extracted three-dimensional objects, even in the case, for example, where the oncoming vehicle apparently moves in an image screen from obliquely left ahead of the own vehicle toward obliquely right behind of the same, the oncoming vehicle is properly detected.

Abstract: The present invention includes a stereo camera for picking up a couple of images of outside a vehicle and a far-infrared sensor for detecting the temperature of an object outside the vehicle at least in a detection field overlapping a view field of the stereo camera in the vehicle-width direction. A stereo-image processing unit recognizes three-dimensional objects based on the couple of images and extracts a prospective pedestrian from the recognized three-dimensional objects. A pedestrian-determination unit determines whether or not the prospective pedestrian is a real pedestrian based on a temperature-detection value detected in the same direction the prospective pedestrian exists, where the temperature-detection value is obtained through the far-infrared sensor.

Abstract: A stereo-image recognition unit detects a pedestrian from a solid body acquired from the image by a stereo camera and issues various warnings by outputting signals to an LED and a speaker according to the position of the pedestrian, the vehicle speed, and a signal from a turn signal switch. The unit determines whether the solid body approaches a predetermined region in the image, with one end of the solid body in the width direction being detected and the other end not being detected, and detects the width of the solid body when the other end is detected. The unit then determines whether the solid body is a pedestrian by comparing the width with a predetermined threshold. Accordingly, the unit can rapidly and reliably detect a pedestrian who approaches the vehicle traveling route and inform a driver of it and reduce an operation load necessary for detecting a pedestrian.

Abstract: A control device sets avoidance traveling reaching points, avoidance traveling target points, and a final avoidance target point of an obstacle to be avoided based on the position of the obstacle to be avoided and the position of the vehicle for the target passing position based on obstacle information recognized by a stereo camera, and an environment recognition unit, inputs the target actual steering angle as a vehicle motion parameter obtained according to a vehicle motion model to an electric power steering control device with these target passing positions as a target, and guides the avoidance traveling. The increase of the number of operations is controlled thereby to a minimum, and the obstacle is smoothly, efficiently and stably avoided based on actual behavior of the vehicle.

Abstract: In the event that the differential value of the target node deviation is equal to or greater than a deviation threshold, and the absolute value of the steering torque is equal to or greater than a steering torque threshold, the system outputs signals to a brake control device such that deceleration of the vehicle is made with a predetermined deceleration, and outputs signals to an electric power steering control device so as to cancel automatic steering, whereby the system enters a normal power steering mode, and the automatic driving mode is canceled. Thus, abnormal situations are precisely detected during automatic driving, giving consideration to the control error and the intent of the user, thereby enabling driving control matching the intent of the user.

Abstract: A steering mechanism 1 is configured as a steering mechanism which allows an arbitrary relationship to be set between a steering mechanism unit 2 through which steering of a driver is input and a turning mechanism unit 3 for turning wheels 5, 5 to be turned, those units being controlled by an ECU 30 on a steer-by-wire basis. When alarm control to wake up the driver is performed according to a determination indicating a reduction of the wakefulness of the driver, the ECU 30 suspends the steer-by-wire control to control the turning mechanism unit 3 independently of the steering mechanism unit 2. As a result, even when an improper steering input is provided by the driver who is at a low level of wakefulness, it is possible to prevent such mis-steering from being reflected in driving.

Abstract: An oncoming vehicle is detected on the basis of images captured by CCD cameras when an own vehicle is making a turn with passing over an oncoming lane at an intersection. On this occasion, after the own vehicle has reached a predetermined turning state, by extracting three-dimensional objects having speed components Vnz not lower than a first threshold in the longitudinal direction of the own vehicle and in a direction along which the oncoming vehicle is coming closer to the own vehicle and having other speed components Vnx not lower than a second threshold in the lateral direction of the same and by detecting an oncoming vehicle out of the extracted three-dimensional objects, even in the case, for example, where the oncoming vehicle apparently moves in an image screen from obliquely left ahead of the own vehicle toward obliquely right behind of the same, the oncoming vehicle is properly detected.

Abstract: A vehicle drive assist system detects an intention of an own vehicle to turn right in an intersection and detects an oncoming vehicle waiting for a right turn on an oncoming lane in front of the own vehicle in the intersection. Further, the system establishes a detecting area in the vicinity of the right edge of the oncoming vehicle waiting and searches an oncoming vehicle traveling straight in the detecting area. When a new solid object is detected and the solid object is a part of the left corner of the solid object, the solid object is judged to be an oncoming vehicle traveling straight.

Abstract: The in-cylinder fuel injection engine is characterized in that fuel is injected into the combustion chamber in two directions. When the homogeneous charge combustion is performed, a first spray block of fuel is injected inside of the cavity and a second spray block of fuel is injected outside of the cavity. When the stratified charge combustion is performed, both spray blocks are injected inside of the cavity.

Abstract: A particular area extending in a widthwise direction of a vehicle is established in a lower part of a picture image taken by CCD cameras and the area is divided into six small areas. It is judged that a stop marker exists when an average brightness of respective three successive small areas of the six small areas rises from a low level to a high level and then descends from the high level. As a result of recognition of a stop marker, in case where a stop marker exists and there is a solid object immediately ahead of the stop marker, a drive assist system gives a warning to a vehicle operator or a congestion follow-up mode is turned off. Further, in case where a stop marker exists and there is a solid object immediately ahead of the stop marker, while the vehicle is in a standstill, the drive assist system prohibits the vehicle operator from starting the vehicle.