Abstract: An in-vehicle power transmission apparatus is equipped with a motor-generator working as an engine to drive a vehicle and a power split device made up of a plurality of power split rotors. A first one of the rotors is coupled to a driven wheel of the vehicle, while a second one of the rotors is coupled to an accessory such as an air compressor of an air conditioner. The speed of the second rotor is controllable independently of that of the driven wheel. This eases restrictions on the supply of power produced by the generator-motor to the accessory. Alternatively, the rotors are so linked that when the speed of the first rotor is not zero (0), the speed of the second rotor has one of zero (0) and a value other than zero (0), thus ensuring the stability in supplying the power to drive the vehicle to the accessory.

Abstract: In an engine, a block-side flow path for circulating cooling water to cool a cylinder block, and a head-side flow path for circulating cooling water to cool a cylinder head are formed. A head-side outlet temperature of cooling water flowing out of the head-side flow path is adjusted by using a water pump that pressure sends the cooling water to both the block-side flow path and the head-side flow path. A block-side outlet temperature of cooling water flowing out of the block-side flow path is adjusted by a first thermostat that changes a flow amount of the cooling water flowing out of the block-side flow path. The cooling water flowing out of the block-side flow path is used as a heat source of first and second heater cores for heating air.

Abstract: An electric rotating machine is provided which includes a stator in which a coil is so wound as to have an coil end and a coolant channel. The coolant channel has defined therein a flow path through which coolant flows and a flow separator disposed in the flow path and a first and a second coolant outlet. The flow separator works to separate a flow of the coolant into at least a first and a second coolant streams. The first coolant outlet communicates with the first coolant stream, while the second coolant outlet communicates with the second coolant stream. The first and second coolant outlets drain the coolant to different portions of the coil end, thereby cooling almost the whole of the coil end even when the electric rotating machine is tilted undesirably.

Abstract: A spark plug for an internal combustion engine is provided which is equipped with a tip protrusion disposed on a top of a hollow cylindrical housing of the spark plug. The spark plug also includes a center electrode retained in a porcelain insulator disposed inside the housing and a ground electrode is joined to the housing so as to form a spark gap. The tip protrusion serves to direct a flow of gas to be ignited by a spark produced in the spark gap and is shaped to have a radial width extending in a radial direction of the housing and a circumferential width extending in a circumferential direction of the cylindrical housing. The radial width is greater than the circumferential width. This enhances the efficiency in guiding the flow of gas toward the spark gap.

Abstract: A VGRS device checks whether assist control of an EPS device for assisting steering operation of a steering wheel is being stopped. If the assist control of the EPS device is being stopped, a speed increase ratio is determined so that the rotation angle of the output shaft is less than the rotation angle of the input shaft. A VGRS motor is controlled and driven based on a determined speed increase ratio. Thus, steering operation of the steering wheel can be controlled appropriately so that the steering operation of the steering wheel can be continued with relatively small torque. It is less likely that a driver will erroneously feel that the steering wheel is locked.

Abstract: In a high frequency plasma generation system, a magnetic resonance section is provided as a frequency multiplier section between a discharge circuit and a power booster circuit. The magnetic resonance section extracts from a fundamental wave of a predetermined frequency generated by a frequency generator higher harmonic components, which are multiplied waves of the predetermined frequency and as high as two or more integer times of the fundamental wave. A resonance frequency of the power booster circuit and a first resonance coil is set to be equal to the frequency of the multiplied wave and match to equal a resonance frequency of the discharge circuit and a second resonance coil of the magnetic resonance section when a discharge electrode and a ground electrode are in a predetermined pressure range.

Abstract: A battery condition estimation device estimates a pre-restart voltage drop amount ?Vjh+?Vbn of a battery mounted to a vehicle during period T1 to T2 from initiation of an engine stop until initiation of an engine restart based on detection values regarding the battery condition. The device estimates a voltage drop amount ?Vst during period T3 from initiation of the engine restart until completion of the engine restart based on the detection values regarding the battery condition. The device finally estimates a minimum voltage of the battery during period T1 to T3 from the initiation of the engine stop until the completion of the engine restart based on a voltage detection value Vj0 before the engine stop, the pre-restart voltage drop amount ?Vjh+?Vbn, and the voltage drop amount ?Vst.

Abstract: An information presentation apparatus for a vehicle is disclosed. The apparatus includes: a stimulator device located on a steering wheel of the vehicle and configured to generate stimulation at multiple sites on the steering wheel to provide skin sensation to a driver gripping the steering wheel; a direction information acquisition device configured to acquire direction information; and a controller configured to cause, in accordance with the acquired direction information, the stimulator device to successively generate the stimulation through the plurality of sites on the steering wheel to invoke an apparent movement that appears to the driver as if the skin sensation moves in a way indicative of a direction according to the direction information.

Abstract: In a lane-marker recognition system installed in a vehicle, an image pickup unit picks up an image of a target region including a road ahead of the vehicle, and a light-intensity detecting unit detects a change in a light intensity of the target region in the picked-up image. A lane-marker recognizing unit compares the change in the light intensity of the target region in the picked-up image with a predetermined threshold value, and recognizes a region of at least one lane marker in the target region based on a result of the comparison, the at least one lane marker being formed on the road. A re-determining unit re-determines the threshold value based on a light intensity of the recognized region of the at least one lane marker.

Abstract: A sub-injector injects liquid fuel into a vaporized-fuel chamber of a vaporized-fuel tank. The injected liquid fuel is vaporized in the vaporized-fuel chamber. The generated vaporized fuel is supplied to a combustion chamber through a vaporized-fuel passage. A supply of the vaporized fuel to the combustion chamber is controlled by a purge valve. Thereby, the vaporized fuel can be precisely supplied to the engine at a start of engine, so that emission can be reduced.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided to estimate a charged state of a vehicle provided with an internal combustion engine having a crankshaft, a starter that initially rotates the crankshaft when the engine is started, and a battery that powers the starter. The apparatus comprises a detection device and an acquisition device. The detection device detects a voltage of the battery and a discharge current from the battery for a period of time over time instants before and after starting the engine. The acquisition device acquires information indicative of an amount of the discharge current from the battery when the detected voltage of the battery becomes a minimum due to starting the engine.

Abstract: A headlamp for a vehicle includes: a housing having a front opening; a lens cover arranged to cover the front opening of the housing; a lamp chamber defined by the housing and the lens cover; a light source provided in the lamp chamber; a lighting control circuit that controls lighting of the light source; and a heat dissipating member arranged in the lamp chamber. Further, the lighting control circuit is formed on a substrate. The heat dissipating member has a pillar portion and a plurality of heat dissipating fins. The pillar portion has the light source mounted thereto. The heat dissipating fins are provided on an outer periphery of the pillar portion so as to be spaced from one another. The pillar portion also has a recess formed therein. The substrate is received in the recess of the pillar portion.

Abstract: An engine control system includes an engine that outputs a rotation of a crankshaft through a torsional damper; a calculation portion that calculates a value of engine torque based on an angular acceleration of the crankshaft and a moment of inertia of the crankshaft; and a correction portion that calculates a correction value based on a torsional angle of the torsional damper, and corrects the calculated value of the engine torque using the correction value.

Abstract: An information providing device includes: a vehicle condition detector for detecting a vehicle condition; a support information generating element for generating support information for a driver; and a tactile sensibility notification element in a steering wheel for notifying the support information to the driver. The steering wheel includes a wheel element having a base, a movable portion and a driving unit. The movable portion is relatively movable with respect to the base. The driving unit drives the movable portion according to the support information. The movable portion and the driving unit provide the tactile sensibility notification element. Movement of the movable portion provides notification of the support information.

Abstract: A direct current motor includes an armature coil having at least three phase coils, a commutator having multiple commutator segments connected to the armature coil, a pair of brushes in slidable contact with the commutator to supply power to the phase coils through the commutator, a rotation shaft, and a ring varistor coaxially fixed to the rotation shaft and having a ring-shaped varistor body and multiple electrodes that are circumferentially arranged on a surface of the varistor body. Each commutator segment is connected to a corresponding electrode of the ring varistor. The electrodes of the ring varistor are paired to form electrode pairs. Each electrode pair includes any two of the electrodes. A capacitance of one electrode pair is different from a capacitance of another electrode pair.

Abstract: A rotation detecting apparatus for detecting a rotational state of a direct-current motor includes a driving device, a control device, an energization detecting device, an alternating-current component detecting device, and a rotational state detecting device. An impedance between brushes of the motor changes periodically in accordance with rotation of the motor. The alternating-current component detecting device detects change of an alternating-current component of electric current that is supplied to the motor based on an electrical quantity. The change of the alternating-current component is caused by change of the impedance caused in accordance with the rotation. The rotational state detecting device detects at least one of a rotation angle, a rotational direction, and a rotational speed of the motor based on a detection result of the alternating-current component detecting device.

Abstract: An inter-vehicle distance control device is provided. A typical embodiment of the device comprises, i) an inter-vehicle distance detecting means for detecting an inter-vehicle distance between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle traveling in front of the own vehicle, ii) a laterally adjacent vehicle detecting means for detecting another vehicle present beside the own vehicle, iii) a cut-in detecting means for judging whether or not a cut-in by the other vehicle detected by the laterally adjacent vehicle detecting means is likely to occur, before the other vehicle cuts in between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle, iv) an inter-vehicle distance adjusting means for performing inter-vehicle distance extension adjustment to increase the inter-vehicle distance when the cut-in detecting means judges that a cut-in is likely to occur, and v) an inter-vehicle distance control means for controlling the inter-vehicle distance based on information from the inter-vehicle distance adjusting means.

Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus capable of automatic steering control while reducing discomfort or stress on vehicle occupants. In the apparatus, a lane detection unit detects a lane in which the vehicle is traveling. An offset setting unit sets an offset within the lane suitable for making a driver feel less stressed. An occupant detection unit detects the presence of a designated occupant of a seat opposite a driver's seat. An offset adjustment unit, when the designated occupant is detected, adjusts the offset set by the offset setting unit to be decreased. A vehicle-path estimation unit estimates a vehicle path in the lane such that the vehicle can travel along the vehicle path from a current lateral position to a target lateral position of the vehicle. An automatic steering control unit automatically controls steering so that the vehicle travels along the estimated vehicle.

Abstract: A solenoid device includes: a first electromagnetic coil; first and second plungers movable according to energization to the first electromagnetic coil; first and second fixed cores facing the first and second plungers, respectively; and a yoke. When the first electromagnetic coil is not energized, first and second gaps are formed between the first and second plungers and the first and second fixed cores, respectively. When the first electromagnetic coil is energized, the magnetic flux flows in a first magnetic circuit, provided by the first plunger, the first fixed core and the yoke, via the first gap, and a second magnetic circuit, provided by the first and second plungers, the first and second fixed cores and the yoke, via the first and second gaps, so that the first and second plungers are attracted toward the first and second fixed cores.

Abstract: An imaging unit photographs an image of a periphery of the vehicle. An object detection unit obtains image information related to a brightness or a color of the image and position information on the obtained image from the image and detects object from the image information according to a specific feature of the image. A storing unit prestores a vehicle image and history data, which include the image information associated with the position information. A graphic unit overlaps the vehicle image and an image produced according to the history data and converts the overlapped image to be viewed from a predetermined viewpoint. A peripheral image display region indicates a present periphery of the vehicle. A history display region is adjacent to the peripheral image display region for indicating the converted image and the detected object at a position according to the position information.