Abstract: A system for controlling an automotive devices, such as an automotive internal combustion engine, an engine accessory and so forth, is associated with a traction control system for cooperation therewith. The automotive device control system is so associated with the traction control system that normal mode control is disabled in response to initiation of the traction control for avoiding mutual interference of controls, or, in the alternative, a control signal value is modified for harmonizing automotive device control with the traction control.

Abstract: A driving force control apparatus for use with an automotive vehicle supported on driving wheels and driven wheels. The apparatus is arranged to provide a driving force reduction control (traction control) to reduce the driving forces applied to the driving wheels when driving slip of the driving wheels occurs. The driving force reduction control is inhibited to minimize the tendency of the vehicle to spin when lateral slip of the driven wheels occurs.

Abstract: A head-up display apparatus used as an instrument display of an automobile comprises a hologram combiner provided on the front windshield on which an image is displayed overlapping the field of view. The apparatus includes a display luminosity control system which varies the brightness of the display image gradually or delays an increase and decrease in the brightness in accordance with variations in the ambient light level so as to allow a driver's eyes to adapt to the variations.

Abstract: A supporting structure for control elements of an automatic transmission including a multiple-disc clutch having a piston operated by hydraulic pressure from a control valve unit and a cylinder slidably supporting the piston, and a one-way clutch having outer and inner races and a series of sprags placed between both of the races so as to mechanically jam depending on the rotational direction of the outer race, comprises a support member comprised of the cylinder and the inner race which are integrally formed with each other, and a transmission case for fixing the support member on the inner surface thereof from the inside of the transmission case by means of bolts.

Abstract: A rear wheel steering control system is provided. This system includes a traction control system which is responsive to generation of a difference in rotational speeds between front and rear wheels to recover traction of driven wheels and a compensating system which corrects a rear wheel steering angle, determined in a preselected relation to vehicle speed and a steered angle of the front wheels, based on the difference in rotational speeds between the front and rear wheels to provide a proper rear wheel target steering angle. The system restricts operation of the compensating system during operation of a traction control system to prevent a hunting frequency thereof from affecting the operation of the compensating system.

Abstract: An automotive activity control system controls vehicular driving activity, such as power distribution for delivering driving torque generated by prime mover of the vehicle to primary and secondary driving wheels, vehicular braking operation for preventing the road wheels from causing skidding during braking operation, vehicular attitude. The control system includes acceleration sensor, such as a longitudinal acceleration sensor, a lateral acceleration sensor, a vertical acceleration sensor for monitoring a vehicular driving behavior and providing control parameter for activity control. The control system detects faulty condition of the acceleration sensor for taking place fail-safe operation. Particularly, the control system detects faulty condition of the acceleration sensor to generate sensor signal representative of abnormal or impossible acceleration resulting in malfunction of activity control.

Abstract: A vehicle turning behavior control apparatus for use with a multi-wheel automatic vehicle. The apparatus provides a difference between the braking forces applied to the nearside and offside wheels of the vehicle to produce a yaw moment in a direction to which the vehicle turns. The difference is determined based upon the vehicle steering angle and is modified based upon the vehicle lateral slip angle.

Abstract: A navigation system for an automotive vehicle includes a map data storage unit. The storage unit stores first known target points and adjoining target points preselected for each of the first target points from the first target points. The storage unit further stores a first data group associated with each of the first target points. Each of the first data groups includes a second data group corresponding to each of the adjoining target points of the corresponding first target point. Each of the second data groups includes an abstract configuration of the corresponding first target point and a travel information required at the corresponding first target point for going to the corresponding adjoining target point. The system selects second target points from the first target points to define a vehicle travel route. The system further selects one of the second data groups based on third and fourth target points selected from the second target points.

Abstract: A knock detecting system for internal combustion engines which includes a heat quantity computing unit for deriving a heat quantity produced in every engine cycle, on the basis of the fluctuations in a combustion pressure waveform in which high-frequency components having frequencies higher than a predetermined cut-off frequency being removed from a fluctuation waveform of detected combustion pressure. The knock detecting system also includes a knock intensity computing units which derives knock intensity on the basis of a ratio of a heat quantity produced by knocking to a heat quantity produced by normal combustion.

Abstract: A system and method for communicating data between a master station and a plurality of control units applicable to an automotive vehicle are disclosed in which if an echoback communication in response to a control command is not received by the master station from the selected control unit within a predetermined period of time upon issuance of a continue command or a diagnostic execution command, the controlled state of the electronic control unit is released. Furthermore, to effectively diagnose the control operation of one of the control units interactively with the operation of other control units, an interrupt command may be issued while the selected control unit continues the predetermined control operation, and the remaining control units are then initialized. A different control unit may then be selected and set to a controlled state.

Abstract: A system for detecting failure in a system controlling an inductance load is provided. This system comprises a controller for providing a driving signal to the inductance load to control it, a dither signal generator for adding a dither signal to the driving signal to be provided to the inductance load, a first monitor for monitoring the dither signal included in the driving signal provided by the controller to detect failure in the controller by detecting an absence of the dither signal therein, and a second monitor for monitoring variation in level of the driving signal from the controller to deactivate failure detecting operation of the first monitor in response to variation above a preselected level to prevent the system from mistakenly interpeting transient level fluctuations as a system failure.

Abstract: An engine misfiring detection system includes a crank angle sensor for generating a reference pulse representative of a reference crank angle position in each cylinder of the engine, and a ring gear sensor for monitoring a magnitude of crank angle rotated from the reference crank angle position so as to define a first crank angle position required for starting an angular velocity measurement for an engine crankshaft and a second crank angle position required for ending the angular velocity measurement. A controller is provided to determine an engine misfiring state on the basis of fluctuations in a measuring time reaching from the first crank angle position to the second crank angle position. The controller variably sets the first and second crank angle positions in response to changes in an ignition timing of the engine.

Abstract: A system for controlling a steering angle for the rear wheels of a vehicle is provided. This system includes generally, a torque sensor for detect torque of driven wheel, an angle sensor for sensing a steered angle of front wheels, a steering controller for determining a rear wheel target steering angle, and an actuator for steering the rear wheels by the rear wheel target steering angle. The steering controller first determines a rear wheel steering angle based on the steered angle of the front wheels and then calculates a correction for the rear wheel steering angle according to variation in the torque of the driven wheels during running to determine the proper rear wheel target steering angle.

Abstract: An air conditioner system for automotive vehicles includes a front air duct for discharging a conditioning air near the occupant of the front seat in a vehicular cabin, and a rear air duct for discharging the conditioning air near the occupant of the back seat in the vehicular cabin. The rear air duct has a vent nozzle for blowing the conditioning air near the passenger's head and a foot nozzle for blowing the conditioning air against the passenger's feet. The air conditioner system includes a door which closes the foot nozzle when temperature of the conditioning air is lower than a predetermined temperature, so as to restrict overly cool air from being discharged from the foot nozzle.

Abstract: A system for controlling the steering angle for the rear wheels of a vehicle is provided. This system includes an angle sensor for sensing a steered angle, a vehicle speed sensor, and a steering angle controller. The steering angle controller is adapted for controlling steering of the rear wheels based on a target steering angle derived according to a transfer function in view of suspension steering to improve yaw damping in ranges of high steering frequency.

Abstract: A process of production of alumina short fiber reinforced magnesium or magnesium alloy product features formation of alumina short fiber pre-form utilizing a inorganic binder which is composed of one or more oxides having thermodynamically stability equivalent to or higher than MgO. In the alternative, the composite almina fiber and binder surfaces of the alumina short fiber pre-form can be coated by a baked coating layer. Pressure casting of molten magnesium or magnesium alloy is then performed for forming the final products.

Abstract: A suspension control system performs vehicular attitude regulating operation by adjusting damping characteristics at respective of suspension systems. For controlling damping characteristics, a suspension control command value is derived on the basis of an acceleration exerted on the vehicular body, which acceleration influences vehicular attitude. The suspension control command value is variable depending upon the magnitude of the vehicular attitude influencing acceleration. Variation rate of the suspension control command value versus variation of the vehicular attitude influencing acceleration is variable in such a manner that increasing rate of the suspension control command value decreases according to increasing of the acceleration.

Abstract: A system measures a traveling direction of a vehicle based on a direction toward a coordinate position defined by output data from a geomagnetic direction sensor from a first center coordinate position of a corresponding output circle. The system derives a second center coordinate position based on the output data from the geomagnetic direction sensor. The system utilizes a first group of the second center coordinate positions and a second group of the second center coordinate positions. When it is decided that the first center coordinate position is shifted, then a new or corrected center coordinate position is derived based on the first group of the second center coordinate positions, on the other hand, when it is decided that no shift of the first center coordinate position is generated, then the corrected center coordinate positiion is derived based on the second group of the second center coordinate positions.

Abstract: A fail-safe system for a multiple task control system which has a plurality of control channels for performing mutually independent and mutually distinct control functions detects failure in one of the control channels. In response, the fail-safe system discriminates between a failure which occurs at a common sensor which is commonly utilized for more than one control channels or a common control channel which are commonly used for more than one control channels, and a failure at other sensors for monitoring parameters to be used for a singular control channel or individual control channel for single control function. The fail-safe system performs mutually distinct modes of fail-safe operation depending upon the result of the discrimination.

Abstract: A traction control system is provided which is applicable to a four-wheel drive vehicle in which a torque split system is incorporated. The torque split system is operable to distribute engine torque to front and rear wheels by an engine torque distribution ratio of front to rear wheels variable based on a difference in rotational speeds between the front and rear wheels. The traction control system is responsive to a slippage ratio of the rotational speeds of the wheels to a vehicle speed greater than a preselected threshold to reduce engine torque to control the traction of the wheels. Therefore, the traction control is effectively carried out while ensuring yaw control of a vehicle body by means of the torque split control.