Abstract: A power distribution apparatus for an electric vehicle includes a power distribution mechanism configured to distribute power output from an electric motor to front and rear wheels, and a controller configured to control the power distribution mechanism. The power distribution mechanism includes a first clutch configured to fix a power distribution ratio during straight traveling to a first distribution ratio at which first power distributed to the rear wheels and second power distributed to the front wheels are nearly same, and a second clutch configured to fix the power distribution ratio during straight traveling to a second distribution ratio at which the first power is larger than the second power. The controller is configured set the second clutch to an engaged state and sets the first clutch to a half-engaged state during regenerative braking.

Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine, a catalyst, an oxygen concentration detector, and a control device. The catalyst is configured to clean gas emitted from the engine. The oxygen concentration detector is configured to measure oxygen concentration in the catalyst. The control device includes at least one processor and at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor. The at least one processor is configured to perform processing including determining, based on condition of the engine and the oxygen concentration measured by the oxygen concentration detector, whether to prohibit the engine from being stopped.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a sub-image generation unit, a luminance ratio map generation unit, and an electric heating wire pattern estimation unit. The sub-image generation unit generates sub-images by dividing a first image in a lateral direction. The first image is one of a left image and a right image that are captured by a stereo camera through a windshield provided with an electric heating wire. The luminance ratio map generation unit sequentially selects one of the sub-images and generates map data based on the selected sub-image and a second image. The map data indicates a ratio between luminance values. The second image is another of the left image and the right image. The electric heating wire pattern estimation unit performs an estimation of a wiring pattern of the electric heating wire based on the map data regarding each of the sub-images.

Abstract: An inspection system includes a battery pack, an intake duct, an exhaust duct, at least one chloride-ion detection sensor, and a first controller. The battery pack is configured to accommodate a battery equipped in a vehicle. The intake duct is configured to guide air outside the vehicle into the battery pack to air-cool the battery. The exhaust duct is configured to guide air inside the battery pack outward from the vehicle. The at least one chloride-ion detection sensor is disposed inside the battery pack and is configured to detect a chloride ion. The first controller includes at least one first processor and at least one first memory coupled to the at least one first processor. The at least one first processor is configured to execute a process including performing an inspection of corrosion of the battery pack based on a detection value detected by the chloride-ion detection sensor.

Abstract: A spot welding monitoring method is configured to monitor a state of spot welding that holds a work including metal plates stacked on each other, between electrodes in a pair, and supplies electricity between electrodes. The spot welding monitoring method includes: by a converter disposed in a vicinity of a weld zone of the work, detecting a change in magnetic flux density of a magnetic field generated around the weld zone by the supplying of the electricity between electrodes, and converting the change in the magnetic flux density into a current; and calculating three-dimensional data on a melting zone of the work, based on a temporal change in a value of the current.

Abstract: A battery pack cooling system includes a battery pack case, a cooling fluid passage, a cooling medium passage and a water absorber. The battery pack case houses a battery module. The cooling fluid passage is disposed in a vicinity of the battery module. Cooling fluid for cooling the battery module is to flow through the cooling fluid passage. The cooling medium passage is configured to exchange heat with the cooling fluid. The cooling medium passage is disposed so as to be exposed to a space in the battery pack case. Cooling medium is to flow through the cooling medium passage. The water absorber is made of a water absorbable material. The water absorber is configured to absorb water that is condensed on the cooling medium passage.

Abstract: A vehicle front structure for a vehicle including a front exterior member provided on a front surface of a vehicle body includes a front introduction hole and a duct structure. The front introduction hole is formed in an end portion of the front exterior member in a vehicle width direction. The duct structure is coupled to the front introduction hole inside the front exterior member. The duct structure includes a rear exhaust hole that exhausts air to a wheel house located at a rear side of the front exterior member in the vehicle body, and a branch exhaust hole formed in a flow path section provided between the front introduction hole and the rear exhaust hole.

Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus to be applied to a hybrid vehicle includes a continuously variable transmission, a clutch mechanism, and a travel processor. The continuously variable transmission is coupled to an engine and a first motor via an input passage, and coupled to drive wheels via an output passage. The clutch mechanism is provided on the output passage. When the travel mode is switched from a first mode in which the clutch mechanism is engaged to the second mode in which the clutch mechanism is released, the travel processor releases the clutch mechanism and stops the continuously variable transmission while maintaining a speed ratio of the continuously variable transmission. When the travel mode is switched from the second mode to the first mode, the travel processor synchronizes rotation speeds of input-side and output-side portions of the clutch mechanism by controlling the continuously variable transmission, and engages the clutch mechanism.

Abstract: A vehicle body includes a rear opening and a rear header. The rear header includes a first and a second rear header panel. A closed cross-section space is defined by the first and the second rear header panels. The vehicle body includes a reinforcing member that is disposed in the closed cross-section space. The first and the second rear header panels each include a first portion extending downward in the vehicle up-down direction and a second portion bending from a lower end of the first portion and extending rearward in the vehicle front-rear direction. The reinforcing member is disposed in a region in which the first portion of the first rear header panel and the first portion of the second rear header panel face each other. A space is provided between a lower face of the reinforcing member and the second portion of the first rear header panel.

Abstract: A vehicle traveling control apparatus for a vehicle identifies a mobile object as a crossing mobile object if the supplementary angle of the angle formed between the velocity vector of the mobile object and the traveling direction of the vehicle is greater than a threshold. In a case where the supplementary angle was equal to or less than the threshold before the identification as the crossing mobile object and where a lateral position of the crossing mobile object is equal to or less than a distance threshold at the time of the identification, or in a case where the size of the crossing mobile object has been less than a predetermined value for a predetermined period of time or longer and where the lateral position is equal to or less than the distance threshold at the time of the identification, the crossing mobile object is excluded from emergency braking targets.

Abstract: An axial gap motor includes a rotor, a first stator, a second stator, a stator moving unit, and a rotor vibration detector. The rotor is supported by a rotation shaft. The first stator faces the rotor with a predetermined gap in a longitudinal direction of the rotation shaft. The second stator faces the first stator with the rotor being disposed therebetween. The second stator is disposed on an opposite side to the first stator. The second stator faces the rotor with a predetermined gap. The stator moving unit is configured to change a relative position between the first stator and the second stator in a circumferential direction of the rotation shaft. The rotor vibration detector is configured to detect a vibration state of the rotor. The stator moving unit is configured to rotate at least one of the first stator or the second stator with respect to the other around an axis according to a change in the vibration state of the rotor.

Abstract: A driving force estimation apparatus includes a free rolling rotation speed output unit, an actual rotation speed detector, a slip rate calculation unit, a driving force estimation unit, a slip angle output unit, and a stiffness correction unit. The free rolling rotation speed output unit outputs free rolling rotation speeds of front and rear wheels in a free rolling state devoid of a braking or driving force. The slip rate calculation unit calculates slip rates of the front and rear wheels, from the free rolling rotation speeds and actual rotation speeds. The driving force estimation unit estimates driving forces of the front and rear wheels, using driving or braking stiffnesses of the front and rear wheels and the slip rates. The slip angle output unit outputs slip angles of the front and rear wheels. The stiffness correction unit corrects the driving or braking stiffnesses based on the slip angles.

Abstract: According to one implementation, an end mill for orbital drilling includes: a shank; a first cutting edge formed in a peripheral portion of the shank; and a second cutting edge formed in a bottom portion of the shank. At least a chamfered edge is formed on a first ridgeline between a first rake face and a first flank of the first cutting edge.

Abstract: A management data rewrite system is provided that includes first and second electronic control units. The first electronic control unit includes a non-volatile memory configured to hold management data regarding multiple electronic control units. In the second electronic control unit, an update of in-vehicle software is made. The second electronic control unit is coupled to the first electronic control unit and configured to carry out transmission and reception of data to and from the first electronic control unit through an in-vehicle network. The second electronic control unit receives an entirety of the management data from the non-volatile memory, rewrites a data portion related to the update of the in-vehicle software in the management data, into new data, and transmits an entirety of the post-rewrite management data to the first electronic control unit, to allow the non-volatile memory to hold the entirety of the post-rewrite management data.

Abstract: A fiber-reinforced resin bonded structure includes a first member, a second member, and an adhesive layer that bonds the first member and the second member. One or both of the first member and the second member are made of a fiber-reinforced resin composite. The adhesive layer includes at least one first region having a relatively large layer thickness and a second region having a relatively small layer thickness. The at least one first region of the adhesive layer includes a spacer in contact with the first member and the second member.

Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus includes one or more processors that execute a braking delay process and a stopping control process. The braking delay process is related to contact avoidance in which a recognized road-side object is set to a target object, and is a process of performing a control of delaying intervention by braking in a case where the contact avoidance using steering is predicted to be possible, as compared with a case where the contact avoidance using the braking is performed. The stopping control process is a process of performing a control of preventing a vehicle from stopping within a section corresponding to a discontinuous portion in the road-side object in a case where the intervention by the breaking is to be delayed, where the discontinuous portion is recognized in the road-side object, and where the vehicle is predicted to stop within the section.

Abstract: A vehicle exterior environment recognition apparatus includes a three-dimensional object region identification unit, a bicycle determination unit, and a bicycle identification unit. The three-dimensional object region identification unit identifies a three-dimensional object region including a three-dimensional object, in an image. The bicycle determination unit divides the three-dimensional object region into a plurality of divisions, to determine bicycle-likeliness of the three-dimensional object on the basis of a state of occupation of each of the plurality of the divisions by the three-dimensional object. The bicycle identification unit identifies the three-dimensional object as a bicycle on the basis of the bicycle-likeliness.

Abstract: A vehicle includes a vehicle body provided with each of a pair of rockers on each side of a floor panel in a right-left direction, a battery pack that stores electric power to be supplied to a traction motor, and a pair of fixing members that fixes the battery pack to the rockers. The battery pack and the fixing members are joined by a plurality of adhesion members. The adhesion members are intermittently laid out along a vehicle length direction of the vehicle.

Abstract: A receiver for free-space optical communication includes a beam splitter, an imaging unit, a specifying unit, a light-receiving unit, and a controller. The beam splitter splits incident light into first and second light beams travelling in different directions. The imaging unit captures an image of the first light beam. The specifying unit extracts a signal light beam from the image of the first light beam and specifies a position of the signal light beam in the image. The light-receiving device receives the second light beam. The controller controls a blocker on the basis of the position of the signal light beam to allow only a limited portion of the second light beam to enter the light-receiving device and prevent a remaining portion of the second light beam from entering the light-receiving device. The limited portion of the second light beam includes the signal light beam.

Abstract: Included are a pair of rockers, a floor panel disposed between the rockers, a battery pack disposed beneath the floor panel, a bracket that connects the battery pack to the rockers, and an under cover that covers a lower face of the battery pack. The battery pack includes a tray, a first partitioning plate that is disposed upon the tray and that extends in a front-rear direction, and a plurality of battery cells disposed on both sides of the first partitioning plate upon the tray. The under cover has a first portion and a second portion disposed beneath the tray with a spacing as to the tray. The second portion is situated on an upper side from the first portion. The second portion is disposed beneath the first partitioning plate.