Abstract: A risk potential calculating device for a vehicle, comprises a state recognition device that detects vehicle conditions of a subject vehicle and a traveling environment for vehicle surroundings; and a risk potential calculator that calculates a risk potential for the vehicle surroundings based on detection results of the state recognition device. The risk potential calculator calculates the risk potential by respectively calculating a first risk potential expressing a risk in a case where driving conditions of the subject vehicle are in a steady state and a second risk potential expressing a risk for a case where driving conditions of the subject vehicle are in a transient state, and adding the first risk potential weighted by a first coefficient and the second risk potential weighted by the second coefficient.

Abstract: A driving assist system for assisting manual effort by an operator to operate an accelerator pedal of a motor vehicle, the driving assist system comprises a data acquisition sub-system acquiring data including information on state of the motor vehicle and information on environment in a field around the motor vehicle. Control logic determines the degree of risk in the field around the motor vehicle in response to the acquired data. An actuator is provided, which is operable in response to a command for generating reaction force at the accelerator pedal. Control logic simply increases an increment of reaction force between a first reaction force increment and a second reaction force increment as the determined degree of risk grows from a predetermined cutoff value to a predetermined critical value to determine the command for regulating the actuator to realize the increment in reaction force.

Abstract: A motor-driven power steering unit comprising an electric motor for producing an auxiliary steering force in a steering system coupling a steering wheel to two wheels of a vehicle. The steering system provides assistance, based on steering information, to a rotation of the steering wheel by control of an electric current fed to the electric motor. A steering angle detection device is provided, wherein the steering system regulates the assistance as a function of a steering angle detected by the detection device. The assistance, or current, is reduced after a pre-set or pre-definable angle is reached or exceeded prior to reaching a respective end position. The reduction of the assistance or current is cancelled as soon as signs of steering force and the steering angel no longer coincide.

Abstract: An occupant detection system includes: a front weight sensor group formed from two weight sensors that are connected in series and arranged to the left and right on an upper face of a seat cushion; and a rear weight sensor group formed from two weight sensors that are connected in series and arranged to the left and right on the upper face of the seat cushion. The weight sensor groups are connected in parallel to each other. Regardless of whether an occupant sits on a front or rear part of a seat, since the load of the buttocks always acts on both left and right sides of the seat cushion, two series-connected left and right weight sensors of at least one of the plurality of weight sensor groups are both turned on without fail, thereby reliably detecting the occupant.

Abstract: A vehicle driving assist system calculates a risk potential of the subject vehicle with respect to a front obstacle by estimating a compression amount of a vertical resilient member which is imaginary provided at the front of the subject vehicle when the subject vehicle approaches the front obstacle. The correction amounts of drive force and braking force and the correction amount of reaction force are calculated based upon the calculated risk potential so as to perform drive force/braking force correction control and reaction force control simultaneously.

Abstract: The present invention relates to terrain navigation wherein an earth-reflected satellite signal is received from at least one reference signal source whose position is known (120), for example a navigation satellite. Based on information contained in the received signal a measured estimate of a shortest reflection distance (d1(tb)) to the satellite (120) is derived. A relative spatial movement (?x, ?y, ?h) of a relevant craft (110) since a previous positioning instance (ta) is registered onboard the craft (110). Moreover, stored surface information is retrieved pertaining to an elevation (h1b) of the earth surface (130) in relation to the mean sea level (z0) at at least one geographical position (X1b, Y1b). Based on the relative spatial movement (?x, ?y, ?h) and the retrieved surface information at least one calculated estimate of the shortest reflection distance (d1(tb)) to the satellite (120) is derived.

Abstract: A method for quantitatively analyzing steer characteristics to acquire steering stability of vehicles/tires. The method divides the steer characteristics into understeer, oversteer, and power-off reaction characteristics, separately analyzes the understeer, oversteer, and power-off reaction characteristics, analyzes the understeer characteristic using a tuning curvature and a turning velocity characteristic in association with a vehicle turning path, analyzes the oversteer characteristic using a slope of a nose angle and a nose-angle time rate in association with a vehicle attitude, analyzes the power-off reaction characteristic using a nose-angle slope, a nose-angle change rate, and a nose-angle change amount, and compares the above-mentioned characteristics with reference data obtained from a Quasi steady-state condition test during which a vehicle driving state is stable, such that it can quantitatively determine the steer characteristics upon receipt of the result of the comparison.

Abstract: An information and/or control system for a vehicle includes a positioning unit for determining a current geographic position of the vehicle, a map unit containing information at least regarding routes on which the vehicle may travel, and an interface unit for selective output of information from the map unit as a function of the current geographic position. Furthermore, information, referred to as a virtual traffic sign, regarding properties of a section of a drivable route is stored in the map unit in correlation with a geographic position along this route. This information is outputable by the interface unit when the distance of the vehicle from this geographic position is less than a limit value.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling a seat adjustment by means of a passenger compartment camera system, with which images of at least one portion of an individual sitting on a vehicle seat are recorded, and by means of a control unit, via which at least one type of movement of the individual sitting on the vehicle seat is identified from a series of images. The identified type of movement is compared with types of movement already stored in the control unit. When a stored type of movement is identified, a seat adjustment is carried out that is assigned to this type of movement.

Abstract: In a vehicle driving assist system, an obstacle detection device detects an obstacle present in each of two obstacle detection directions with respect to a subject vehicle; and a TTC calculation device calculates a TTC between the subject vehicle and each of obstacles based on detection results of the obstacle detection device. A lateral reaction force control device controls a reaction force generated at a vehicle operation equipment for drive operation in a lateral direction of the subject vehicle based on a first TTC which is smaller in the TTCs calculated in the TTC calculation device; and a longitudinal reaction force control device controls a reaction force generated at a vehicle operation equipment for drive operation in a longitudinal direction based on a second TTC which is larger in the TTCs.

Abstract: A method for attitude alignment of a slave inertial measurement system connected to a rotationally mobile platform supported by a vehicle that is stationary relative to a reference navigation frame comprises the steps of mounting a master reference inertial measurement system on the rotationally mobile platform and determining a master reference system attitude using measurements of acceleration and angular rates of the master reference inertial measurement system relative to the reference navigation frame. A slave system attitude is determined using measurements of acceleration and angular rates of the slave inertial measurement system relative to a slave system navigation reference frame and comparing the slave system attitude to the master reference system attitude to determine an attitude difference. The attitude difference is processed to obtain a correction to the slave system attitude.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating real-time, symbolic descriptions for a navigational system is provided. The method may be employed within a variety of devices, including in-vehicle navigation systems, cellular telephones and PDAs. The method takes geographical coordinates corresponding to an oncoming maneuver, like a right-hand turn at a four-way intersection for example, and transforms them into a set of two-dimensional, planar coordinates. The method then maps these planar coordinates atop a pie-shaped, radial grid, and allocates points to subdivisions of the grid by counting the number of points that fall within the grid. The method then generates a symbolic description of the maneuver to be performed by drawing an arrow running from the beginning of the maneuver to the end of the maneuver atop a predetermined, generic description of the intersection. This real-time, graphical maneuver description is then displayed on a screen to a user.

Abstract: A method and an arrangement for monitoring a deceleration function of a control unit of a motor vehicle affect as little as possible the operability of the control unit in the case of a fault. The deceleration function of a control unit (1) of a motor vehicle inputs a vehicle deceleration independently of the actuation of a vehicle brake operator-controlled element. The input is transmitted via a deceleration interface (5) to a brake system (10) of the vehicle to realize the input. A check is made as to whether a brake intervention of the brake system (10), which is initiated by the deceleration function, is permissible and, at first, only the deceleration function is deactivated when the brake intervention is impermissible.

Abstract: A system for detecting and evading vehicle identification means (VIM), comprising: locating device, control device having a plurality of I/O channels, each adapted to receive or transmit serial or parallel data, processing device, electronic storage device comprising at least one database of known VIM coordinates and identification prevention device (IPD) adapted to automatically prevent identification of the vehicle's license plate number, owner, driver or any part or passenger of the vehicle.

Abstract: An activation control device for an airbag device decreases the management costs by generalization of satellite sensors. There is provided at least one impact detection section disposed at a predetermined position of a vehicle, which detects a degree of shock applied to the vehicle; and a main control section connected to the impact detection section by communication, which determines a collision state based on an output signal of the impact detection section received from the impact detection section, and controls activation of the airbag device installed in the vehicle. The impact detection section receives and stores threshold data relating to a detected degree of shock, from the main control section, and controls transmission of an output signal to the main control section based on the stored threshold data.

Abstract: A method for monitoring movement of a moving object and avoiding a collision with it comprises constructing a panoramic image from images of a rotating camera attached to the moving object, constructing a virtual cuboid around the moving object utilizing data from the panoramic image, calculating a difference between a position of the cuboid and a position of an obstacle, and changing a moving direction of the moving object if the difference between the position of the cuboid and the position of an obstacle is smaller than a threshold value to avoid the obstacle.

Abstract: A method for cyclically controlling the braking of a vehicle includes the following steps: (a) detecting a road surface frictional force of said vehicle, (b) detecting a brake fluid pressure, and (c) controlling the brake fluid pressure in response to detected values including the brake fluid pressure and the road surface frictional force, the controlling including decreasing the brake fluid pressure in response to the road surface frictional force declining during an increase of the brake fluid pressure and increasing the brake fluid pressure in response to the road surface frictional force declining during fall-off of the brake fluid pressure.

Abstract: A perimeter training module establishes a perimeter path plan of a vehicle including a defined perimeter. A region-filling module establishes a region-filling path plan of the vehicle within the defined perimeter. A point-to-point planning module establishes a point-to-point path plan of a vehicle including a segment of at least one of the region-filling path plan and the perimeter path plan. The path planner forms a preferential composite path plan based on the established perimeter path plan, the region-filling plan, and the point-to-point path plan.

Abstract: An automotive lane deviation prevention apparatus sets and determines a yaw moment allotted amount corresponding to a yaw-moment-control lane-deviation-avoidance (LDA) controlled variable used to avoid a host vehicle's lane deviation by yaw moment control and a deceleration rate allotted amount corresponding to a deceleration-control LDA controlled variable used to avoid the host vehicle's lane deviation by deceleration control, based on a host vehicle's yaw angle, when the host vehicle has a tendency to deviate from a driving lane. A desired yaw moment is calculated based on the yaw moment allotted amount so that a yaw moment is produced in a direction in which the host vehicle's lane-deviation tendency is avoided. A controlled variable for deceleration control is calculated based on the deceleration rate allotted amount. A braking force of each individual road wheel is controlled based on the desired yaw moment and the controlled variable for deceleration control.

Abstract: An auxiliary system for a manual brake in a vehicle includes a controlling unit to receive and analyze signals indicating current vehicle status and whether a driver is away from the vehicle so as to initiate necessary actions, a pressure sensor adapted for a driver's seat to sense pressure from the driver and then send a signal to the controlling unit to determine whether the driver is at the driver's seat, a speed interface to communicate an input of the controlling unit with an onboard vehicle speed sensor (VSS) to allow the controlling unit to acquire a speed signal as a reference for determination of whether the car is in movement and a server mechanism to mechanically control the brake system via a motor under control of the controlling unit.