Abstract: A driving operation device includes an input portion, an output portion and a form modifying portion that transmits an amount of operation of the input portion to the output portion. The form modifying portion can modify an orientation of the input portion depending on a position of the output portion. This can maintain the input portion vertical or horizontal, for example. The form modifying portion also can modify a ratio of an amount of operation of the input portion to an amount of change in the output result based upon the position of the output portion.

Abstract: A driving operation device includes an input portion which inputs an amount of operation by the driver, an output portion to which the amount of operation is transmitted and a form modifying portion which modifies an orientation of the input portion based on an output of the output portion corresponding to the amount of operation. This can maintain the input portion vertical or horizontal, for example.

Abstract: A vehicle operating apparatus which accelerates, decelerates and steers a vehicle in accordance with the operation of the operating lever is provided with a reaction force generating means which generates a reaction force opposing the operating lever, a current sensor which senses failure of the reaction force, and an electric control apparatus which decreases the responsiveness of driving control to the operating lever when a failure is sensed. A steering control apparatus provides driving control equal to that of the state prior to the sensing of a failure when the operating speed of the operating lever at the time of the failure exceeds a prescribed value. Additionally, at the time of detection of a failure, an electric control apparatus reduces vehicle speed by an engine control apparatus.

Abstract: A device for operating a vehicle is provided with an operating lever to be operated by a driver, operating position sensors that detect a displacement amount of the operating lever, reaction force generating mechanisms that generate a return force and a reaction force in the operating lever, and a microcomputer that controls the reaction force generating mechanisms. The return force and the reaction force can be controlled independently. Also, the reaction force is generated by the reaction force generating mechanisms after the operating lever has reached an initial position. Further, a torsion spring is provided that retains the operating lever in the initial position when electric power is interrupted.

Abstract: When a reaction force opposing an operating lever 10 is no longer generated, operating control of a vehicle in accordance with the displacement of an operating lever 10 can be changed. For this purpose, a vehicle operating apparatus which accelerates and decelerates and steers a vehicle in accordance with the operation of the operating lever 10 is provided with a reaction force generating means 20 which generates a reaction force opposing the operating lever 10, a current sensor 28 and the like which sense a failure of the reaction force, and an electric control apparatus 50 which decreases the responsiveness of driving control to the operation of the operating lever 10 in accordance with the passage of time when a failure is sensed.

Abstract: A device and method for operating a vehicle having an operating member that is displaceable with respect to a vehicle body and operated by a driver, controls an acceleration of the vehicle according to a displacement position of the operating member, displaces the operating member to a predetermined initial position when electric power starts to be supplied, and prohibits acceleration of the vehicle according to a displacement position of the operating member when the operating member is being displaced to the initial position until the operating member reaches a position which does not instruct the vehicle to accelerate. With this type of device for operating a vehicle, it is possible to prevent the vehicle from moving against the wishes of the driver at the start of operation.

Abstract: A vehicular parking brake apparatus includes right and left-side brakes connected to an electric motor via a cable and an equalizer, so that the operating forces of the brakes become equal. In this case, the operating forces of the right and left brakes are commonly controlled based on one of the wheels that exhibits a greater rate of slip. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a rate of slip of the right and left wheels from becoming excessively great. The electric motor is controlled taking into account a transfer delay of the cable. Therefore, the slip rates of the right and left wheels can be quickly converged to a proper state. Thus, in a case where a parking brake is operated during the running of the vehicle, the operating force of the parking brake is controlled so that the state of slip of the wheels is a proper state.

Abstract: A transmission ratio variable mechanism (100) varies a transmission ratio between a steering amount of a steering wheel (2) and a turning amount of wheels (7). The transmission ratio variable mechanism (100) includes an input shaft (3) transmitted with a rotational force of the steering wheel (2), a housing (102, 103) unitarily rotating with the input shaft (3), an output shaft (4) connected to wheels side, a motor (160) fixed in the housing for transmitting the rotation to the output shaft (4) via a speed reduction device (150), and a reverse input blocking device (180) for always transmitting a rotational output from the motor (160) to the output shaft (4) and for always blocking a rotational input from the output shaft (4) to the motor (160).

Abstract: An automotive vehicle having a pre-selected function, and including a controller which controls an object and includes a plurality of redundant elements which are redundant with each other, and a function restraining portion which partially or fully restrains the function of the vehicle, when a pre-selected failure which has occurred to one of the redundant elements has not solved before another of the redundant elements has operated for more than a pre-set time since the occurrence of the failure.

Abstract: In an immobilizer controller, a key-side identifying information stored in a key is collated (compared) with an immobilizer-side identifying information stored in the immobilizer controller. In a shift controller, the key-side identifying information is collated with a shift-lock-side identifying information stored in the shift controller. If the identifying informations do not coincide with each other in at least one of the immobilizer controller and the shift controller, neither a fuel-injection-control permitting command nor a shift-lock-cancellation permitting command is output. An engine is maintained in its inoperative state, and a transmission is maintained in a state where rotation of a driving-torque transmitting shaft is prevented. If the identifying informations coincide with each other in the immobilizer controller, it is possible to reinforce security in comparison with the case where the fuel-injection-control permitting command and the shift-lock-cancellation permitting command are output.

Abstract: An electric power steering device includes a steering link that includes a plurality of connected steering shafts that connect a steering wheel to a steered wheel, a motor that provides a steering torque to assist the steering link, a torque sensor which is mounted to one of the steering shafts and which detects the steering torque of that steering shaft, a steering angle sensor which is mounted to one of the steering shafts and which detects a steering angle of that steering shaft, a calculating unit that calculates a steering assist amount based on the steering torque detected by the torque sensor, the steering angle detected by the steering angle sensor, and predetermined crossed axes angles between the connected steering shafts, and a motor controller that drives the motor so as to apply a steering assist force to the steering link based on the steering assist amount. As a result, it is possible to correct the torque by a simple method.

Abstract: A vehicle parking brake system having an AUTO selector for selectively establishing an automatic mode and a manual mode, parking brake units, and an electronic control unit operable in the automatic mode to automatically activate the parking brake units to apply a parking brake to vehicle rear left and right wheels (RW1, RW2) when the vehicle is in a parked state, and to automatically de-activate the parking brake units to remove the parking brake from the vehicle wheel, and in the manual mode to selectively apply and remove the parking brake to and from the vehicle wheels according to operations of a MANUAL MODE control switch.

Abstract: A transmission ratio variable mechanism (100) varies a transmission ratio between a steering amount of a steering wheel (2) and a turning amount of wheels (7). The transmission ratio variable mechanism (100) includes an input shaft (3) transmitted with a rotational force of the steering wheel (2), a housing (102, 103) unitarily rotating with the input shaft (3), an output shaft (4) connected to wheels side, a motor (160) fixed in the housing for transmitting the rotation to the output shaft (4) via a speed reduction device (150), and a reverse input blocking device (180) for always transmitting a rotational output from the motor (160) to the output shaft (4) and for always blocking a rotational input from the output shaft (4) to the motor (160).

Abstract: A driving operation device includes an input portion which inputs an amount of operation by the driver, an output portion to which the amount of operation is transmitted and a form modifying portion which modifies an orientation of the input portion based on an output of the output portion corresponding to the amount of operation. This can maintain the input portion vertical or horizontal, for example.

Abstract: A device for operating a vehicle is provided with an operating lever to be operated by a driver, operating position sensors that detect a displacement amount of the operating lever, reaction force generating mechanisms that generate a return force and a reaction force in the operating lever, and a microcomputer that controls the reaction force generating mechanisms. The return force and the reaction force can be controlled independently. Also, the reaction force is generated by the reaction force generating mechanisms after the operating lever has reached an initial position. Further, a torsion spring is provided that retains the operating lever in the initial position when electric power is interrupted.

Abstract: A device and method for operating a vehicle having an operating member that is displaceable with respect to a vehicle body and operated by a driver, controls an acceleration of the vehicle according to a displacement position of the operating member, displaces the operating member to a predetermined initial position when electric power starts to be supplied, and prohibits acceleration of the vehicle according to a displacement position of the operating member when the operating member is being displaced to the initial position until the operating member reaches a position which does not instruct the vehicle to accelerate. With this type of device for operating a vehicle, it is possible to prevent the vehicle from moving against the wishes of the driver at the start of operation.

Abstract: An electric power steering device includes a steering link that includes a plurality of connected steering shafts that connect a steering wheel to a steered wheel, a motor that provides a steering torque to assist the steering link, a torque sensor which is mounted to one of the steering shafts and which detects the steering torque of that steering shaft, a steering angle sensor which is mounted to one of the steering shafts and which detects a steering angle of that steering shaft, a calculating unit that calculates a steering assist amount based on the steering torque detected by the torque sensor, the steering angle detected by the steering angle sensor, and predetermined crossed axes angles between the connected steering shafts, and a motor controller that drives the motor so as to apply a steering assist force to the steering link based on the steering assist amount. As a result, it is possible to correct the torque by a simple method.

Abstract: A vehicular parking brake apparatus includes right and left-side brakes connected to an electric motor via a cable and an equalizer, so that the operating forces of the brakes become equal. In this case, the operating forces of the right and left brakes are commonly controlled based on one of the wheels that exhibits a greater rate of slip. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a rate of slip of the right and left wheels from becoming excessively great. The electric motor is controlled taking into account a transfer delay of the cable. Therefore, the slip rates of the right and left wheels can be quickly converged to a proper state. Thus, in a case where a parking brake is operated during the running of the vehicle, the operating force of the parking brake is controlled so that the state of slip of the wheels is a proper state.

Abstract: A vehicle parking brake system having an AUTO selector for selectively establishing an automatic mode and a manual mode, parking brake units, and an electronic control unit operable in the automatic mode to automatically activate the parking brake units to apply a parking brake to vehicle rear left and right wheels (RW1, RW2) when the vehicle is in a parked state, and to automatically de-activate the parking brake units to remove the parking brake from the vehicle wheel, and in the manual mode to selectively apply and remove the parking brake to and from the vehicle wheels according to operations of a MANUAL MODE control switch.

Abstract: In an immobilizer controller, a key-side identifying information stored in a key is collated (compared) with an immobilizer-side identifying information stored in the immobilizer controller. In a shift controller, the key-side identifying information is collated with a shift-lock-side identifying information stored in the shift controller. If the identifying informations do not coincide with each other in at least one of the immobilizer controller and the shift controller, neither a fuel-injection-control permitting command nor a shift-lock-cancellation permitting command is output. An engine is maintained in its inoperative state, and a transmission is maintained in a state where rotation of a driving-torque transmitting shaft is prevented. If the identifying informations coincide with each other in the immobilizer controller, it is possible to reinforce security in comparison with the case where the fuel-injection-control permitting command and the shift-lock-cancellation permitting command are output.