Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control apparatus which makes it possible to share information by a plurality of devices and which can improve controllability. An OS switching means (OS-CH) switches a plurality of operating system (OS1, OS2). A shared object (CO) has a memory resource which can be referred to from the plurality of operating systems. The shared object (CO) shares at least road information, and the road information registered by the application of one of the operating systems can be referred to from the application of the other operating system.

Abstract: In a lane marker recognition method comprising the steps of inputting an image including a lane marker, extracting a luminance change point in the image input in the image inputting step, and estimating the position of the lane marker using the edge points extracted in the edge extracting step, the edge extracting step calculates an angle of orientation of each of the edges and the lane marker position estimating step extracts edge points that are oriented toward a vanishing point of a road from among the edge points extracted in the edge extracting step.

Abstract: Highly convenient automobile engine starting uses an individual authentication device which utilizes biological information and provides a security function required when starting the engine, while protecting a sensor for receiving the biological information. An engine starting system can comprise an ignition switch for controlling a state of an automobile; a key for changing a state of the ignition switch; a registration key for registering biological information; a switch for starting an engine; a sensor for inputting biological information; a device for storing biological information; a collating unit for collating the inputted biological information with the stored biological information; and a lid for covering the sensor of an authentication device.

Abstract: A driving lane recognition system which can improve the lane recognition accuracy by stably detecting the various kinds of lane markers is disclosed. An image processing means 6 for image-processing a road image taken by a camera 5 has a plurality of different kinds of image processing algorithms 9 to 11. A driving lane is detected by selecting an image processing algorithm suitable for the driving lane out of the plurality of different kinds of image processing algorithms 9 to 11 corresponding to a road on which a vehicle is running.

Abstract: Information of light from a subject is converted into information of the electric charges to generate image data for one screen in an image pickup device, the image data is outputted to an image processing LSI, only the image data belonging to a plurality of areas is selected by a processing amount reduction unit, the selected image data is transferred to a RAM in a single chop by a data transfer unit, and the processing of recognizing a white line is executed by a CPU on the basis of the image data stored in the RAM.

Abstract: A vehicle travel control apparatus includes a radar sensor, a vehicle speed controller, a hydraulic pump, a proportional solenoid valve and a brake controller. When the vehicle speed controller judges a braking situation based on information from the radar sensor, the brake controller actuates the hydraulic pump and the proportional solenoid valve based on a command from the vehicle speed controller, and controls a braking torque of wheels.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control apparatus which makes it possible to share information by a plurality of devices and which can improve controllability. An OS switching means (OS-CH) switches a plurality of operating system (OS1, OS2). A shared object (CO) has a memory resource which can be referred to from the plurality of operating systems. The shared object (CO) shares at least road information, and the road information registered by the application of one of the operating systems can be referred to from the application of the other operating system.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control apparatus which makes it possible to share information by a plurality of devices and which can improve controllability. An OS switching means (OS-CH) switches a plurality of operating system (OS1, OS2). A shared object (CO) has a memory resource which can be referred to from the plurality of operating systems. The shared object (CO) shares at least road information, and the road information registered by the application of one of the operating systems can be referred to from the application of the other operating system.

Abstract: A navigation apparatus mounted on a vehicle comprises a distance sensor sensing the travelled distance of the vehicle, a direction sensor sensing the advancing direction of the vehicle, an information storage unit storing map data, a signal processor computing the present position of the vehicle on the basis of the output signals from the distance sensor and direction sensor for displaying the computed present position of the vehicle on a color cathode-ray tube together with a map read out from the information storage unit. In the navigation apparatus, the map data are provided by position coordinate information or font information of division points dividing a road map into sections that can be linearly interpolated.

Abstract: In a navigation apparatus for automobile having a distance-travel detection sensor for detecting the distance traveled by a vehicle a direction detection sensor for detecting the direction of travel of the vehicle, data memory for holding map data and etc., a micro processing unit for calculating the present position of the vehicle from the signals of the distance-traveled detection sensor and the direction detection sensor and for outputting display signals for the present position of the vehicle and display signals for map data read out from the data memory to correspond to the present position of the vehicle and display means for display the display signals thereon, wherein the point, at which an update of the map data corresponding to the movement of the vehicle starts, is variable in accordance with the speed of the vehicle.

Abstract: Ignition system for internal combustion engine in which combustion chambers in an internal combustion engine are shaped in such a manner that a microwave resonance easily causes a plasma discharge, microwaves are supplied from a microwave oscillator through respective coaxial cables to all the combustion chambers so that the combustion chambers resonate whenever the microwave power is injected, or so that when the combustion chambers reaches a resonatable condition, is the microwave power injected into the combustion chambers from the microwave oscillator; thereby causing plasma discharge to occur in the combustion chambers.