Abstract: A vehicle navigation apparatus includes an imaging device, a guidance point determining device, an object detecting device and a traveling guiding device. The imaging device takes an image of a periphery adjacent to a subject vehicle. The guidance point determining device determines the subject vehicle to be located at a traveling guidance point or not. The object detecting device detects a changing object by comparing two images of the periphery taken at a predetermined interval, when the guidance point determining device determines the subject vehicle to be located at the traveling guidance point. The traveling guiding device performs a traveling guidance by using the changing object as a target object of the traveling guidance.

Abstract: A navigation apparatus determines an influence of a typhoon, and provides a selection of two routes towards a destination if the typhoon has a great influence exceeding an influence threshold. The two routes provided are, a stand-by route that waits the typhoon to pass by and a detour route that avoids the typhoon by making a detour without waiting. The two routes are respectively presented on a display screen, after calculation by a route calculation unit, with an expected arrival time to the destination, a travel distance to the destination, and a stand-by time (only for the stand-by route) with an assistance of a draw unit. The navigation apparatus thus provides a user with a re-calculated guidance route that does not unnecessarily increase the travel distance to the destination, without forcing the user to be involved in a driving under the influence of the typhoon.

Abstract: A vehicle navigation apparatus includes an imaging device, a guidance point determining device, an object detecting device and a traveling guiding device. The imaging device takes an image of a periphery adjacent to a subject vehicle. The guidance point determining device determines the subject vehicle to be located at a traveling guidance point or not. The object detecting device detects a changing object by comparing two images of the periphery taken at a predetermined interval, when the guidance point determining device determines the subject vehicle to be located at the traveling guidance point. The traveling guiding device performs a traveling guidance by using the changing object as a target object of the traveling guidance.

Abstract: A communication system for a vehicle conducts mutual communication between a central station and peripheral stations via a communication signal line. A communication signal from the central station is inputted via the communication signal line, which is outputted to an output circuit via a shift register and another register to drive and control lamps and the like. In addition, a continuity control circuit is controlled during a period from a time at which an electric power supply voltage is supplied to the peripheral station from a battery carried on the vehicle until the peripheral station receives a first communication signal from the central station to electrically separate the register and the output circuit. In such a case, the output circuit is connected to the other components to enable drive control in a desired initial state regardless of the above-mentioned communication signal.

Abstract: A control module cluster unit which enables high-speed communication by restraining the effect of noise, for constituting a high-reliability vehicle control system including a plurality of control modules each having control functions modularized in accordance with control objects, such as ECU for engine control, ECU for ABS, etc. in conventional use, an input/output module, common modules, and communication modules collectively mounted in one casing are so constituted as to enable mutual communication through a common bus on a mother board. A signal inputted in the input/output module is distributed to each module requiring the input signal through the mother board. The control module cluster unit also has a temperature sensor for detecting casing temperature and a power source for powering each of the modules. When detected temperature is abnormally high, the power source shuts down less important parts of the control module cluster units.

Abstract: A plurality of control units are connected via a common signal line through which they communicate. Each control unit is operative to control an apparatus according to certain information the control unit normally receives directly through an exclusive signal line by operation of a directly-inputting device. A check is made to determine whether the directly-inputting device is operating normally. If not, then the required information is inputted from its source indirectly through another control unit by way of the common signal line.

Abstract: A plurality of control systems mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile, and provided for different controlled objects are respectively made of control computers. These control computers are linked by a common data bus. These computers exclusively execute, for example, an engine control, a transmission control, a brake control, a suspension control, and a auto drive control. The data bus is further connected to a diagnosis computer. Each control computer detects a signal from the sensor provided corresponding to each controlled object, and outputs the detect signal to the data bus. Each control computer executes the logical operation for its control on the basis of its detect signal and various data transferred to the data bus. The diagnosis computer supervises an operating state of each control system on the basis of the data transferred to the data bus. When an abnormality is detected, the diagnosis computer stores this data in a large-capacity memory, and displays the abnormality.

Abstract: A communication control unit for controlling communication between an electronic control unit and other equipment or other electronic control units, the communication control unit functioning to judge whether or not the operation of the electronic control unit is normal and, if it is judged that the electronic control unit is operating abnormally, the communication control unit acts to reset the electronic control unit to an initial operating status in order to attempt recovery from the abnormal condition, while halting transmission by the electronic control unit until it is judged that the electronic control unit has commenced to operate normally.

Abstract: A data network system for a vehicle having a plurality of separate and distinct control computers carrying out a predetermined control function of the vehicle and a data communication line for communicating data among the control computers. One of the control computers determines the number of the other computers which are linked with the data communication line, and in response to that number a data transfer rate output from each of the control computers to the data communication line is determined.

Abstract: A rotation signal Ne is generated for every 1.degree. of rotation of the engine crankshaft together with a crankshaft angle signal G for every 360.degree. of crankshaft rotation. In response to each rotation signal Ne, a pseudo random number generator generates random number data which is converted to analog data by a D/A converter and supplied to a comparator circuit. An intake air pressure detection data Pim is also supplied to the comparator circuit and the two signals are compared. When the detection data Pim is larger than the converted analog data, the comparator output level is high. The output from the comparator is read for every rotation signal Ne and, when the detection data is larger than the analog data from the D/A converter, a counter is incremented. The count value is read for every generation of the crankshaft signal G and is supplied to the engine control unit as the intake air pressure detection data. The counter is then reset to the initial count value.

Abstract: Disclosed is an azimuth determination apparatus attached to a motor vehicle for determinating the forward direction of the vehicle. The azimuth determination apparatus includes an azimuth sensor for generating orthogonal first and second signals indicative of the forward direction of the vehicle. Two azimuth vectors are obtained on the basis of the orthogonal first and second component signals, first components of the two azimuth vectors being maximum and minimum. The determination is made in terms of the fact that the difference between second components of the two azimuth vectors is below a predetermined value. In accordance with the determination, the orthogonal first and second component signals are corrected on the basis of said two azimuth vectors so that the accurate moving direction of the motor vehicle can be obtained irrespective of the remanence of the vehicle.

Abstract: An air flowrate measuring apparatus with a heat wire measures the flow rate of the air flowing through the intake pipe of an engine. The apparatus has a temperature sensitive element which has a specific temperature-resistance characteristic and is disposed in the intake pipe. Constant heating voltage is applied to this element in response to a start signal, thus heating the element. When the temperature of the element rises to a specified value, the application of the voltage is stopped. At the same time, a pulse signal whose width corresponds to the period of applying the voltage is generated. The signal is supplied to an interface circuit through a drive circuit driven by a reference voltage which has been also used to control the heating voltage. The interface circuit comprises two wave-shaping circuits. The first wave-shaping circuit has a filter means of a small integration time constant.

Abstract: An engine control system has a heater and a temperature measuring element with a temperature-resistance characteristic. The heater and element are provided in the intake pipe of an engine. Heating, which initiated by a start pulse signal generated by an engine control unit in synchronism with engine rotation is supplied to the heater through a transistor. When the heater temperature has reached a reference temperature preset in accordance with the intake air temperature measured by the element, a comparator generates an output to deenergize the heater. The period of supplying the heating power is represented by a pulse signal from a flip-flop. This pulse signal is supplied as an airflow measurement signal to the engine control unit. The engine control unit calculates the basic fuel injection quantity and determines if the starting of the pulse signal received by the control unit falls within a predetermined period from the starting of the start pulse signal.