Abstract: A road lane recognizing apparatus can accurately recognize a road lane position from an image shown by an actual road surface image signal obtained by picturing a road surface in front of a vehicle by means of picturing means such as a television camera or the like mounted on the vehicle. Whether the vehicle exists on a straight part of road or not is discriminated in accordance with a vehicle-self position detected by vehicle detecting means. When the vehicle exists on the straight part, an attitude angle showing the direction of the vehicle for the road direction at the vehicle-self position is detected. When the attitude angle is detected, a predetermined ideal road surface image is inclined by only the attitude angle, thereby obtaining the corrected road surface image. The actual road surface image signal from the picturing means is compared with a signal of the corrected road surface image. An image difference is used as an offset amount.

Abstract: A suck back valve comprises a linear actuator which displaces a second diaphragm through a stem, an encoder which detects a displacement amount of the linear actuator, and a flow amount controller for controlling a pilot pressure supplied to an ON/OFF valve mechanism.

Abstract: A suck back valve is proposed which prevents change in the amount of fluid which is sucked by the suck back valve, and which improves response accuracy of a diaphragm, together with accurately controlling a displacement amount and a displacement speed thereof. A diaphragm displaceably disposed confronting an interior of a flow passage is formed from a first membrane and a second membrane stacked on the first membrane, wherein the first membrane is sucked into contact with the second membrane through holes defined in the second membrane, by activation of a negative pressure generating source which is connected to a chamber through a passage, and wherein the form of the first membrane is maintained by the second membrane.

Abstract: A vehicle control system which controls a vehicle in accordance with the curvature of a road as determined from map information comprising a set of coordinate points which represent the course of the road. A passable vehicle speed enabling the vehicle to pass through a plurality of nodes existing at predetermined distances within an operating section established on the road ahead of a given vehicle position is calculated on the assumption that a voluntary speed reduction has been conducted. The radii of a first virtual turning locus and a second virtual turning locus produced at a predetermined lateral acceleration are calculated based on the passable vehicle speeds at the nodes. A passable zone, a warning zone and an automatic speed-reducing zone are established based on the first and second virtual turning locus radii. If any of the nodes ahead of the virtual vehicle position exists in the warning zone, a warning is provided to the driver.

Abstract: A vehicle position is determined and four reference coordinate points N.sub.1, N.sub.2, N.sub.3 and N.sub.4 are extracted at predetermined distances on a road output from a CD-ROM or an IC card, and an angle .theta. of turning of the vehicle from the coordinate point N.sub.2 to the coordinate point N.sub.3 is calculated according to an expression, .theta.=(.theta..sub.1 +.theta..sub.2) from an angle .theta..sub.1 formed by a vector V.sub.12 between the points N.sub.1, N.sub.2 and a vector V.sub.23 between the points N.sub.2, N.sub.3 and an angle .theta..sub.2 formed by the vector V.sub.23 between the points N.sub.2, N.sub.3 and a vector V.sub.34 between the points N.sub.3, N.sub.4. A steering angle permitting the vehicle to safely pass through a curve is calculated based on the turning angle .theta. and a vehicle speed V.sub.0, and a passable vehicle speed permitting the vehicle to safely pass through the curve is calculated based on a radius R=a/.theta. of curvature of the curve.

Abstract: A driving control system for a vehicle includes a map information output device for outputting a map, a vehicle position detecting device for detecting a vehicle position of a subject vehicle on the map, a vehicle speed detecting device for detecting a vehicle speed, a passable area determining device for determining a passable area on the map on the basis of the detected vehicle speed, and a passability/impassability judging device for deciding that the vehicle may pass through a portion of road when a road which is in front of the vehicle position in a traveling direction is included in the passable area on the map. The road which is in front of the vehicle position in the traveling direction is compared with the determined passable area, and when the road is included in the passable area, it is decided that the vehicle may pass through the portion of road.