Abstract: An obstacle recognition system for automotive vehicles is provided which is designed to recognize targets such as preceding vehicles to be tracked by a radar by grouping data elements derived through a scan of a frontal detection range using laser pulses. The system determines the radius of a curve in a road on which a system vehicle is traveling and shifts one of the data elements from which the grouping operation is to be initiated as a function of the radius of the curve, thereby enabling the recognition of the targets without decreasing the control reliability even when the system vehicle is turning the curve.

Abstract: A transmission wave is applied to a predetermined range in a width-wise direction of a vehicle. Objects ahead of the vehicle are recognized on the basis of reflected waves resulting from reflections of the transmission wave. Calculation is made as to a position of each of the objects and also a lane-sameness probability for each of the objects that the object and the subject vehicle are on a same lane. Object information pieces corresponding to the respective objects represent the calculated positions of the objects and the calculated lane-sameness probabilities for the objects. In cases where at least two objects become substantially equal in position, the two objects are recognized as a single object. One is selected from the two objects which relates to a calculated lane-sameness probability equal to or higher than a predetermined value. The single object takes over an object information piece corresponding to the selected object.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of measuring a distance to a reflection object is disclosed. A sensitivity time control (STC) process is applied to a received signal from the reflection object to provide an STC-processed signal. The radar apparatus includes a controller. The controller obtains a quantity corresponding to the distance from a transmission time of the transmission signal and a detection time of the STC-processed signal. The quantity is corrected by using a first correction value associated with the intensity of the STC-processed reflection signal to provide a corrected quantity. The corrected quantity is further corrected by using a second correction value associated with the corrected quantity and the intensity of the STC-processed reflection signal to correct the error regardless of the intensity of the STC-processed reflection signal.

Abstract: An obstacle recognition system for automotive vehicles is provided which is designed to recognize targets such as preceding vehicles to be tracked by a radar by grouping data elements derived through a scan of a frontal detection range using laser pulses. The system determines the radius of a curve in a road on which a system vehicle is traveling and shifts one of the data elements from which the grouping operation is to be initiated as a function of the radius of the curve, thereby enabling the recognition of the targets without decreasing the control reliability even when the system vehicle is turning the curve.

Abstract: A transmission wave is applied to a predetermined range in a width-wise direction of a vehicle. Objects ahead of the vehicle are recognized on the basis of reflected waves resulting from reflections of the transmission wave. Calculation is made as to a position of each of the objects and also a lane-sameness probability for each of the objects that the object and the subject vehicle are on a same lane. Object information pieces corresponding to the respective objects represent the calculated positions of the objects and the calculated lane-sameness probabilities for the objects. In cases where at least two objects become substantially equal in position, the two objects are recognized as a single object. One is selected from the two objects which relates to a calculated lane-sameness probability equal to or higher than a predetermined value. The single object takes over an object information piece corresponding to the selected object.

Abstract: A transmission wave is applied to a predetermined range in a width-wise direction of a subject vehicle. Objects located ahead of the subject vehicle are recognized on the basis of reflected waves which result from reflections of the transmission wave. The reflected waves are converted into a received signal. Detection is made regarding a variation in an intensity of the received signal along a direction corresponding to the width-wise direction of the subject vehicle. The received signal is separated into a first signal portion and a second signal portion on the basis of the detected signal intensity variation. The first signal portion corresponds to a scattered portion of the transmission wave. The second signal portion corresponds to an unscattered portion of the transmission wave. Objects are recognized on the basis of the second signal portion.

Abstract: In automatic cruising control according to the distance between the preceding and this vehicle (inter-vehicle distance), acceleration and deceleration force information is visually or acoustically provided to the driver. A value corresponding to an actual inter-vehicle distance and actual acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle is detected to control according to a target acceleration and deceleration value. The target acceleration and deceleration value is determined so as to equalize the value to a target value corresponding to a target inter-vehicle distance. The driver of the vehicle is informed that at least one of the target acceleration and deceleration value and the actual acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle reaches a predetermined threshold value. The level of acceleration and deceleration force in automatic cruising may be informed. Information may be provided to the driver when the acceleration and deceleration reaches the upper or lower limit or maximum value.

Abstract: A method is for operating a boiler to heat a bioreactor with gases produced from the bioreactor, while supplying excessive hot water to outside of a system. In the method, the boiler is operated to turn on and off depending upon temperature of a hot water tank when a level of a gas holder is higher than an intermediate level H.sub.1. Hot water is unconditionally supplied to the outside of the system when the level of the gas holder is higher than a high level H.sub.2, and hot water is supplied to the outside when temperature of the hot water tank is higher than an intermediate temperature L.sub.1 and the level of the gas holder is between the high level H.sub.2 and the intermediate level H.sub.1. The supply of the hot water is stopped when the level of the gas holder is less than the intermediate level H.sub.1.