Abstract: In a travel safety system for a vehicle: a preceding vehicle V1 in a travel direction of a subject vehicle V is detected by a radar device; an overlap amount ? (smaller one of ?(L) and ?(R)), at which the preceding vehicle V1 overlaps a predicted course for the subject vehicle V, is calculated; and when time for which the over lap amount ? exceeding a predetermined value exceeds a predetermined period, it is determined that there is a possibility that the subject vehicle V comes into contact with the preceding vehicle V1, and a safety system comprising a warning or an automatic braking is actuated. Thus, if it is determined that there is a possibility of contact between the subject vehicle V and the preceding vehicle V1 due to course change of the subject vehicle V or the preceding vehicle, it is possible to prevent the safety system from being unnecessarily actuated to provide a sense of discomfort to a driver.

Abstract: In a travel safety system for a vehicle: a preceding vehicle V1 in a travel direction of a subject vehicle V is detected by a radar device; an overlap amount ? (smaller one of ?(L) and ?(R)), at which the preceding vehicle V1 overlaps a predicted course for the subject vehicle V, is calculated; and when time for which the over lap amount ? exceeding a predetermined value exceeds a predetermined period, it is determined that there is a possibility that the subject vehicle V comes into contact with the preceding vehicle V1, and a safety system comprising a warning or an automatic braking is actuated. Thus, if it is determined that there is a possibility of contact between the subject vehicle V and the preceding vehicle V1 due to course change of the subject vehicle V or the preceding vehicle, it is possible to prevent the safety system from being unnecessarily actuated to provide a sense of discomfort to a driver.

Abstract: A road shape predicting method includes the steps of: selecting three positions of positions of a plurality of nodes constituting road map data and an own vehicle position on a road; and predicting the road shape on the basis of a crossing angle formed by a link connecting a first position and a second position of the selected three positions and another link connecting the second and a third position thereof, and a link length between the second and the third positions. In case that the link length between the second and the third positions is not larger than a reference link length set in accordance with the crossing angle, the third position is excluded, and the position of a node further forward is adopted in place of the third position, to thereby predict the road shape.

Abstract: A system for determining the passability of a vehicle through a section of road ahead of the vehicle is controlled based on coordinates of a plurality of nodes NN (N1, N2, N3, N4 . . . ) constituting the road section ahead of a subject vehicle. The system calculates a passing-state determination amount &thgr;N/LN for each of the nodes NN, and based on the passing-state determination amount &thgr;N/LN, the system then determines whether the vehicle can positively or safely pass through the road section. The passing-state determination amount &thgr;N/LN serves as an indicator which represents a degree of difficulty in the passage of the vehicle through the nodes NN and which is obtained, for example, by dividing an angle &thgr;N formed by a line segment connecting the adjacent nodes NN by a distance LN between the adjacent nodes NN.

Abstract: A system for determining the passability of a vehicle passing through a curved road section. The system provides road information, detects the position of a subject vehicle on the road and determines whether a node, representing road data, exists on a curved or straight section of road. If it is determined that the node exists on a curve, it is then determined whether the curve is a simple curve or an S-shaped curve. Based upon these determinations, the system determines whether the vehicle can safely pass through the curve.

Abstract: Vehicle control apparatus enables a vehicle to positively and safely pass a curve present in a forward road ahead of the vehicle, irrespective of any error in road data used by the apparatus and any error in a detected vehicle position. The apparatus calculates a predicted passing speed for a curve on the basis of a vehicle speed and a vehicle position, and compares same with a maximum passable speed for the curve which is calculated on the basis of map information and the vehicle position to thereby determine whether the vehicle can positively and safely pass the curve. If the apparatus determines that the vehicle cannot positively and safely pass the curve, warning, automatic deceleration and/or automatic steering is executed by a control mechanism of the apparatus.

Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus is operative so as to prevent a chattering of initiation and termination of vehicle control, such as automatic deceleration, on the basis of a variation in a predicted passing speed. The apparatus comprises a maximum passable speed calculating mechanism M5 which calculates a maximum passable speed of a forward curve ahead of the vehicle on the basis of a road shape determined by a road shape decision mechanism M11, and a predicted passing speed calculating mechanism M7 calculates a predicted passing speed for the forward curve on the basis of a vehicle speed detected by a vehicle speed detector M6.

Abstract: The hydroplaning-occurring speed of a vehicle is estimated by detecting an amount of water on a wet road surface on which the vehicle is traveling, and estimating a speed of the vehicle at and above which a hydroplaning phenomenon can occur, based on the detected amount of water. The possibility of occurrence of a hydroplaning phenomenon of a vehicle is detected by detecting an amount of water on a wet road surface on which the vehicle is traveling, detecting the speed of the vehicle, and determining whether there is a possibility that a hydroplaning phenomenon can occur, based on the detected amount of water and the detected speed of the vehicle.

Abstract: A road surface condition-detecting system for a vehicle detects a road surface condition from road noise generated by a vehicle wheel. The road surface condition is determined based on parameter data of frequency components of the road noise, by a neural network. The road noise may be corrected by eliminating therefrom a disturbance, such as audio output and exhaust noise. A present state of the road surface condition may be determined based on at least two consecutive determinations made based on the road noise detected at regular time intervals. Exclusive neural networks may be used for respective road surface condition types. One of a plurality of neural networks provided for respective vehicle speed ranges may be selected according to an actual vehicle speed.

Abstract: A method and a system of production control for a production line composed of a plurality of automatic machines, in which input of control data and change of contents of the data required for control of the automatic machine can easily and efficiently be made. Identification data fed from the host computer (30) are converted by a data converter (31) into control data for automatic machines (11) in each process and stored in a storage medium (20) so that each automatic machine may be controlled after the storage medium has been moved together with the workpiece, by control data read out from the storage medium in each process in the production line. The storage medium store not only control data for the workpiece moving together with this storage medium but also those for a plurality of work pieces positioned on the upstream side of the workpiece in the production line and, thereby, prepares the relative automatic machines to be ready for the subsequent stage of operation.

Abstract: A decorative sheet including a printing base material, and an embossed print pattern formed on the printing base material in combination with an ordinary print pattern or alone, the embossed print pattern being formed with an ink composition comprising a poly(vinyl chloride) resin and a reactive acrylic resin as the main components.