Abstract: A navigation apparatus is obtained that can reduce as much as possible to blank interval during the navigation even when a route deviation has occurred.

Abstract: Devices, methods, and programs control a seat drive mechanism that drives side support parts of a seat. The devices, methods, and programs detect a first curve ahead of a vehicle and a second curve located ahead of the first curve with respect to a travel direction. The devices, methods, and programs predict a between-curves time required to travel between the first curve and the second curve and determine whether the between-curves time is less than a predetermined time, the predetermined time being no less than a time necessary for the side support parts to operate. The devices, methods, and programs control the seat drive mechanism to arrange the side support parts at an action position to support a body of an occupant for the first curve. If the between-curves time is less than the predetermined time, the devices, methods, and programs maintain the side support parts at the action position while traveling the second curve.

Abstract: A vehicle stabilization control device includes: an actual turning state quantity acquisition unit that acquires an actual turning state quantity indicating an actual turning state of a vehicle; a curve information acquisition unit that acquires the shape of a curve ahead of the vehicle; a vehicle speed acquisition unit that acquires speed of the vehicle; and a curve traverse possibility determination unit that determines a possibility that the vehicle can stably traverse the curve, based on the curve shape and speed of the vehicle; a control quantity computation unit that, to control braking force on each wheel and suppress understeering, computes a target control quantity for each wheel, based on the actual turning state quantity and on the possibility that the vehicle can stably traverse the curve; and a control unit controlling the braking force for each wheel, based on the target control quantity for each wheel.

Abstract: A roll rigidity controlling apparatus includes a positional information obtaining means for obtaining a positional information of a vehicle, a gradient information obtaining means for obtaining a gradient information relating to a gradient of a road existing ahead of the vehicle, and a roll rigidity distribution changing means for changing a roll rigidity distribution ratio between a front portion and a rear portion of the vehicle on the basis of the positional information obtained by the positional information obtaining means and the gradient information obtained by the gradient information obtaining means before the vehicle reaches a point at which the gradient of the road changes.

Abstract: A vehicle suspension control system includes a level change recognition section that recognizes a change in level in a road, e.g. roadside curb, a travel path prediction section that predicts the travel path of the host vehicle, a ride-up judgment section which predicts that a wheel or wheels will ride up over the change in level, based on the predicted travel path, and a vehicle suspension element control section that controls the operation of the vehicle suspension or of an element thereof when ride up over the change in level is predicted. The system reliably reduces the jolting sensation which would otherwise occur when a wheel rides up over the change in level.

Abstract: A speed control device includes: a reference point setting unit that sets, based on shape and position of a curve in advance of a vehicle, first and second reference points within the curve, the second reference point being nearer the curve exit than the first reference point; a distance calculating unit that calculates, based on the vehicle location and the reference points, first and second distances, between the vehicle and the first and second reference points, respectively; a target speed determination unit that determines, based on the curve shape and the first and second distances, the first and second target vehicle speeds to be maintained, respectively, before and after passing the first reference point; and a speed control unit that controls the speed of the vehicle based on the target speeds and the detected speed of the vehicle.

Abstract: A speed control device for a vehicle includes a vehicle speed obtaining means obtaining a vehicle speed, a shape obtaining means obtaining a curve shape, a position obtaining means obtaining a positional relationship between a curve and the vehicle, a target vehicle speed determining means determining a target vehicle speed based on the curve shape and the positional relationship, a vehicle speed controlling means controlling the vehicle speed based on the target vehicle speed and the vehicle speed, and an acceleration operation quantity obtaining means obtaining an operation quantity of an acceleration operating member operated by a driver, wherein the target vehicle speed determining means includes a modification means modifying the target vehicle speed based on the operation quantity so that the target vehicle speed obtained when the operation variable is greater than zero becomes a greater value than the target vehicle speed obtained when the operation quantity is zero.

Abstract: A speed control device includes: a continuous curve acquiring unit that acquires curve shapes and positions of two successive curves in advance of the vehicle; a curve-to-curve distance calculating unit that calculates distance between the two curves based on curve shapes and positions of the two curves; a selection unit that selects, based on the curve shapes, the curve shape of the curve having the larger radius of curvature; a vehicle speed limit setting unit that sets, based on the curve-to-curve distance and selected curve shape, a vehicle speed limit for travel between the two curves; a target vehicle speed determination unit that determines, based on vehicle location, the curve shapes and positions, and the vehicle speed limit, a target vehicle speed for traveling the two curves; and a vehicle speed control unit that controls vehicle speed based on the target and detected vehicle speeds.

Abstract: An image recognition apparatus is capable of recognizing an image of an object of interest with high recognition accuracy even when the object is difficult to recognize only from image information acquired by an image pickup apparatus. The image recognition apparatus includes image information acquisition means for capturing image information of an image taken on a road, road feature information acquisition means for acquiring, from map information, road feature information C associated with a feature in the neighborhood of a position where the image information is taken, and image information recognition means for recognizing the image information using the road feature information C to recognize an image of an object to be recognized corresponding to the feature included in the image information.

Abstract: A first acceleration gear ratio is acquired for accelerating a host vehicle in a first acceleration zone following a first zone ahead of the host vehicle, and a second acceleration gear ratio is acquired for accelerating the host vehicle in a second acceleration zone following a second zone ahead of the first zone. A control is executed to set the gear ratio of the host vehicle to the first acceleration gear ratio in a first deceleration zone in order to decelerate the host vehicle before entering the first zone. A control is executed to set the gear ratio of the host vehicle to the second acceleration gear ratio when the host vehicle must decelerate with respect to the second zone while traveling in the first acceleration gear ratio.

Abstract: Information pertaining to a first zone set ahead of a host vehicle and a second zone farther ahead than the first zone is acquired. Based on the information, if a distance between an end point of the first zone and a start point of the second zone is shorter than a distance within which the host vehicle can be slowed at a predetermined deceleration to a second target vehicle speed for traveling the second zone at the start point of the second zone, a second acceleration gear ratio is acquired for accelerating the host vehicle in a second acceleration zone following the second zone. The gear ratio of the host vehicle is set to the second acceleration gear ratio in a first deceleration zone for slowing the host vehicle before reaching the first zone.

Abstract: A target vehicle speed for traveling a predetermined road section ahead of a host vehicle is obtained, and an acceleration gear ratio, which is a gear ratio for accelerating the host vehicle to a vehicle speed faster than the target vehicle speed after traveling through the predetermined road section, is also obtained. If a driving support control settings indicates that execution of a gear ratio control is permitted, a gear ratio of the host vehicle is set to the acceleration gear ratio before the host vehicle reaches a start point of the predetermined road section. If the driving support control settings indicate that execution of a deceleration control using the brake portion is permitted, a braking portion is controlled so as to decelerate a vehicle speed of the host vehicle to the target vehicle speed before the host vehicle reaches the start point of the predetermined road section.

Abstract: An end point of a reference speed zone is obtained in which a host vehicle travels at a reference speed by controlling an adjustment amount of a drive source output of the host vehicle, without applying a preset correspondence relation regarding an accelerator pedal position and the adjustment amount of the drive source output of the host vehicle. After the host vehicle passes the end point of the reference speed zone, the adjustment amount is changed by a first degree of change if an actual adjustment amount and an adjustment amount corresponding to application of the correspondence relation with the accelerator pedal position do not coincide.

Abstract: A target vehicle speed at a predetermined position ahead of a host vehicle is obtained, and a plurality of deceleration patterns with different deceleration schemes is obtained for decelerating the host vehicle to the target vehicle speed. Based on a driving operation for controlling speed of the host vehicle, a deceleration pattern is selected from the plurality of deceleration patterns. Using the selected deceleration pattern as a reference, the vehicle speed of the host vehicle is reduced to the target vehicle speed before the host vehicle reaches the predetermined position.

Abstract: Factor information is acquired that indicates at least one factor that imposes a psychological effect on a driver of a host vehicle when the host vehicle is traveling on a road with a descending slope ahead of the host vehicle. An overall psychological effect that is imposed on the driver when the host vehicle is traveling on the road with the descending slope is acquired based on the factor information. The vehicle speed is controlled in a vehicle speed control section in accordance with the overall psychological effect.

Abstract: A motion control device for a vehicle includes a vehicle speed obtaining device, a curvature obtaining device for obtaining a bending grade of a curve existing ahead of the vehicle, a position obtaining device for obtaining a relative position between the vehicle and the curve, a determination device for determining an appropriate vehicle speed for the vehicle passing through the curve based on the bending grade, a speed reduction control device for executing a speed reduction control for reducing the vehicle speed based on the vehicle speed and the relative position so that the vehicle passes through the curve at the appropriate vehicle speed, and a gradient obtaining device for obtain a gradient of the road on the curve existing in a traveling direction of the vehicle, wherein the determination device determines the appropriate vehicle speed based on the gradient of the road in addition to the bending grade.

Abstract: An anti-collision control is provided under circumstances where it is determined that there is a risk of collision between a host vehicle and a preceding vehicle. The anti-collision control utilizes host vehicle information, preceding vehicle information, and surrounding road conditions to determine whether or not a collision with the preceding vehicle can be avoided through a steering operation. If avoidance is determined to be possible, then a shift-hold control is applied to the AT, whereas if avoidance is determined to be impossible, then a down-shift control is applied to the AT.

Abstract: A motion control device for a vehicle includes a vehicle speed obtaining means for obtaining a speed of the vehicle, a curve shape obtaining means for obtaining a shape of a curve existing ahead of the vehicle on a road on which the vehicle is traveling, a position obtaining means for obtaining a relative position of the vehicle to the curve, a determining means for determining an appropriate vehicle speed for the vehicle to travel through the curve based on the shape of the curve obtained by the curve shape obtaining means, and a speed reduction controlling means for performing a speed reduction control on the vehicle based on the appropriate vehicle speed determined by the determining means.

Abstract: A deceleration start point where a driver performs a deceleration operation of a vehicle before entering a curve when the vehicle is to travel on a curve is identified from a vehicle operation history in the past, and an acceleration start point where the driver performs an acceleration operation of the vehicle when exiting a curve is identified from the vehicle operation history in the past. While these items are comprehended as driving tendencies of the driver, deceleration control and acceleration limit control to a target limiting vehicle speed are performed when the vehicle reaches the deceleration start point. Thereafter, when the vehicle reaches the acceleration start point, acceleration permission control to release the acceleration limit is performed.

Abstract: Stabilizer control devices, methods, and programs obtain information indicating lateral acceleration operating on the vehicle and obtain information indicating a curve section existing in a traveling direction of the vehicle. The devices, methods, and programs control roll stiffness by a stabilizer mounted on the vehicle based on the obtained lateral acceleration information by setting a lateral acceleration threshold at a first value in the curve section and a second value in a section other than the curve section respectively, the first value being smaller than the second value. The devices, methods, and programs control the roll stiffness when the lateral acceleration is equal to or larger than the lateral acceleration.