Abstract: A vehicle environment recognition apparatus includes: an image processing unit that acquires image data of captured detection area; a spatial position information generation unit that identifies relative positions of target portions in the detection area from the vehicle based on the image data; a specific object identification unit that identifies a specific object corresponding to the target portions based on the image data and the relative positions and stores the relative positions as image positions; a data position identification unit that identifies a data position, which is a relative position of the specific object from the vehicle, according to GPS-based absolute position of the vehicle and map data; a correction value derivation unit to derive a correction value which is a difference between the image position and the data position; and a position correction unit that corrects the GPS-based absolute position by the derived correction value.

Abstract: A road surface ? is updated with time on the basis of a present value (an estimation value E) of the road surface ? estimated to estimate the road surface ?. In this case, if there is acquired road-surface information in a vehicle travel direction that is detected by a road-side infrastructure, a specifying unit 11 specifies a road-surface friction coefficient based on the road-surface information. An estimating unit 12 sets the road surface ? (?inf) thus specified as an initial value, resets the present value of the road surface ? to the initial value, and then starts estimation of the road-surface friction coefficient based on this initial value. Accordingly, estimation precision of a road-surface friction coefficient is enhanced by using an initial value having high reliability in autonomous estimation of the road-surface friction coefficient.

Abstract: A vehicle front-view monitoring system determines whether there is a fail occurring on the monitoring system based on luminance data on an image of a front view taken by camera and takes fail-safe measures if the fail is occurring. The luminance data indicates luminance-distribution characteristic values indicating horizontal luminance-distribution on the image. A fail can be determined based on a parameter obtained by normalizing the luminance-distribution characteristic values by a shutter speed for the camera equipment.

Abstract: A base station is installed in a driver's house or the like where the precise position has been measured beforehand, includes a GPS antenna, a GPS receiver, and a wireless communication device, and functions to transmit various data to a vehicle serving as a moving station in a predetermined range. The vehicle has a GPS antenna, a GPS receiver, and a wireless communication device. When establishing communication between the base station and the moving station, if the current vehicle position generally matches any driving route created and stored in the storage unit earlier, automatic driving control is performed with the matching driving route serving as a target driving route. Conversely, if the current position of the vehicle matches no position on the driving routes created in the past even generally, the storage unit continuously stores the current driving route including the current position, as a new route to the destination.

Abstract: Vehicle braking is precisely performed matching with a condition. A recognizing unit 5 recognizes a target object based on information from a preview sensor 2 for detecting a forward condition of a vehicle, and outputs positional information of the target object thus recognized as preview information. An information acquiring unit 6 specifies a target object located on a road based on information from an infrastructure 30 equipped on a road, and outputs position information of the target object thus specified as infrastructure information. If an instructing unit 7 authorizes the automatic braking of the vehicle carried out by the controlling unit 8 under the condition that the matching between a position of the target object based on the preview information and a position of the target object based on the infrastructure information is established, the controlling unit 8 carries out the automatic braking of the vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicle front-view monitoring system takes fail-safe measures when a fail-safe measure-interruption requirement using first parameter are met on a monitored image for a predetermined first period. The functions interrupted by the fail-safe measure is resumed when a fail-safe measure-release requirement using second parameter which is different from the first parameter is met within a predetermined second period after the fail-safe measure-interruption requirement has been met. The first period is variable in accordance with how accurately lane marking on a road in the monitored image is recognized.

Abstract: A correlation coefficient computing unit receives front-left and front-right wheel-accelerations from high-pass filters, each having a driver-operating component removed therefrom, and computes a correlation coefficient therebetween. A computing-unit of upper and lower limits of a correlation coefficient of a population sets upper and lower limits of a correlation coefficient of a population. First and second correction-gain setting units set first and second correction-gains varying in accordance with running and driving states, respectively. A correlation coefficient computing unit of a population computes a correlation coefficient of a population of this time based on the correlation coefficients computed as above, a correlation coefficient of a population of the previous time, the upper and lower limits, and the first and second correction-gains.

Abstract: Based on the detected lengthwise forces Fx, a moment M around a vertical line passing through the center of gravity of the vehicle is calculated, the moment being produced around the vehicle by a difference between the driving forces acting on the left and right wheels. A steering angle ?f of the wheel varying the state of motion of the vehicle is identified so as to reduce the calculated moment M. This steering angle ?f is set as a target steering angle ?f*. Based on the set target steering angle ?f*, the steering angle of the wheel is controlled.

Abstract: To provide a new vehicle control technique, a calculation section calculates a cornering power ka using the detected longitudinal force Fx, lateral force Fy, and vertical force Fz, and the identified friction coefficient ?. This calculation is made based on the correlation between a slip angle ? of the wheels and the lateral force Fy. Based on thus calculated cornering power ka and a target cornering power ka? required for the wheels, a processing section determines a change amount for changing at least one action force out of the longitudinal force Fx, the lateral force Fy, and the vertical force Fz, all acting on the wheels. Based on thus determined change amount, a control section controls at least one action force out of the longitudinal force Fx, the lateral force Fy, and the vertical force Fz, all acting on the wheels.

Abstract: A base station is installed in a driver's house or the like where the precise position has been measured beforehand, comprises a GPS antenna, GPS receiver, and wireless communication device, and functions to transmit various data to a vehicle serving as a moving station in a predetermined range centered on the wireless communication device. The vehicle has a GPS antenna, GPS receiver, and wireless communication device. When establishing communication between base station and moving station, if the current vehicle position generally matches any driving route created and stored in the storage means earlier, automatic driving control is performed with the matching driving route serving as a target driving route. Conversely, if the current position of the vehicle matches no position on the driving routes created in the past even generally, the storage means continuously store the current driving route including the current position, as a new route to the destination.

Abstract: A road surface ? is updated with time on the basis of a present value (an estimation value E) of the road surface ? estimated to estimate the road surface ?. In this case, if there is acquired road-surface information in a vehicle travel direction that is detected by a road-side infrastructure, a specifying unit 11 specifies a road-surface friction coefficient based on the road-surface information. An estimating unit 12 sets the road surface ? (?inf) thus specified as an initial value, resets the present value of the road surface ? to the initial value, and then starts estimation of the road-surface friction coefficient based on this initial value. Accordingly, estimation precision of a road-surface friction coefficient is enhanced by using an initial value having high reliability in autonomous estimation of the road-surface friction coefficient.

Abstract: Vehicle braking is precisely performed matching with a condition. A recognizing unit 5 recognizes a target object based on information from a preview sensor 2 for detecting a forward condition of a vehicle, and outputs positional information of the target object thus recognized as preview information. An information acquiring unit 6 specifies a target object located on a road based on information from an infrastructure 30 equipped on a road, and outputs position information of the target object thus specified as infrastructure information. If an instructing unit 7authorizes the automatic braking of the vehicle carried out by the controlling unit 8 under the condition that the matching between a position of the target object based on the preview information and a position of the target object based on the infrastructure information is established, the controlling unit 8 carries out the automatic braking of the vehicle.

Abstract: A correlation coefficient computing unit receives front-left and front-right wheel-accelerations from high-pass filters, each having a driver-operating component removed therefrom, and computes a correlation coefficient therebetween. A computing-unit of upper and lower limits of a correlation coefficient of a population sets upper and lower limits of a correlation coefficient of a population. First and second correction-gain setting units set first and second correction-gains varying in accordance with running and driving states, respectively. A correlation coefficient computing unit of a population computes a correlation coefficient of a population of this time based on the correlation coefficients computed as above, a correlation coefficient of a population of the previous time, the upper and lower limits, and the first and second correction-gains.

Abstract: To provide a new vehicle control technique, a calculation section calculates a cornering power ka using the detected longitudinal force Fx, lateral force Fy, and vertical force Fz, and the identified friction coefficient &mgr;. This calculation is made based on the correlation between a slip angle &bgr; of the wheels and the lateral force Fy. Based on thus calculated cornering power ka and a target cornering power ka′ required for the wheels, a processing section determines a change amount for changing at least one action force out of the longitudinal force Fx, the lateral force Fy, and the vertical force Fz, all acting on the wheels. Based on thus determined change amount, a control section controls at least one action force out of the longitudinal force Fx, the lateral force Fy, and the vertical force Fz, all acting on the wheels.

Abstract: A vehicle behavior control apparatus is divided into three major parts, sensors for detecting engine and vehicle operating conditions, a target yaw rate establishing section for establishing the rate and differential limiting apparatuses for selectively varying distribution ratios of driving force between front and rear wheels and/or between left and right wheels. The target yaw rate establishing section calculates a target yaw rate based on a vehicle mass, a mass distribution ratio between front and rear axles, front and rear axle mass, distances between front and rear axles and a center of gravity, a steering angle of a front wheel, and front and rear wheels equivalent cornering powers. A steady state yaw rate gain is separately calculated for left and right steering, respectively. A reference yaw rate is calculated by correcting a time constant of lag of yaw rate with respect to steering based on estimated road friction coefficient.

Abstract: A road friction coefficient estimating apparatus primarily includes an adaptive control road friction coefficient estimating section and an actual value comparison road friction coefficient estimating section. The adaptive control road friction coefficient estimating section inputs signals indicative of a road surface condition with low friction coefficient from a wiper switch, low outside air temperature judging section and the like and estimates an accurate road friction coefficient even under the low friction coefficient road surface condition. When the vehicle travels at high speeds, the actual value comparison road friction coefficient estimating section renders a road friction coefficient estimating value by a yaw rate comparison method gradually close to a road friction coefficient of an asphalted road surface.

Abstract: A vehicle behavior control apparatus is divided into three major parts, sensors for detecting engine and vehicle operating conditions, a target yaw rate establishing section for establishing the rate and differential limiting apparatuses for selectively varying distribution ratios of driving force between front and rear wheels and/or between left and right wheels. The target yaw rate establishing section calculates a target yaw rate based on a vehicle mass, a mass distribution ratio between front and rear axles, front and rear axle mass, distances between front and rear axles and a center of gravity, a steering angle of a front wheel, and front and rearwheels equivalent cornering powers. A steady state yaw rate gain is separately calculated for left and right steering, respectively. A reference yaw rate is calculated by correcting a time constant of lag of yaw rate with respect to steering based on estimated road friction coefficient.

Abstract: A road friction coefficient estimating apparatus primarily includes an adaptive control road friction coefficient estimating section and an actual value comparison road friction coefficient estimating section. The adaptive control road friction coefficient estimating section inputs signals indicative of a road surface condition with low friction coefficient from a wiper switch, low outside air temperature judging section and the like and estimates an accurate road friction coefficient even under the low friction coefficient road surface condition. When the vehicle travels at high speeds, the actual value comparison road friction coefficient estimating section renders a road friction coefficient estimating value by a yaw rate comparison method gradually close to a road friction coefficient of an asphalted road surface.

Abstract: An easy-to-use vehicular active drive assist system is provided, which can continue to give a warning against the presence of a possibility of deviation of own vehicle from a traffic lane to such an extent that a driver would not find the warning noisy or annoying. A control unit makes a judgment on the possibility of deviation from a traffic lane based on the location of lane marker lines detected from a pair of camera images and the location of own vehicle, and generates a warning if the own vehicle is supposed to deviate from to the left or right of the traffic lane. This warning is produced at preset time intervals. When the direction of potential lane deviation has changed (from right to left or from left to right), a lane deviation warning of the current side of lane deviation is started immediately.

Abstract: A vehicular active drive assist system including a lane deviation judgment unit which judges the possibility of deviation of own vehicle from a traffic lane on a roadway ahead and a warning control unit which controls a warning based on judgment results fed from the lane deviation judgment unit, wherein the lane deviation judgment unit sets a first judgment line approximately parallel to a lateral direction of the own vehicle at a first distance ahead of the own vehicle, sets a second judgment line approximately parallel to the lateral direction of the own vehicle at a second distance ahead of the own vehicle, makes a judgment on the possibility of deviation from the traffic lane based on the location of the own vehicle and the location of lane markings on the first judgment line, makes another judgment on the possibility of deviation from the traffic lane based on the location of the own vehicle and the location of the lane markings on the second judgment line, and finally judges the possibility of deviation