Abstract: An automatic steering device for a vehicle is provided to prevent an automatically steered vehicle from going out of its predetermined locus of movement as a result of an abnormal output of a movement distance detecting device. An actuator control device controls a steering actuator based upon the distance of movement detected by the movement distance detecting device and upon a locus of movement of the vehicle stored in a storage device. A judging device compares a vehicle speed estimated by a vehicle speed estimating device with an actual vehicle speed calculated by an actual vehicle speed detecting device from the distance of movement based upon the operating condition (shift range, accelerator opening degree and brake operating amount) of the vehicle detected by an operating condition detecting device.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided to correctly judge whether an automatic parking control operation can be accomplished when an obstacle exists in the path of movement of a vehicle, and thus enables the vehicle to be parked easily and reliably. In order that the vehicle can be parked along the locus of movement, an automatic steering operation is carried out on the basis of a relation between a traveling distance of the vehicle stored in advance and a reference steering angle. When the automatic parking control operation is interrupted due to the existence of the obstacle, a judgment whether or not the continuation of the automatic parking control operation is possible is made on the basis of the condition of the obstacle detected by a sonar, radar, a television camera, and the like and the locus of movement of the vehicle. When the continuation of this operation is impossible, the steering angle of the vehicle is reproduced in a reverse direction, and the vehicle is thereby returned to the starting position.

Abstract: When a driver voluntarily operates the steering during an automatic steering control operation, the automatic steering control operation is discontinued and a normal power steering control operation is resumed. The automatic steering control operation is not quickly changed to power steering control operation, but rather is gradually changed to the power steering control operation, to prevent a sudden change in the steering reaction which the driver receives from the steering wheel and, hence, to decrease the feeling of incompatibility. While the control amount of a steering actuator changes accompanying the change of the operation from the mode of automatic steering control operation to the mode of power steering control operation, the control amount is linearly changed from a value of the automatic steering control operation to a value of the power steering control operation over a predetermined period of time.

Abstract: When an autonomous vehicle detects an interruption in a wall, a plurality of optical distance measurement sensors provided in a driving unit measures the distance to a plurality of points of an object of interest located ahead. The configuration of the object of interest located ahead is recognized from the obtained distance information and from the attached angle of each optical distance measurement sensor to determine the subsequent operation of the autonomous vehicle.

Abstract: A hybrid personal vehicle capable of holonomic omni-directional self-locomotion. The vehicle may be programmed to navigate to a specified location in a crowded household environment. Additionally, sensors are provided for accurate docking and tight mating with fixtures such as a toilet or bed. A controller determines a docking trajectory to a specified fixture and behaves with arbitrary stiffness in each degree of freedom about a determined center of compliance.

Abstract: In carrying out an automatic steering control for the vehicle, a deviation between an actual locus of movement of a vehicle and a standard locus of movement is corrected, so that the vehicle can be accurately guided to a target position. An automatic steering system for a vehicle is designed so that a steering actuator is driven based on a previously stored standard steering angle, to automatically guide the vehicle to a target position. In this automatic steering system, if the deviation between an actual steering angle of the vehicle which is detected and the standard steering angle, exceeds a predetermined value, the standard steering angle is corrected, so that the deviation is decreased. If the steering actuator is driven based on the corrected standard steering angle, the actual steering angle is corrected, whereby the vehicle can accurately reach the original target position.

Abstract: In a process and apparatus for indicating and implementing control interventions for parking a motor vehicle, a prospective parking space is measured, and the indicating and the implementation of the control interventions does not take place before a confirmation signal for the start of the parking operation is entered by a vehicle operator. The system for carrying out the process has control devices for displaying and implementing the control interventions for parking a motor vehicle as a function of the confirmation signal.

Abstract: A steering assist system in a vehicle, wherein the traveling of a vehicle along a reference lane can be realized by applying a reference induction force determined in accordance with the magnitude and direction of a deviation of the subject vehicle from a reference target course (zone) established within the reference lane, and moreover, the lane change can be easily and naturally performed by a driver. A second target course (zone) is established in a second lane along which the vehicle travels after the lane change. A second induction force applied to a steering means to realize the traveling of the vehicle along the second lane is set in accordance with the magnitude and direction of a deviation of the subject vehicle from the second target course (zone). The reference target course (zone) and the second target course (zone) are connected in a connection course (zone) in which the force applied from a driving means to the steering means during the lane change is substantially "0".

Abstract: A vehicle is prevented from being moved in an unanticipated direction at a target position or a moving direction reversing position on a locus of movement based on an automatic steering operation. When a vehicle has been moved from a start position through a moving-direction reversing position to reach a target position by automatic steering control for moving the vehicle along a previously stored locus of movement, thereby finishing the automatic steering control, a driver further moves the vehicle backwards from the target position to a parking position. At this time, if the driver has his or her hands released from a steering wheel, and the course of movement of the vehicle is disturbed due to an external disturbance such as an undulation in the road surface, the steering angle of a wheel is maintained so that it is not varied from a steering angle at the target position.

Abstract: The present invention compensates for a variability in steering angle of a wheel when a vehicle has been stopped, thereby performing an accurate automatic steering. To guide a vehicle stopped at a start position via a reversing position to a target position, the vehicle is automatically steered based on data for a steering angle of a wheel relative to a previously stored traveling distance of the vehicle. The steering angle at the time when the vehicle is stopped at the start position (1) is varied every time and is not necessarily equal to an initial standard steering angle intended to start an automatic steering control. Therefore, at the start position, the automatic steering control of the vehicle is started after equalizing the steering angle of the wheel to the initial standard steering angle, so that the vehicle can be correctly guided to the target position.

Abstract: An apparatus for preventing a vehicle from deviating from the correct locus of movement thereof when the vehicle travels in a direction opposite to the direction designated by a gear selecting lever during an automatic parking control operation. When automatic parking control operation is started, the wheels are automatically steered on the basis of the relation between the traveling distance of the vehicle and a standard steering angle which is stored in advance in a storage device, and the vehicle is guided automatically to a parking position. When the vehicle, for which the automatic parking control operation has been started from a position O, moves back from a position Q due to the inclination of the road surface, the automatic parking control operation necessarily continues to be carried out unless the forward movement or backward movement of the vehicle is recognized and the vehicle travels to a different position O'.

Abstract: When an automatic parking control operation is carried out, while allowing a vehicle to creep at a low speed, a net braking force applied to the vehicle is appropriately estimated. That is, not only a braking force generated by operation of a brake pedal but also a braking force generated due to an inclination or unevenness of a road surface or the like are taken into consideration. When the vehicle speed is, for example, in a range of 3 km/hr to 10 km/hr, it is determined that a suitable braking force has been generated for carrying out the automatic parking control operation. To bring the vehicle speed into the predetermined range, it is necessary a) to generate a braking force by operation of the brake pedal on a flat road, b) to generate a negative braking force (a driving force) by operation of an accelerator pedal on a steep ascending slope and c) to generate a larger braking force by operation of the brake pedal on a descending slope.

Abstract: An automatic steering system having misoperation prevention is provided. The system includes a mode selecting switch operated by a driver having four switches for selecting any of four parking modes. If the driver pushes the switch for a desired parking mode, the switch is turned on or lit for 5 seconds. If the driver, having confirmed whether the selected parking mode is wrong or not, pushes an automatic parking start switch in the course of such period, automatic parking control is started. When the automatic parking start switch is not pushed while the switch is lit, or when the vehicle is moved by the driver to conduct the spontaneous parking, the switch is turned off to cancel the automatic parking control.

Abstract: An automatic steering system for appropriately maintaining an operational amount of a brake pedal in carrying out automatic parking control, while allowing a vehicle to creep. Data for a steering angle of a wheel relative to a distance of movement of a vehicle is previously stored in a memory section in correspondence to four parking modes. If a desired parking mode is selected by a mode selecting switch and a driver permits the vehicle to creep, while depressing a brake pedal, a control section controls the operation of a steering actuator to carry out automatic parking.

Abstract: The elimination of a steering angle detector from an automatic steering system including an electric motor used as an actuator is accomplished and the steering angle of a wheel is calculated based on the rotational angle of the electric motor. In the electric motor, if a terminal voltage is represented by u; a supplied current is j; a resistance is R; an inductance is L; a rotational angle is .alpha.; and a constant depending on characteristic of the electric motor is K, the terminal voltage u is represented by the following equations: ##EQU1## If this equation is solved with respect to the rotational angle .alpha. and the inductance L having a small value is omitted, the rotational angle .alpha. is given according to the following equation: ##EQU2## The rotational angle .alpha. of the electric motor and the steering angle of the wheel are in a proportional relationship to each other and hence, if the rotational angle .alpha.

Abstract: A semi-autonomous parking system calculates the current position as well as the desired trajectory required to accomplish the parking task by utilizing vehicle position measurements. The parking system alters the power steering's required effort to maneuver the vehicle thus providing tactile feedback to the vehicle operator. The required effort is decreased when it is determined that the operator is steering the vehicle within the desired trajectory and is increased when it is determined that the operator is steering the vehicle outside the desired trajectory. The operator can feel increases and decreases in steering effort at the steering wheel.

Abstract: A motor car includes a body, an electrical supply, an electric drive unit, a steering system, a parking brake and a control unit inside the body for causing the drive unit to be activated by the electrical supply. The motor car also includes a control unit outside the body for operating the drive unit, the control unit constituting an external control for enabling parking manoeuvres in restricted spaces.

Abstract: A vehicle having a suspension control system that is especially applicable to an aircargo transport loader which is adapted for storage in a cargo hold of an aircraft. The suspension control system utilizes sensors to monitor the clearance between the vehicle and an underlying or overlying surface such as the ramp leading into a cargo hold or the roof of the cargo hold. The sensors relay information concerning clearance to a central control where the necessary suspension adjustments are made to allow the vehicle to avoid a clearance problem once travel is continued after stopping for the suspension adjustment. The system allows for suspension adjustments to be made either automatically or manually. The invention also includes an under deck support system which allows for limited pitch, yaw, roll and side to side adjustments to be made to the deck with respect to the underlying base frame.

Abstract: A device to be mounted on a car for assisting a driver to make a parallel parking or a perpendicular parking, comprises displacement-sensing devices to measure specific distance that the car moves, obstacle-sensing devices for sensing the position of obstacles around a car, and a microcomputer that can, in accordance with the driver's instructions and the data received from aforesaid displacement-sensing devices and obstacle-sensing devices, generate various signals to tell the driver to drive the car forwards, to stop the car, to turn the car left or right, or to back the car so as to park the car along a specific path, further more, the microcomputer may generate an output signal to control the steering mechanism the transmission, the accelerator, and the brake system for backing the car into a parking space automatically.

Abstract: A vehicular automatic parallel parking system adapted for installation either as a factory option or as a retrofit kit. A microprocessor-based controller exercises control over a hydraulic valve which regulates the fluid to the vehicle's power steering cylinder. Preferably the system controls the vehicle's standard power steering valve through a solenoid attachment, although a separate solenoid-operated valve in parallel with the power steering valve can be used in retrofit installations if necessary. By its sensing of rearward distance moved by the vehicle, the controller is able to control turning during a parallel parking maneuver through its regulation of the solenoid-operated valve.