Abstract: A system for selectively limiting the speed of a vehicle, wherein said system includes a sensor device (14) located on the vehicle, the sensor (14) being directed away from the vehicle so as to detect a structure nearby the vehicle, and a controller (12) which, in response to the sensor (14) detecting the structure imposes a predetermined speed limit on the vehicle.

Abstract: An emergency brake assist apparatus amplifies driver braking force upon imminent contact detection. A brake pedal, operated by the driver, exerts a pedal force upon a variable brake booster. A braking system is coupled to the variable brake booster that produces a variable brake booster force causing the braking system to exert a braking force proportional to the pedal force during normal operation. When a forward detection apparatus detects an imminent contact, a controller signals the variable brake booster to increase the variable brake booster force such that the braking system exerts an amplified braking force proportional to the pedal force.

Abstract: When it is judged that a possible collision of the own vehicle with a preceding vehicle is avoidable by operation of either one of the brake pedal and steering wheel, a first grade braking force is automatically produced. While, when it is judged that the possible collision is unavoidable by operation of either of the brake pedal and steering wheel, a second grade braking force is automatically produced, which is greater than the first grade braking force.

Abstract: This Automatic Braking System is regarded as an invention to help every driver to brake one's car automatically due to unexpected event or event beyond driver's attention. It does not exist in automobile industry.

Abstract: An enhanced autonomous emergency braking system includes an accelerator pedal operated by the driver and used to control the overall vehicle speed. When a forward detection apparatus detects an imminent contact, the braking system automatically applies braking force to the vehicle while the vehicle engine speed is reduced. The amount of brake force applied is a continuous function of relative speed, relative distance, collision probability and target classification. The braking force may be reduced when the driver or passenger are unbuckled or may be disabled if the driver depresses the accelerator pedal by a predetermined amount. In addition, the amount of brake force applied by the driver is amplified to further enhance braking performance.

Abstract: A brake control apparatus comprising a brake fluid pressure sensor for detecting the brake fluid pressure of the wheel cylinder for a braking system. That is, the brake fluid pressure sensor detects the condition of braking. The brake fluid pressure is controlled. The brake fluid pressure is increased based on a predetermined pressure increase gradient in the initial stage of the automatic braking, and is decreased based on a predetermined pressure decrease gradient in the latter stage of the automatic braking.

Abstract: A method for determining an initiation threshold value for an automatic braking process, in which an automatic braking process is used and a brake pressure is produced which is greater than the brake pressure which corresponds to the operation of the brake pedal by the driver. Short distances between vehicles increase the risk of accidents. If a driver operates the brakes when there is a short distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle, in the vast majority of cases, the driver of the following vehicle is often required to perform an emergency braking due to the short distance between the vehicles. To improve the safety of vehicles, an emergency braking is performed, as quickly as possible, when the distance between vehicles is short. This emergency braking, within what is physically possible, ensures rapid deceleration of the vehicle and thus helps to avoid rear-impact accidents.

Abstract: When it is detected that a vehicle is running on a road surface which has a coefficient of friction sufficiently low as to invite ready road wheel slippage, a control which enables the vehicle to automatically follow a preceding vehicle at a predetermined inter-vehicle distance, is inhibited. In one embodiment, when a request for vehicle follow-up is issued by the driver, and the follow-up is inhibited, the driver is informed of the low frictional coefficient of the road and is required to issue a confirmation that follow-up is required before its implementation can be carried out.

Abstract: A longitudinal driving/braking force control system for controlling the vehicle speed and/or the headway vehicle-to-vehicle distance is arranged to bring a vehicle to a stop and to hold the vehicle in a stop condition with a stop holding braking force in a predetermined situation. When an accelerator pedal is depressed by a driver in the stop condition, a controller decreases the braking force from the stop holding braking force to zero according to a predetermined brake releasing characteristic to allow a start of the vehicle. In response to a driver's accelerator operation, the controller calculates a driver's input driving force, estimates a grade resistance of the vehicle and further calculates a brake actuation quantity corresponding to the grade resistance. Then, the controller modifies the brake releasing characteristic to ensure a smooth start in accordance with the calculated driver's input driving force, the estimated grade resistance and the calculated brake actuation quantity.

Abstract: When carrying out automatic braking in order to avoid contact of a vehicle with an object, the behavior of the vehicle is prevented from becoming unstable due to abnormal road surface conditions in which the coefficients of friction of the road surface are different for the right and left wheels. An object which is present in the direction in which the vehicle is advancing is sensed by a radar device, and based on the sensing results if it is determined that there is a possibility of the vehicle making contact with the object, the automatic braking system operates the braking device at time t0 so as to carry out automatic braking.

Abstract: A method for controlling the speed of an off-the-road vehicle traveling on a gradient permits a constant downhill speed to be maintained. The vehicle speed can be set to a constant descending speed by an electronic system through active braking intervention, without requiring actuation of the brake by the driver. The vehicle in which the method is practiced has several forward speeds and one reverse speed within a low-range traveling phase. The constant descending speed is dependent upon the position of the gas pedal and upon the currently engaged gear of the low-range traveling phase. The method for use in off-the-road vehicles is particularly advantageous for situations in which the braking action of the engine on steep gradients is no longer sufficient to decelerate the vehicle.

Abstract: A system for controlling behavior of a vehicle having a laser radar for detecting an obstacle present on a road on which the vehicle is traveling and operating the brake automatically to avoid contact with the obstacle, and having a power-assist steering actuator including an electric motor installed in the steering system. In the system, it is determined whether the vehicle is steered by the steering wheel as manipulated by the vehicle operator or the vehicle is steered by a force generated by the interplay between the tire and road due to the automatic braking and, when vehicle is steered by the force generated by the tire/road interplay, the electric motor of the steering actuator is controlled to drive in the direction to cancel the force, thereby preventing the vehicle behavior from degrading to deviate from the desired course of travel and preventing various disadvantages such as failure to achieve the desired obstacle detection necessary for an effective obstacle avoidance control.

Abstract: An automatic brake control system of a vehicle for automatically applying brake when said vehicle comes near to an obstacle ahead comprises an own vehicle speed detector for detecting a speed of the vehicle, a distance detector for detecting a distance between the own vehicle and the obstacle, an obstacle speed calculating device for calculating a speed of the obstacle based on the speed of the vehicle and the distance between the vehicle and the obstacle, a stop control judging device for making a comparison of the distance between the vehicle and the obstacle with a threshold distance, a target deceleration establishing apparatus based on the comparison for establishing a target deceleration to a first deceleration when the distance is smaller than the threshold distance and to a second deceleration when the distance is larger than the threshold distance and a brake drive controller for performing a deceleration control so as to generate a brake fluid pressure corresponding to the target deceleration in a b

Abstract: This device controls a vehicle such that a relative distance between the vehicle and a vehicle in front of it becomes a target distance. When the relative distance becomes shorter than the target distance, the device automatically operates the brake actuator to increase the relative distance, but if the driver operates the accelerator pedal while the brake actuator is operating, this device decreases the target value output to the brake actuator according to the variation rate of a throttle opening.

Abstract: If a driver's sudden operation of a steering handle to avoid an obstacle is detected based on outputs from a steering speed sensor (S.sub.1), a steering torque sensor (S.sub.2) and/or a steering torque variation amount sensor (S.sub.7), a master cylinder produces a braking hydraulic pressure by a command from an electronic control unit without depression of brake pedal by a driver. A hydraulic pressure control device (4) transmits the braking hydraulic pressure to brake calipers of inner wheels during turning of the vehicle to brake the inner wheels. This causes a yaw moment to be generated so as to turn the direction of advancement of the vehicle to an inward in a turning direction. Thus, the steering operation can be assisted by such yaw moment to avoid the obstacle.

Abstract: A new Anti-Collision System for providing an audible warning to a vehicle operator indicating that the collision time to an obstacle located ahead of the vehicle is less than a pre-determined warning time and for providing a braking pressure to the vehicle's hydraulic fluid braking system upon the condition that the collision time is less than a pre-determined danger time and that the vehicle brake pressure is under a pre-determined brake pressure limit.

Abstract: In a brake system of a vehicle adapted to be operated automatically, the brake system includes a forecasting mechanism for forecasting a need of automatic braking, and a pump to provide a source of a pressurized working fluid for the automatic braking is started when a need of an automatic braking is forecast. By such a need forecast starting of the pump, the brake system can automatically apply an effective braking to a vehicle wheel or wheels, with no accumulator for storing the pressurized working fluid. The pump need forecasting may depend upon an estimation of a turn behavior of the vehicle and/or a detection of an obstacle in front of the vehicle.

Abstract: An integrated controller for a vehicle comprises a contact preventive device for detecting a distance between a vehicle and an obstacle and a relative speed, and deciding whether the vehicle may come in contact with the obstacle based on the results of detection so as to perform automatic braking or automatic steering, and a characteristic changing device for causing the suspension or steering characteristic of the vehicle to be changed. The control part of the characteristic changing device changes the suspension or steering characteristic based on information from the control part of the contact preventive device when operating the contact preventive device. In case the characteristic changing device is an active suspension device, the control part changes the suspension characteristic so as to increase a control gain when performing automatic braking and to inhibit the vehicle from being rolled when performing automatic steering.