Abstract: A radar system adapted to be installed on a vehicle (1) is operable to detect objects in different fields of view of the system. The system has transceiver means (2, 3; 44, 46) for transmitting a radar signal and receiving the signal after the latter has been reflected from an object to be detected. A reflected signal is sampled by sampling means (12; 66) during a succession of sampling periods each of which is delayed with respect to a corresponding portion of the transmitted signal. The gating of the reflected signal effectively generates range shells, each of which corresponds to the time taken for a transmitted signal to reach an object at the shell, and to be reflected back to the system and is hence related to the delay between the transmission of the signal and the corresponding sampling period. The range shells define the field of view of the system, which can be changed by altering said delay.

Abstract: The present position of a previously recognized stationary object group (SOp) is estimated based on past position data and the movement of the traveling vehicle during a past time (&Dgr;T). A clearance (Mwr, Mwl) between a traveling vehicle (Mx) and an adjacent stationary object group (Mxr, Mxl) is obtained based on the estimated position data. A clearance (Twr, Twl) between a preceding vehicle (Tx) and an adjacent stationary object group (Txr, Txl) is obtained based on the estimated position data and the position data of the preceding vehicle. A same lane judgement is performed to judge whether the traveling vehicle (VM) and the preceding vehicle (VT) are traveling on a same traffic lane based on at least one of the detected clearances (Mwr, Mwl, Twr, Twl).

Abstract: In system and method for an automotive vehicle equipped with the system and defined as a system vehicle, a target value of a driving-and-braking force applied to the system vehicle to make a detected value of a system vehicle velocity coincident with a target value of the velocity of the system vehicle is determined, a prime mover of the system vehicle and a transmission thereof in accordance with the target value of the driving-and-braking force is determined, a maximum deceleration force according to the target value of the velocity of the system vehicle and a shift position of the transmission of the system vehicle is estimated, a relative velocity of the system vehicle to the preceding vehicle on the basis of the detected value of the inter-vehicle distance is determined, and the shift position of the transmission is determined on the basis of the target value of the driving-and-braking force, the estimated maximum deceleration force, and the relative velocity.

Abstract: In an adaptive speed control system for a vehicle, a method and system for continued vehicle braking at a vehicle speed below a minimum operating speed threshold when a sensed target disappears. The method and system determine whether the vehicle speed is less than the minimum operating speed threshold, determine whether a sensed target has disappeared if the vehicle speed is less than the minimum operating speed threshold, and generate a phantom target having a range and range rate corresponding to a last known range and range rate, respectively, of the sensed target if the sensed target has disappeared. The method and system also control the vehicle speed based on the range and range rate of the phantom target.

Abstract: A driver alertness monitoring system for motor vehicles which issues visual or audible signals to the driver, and which monitors visual, audible or mechanical responses received from the driver to determine driver alertness. An electronic control unit, preferably incorporated in the circuitry of existent vehicle safety systems, controls the activation of these visual or audible signals and determines appropriate actions based on the response of the driver. The system includes auxiliary sensors which can be used to control and modify the function of the system to reduce unnecessary activation.

Abstract: In automatic velocity controlling apparatus and method for an automotive vehicle, an inter-vehicle distance detector is provided for detecting an inter-vehicle distance from the vehicle to another vehicle which is running at the detected inter-vehicle distance with respect to the vehicle. A vehicular running controller is provided for effecting a vehicular running control such that the vehicle follows up the other vehicle maintaining the inter-vehicle distance to the other vehicle at a predetermined inter-vehicle distance. An inter-vehicle distance determinator is provided for determining whether the inter-vehicle distance detector transfers from a first state in which the inter-vehicle distance to the other vehicle is detected to a second state in which the inter-vehicle distance to the other vehicle is undetected.

Abstract: A monitoring mechanism of an obstacle detecting apparatus for a vehicle can be applied to various kinds of obstacle detecting apparatuses and is preferable for judging whether good or bad. Accordingly, the obstacle detecting apparatus for a vehicle having an outgoing device (51) for outgoing a medium (Lo) to a traveling direction of a vehicle (B), an incoming device (52) for incoming a reflected medium (Li) from an obstacle (D) and a calculating device (53) for defining an existence of the obstacle (D) on the basis of a difference between the outgoing and incoming mediums (Lo, Li) is provided with a monitoring mechanism (6) comprising a rotating device (61) integrally supporting the outgoing and incoming devices (51, 52) in a freely rotatable manner, a reflecting device (62) reflecting the outgoing medium (Lo) to the incoming device when a rotating angle (.theta.) of the rotating device is within a predetermined angle range (.theta.1 to .theta.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for calibrating range in a radar system. Due mainly to temperature changes in a radar system which cause frequency deviation error, range errors can be introduced into the radar system, thus adversely affecting the determination of the position of targets relative to the host platform. These range errors can be corrected by detecting and accurately estimating the frequency deviation error of a radar system. The present invention improves target position determination performance in a radar system by reducing errors introduced by the frequency deviation error. The present invention relies upon the observation that the Doppler range rate is largely unaffected by frequency deviation error, and thus, is approximately equal to the actual range rate. In accordance with a first range calibration technique of the present invention, the radar system measures the range, Doppler range rate, and azimuth angle of a target during at least two successive time instances.

Abstract: A radar system including a means for distinguishing signals returned from (i.e., reflected by) objects that are stationary with respect to earth (i.e., "stationary objects") from signals returned from objects that are moving along with a host vehicle (i.e., the vehicle upon which the radar system is mounted). The system includes a radar antenna having a relatively narrow beam width centered at a "squint" angle .theta.. When the antenna is aimed such that the center of the beam is at a squint angle of .theta.=60.degree., the Doppler frequency of signals that are reflected from targets that are stationary along the roadside is significantly higher than the frequency of signals reflected from targets that are in the blind spot to the right-rear of the host vehicle and which are moving along with the host vehicle.

Abstract: An object detecting system for a vehicle includes a radar. The radar includes an electromagnetic wave transmitting device for transmitting an electromagnetic wave in a direction of movement of the vehicle and a reflected wave receiving device for receiving a reflected wave from an object which exists ahead of the vehicle in the direction of movement of the vehicle. A determining device determines the presence or absence of an obstacle in the direction of movement of the vehicle based on the result of the detection by the radar. In the object detecting system, the radar can detect objects in a plurality of vertically different detection areas, respectively. In addition, it is clear in which areas the object has been detected. Thus, it is possible to appropriately determine whether there is a possibility that the object is an obstacle to the vehicle.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a vehicle with a millimeter wave radar by which not only a distance and a relative velocity can be measured but also traffic information of other various kinds can be obtained.

Abstract: A vehicle-mounted radar apparatus comprises: a transmitting-receiving device 8 including an FM modulator 1 for generating an FM modulation signal, a voltage controlled oscillator 2 for generating an electromagnetic wave subjected to FM modulation by the FM modulation signal, a transmitting antenna 4 for transmitting the FM-modulated electromagnetic wave, a receiving antenna 6 for receiving the electromagnetic wave reflected by a preceding vehicle 5, and a mixer 7 for mixing the FM-modulated electromagnetic wave and the electromagnetic wave from the receiving antenna and for outputting a beat signal; a signal processor 9 for computing a relative velocity and a relative distance with respect to the preceding vehicle on the basis of the beat signal; and a scanning mechanism 12 for rotatively driving the transmitting-receiving device, wherein a modulation period of the FM-modulated electromagnetic wave and a rotation angle range of the scanning mechanism are changed in accordance with the relative velocity and th

Abstract: A vehicle obstacle detecting system having a combination of different kinds of detectors, such as a laser radar and a millimeter-waver radar, to detect an obstacle present ahead of the course of vehicle travel. The system determines whether the detection output of the laser radar is similar to that of the millimeter-wave radar. When the result is positive, obstacle avoidance control is conducted based on the output of either the laser radar or the millimeter-wave radar. When the result is negative, it is determined that the laser radar (the detector normally of superior performance) is degraded and, based on the output of the millimeter-radar, obstacle avoidance control is conducted. With this, the outputs of the different kinds of detectors are fused and unified optimally, enabling effective obstacle avoidance control.

Abstract: In order to make the connecting lines from at least one transmitting antenna element and at least one receiving antenna element to a common oscillator as short as possible, the receiving antenna element is arranged outside the radiation pattern of the transmitting antenna element, the transmitting and receiving antenna elements being oriented in different directions. An arrangement deflects the reflected radar beams onto the receiving antenna element and/or deflect the radar beams emitted by the transmitting antenna element in a desired direction.

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: A method and apparatus is disclosed to detect an obstacle in the path of a mobile machine. The present invention scans a field of interest by each of a plurality of obstacle sensor systems, weights the scanned data received from the obstacle sensor systems, and determines at least one characteristic of the obstacle as a function of the weighted scanned data.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a vehicle with a millimeter-wave radar capable of accurately detecting stationary objects around the vehicle while positively accepting ground clutter. Accordingly, the vehicle is provided with a millimeter-wave transmitting/receiving antenna (2F) fixed thereto with the center (C) of an antenna beam directed to a road surface (5), and a discrimination element (6) for classifying detected objects (4) by discriminating between objects (4a) the distance (L) to which varies with a movement of the vehicle and objects (4b) the distance (L) to which does not vary with a movement of the vehicle.

Abstract: A variable-scanning-speed mechanical driving unit is provided for providing control in such a manner as to acquire data while continuously changing in a range of a scanning angle the direction of an antenna unit for transmission and reception of radio waves. A so-called warning mode which is primarily aimed at the prevention of a collision is set, and a data updating period is shortened by making the scanning speed for transmitted radio waves and received radio waves so relatively high so as to shorten the data updating period. In a case where a so-called follow-up mode which is primarily aimed at follow-up traveling is set, the scanning speed for transmitted radio waves and received radio waves is made relatively low so as to extend the data updating period.

Abstract: An intelligent cruise control system is capable of maintaining a car-to-car distance allowing a collision to be avoided and carrying out follow-up running control without providing a sense of incompatibility to the driver. A radar circuit employed in a radar unit calculates a relative speed Vr of a car running ahead of a vehicle with an intelligent cruise control system installed therein with respect to the vehicle and a distance dr from the vehicle to the preceding car from a wave reflected by the preceding car. An ICC unit adjusts the speed of the vehicle by controlling the output of the engine of the vehicle in accordance with information such as the relative speed Vr and the distance dr received from the radar unit. In a follow-up running mode, the ICC unit controls the cruise of the vehicle in such a way that the speed of the vehicle and the distance from the vehicle to the preceding car are maintained at a target speed and a target car-to-car distance respectively.

Abstract: A method for use in vehicles using lanes of an automated highway to avoid collisions with obstacles. A set of decision rules are embodied in a processor that are used in each vehicle to determine whether affected vehicles should change lanes or brake to minimize the expected impact with an obstacle. The presence of an obstacle in one of the lanes is detected by a lead vehicle or by sensors on the highway. The processor in the lead vehicle, or at a traffic management facility, probabilistically estimates the position of the obstacle at each of a plurality of times subsequent to detection. At each of the times, a course of action for all affected vehicles is determined by the processor in the lead vehicle based upon the best current estimate of position of the obstacle, knowledge of any previous action that has been taken, positions and velocities of the affected vehicles, and the geometry of the highway.

Abstract: An angular shift determining apparatus is provided which may be employed in an automotive obstacle detection system designed to determine a distance to and angular direction of a target tracked by a radar. The angular shift determining apparatus determines an angular shift of the central axis of radiation of radar waves from the longitudinal center line of a vehicle equipped with the obstacle detection system based on a relative position of the target and removes from the determined angular shift an error component produced when a preceding vehicle traveling with a lateral offset from the system vehicle is tracked as the target and an error component produced when a stationary object located on a curved road is tracked by the radar as the target to mathematically project an actual angular shift of the central axis of radiation of radar waves.

Abstract: An obstacle recognition system for automotive vehicles is provided which is designed to distinguish preceding vehicles from other objects and uses data thereof in intervehicle distance control, for example. The system includes a radar unit and a preceding vehicle determining circuit. The radar unit receives a signal produced by reflection of at least one of transmitted radar signals from an obstacle present in a given obstacle detectable zone to determine a distance to the obstacle and a horizontal and a vertical angle of the obstacle from a preselected reference direction.

Abstract: A method of operation for a motor vehicle object detection system is described, in which the extent angle of an identified target is accurately determined by applying a point source scatterer identification technique to data at the periphery of a composite return. Return amplitude data from one or more complete scans of the sensor beam are collected and compared with a target threshold to identify objects in the viewing angle, thereby forming an array of amplitude data associated with successive beam positions for each identified object. In each array, the left-most and right-most pair of amplitude data points associated with successive beam positions are selected and individually used to compute the angle of a point source scatterer which would be responsible for that data pair.

Abstract: A motor vehicle collision warning system 1 comprises an obstacle sensing system 3 including a plurality of sensors 5 together capable of sensing obstacles around the vehicle 7 and generating obstacle of concern signals when obstacles are sensed, and a warning control system 9 for receiving the obstacle of concern signals and for determining whether a collision warning signal should be generated. The sensing system includes at least one antenna cluster 11 mounted in the region of a corner 13 of the vehicle 7, the antenna cluster 11 comprising a radar transmit antenna 15 and two receive antennas 17 and 19. The transmit antenna 15 is mounted between the receive antennas 17 and 19. Receive antenna 17 faces towards the front of the vehicle and receive antenna 19 faces towards the rear of the vehicle. A trigger means 21 triggers the operation of the transmit antenna 15 and one or both of the receive antennas 17 and 19.

Abstract: In an obstacle detection system for a vehicle which has a radar having an electromagnetic wave transmission device and a reflected wave reception device, the electromagnetic transmission device transmits electromagnetic waves in a direction in which the vehicle is traveling, and the reflected wave reception device receives reflected waves produced when the electromagnetic waves transmitted from the electromagnetic wave transmission device are reflected by an object present in the traveling direction of the vehicle. The system detects obstacles present in the traveling direction of the vehicle based on the result of a radar search operation, and it is possible to identify only those objects detrimental to the traveling of the vehicle as obstacles.

Abstract: An automotive Forward Looking Sensor (FLS) including a transmit antenna, a receive antenna and a receiver circuit for determining whether RF leakage from the transmit antenna to the receive antenna exceeds a predetermined threshold level. If the leakage exceeds the predetermined threshold level, then the antenna is blocked, as may be caused by mud, salt, ice, etc. In one embodiment, the received RF signal is processed by a digital signal processor performing a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and the energy content of the received RF signal within a predetermined range of frequencies corresponding to approximately zero Doppler is assessed to determine whether such energy content exceeds the predetermined threshold level.

Abstract: A preceding-vehicle follow-up control apparatus is arranged to calculate a target vehicle speed for following-up a preceding vehicle at a target vehicle-to-vehicle distance. The target vehicle speed is calculated from an equation having a form of a linear combination of a form which includes a linear connection between a product of a first gain and a difference between the vehicle-to-vehicle distance and the target vehicle-to-vehicle distance and a product of a second gain and the relative speed. The control apparatus controls a driving apparatus and a transmission apparatus of a vehicle so as to adjust a vehicle speed at the target vehicle speed. This enables the vehicle-to-vehicle distance to be converged into a target value without excessively increasing or decreasing the relative speed during this follow-up control.

Abstract: A rear and side object detection system for a vehicle based on monolithic millimeter wave integrated circuit technology. A multiple antenna configuration is employed that defines six sensing regions to the right, left and the rear of the vehicle. A first sensing region is defined at the right side of the vehicle, a second sensing region is defined at the right side and rear of the vehicle and overlaps the first sensing region, a third sensing region and a fourth sensing region extend from the rear on both sides of the vehicle in the adjacent lanes, a fifth sensing region is defined at the left side of the vehicle and a sixth sensing region is defined at the left side and rear of the vehicle and overlaps the second and fifth sensing regions. A right side warning signal is issued if an object is detected in a right side detection zone defined by the first sensing region or a portion of the second sensing region that does not overlap the third or sixth sensing regions.

Abstract: An automotive forward looking sensor (FLS) includes (a) a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) having an input port to which a VCO control signal comprising at least one of a ramp up portion and a ramp down portion is coupled and an output port at which a transmit RF signal is provided for coupling to a transmit antenna and (b) a linearization circuit having a first input port to which a feedback signal proportional to the transmit RF signal is coupled, a second input port to which a fixed frequency reference signal is coupled and an output port at which an error signal proportional to at least one of a phase difference and a frequency difference between the feedback signal and the fixed frequency reference signal is provided, wherein the VCO control signal is a function of the error signal and wherein the at least one ramp up portion and ramp down portion has a substantially linear slope.

Abstract: A vehicle radar safety apparatus employs a radar for detecting an object in front and/or to the rear and sides of a vehicle and for producing an indication of the distance and closing speed between the vehicle and the detected object. A signal processing unit sums the vehicle speed and the closing speed between the vehicle and detected object and compares the summed output with a signal corresponding to the distance between the vehicle and the detected object to provide an output to a display indicating the vehicle's capability of stopping prior to colliding with the detected object. The output from the signal processing unit is optionally applied to an accelerator and/or brake control circuit to automatically slow down the vehicle. A brake pedal override switch is connected to the accelerator and brake controls to override the accelerator and/or brake controls when the vehicle operator depresses the vehicle brake pedal.

Abstract: An azimuth change quantity .theta. of a road during traveling of a vehicle for a time .delta.t is calculated based on road data provided by a navigation system and a vehicle speed provided by a vehicle speed sensor (at step S3 in FIG. 2). On the other hand, an azimuth change quantity .THETA. of the vehicle is calculated by integrating a yaw rate .gamma. obtained from a yaw rate sensor over the time .delta.t (at step S5). A deviation D between the azimuth change quantity .theta. of the road and the azimuth change quantity .THETA. of the vehicle is calculated (at step S6). When the deviation D becomes equal to or larger than a reference value .beta., it is determined that there is a possibility that the vehicle will depart from the road (at step S9) , and a predetermined steering torque is applied to a steering device, so that the deviation is converged into zero (at steps S10 and S11).

Abstract: In a first distance range to the obstacle, the velocity of the vehicle is limited by the control of the power of the drive unit of the vehicle. In a second distance range which is less than said first distance range, the braking force at the wheel brakes is built up.

Abstract: An optical path degradation detecting device having a laser distance detector which uses a laser beam to detect the distance between two objects and which generates distance signals representative of the distance between the two objects. A first predetermined point signal is generated upon the distance signals being in a distance representative of a first predetermined distance or less, and a second predetermined point signal is generated upon the distance signals being in a distance representative of a second predetermined distance or less, wherein the second predetermined distance is less than the first predetermined distance. A fault signal is generated if the second predetermined point signal is generated within a predetermined time interval relative to the generation of the first predetermined point signal.

Abstract: A vehicle surrounding monitoring device including: a monitoring device for detecting objects present at a surrounding of a vehicle and outputting positions of the objects defined by a predetermined detection coordinate system; a coordinates transforming device having a calculation coordinate system in which a position of the monitoring device is an original point, a progressing direction of the vehicle is a first coordinate axis and an axis orthogonal to the first coordinate axis is a second coordinate axis for transforming the positions of the objects into positions defined by the calculation coordinate system; a vehicle speed detecting device for detecting a vehicle speed of the vehicle; a stationary object sampling means for sampling a plurality of stationary objects among the objects based on the vehicle speed; and an error detecting device for detecting a deviation of an optical axis of the monitoring device based on the vehicle speed, components of the first coordinate axis of the plurality of stationar

Abstract: An anticipatory object detection system includes a transducer device for transmitting a modulated carrier signal and receiving the reflected modulated carrier signal from an object; a detection device for detecting a plurality of Doppler shifted harmonic components from the reflected modulated carrier signal; a range determining device responsive to the amplitude of at least two of the harmonic components for determining the instantaneous range of the object; a velocity measurement device, responsive to the frequency of at least one of the harmonic components, for determining the relative, instantaneous velocity of the object.

Abstract: A distance monitoring system of a vehicle monitors a distance to a preceding vehicle traveling directly ahead of the vehicle to determines whether the preceding vehicle is decelerating by comparing a change in the vehicle speed with a reference value which is varied according to various driving condition in relation in particular to dangers such as collisions against the preceding vehicle.

Abstract: In an obstacle recognition system for a vehicle, transmission wave is irradiated per given angle for recognizing an obstacle ahead of the subject vehicle based on angle/distance data obtained from received reflected wave. A position of the obstacle is estimated based on a previously recognized position of the obstacle. The estimated position of the obstacle and an actually recognized position of the obstacle are compared so as to determine whether the obstacle currently recognized is identical with the obstacle previously recognized. Relative acceleration is derived for the obstacle which has been determined plural times to be identical with the previously recognized obstacle. When the derived relative acceleration is outside a given range, the corresponding obstacle is excluded from objects of further obstacle recognition.

Abstract: A radar apparatus includes a radar unit which detects a position of a target based on a reflection beam reflected from the target and outputs data related to the detected position. A scanning control unit controls a direction of a beam radiation axis of the radar unit to the target. A certainty-factor determining unit determines a certainty factor of the target based on data presently detected by the radar unit and data previously detected by the radar unit. A certainty-factor adjusting unit controls the certainty factor such that a changing rate to the certainty factor is determined based on the data from the radar unit, the certainty factor being adjusted by the changing rate. A first changing-rate varying unit varies the changing rate to one of a plurality of predetermined values based on a target center positional angle to the target, whereby the certainty-factor adjusting unit adjusts the certainty factor by the changing rate.

Abstract: Receivers 14 and 16 comprise mixers 14b and 16b for mixing reception signals of receiver antennas 14a and 16a with a transmission signal to generate beat signals B1 and B2, respectively. Signal processing section 20 performs the Fourier transformation of beat signals B1 and B2 supplied from receivers 14 and 16 to obtain the phases of beat signals B1 and B2 and then obtain the azimuth based on the difference of these phases.

Abstract: As provided here, an obstacle warning system for a vehicle is capable of issuing an alarm accurately according to the curved state of a road. When the road is curved, the system sets the correction time counter on the basis of the following conditions: whether or not the curvature radius of the curved road is small; whether or not a guardrail is detected immediately ahead of the vehicle; whether or not an erroneously-recognized object, such as a set of guardrail reflectors exhibiting large relative acceleration is immediately ahead of the vehicle; and whether or not the number of obstacles recognized reaches a value indicating that the vehicle is approaching a curved section of the road. When a stationary object enters the field of view indicating that there is a possibility of a collision, the obstacle warning system corrects the warning distance in response to the value of the correction time counter, thus making it possible to avoid a false alarm during cornering.

Abstract: A scan-type radar apparatus for a vehicle which determines with a high level of accuracy whether an object detected by the radar exists in the lane in which the radar equipped vehicle is moving while the radar equipped vehicle is moving in a curve. A scan-type radar detects objects existing in a detectable range. A center direction is assumed which indicates a center of each of the objects detected by the scan-type radar with respect to the vehicle based on a distance between the vehicle and each of the objects and a turning radius of the vehicle. A vehicle moving lane area is set within the detectable range. The vehicle moving lane area, which corresponds to a vehicle moving lane in which the vehicle is moving, extends on either side of the center direction with a predetermined angle range.

Abstract: A radar device transmits by a transmitting part a wave whose band is spread by a PN code from a PN generator, receives at a receiving part a reflected wave from an object based on the wave and detects the object by detecting correlation between the received signal and the PN code. In this radar device, the received signal which is spread to a wide range is converted to a low-frequency band which is easy to be measured by a down converter so that a signal is generated when correlation is made by a delay of the PN code from a delay circuit, and generates a pulse signal through waveform shaping of the signal to detect the object and to measure its relative speed and distance at a processing part according to the pulse signal and the delay time.

Abstract: A vehicle steering apparatus (20) includes a steering feel motor (50). A torque sensor (58) senses steering torque applied by a vehicle driver. A sensor (24) senses a characteristic of a driver and provides a signal indicative thereof. A hazard sensor (44) senses a potential steering hazard. The steering feel motor is controlled in response to the sensed driver characteristic and to any sensed potential steering hazard. Either open-loop or closed-loop control is provided for controlling the feel motor in response to sensed static and dynamic forces.

Abstract: An intervehicle distance control system for automotive vehicles is provided which includes a laser scanning type distance sensor for scanning a laser beam in a width-wise direction of a system vehicle to determine relative positions and relative angles of objects within a forward detectable zone and determines same lane probabilities that the objects exist in the same lane of a road as the system vehicle using a variable probability distribution based on the relative positions and the relative angles of the objects. A target preceding vehicle is then selected from the objects based on the same lane probabilities for controlling the speed of the system vehicle to maintain a distance to the target preceding vehicle constant.

Abstract: In a vehicle collision preventing system, a possibility of collision of a subject vehicle against an object ahead of the subject vehicle is determined at least based on values measured by a distance measuring unit for measuring longitudinal and lateral distances between the subject vehicle and the object and a value detected by a subject-vehicle speed detecting device, an actuator is operated in accordance with the result of such determination to avoid the collision. A lateral relative distance of the subject vehicle and the object is calculated by a lateral relative distance calculating device based on the values measured in the distance measuring unit. Any of a judge level in the judgment of the collision possibility in a judging device or operation levels of actuators is changed in accordance with the result of the determination in a collision avoidance level determining device based on the lateral relative distance.

Abstract: An obstacle detection system for vehicles detects kinetic attributes relative to a vehicle equipped with the system of an object present in a forward path of travel of the vehicle, sets a presumed zone into which the object is expected to have entered at a lapse of a specified period based on the kinetic attributes, and proves an object detected at a lapse of the specified period as the object previously detected if the object of second detection is determined as one having moved into the presumed zone and an obstacle precarious to the vehicle.

Abstract: A radar apparatus of an automotive vehicle includes a radar unit which outputs signals at intervals of a predetermined time, each signal indicating data of a position of a target at an output time. A position detecting unit detects data of the position of the target from the signals output by the radar unit when the vehicle operates in a straight line path. A correction value determining unit generates a set of errors of a beam emission axis to the straight line path with respect to a horizontal direction so that an average of the errors with respect to each of the signals is determined from the data detected by the position detecting unit. The correction value determining unit determines a correction value by taking an average of the averages of the errors with respect to all the signals.

Abstract: An electric power steering system of this invention can inform the driver of potential danger by providing control by way of safety precaution before a vehicle enters a dangerous situation. The occurrence of dangerous situations is determined based on a signal from an obstacle sensor. If a steering wheel is turned in a dangerous situation, a warning control is performed on a motor. The motor outputs a torque for t1 seconds, for example, which counters against turning of the steering wheel. Then, the motor enters a "non-assist" state wherein no current is applied thereto for t2 seconds. If an intermittent counter torque is applied by the motor, it is hard to turn the steering wheel and the steering wheel is caused to vibrate, thereby preventing the vehicle from being steered to collide with an obstacle and, warning the driver of the danger with vibration caused in the steering wheel.

Abstract: A radar method and a device for carrying out the method include estimating an azimuth angle of each target object from determined variables of distance or range, relative speed and relative acceleration after Kalman filtering and separating out target objects having a physically impossible behavior (tracking and prediction). That is used to determine which target objects are located on a roadway occupied by a vehicle and which are the most dangerous thereof. Indication, warning or action thresholds are determined as a function of driving behavior of the driver, road conditions and weather conditions. Indication, warning or action signals (in the brakes, throttle valve or gear shift of the vehicle) result if the thresholds are exceeded or undershot by the range, the relative speed and the relative acceleration.

Abstract: A cruise control system for a vehicle includes a vehicle borne radar for determining range and closing rate of the vehicle relative to a target, such as another moving vehicle, ahead of the vehicle. The range and closing rate are used to determine a new set speed for the cruise control system which may be less than but is not greater than the speed entered in the cruise control by the driver of the vehicle. The new set speed is selected to prevent the vehicle from overtaking the target, and ideally reduces the closing rate to zero at a predetermined minimum distance from the target. In determining the new set speed, the system also determines incremental movements for the vehicle throttle using a selected gain boost and designed to minimize throttle jerk. If the target moves out of the path of the vehicle or speeds up, the system adjusts accordingly and eventually allows the vehicle to resume the originally entered speed when possible.