An electric power-steering device has a speed-reducing mechanism (17) for reducing the speed of an output shaft (16) of an electric motor (15). The speed-reducing mechanism (17) has an internal gear (39) engaged and rotated with the output shaft (16) and an external gear (40) with which the internal gear (39) internally meshes. A drive pulley (41) rotatable together with the external gear (40) and a driven pulley (42) provided so as to surround a steering shaft are connected by an endless belt (43). Speed reduction is obtained by the internal gear (39) and the external gear (40), and the speed-reducing mechanism (17) as a whole achieves a high reduction ratio without greatly reducing the diameter of the drive pulley (41).

Electric power-steering device

In a safety running system, a transverse travelling distance resulting when a subject vehicle travels to a current position of an oncoming vehicle is calculated based on the vehicle velocity and yaw rate of the subject vehicle, a relative transverse distance of the oncoming vehicle relative to a vehicle body axis of the subject vehicle is calculated based on a relative distance, relative velocity and relative angle between the subject vehicle and the oncoming vehicle detected by a radar information processor. When a relative transverse deviation obtained by subtracting the transverse travelling distance from the relative transverse distance resides within a range and that state continues to exist over a predetermined time period, it is judged that there is a collision possibility of the subject vehicle with the oncoming vehicle, and automatic steering is performed so as to avoid a collision.

Safety running system for vehicle

Text input is corrected on a touch-sensitive display by presenting a list of candidate words in the interface which can be selected by touch input The candidate list can include candidate words having two or more character types (eg, Roman, kana, kanji) In one aspect, the candidate list can be scrolled using a finger gesture When a user's finger traverses a candidate word and the touch is released, the candidate word is inserted into a document being edited In another aspect, characters can be erased by touching a key (eg, a backspace or delete key) and making a sliding, swiping, or other finger gesture A number of characters proportional to a distance (eg, a linear distance) of the finger gesture across the display are erased If there are characters in a text input area, those characters are erased first, followed by characters in the document being edited

Input methods for device having multi-language environment

A lane departure prevention apparatus is configured to avoid lane departure even when the driver is not focused on driving operations, in a state in which the system-operating switch is OFF. The lane departure prevention apparatus has a driver condition detection section or device for detecting that the condition of the driver which is a condition in which the driver cannot perceive that the host vehicle is tending toward departure, and a lane departure avoidance control device for setting the braking control for avoiding departure in an operable state when the system-operating switch for the driver to instruct the operation of control braking for avoiding the lane departure is OFF, the braking control for avoiding departure is OFF, and the driver condition detection section or device has detected that the condition of the driver is a condition in which the driver cannot perceive that the host vehicle is tending toward departure.

Lane departure prevention apparatus

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for inputting text. A virtual keyboard is presented in a first region of a touch sensitive display of a device. An input representing a phonetic string is received on the virtual keyboard. The entered phonetic string is presented in a second region of the touch sensitive display. One or more candidates are identified based on the phonetic string. At least a subset of the candidates is presented. An input selecting one of the candidates is received. The entered phonetic string is replaced with the selected candidate.

Language input interface on a device

PURPOSE:To take a safe measure such as an alarm, etc., only in the case that the running-away from a lane of a vehicle during traveling is judged to be really dangerous. CONSTITUTION:An arithmetic controller calculates the degree of the danger of the collision of one's own vehicle 21 and an approaching vehicle 22 from initial one's own vehicle speed V0, initial approaching vehicle speed V1, initial relative inter-vehicle distance,DELTAx, distances between one's own vehicle 21 and a center line 23, and the advancing direction angle 9 of one's own vehicle 21 and so on, and only in the case that the degree of the danger of the collision becomes over a certain standard, consequently, warning, etc., is executed. In concrete terms, the spot P of one's own vehicle 21 after the lapse of a prescribed time is predicted, and a protruding amount (epsilon) to the approaching vehicle lane at that time is calculated. In the case that the predictive protruding amount (epsilon) of one's own vehicle 21 is over a prescribed value (e.g. w/3), safe inter-vehicle distance between both the vehicles at which relative speed just before the collision becomes a prescribed speed in the case that both the vehicles are slowed down respectively by a prescribed deceleration is calculated. Then, only at the time when the inter-vehicle distance,DELTAx between both the vehicles at the present point of time is smaller than the safe inter-vehicle distance, the warning or automatic braking for evading the collision against the approaching vehicle is executed.

Vehicle collision preventing device

PURPOSE: To prevent a brake from being operated at an unexpected timing efficiently while a vehicle driver attempts to prevent rear-end collision by means of steering operation in a rear-end collision prevention device for a vehicle provided with an automatic brake device. CONSTITUTION: Detection signals from a vehicle speed sensor 10, an acceleration sensor 12, a distance measuring sensor 14, a doppler sensor 16 are supplied to an ECU 18. The EUC 18 computes the first inter-vehicle distance XB which permits rear-end collision to be prevent by braking and the second inter-vehicle distance XS which permits rear-end collision to be prevented by means of steering operation based on vehicle speed, relative speed, and an inter vehicle distance. When the detected inter-vehicle distance Δ x is more than the second inter-vehicle distance XS even if it is less than the first inter-vehicle distance XB, rear-end collision is prevented by means of a driver's steering operation without operating an automatic brake device 22. The automatic brake device 22 is operated for the first time only when the inter-vehicle distance Δ x is less than XB, XS, so it is possible to inhibit the automatic brake device 22 from being operated at an unexpected timing. COPYRIGHT: (C)1994,JPO

Rear-end collision preventing device for vehicle

PURPOSE: To accurately recognize the time when the support of braking is required, and perform effective support for braking by equipping an automatic brake with an automatic control means which operates a full brake when an emergency degree judging means judges emergency from the operation state of a brake, steering, etc. CONSTITUTION: An accel pedal switch 5 and a brake pedal switch 6 severally output signals which show that operation has been made. A brake stepping force sensor 7 measures the stepping force of brake, and a brake stroke sensor 8 measures the amount of stepping of the brake. Furthermore, a steering angle sensor 9 outputs the operation of steering as the signal concerning the angle. And an arithmetic part 10 generates, for example, an alarm sound, etc., by an alarm device 11, in case that it judges that the support for brake is required, according to each kind of signal inputted, and puts a throttle forcibly in full close condition by an automatic throttle device 12 and forcibly brakes the vehicle by an automatic brake device 13. COPYRIGHT: (C)1996,JPO

Automatic brake of vehicle

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To restrict the vibration generated in a steering object when the steering angle of the steering object, which is connected to a steering actuator through a torsion bar, is fed-back and controlled so as to conform to a target steering angle in a steering device of a vehicle. SOLUTION: The torsion angle Δθ of the torsion bar 24 installed between an input shaft 20, to which the steering wheel 12 is connected, and an output shaft 22, with which a motor 32 is engaged, is detected using a steering torque sensor 26. The handle angle θ 2 of the steering wheel 12 is detected using a steering angle sensor 28. When automatic control to make the handle angle θ 2 of the steering wheel 12 conform to the target steering angle θ* is carried out, the motor 32 is driven so that a target electric current i*, which is obtained by calculation based on the deflection between the handle angle θ 2 and the target steering angle θ*, the torsion angle Δθ of the torsion bar 24 and its time differential value d (Δθ)/dt, flows. COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Steering device of vehicle

PURPOSE: To automatically restart the constant speed traveling at optimum timing after a constant speed travel control is removed by operating a brake, in the case of a travel control device executing a constant-speed travel control. CONSTITUTION: An ECU 14 shifts to a constant speed travel control by turning on a main switch 18. When a driver operates a brake during constant-speed traveling, the ECU 14 removes the constant speed travel control based on a signal from a brake on/off detector 22 and keeps the removal state until it is detected in a signal from an accelerator on/off detector 20 that the driver operates an accelerator in the next place. Because of this, traveling according to the driver's intention can be done also in case engine brake is wanted. A vehicle speed is detected by a vehicle speed sensor 10 when the accelerator is shifted from an on-condition to an off-condition, and then shifting to constant speed traveling again at the detected vehicle speed takes placed. In addition, if a vehicle going ahead exists when the brake is shifted from an on-condition to an off-condition, shifting to constant-speed traveling takes place at this point of time. COPYRIGHT: (C)1996,JPO

Yoshiyuki Hashimoto

Papers

Vehicle collision preventing device

Rear-end collision preventing device for vehicle

Automatic brake of vehicle

Steering device of vehicle

Travel control device for vehicle