Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – Indication or control of braking – acceleration – or deceleration
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-18
2001-09-04
Cuchlinski, Jr., William A. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
Indication or control of braking, acceleration, or deceleration
C701S082000, C701S083000, C701S091000, C701S093000, C701S096000, 36, C303S121000, C303S122000, C303S146000, C303S147000, C303S165000, C303S192000, C303S193000, C303S198000, C180S167000, C180S168000, C180S169000, C180S197000, C280S791000, C280S791000, C280S843000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06285944
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus and method for performing an automatic control over a velocity of an automotive vehicle in which the apparatus is mounted so as to maintain an inter-vehicle distance from the vehicle to another vehicle running ahead of the vehicle to follow up the other vehicle.
b) Description of the Related Art
A Japanese Patent Application First Publication (non-examined) No. Heisei 3-153426 published on Jul. 1, 1991 exemplifies a previously proposed automatic vehicular velocity control system.
In the previously proposed automatic vehicular velocity control system disclosed in the above-identified Japanese Patent Application First Publication, a vehicular engine output control method is disclosed in which a, so-called, auto-cruise control function such that a vehicular velocity is controlled to maintain a preset vehicular velocity is provided and a traction control function such that an engine output is reduced, with an engine throttle valve closed, in accordance with a slip rate of vehicular road wheels if slips of the vehicular road wheels occurs is provided.
In this method, a traction control signal is outputted to an auto-cruise control system from a traction control system. In the auto-cruise control system, its controller determines whether the traction control signal is inputted during an ordinary auto-cruise control operation.
When no traction control signal is inputted, the auto-cruise control is continued.
When the traction control signal is inputted, the auto-cruise control is inhibited and a higher priority on controls is given to the traction control.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
However, in the previously proposed engine output control method described in the BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION, the controller of the auto-cruise control system decides whether the traction control signal is inputted during the auto-cruise control operation.
Although an inhibit or a continuation of the auto-cruise control according to the presence or absence in the traction control signal can be decided, the inhibit of a start of the auto-cruise control when the vehicle is running on a road surface having a low frictional coefficient such as a snowy road, a frozen road surface, and a wet road surface cannot be made. Then, the auto-cruise control or its evolving type of a preceding vehicle follow-up run control (a vehicular velocity control such as to follow up a preceding vehicle running ahead of the vehicle) is started even on the vehicular run on the low frictional road surface so that a steering stability is reduced.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide automatic vehicular velocity controlling apparatus and method for an automotive vehicle which can assure a stable run in accordance with a variation in a road surface condition (situation) by inhibiting the preceding vehicle follow-up run control during the vehicular run on the low frictional coefficient road surface or entrusting to a vehicular driver's decision of whether the preceding vehicle follow-up run control should be carried out or not after a vehicular driver is informed of the vehicular run on the low frictional coefficient road surface.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided with a vehicular velocity controlling apparatus for an automotive vehicle, comprising: a controller, the controller including such a control function as to perform a vehicular velocity control for the vehicle to follow up a preceding vehicle which is running ahead of the vehicle and to maintain an inter-vehicle distance to the preceding vehicle at a target inter-vehicle distance; a road surface situation detector, the road surface situation detector detecting a road surface situation on which the vehicle runs; and a control instruction generator, the control instruction generator being responsive to a result of a detection by the road surface situation detector indicating that the detected road surface has a predetermined frictional coefficient such as to develop easily vehicular slips and generating and outputting a disable instruction to inhibit an operation of the control function of the controller to perform the vehicular velocity control to follow up the preceding vehicle.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided with a vehicular velocity controlling method for an automotive vehicle, comprising: detecting a road surface situation of a road surface on which the vehicle runs; determining whether the detected road surface has a predetermined frictional coefficient such as to develop vehicular slips; and outputting a disable instruction to inhibit an operation of a preceding vehicle follow-up run control such as to perform a vehicular velocity control for the vehicle to follow up a preceding vehicle which is running ahead of the vehicle and to maintain an inter-vehicle distance to the preceding vehicle at a target value of the inter-vehicle distance when determining that the detected road surface has the predetermined frictional coefficient.
This summary of the invention does not necessarily describe all necessary features so that the present invention may also be a sub-combination of these described features.
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Egawa Kenichi
Tange Satoshi
Cuchlinski Jr. William A.
Foley & Lardner
Mancho Ronnie
Nissan Motor Co,. Ltd.
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