Motor vehicles – With device for programmably operating vehicles steerable...
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-14
2001-02-13
Johnson, Brian L. (Department: 3618)
Motor vehicles
With device for programmably operating vehicles steerable...
C180S401000, C180S404000, C180S407000, C701S042000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06186259
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic steering device for vehicles for automatically parking the vehicle without relying upon the steering operation of the driver.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Automatic steering devices for vehicles are known already in Japanese Patent Applications Laid-Open Nos. 3-74256 and 4-55168. These automatic steering devices for vehicles utilize an actuator of a widely known electric power steering system, and are designed to automatically effect reverse parking or longitudinal parking by controlling the actuator based on a relationship between the distance of movement of the vehicle and the steering angle, that has been previously stored.
According to the conventional device in which the actuator is controlled based upon a relationship between the distance of movement of the vehicle and the steering angle that has been stored in advance, the vehicle is likely to go out of the predetermined locus of movement during the automatic steering operation when the distance of movement of the vehicle is not correctly detected or when the detection means becomes defective.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention was accomplished in view of the above-mentioned circumstances. It is the object of the present invention to prevent the vehicle from departing from the predetermined locus of movement by discontinuing the automatic steering control operation upon detecting an abnormal condition of the movement distance detecting means.
In order to accomplish the above-mentioned object, the present invention is directed to an automatic steering device for vehicles comprising an actuator for steering the wheels, a movement distance detecting means for detecting the traveling distance of a vehicle, and a movement locus setting means for storing or calculating a locus of movement of the vehicle up to a target position as a relationship of the steering angle to the distance of movement of the vehicle. An actuator control means controls the driving of the actuator based upon the locus of movement set by the movement locus setting means and upon the distance of movement of the vehicle and a judging means judges the output of the movement distance detecting means to determine if the output is abnormal. A discontinuing means discontinues the operation for controlling the actuator by an actuator control means when the judging means has judged the output to be abnormal.
When the judging means judges the output of the movement distance detecting means to be abnormal, the discontinuing means discontinues the operation for controlling the actuator which is based on the actuator control means. Therefore, the automatic steering control operation is not conducted based upon an incorrect distance of movement of the vehicle, and the vehicle is prevented from being guided to a position which is spaced from a target position.
The present invention further comprises an actual vehicle speed detecting means for detecting the actual vehicle speed of the vehicle based upon the output of the movement distance detecting means. An abnormal condition of the movement distance detecting means is thus detected based upon an abnormal actual speed detected by the actual vehicle speed detecting means. The present invention further comprises an operating condition detecting means for detecting the operating condition of the vehicle, and a vehicle speed estimating means for estimating the vehicle speed based upon the operating condition of the vehicle detected by the operating condition detecting means, wherein the judging means judges the output of the movement distance detecting means to be abnormal based upon a deviation between the actual vehicle speed detected by an actual vehicle speed detecting means and the estimated vehicle speed determined by the vehicle speed estimating means. The vehicle speed is thus estimated by the vehicle speed estimating means relying upon the operating condition of the vehicle detected by the operating condition detecting means, and an abnormal condition of the movement distance detecting means is judged based upon the deviation between the estimated vehicle speed and the actual vehicle speed.
The operating condition of the vehicle is at least one operating condition of a transmission operating member, a brake operating member or an accelerator operating member. Accordingly, the operating condition of the vehicle can be properly judged.
Still further, the judging means judges the output of the movement distance detecting means to be abnormal when it is detected by the operating condition detecting means that the transmission operating member is at a traveling position and the brake operating member is at a non-operating position, and when it is detected by the actual vehicle speed detecting means that the vehicle is stopped.
The judging means thus judges the output of the movement distance detecting means to be abnormal when it is detected that the vehicle is stopped under the condition where the transmission operating member is at a traveling position, the brake operating member is at the non-operating position and the vehicle is traveling. Therefore, an abnormal condition can be correctly judged.
The judging means judges the output of the movement distance detecting means to be abnormal when it is detected by the operating condition detecting means that the accelerator operating member is at an operating position and when it is detected by the actual vehicle speed detecting means that the vehicle is stopped. The judging means judges the output of the movement distance detecting means to be abnormal when it is detected that the vehicle is stopped under the condition where the accelerator operating member is at the operating position and the vehicle is traveling. Therefore, an abnormal condition can be correctly judged.
The judging means also judges the output of the movement distance detecting means to be abnormal when it is detected by the operating condition detecting means that the brake operating member is generating a braking force for bringing the vehicle to a stop and when it is detected by the actual vehicle speed detecting means that the vehicle is traveling. The judging means judges the output of the movement distance detecting means to be abnormal when it is detected that the vehicle is traveling under the condition where the brake operating member is generating a braking force for bringing the vehicle to a stop and the vehicle is at a stop. Therefore, an abnormal condition can be correctly judged.
The judging means also judges the output of the movement distance detecting means to be abnormal when it is detected by the operating condition detecting means that the brake operating member is generating a braking force for bringing the vehicle to a stop and the accelerator operating member is in the non-operating position and when it is detected by the actual vehicle speed detecting means that the vehicle is traveling. The judging means thus judges the output of the movement distance detecting means to be abnormal when it is detected that the vehicle is traveling under the condition where the brake operating member is generating a braking force for bringing the vehicle to a stop, the accelerator operating member is at the non-operating position, and the vehicle is at a stop. Therefore, an abnormal condition can be correctly judged.
The judging means also judges the output of the movement distance detecting means to be abnormal when the transmission operating member is at the parking position and when it is detected by the actual vehicle speed detecting means that the vehicle is traveling. Accordingly, the judging means judges the output of the movement distance detecting means to be abnormal when it is detected that the vehicle is traveling under the condition where the transmission gearing member is in the parking position and the vehicle is at a stop.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5065325 (1991-11-01), Takahashi
patent: 5303156 (1994-04-01), Matsuoka et al.
patent: 5400250 (1995-03-01), Ohmura
paten
Sakai Katsuhiro
Shimizu Yasuo
Arent Fox Kintner & Plotkin & Kahn, PLLC
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Johnson Brian L.
Luby Matthew
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