Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – Indication or control of braking – acceleration – or deceleration
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-19
2001-09-18
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
C083S085000, C083S090000, C083S093000, C083S301000, C180S179000, C180S170000, C180S178000, C180S169000, C180S167000, C180S174000, C340S435000, C340S903000, C340S904000, C340S906000, C340S901000, C340S436000, C342S070000, C342S071000, C342S115000, C342S090000, C342S456000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06292737
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to vehicle follow-up control apparatus and process for recognizing a preceding vehicle ahead, and controlling a distance to the preceding vehicle at a desired distance.
Japanese Patent Kokai Publication No. H7(1995)-69094 shows a conventional vehicle follow-up control system having function of gain adjustment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the conventional gain adjustment, however, the response characteristic is dependent only on the vehicle-to-vehicle distance deviation. Therefore, when the response characteristic is adjusted to a prompt characteristic, the control system might give unnatural feeling to a passenger by decelerating the vehicle the vehicle moderately or sometimes sharply to increase the vehicle-to-vehicle distance in response to intervention, between the controlled vehicle and a preceding vehicle, another vehicle having no relative speed difference.
Moreover, a Japanese Patent Application No. H9(1997)-321402 (Kokai Publication H 1 (1995)-69094 published on Jun. 8, 1999) proposes a related follow-up control system.
In view of the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Kokai Publication No. H7(1995)-69094, and the related art of the Japanese Patent Application No. H9(1997)-321402, it is an object of the present invention to provide vehicle follow-up control apparatus and/or process capable of adjusting a control gain adequately in accordance with a relative speed. It is another object of the present invention to provide vehicle follow-up control apparatus and/or process capable of adjusting a control gain adequately for vehicle speed regions.
According to the present invention, a vehicle follow-up control apparatus for a controlled vehicle, comprises:
a distance sensor sensing an actual vehicle-to-vehicle distance from the controlled vehicle to a preceding vehicle;
a vehicle speed sensor sensing an actual vehicle speed of the controlled vehicle; and
a controller connected with the distance sensor and the vehicle speed sensor, the controller,
determining an actual relative speed of the controlled vehicle relative to the preceding vehicle,
calculating a desired vehicle speed to bring the actual vehicle-to-vehicle distance closer to a desired distance in accordance with the actual vehicle-to-vehicle distance, the desired distance and the relative speed,
calculating a desired driving force to bring the actual vehicle speed closer to the desired vehicle speed,
controlling an actual driving/braking force of the controlled vehicle in accordance with the desired driving force, and
setting a control gain used in calculation of the desired vehicle speed, in accordance with the relative speed.
According to another aspect of the invention, a vehicle follow-up control apparatus comprises: means for ascertaining a sensed actual vehicle-to-vehicle distance; means for ascertaining a sensed actual vehicle speed; means for determining an actual relative speed; means for calculating a desired vehicle speed in accordance with the actual vehicle-to-vehicle distance, the relative speed and a control gain; means for calculating a desired driving force to bring the actual vehicle speed closer to the desired vehicle speed; controlling an actual driving/braking force of the controlled vehicle in accordance with the desired driving force; and means for varying the control gain in accordance with the relative vehicle speed.
According to still another aspect of the invention, a vehicle follow-up control process comprises: ascertaining a sensed actual vehicle-to-vehicle distance, a sensed actual vehicle speed, and an actual relative speed; calculating a control gain in accordance with the actual relative speed; calculating a desired vehicle speed in accordance with the actual vehicle-to-vehicle distance, the relative speed and the control gain; controlling an actual driving/braking force of the controlled vehicle so as to achieve the desired vehicle speed.
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Hashizume Takenori
Higashimata Akira
Cuchlinski Jr. William A.
Foley & Lardner
Mancho Ronnie
Nissan Motor Co,. Ltd.
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