Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication
Reexamination Certificate
1998-01-26
2001-03-20
Cuchlinski, Jr., William A. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
C701S036000, C701S049000, C307S010400, C307S010500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06205374
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method for providing information concerning a vehicle characteristic and introducing it to an object vehicle so as to change the characteristics thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, a vehicle characteristic is provided so as to satisfy the driver's taste wherever the vehicle runs, whatever driving circumstances are and whatever the driver's personality is.
It has been known to provide a vehicle with a manual switch for selecting a hard mode or soft mode of an active suspension system and for selecting a sporty mode or a normal mode of a four wheel steering system by setting a specific control gain. This enables the vehicle running characteristic to match the driver's taste.
However, in a conventional vehicle with such a manual switch is not enough to satisfy an average driver's desire. In view of this, a learning control vehicle has been proposed so that the driver's taste embodied in operation is learned for a feedback control and to change a control gain of the running characteristic of the vehicle.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 3-44029, published for opposition in 1990, discloses a learning control vehicle in which a steering ratio between the front and rear wheels is changed based on the mean value of steering angle change speed, steering angle, yawing rate and side acceleration in a predetermined time period of the steering operation.
With the control gain change system as proposed conventionally, a part of the vehicle running characteristics is able to be changed. However, this is not able to change the vehicle characteristics systematically with regard to driving mechanisms a such as the steering mechanism, suspension system, and a braking system in response to the driver's feeling and taste. In order to meet the driver's feeling or taste, it is necessary for the vehicle to have various sensors and a control unit for processing signals from the sensors and learning features of the driver's operation to change the vehicle characteristics.
It should, however, be noted that it is necessary for each vehicle to be equipped with the various sensors and control unit with a complicated software and a large scale of memory for processing a large amount of the information from the sensors as well as the learning system for making the learning control. Specifically, it is necessary for each vehicle to increase the capacity of RAM for processing data of the learning control. This would raise the vehicle price.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a simple system and method which can provide a desirable vehicle characteristic for individual object vehicle by making a characteristic information of the object vehicle and introducing it to the object vehicle to change the vehicle characteristic of the object vehicle to meet the driver's taste.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a system and method for making a characteristic information of the object vehicle outside thereof and introducing it to the object vehicle.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a system and method which can provide efficiently an object vehicle with a characteristic information in accordance with the levels of characteristics required for the object vehicle respectively.
A further object of the present invention is to reduce the capacity of memory, such as ROM, RAM, and non-volatile RAM, needed for the object vehicle.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a compact control system for controlling the object vehicle in which the characteristic information formed outside of the object vehicle is installed.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a simple system and method for introducing the characteristic information formed outside of the object vehicle into the object vehicle.
The above and other objects of the present invention can be accomplished by a characteristic change system comprising characteristic information forming means for forming a vehicle characteristic information which controls characteristics of an object vehicle with the characteristic information being formed outside of the object vehicle, information entry means for entering the characteristic information formed outside of the object vehicle therefor and characteristic change means for changing the characteristics of the object vehicle based on the characteristic information entered through the information entry means.
In another aspect, a method is provided for changing the characteristics of the object vehicle. The method comprises steps of forming a characteristic information which controls characteristics of an object vehicle with the characteristic information formed outside of the object vehicle, entering the characteristic information into the object vehicle and changing the characteristics of the object vehicle based on the characteristic information.
The vehicle characteristics include running properties of the object vehicle, such as suspension, steering, engine output, transmission, braking, and driving conditions and items such as air conditioning, a seat level, seat hardness, seat position and the like.
Preferably, there is provided information hold means or storage means for storing the characteristic information formed by the characteristic information forming means prior to entering the characteristic information into the object vehicle.
(Characteristic Change Making Use Of Simulation System)
In a preferred embodiment, the characteristic information is formed by making use of a simulation system in which a driver makes a simulated driving operation to form his or her own characteristic information. The driver is supposed to drive the object vehicle after the characteristic information is entered to change the characteristics of the object vehicle. The characteristic information is formed and stored in a memory means. Then, information read means reads the characteristic information so that the characteristic change means changes the characteristics of the object vehicle. As a memory means, an IC card can be utilized.
In a preferred embodiment, a simulation system is further provided with area input means for introducing a hypothetical running area in which the simulation driving operation is made, a screen for projecting a driving circumstance and body control means for oscillating and moving a simulation body formed corresponding to the object vehicle.
The simulation system, provided with a control unit utilizing a computer, calculates a hypothetical running area where the simulation driving is underway, displays an image corresponding to the hypothetical running area, learns the driver's operation with regard to the hypothetical running area to form the characteristic information and store the information to the storage means when the simulation drive is finished.
In this case, if the calculated hypothetical running area is in a specific area defined within a predetermined distance from a base point, the computer displays a picture of a road in the specific area. The oscillating means oscillates the simulation body. If the hypothetical running area is outside of the specific area, the simulation system projects on the screen a general image of driving circumstance in accordance with a running area. The information storage means includes a learned characteristic information storage section for storing a learned characteristic information obtained through the simulation driving operation of the driver together with the terrain of the road in the specific area, a standard characteristic information storage section for storing a standard characteristic information obtained through a simulation driving operation by the driver's in a running area other than the specific area, and a learning program storage section for a learning program which compensates the learning and standard characteristic information.
In another embodiment, th
Hirabayashi Shigerumi
Izumi Tomoji
Kljima Takao
Nagata Tomoko
Ohmura Hiroshi
Cuchlinski Jr. William A.
Fleit Martin
Mazda Motor Corporation
Pipala Edward
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