Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – Indication or control of braking – acceleration – or deceleration
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-13
2001-04-24
Zanelli, Michael J. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
Indication or control of braking, acceleration, or deceleration
C701S054000, C701S065000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06223118
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a technology for controlling a vehicle, and more particularly, to the technology for controlling the vehicle in correlation with the vehicle driving in front thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been a technology disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho 64-69849, that is intended to support the safe driving for the driver by controlling various components of a vehicle running on the road (hereinafter referred to as a vehicle) in accordance with a distance (hereinafter referred to as a headway distance) between the vehicle and the vehicle driving in front thereof (hereinafter referred to as a preceding vehicle). In this technology, if the conditions, such as the headway distance that has been measured or the state where the vehicle is approaching the preceding vehicle, satisfy an appropriate predetermined condition, that is, the vehicle is fast approaching close to the preceding vehicle, the aforementioned technology executes a downshift of the transmission such that the braking force resulting from the engine brake is increased. In this case, the gear ratio of the transmission is controlled such that a target revolution is obtained by adding a coefficient (the difference in the revolutions between vehicles) to a reference revolution derived from an ordinary map.
The aforementioned conventional art controls the gear ratio of the transmission based on the uniquely established revolution irrespective of correlation between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle. Therefore, the resultant driving state of the vehicle is unstable, which may bother the driver of the vehicle by imparting an uncomfortable feeling, interfere with the driver with driving with the traffic flow, and have other unsatisfactory effects.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In consideration of the foregoing problems of the conventional art, it is an object of the invention to provide a vehicle control unit that sets the deceleration of the vehicle in correlation with the preceding vehicle, and controls the respective components of the vehicle in accordance with the set deceleration. As a result, the driver of the vehicle is allowed to run the vehicle smoothly to follow up the preceding vehicle only by operating an accelerator pedal.
In order to achieve the aforementioned object, the invention provides a vehicle control unit for controlling a vehicle employing a device capable of controlling deceleration and information detection means capable of determining a correlation between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle based on the correlation. The vehicle control unit includes deceleration setting means for determining a correlation between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle based on information derived from the information detection means, comparing the correlation with a predetermined target correlation, and setting a deceleration of the vehicle so as to reach the target correlation; and deceleration control means for controlling a device that performs deceleration of a vehicle based on the set deceleration.
In the aforementioned vehicle control unit, the deceleration setting means sets the deceleration that is continuously updated from the start of control to the establishment of the target correlation and a value of the deceleration is reduced as it approaches the target correlation.
In the aforementioned vehicle control unit, the deceleration is set to reduce a deceleration rate as it approaches the target correlation.
In the aforementioned vehicle control unit, the information that allows the determination of the correlation contains a headway distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle and a speed of the vehicle approaching the preceding vehicle; the target correlation contains a reference headway distance; and the deceleration is calculated at least based on the approaching speed of the vehicle so as to become zero or less at a time when reaching the reference headway distance.
In the aforementioned vehicle control unit, the information that allows the determination of the correlation contains a headway distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle and a speed of the vehicle approaching the preceding vehicle; the target correlation contains a reference headway distance; and the deceleration is obtained by referring to a map at least based on the approaching speed of the vehicle so as to become zero or less at a time when reaching the reference headway distance.
In the aforementioned vehicle control unit, the vehicle employs means for detecting a vehicle speed and means for detecting an operating speed of an accelerator pedal; and the reference headway distance is set in accordance with the speed of the vehicle and varied in accordance with the speed at which the accelerator pedal is released.
In the aforementioned vehicle control unit, the vehicle employs means for detecting a vehicle speed and means for detecting an operating speed of an accelerator pedal; and the reference headway distance is set to the headway distance established at a time when the accelerator pedal is released and varied in accordance with the speed at which the accelerator pedal is released.
In the aforementioned vehicle control unit, the vehicle employs road condition detection means for detecting a road condition; and the deceleration is varied in accordance with the road condition detected by the road condition detection means.
In the aforementioned vehicle control unit, the road condition detection means is a navigation system, information of which is used to determine the road condition.
In the aforementioned vehicle control unit, the device capable of controlling the deceleration is a continuously variable transmission, the deceleration is set to a target value of the continuously variable transmission, and a deceleration of the continuously variable transmission is controlled to reach the target value.
In the structure of the vehicle control unit according to the first aspect of the invention, the respective components of the vehicle are controlled to achieve the deceleration that has been set in accordance with the correlation with the preceding vehicle. This structure makes it possible to execute the optimal vehicle control in accordance with the correlation between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle from the start to the end of control. Since the resultant driving state of the vehicle becomes stable, the driver is not bothered by the uncomfortable feeling and is allowed to run with the traffic flow.
In the structure according to the second aspect of the invention, the respective components of the vehicle are controlled based on the deceleration that has been set to reduce the vehicle speed continuously and gradually from the start of control to the establishment of the target correlation.
Further, in the structure according to the third aspect of the invention, the deceleration is set to be rapidly reduced upon the start of control and further reduced gently thereafter, which allows for the smooth establishment of the target correlation. Accordingly, the resultant control reflects the driver's intention quite well.
In the structure according to the fourth aspect of the invention, the deceleration is obtained by calculation based at least on the speed of the vehicle approaching the preceding vehicle such that the approaching speed at a timing when reaching the reference headway distance as the target correlation becomes equal to or less than zero. As a result, no map is required for setting the deceleration, thus reducing the required storage area in the control unit.
In the structure according to the fifth aspect of the invention, the deceleration is derived from a map based on at least the speed of the vehicle approaching the preceding vehicle such that the approaching speed is at a timing to reach the reference headway distance as the target correlation becomes equal to or less than zero, thus allowing for easy control.
In the structure according to the sixth aspect of the inven
Itou Kenji
Kawai Masao
Kobayashi Kouji
Kurita Kiyoshi
Matsushita Yoshinori
Kabushiki Kaisha Equos Research
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
Zanelli Michael J.
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