Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – Indication or control of braking – acceleration – or deceleration
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-08
2001-06-26
Louis-Jacques, Jacques H. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
Indication or control of braking, acceleration, or deceleration
C701S093000, C477S185000, C303S193000, C180S169000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06253144
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vehicle control apparatus or method for automatically controlling a headway vehicle-to-vehicle distance or a vehicle speed, and more specifically to a vehicle control apparatus or method for controlling a longitudinal driving or braking force in the case of driver's intervention.
Japanese Patent Kokai Publication No. 5(1993)-246270 discloses a vehicle control system for controlling the vehicle speed and the headway vehicle-to-vehicle distance. In such a system, the automatic control is interrupted by a driver's accelerator or brake pedal operation, and control is transferred to the driver.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide control apparatus and method capable of controlling a vehicle longitudinal force smoothly when an automatic control is interrupted by driver's intervention. In particular, a concrete object is to enable a smooth start in response to a driver's accelerator operation from an automatic stop condition.
In the conventional control system of the above-mentioned Japanese Publication, the brake is released in accordance with the speed of the accelerator pedal operation. However, it is not easy for an average driver to start a vehicle smoothly from an automatic stop condition.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a vehicle longitudinal force control apparatus comprises:
a stop detecting section which detects a stop of a vehicle;
a brake actuator which produces a first brake actuating quantity when a stop is detected by the stop detecting section;
an accelerator pedal operation detecting section which detects an accelerator pedal operation of the vehicle;
an accelerator input driving force calculating section which calculates an accelerator input driving force caused by an accelerator pedal operation;
a grade resistance estimating section which estimates a grade resistance acting on the vehicle;
a second brake actuating quantity calculating section which calculates a second brake actuating quantity corresponding to an estimated grade resistance determined by the grade resistance estimating section; and
a brake actuating force adjusting section which adjusts the first brake actuating quantity of the brake actuator in accordance with the estimated grade resistance, the accelerator input driving force and the second brake actuating quantity when the stop detecting section indicates a stop condition of the vehicle and the accelerator pedal operation detecting section indicates existence of an accelerator pedal operation.
According to another aspect of the invention, an automotive vehicle comprises;
an actuator section varying an actual longitudinal force of the vehicle, the actuator section comprising a brake system which produces an actual braking force of the vehicle, and a power system which produces an actual driving force of the vehicle;
a sensor section which collects input information on a vehicle operating condition of the vehicle; and
a control section which is connected with the actuator section and the sensor section, to control motion of the vehicle, stop the vehicle and hold the vehicle in a stop condition by controlling the actual braking force and driving force with the brake system and power system in accordance with the input information, which allows a start of the vehicle from the stop condition in response to a driver's accelerator input by performing an automatic brake releasing operation to decrease the actual braking force from a stop holding braking force value for holding the vehicle in the stop condition to a minimum braking force value, and which estimates a grade resistance of the vehicle and modifies the automatic brake releasing operation in accordance with the grade resistance.
According to still another aspect of the invention, a vehicle longitudinal force control apparatus or method comprises:
stop detecting element for producing a stop condition signal indicating that a vehicle is in a stop condition;
override detecting element for producing an accelerator override condition signal indicating a driver's accelerator override;
input driving force calculating element for calculating a driver's input driving force parameter representing a driver's input driving force produced by a driver's accelerator operation;
grade resistance estimating element for estimating a grade resistance of the vehicle and determining a grade resisting parameter corresponding to the grade resistance; and
brake releasing element for decreasing a braking force of the vehicle from a stop holding braking force value according to a brake release control characteristic in response to the accelerator override signal when the stop condition signal is present, and for adjusting the brake release control characteristic in accordance with the driver's input driving force parameter and the grade resisting parameter.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4515259 (1985-05-01), Ha
patent: 4676354 (1987-06-01), Janiazewki et al.
patent: 4848851 (1989-07-01), Kuraoka et al.
patent: 5332056 (1994-07-01), Niibe et al.
patent: 5411452 (1995-05-01), Katayama
patent: 5731977 (1998-03-01), Taniguchi et al.
patent: 5913576 (1999-06-01), Naito et al.
patent: 5984435 (1999-11-01), Tsukamoto et al.
patent: 6006144 (1999-12-01), Takahashi et al.
patent: 6058347 (2000-05-01), Yamamura et al.
patent: 5-246270 (1993-09-01), None
Akabori Kouichi
Taniguchi Ikuhiro
Yamamura Yoshinori
Louis-Jacques Jacques H.
McDermott & Will & Emery
Nissan Motor Co,. Ltd.
LandOfFree
Vehicle longitudinal force control does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Vehicle longitudinal force control, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Vehicle longitudinal force control will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2525764