Motor vehicles – With means for controlling operation responsive to... – Radiation – force – or waves reflected from external object or...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-19
2002-12-03
Rice, Kenneth R. (Department: 3627)
Motor vehicles
With means for controlling operation responsive to...
Radiation, force, or waves reflected from external object or...
C180S271000, C180S274000, C180S275000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06488109
ABSTRACT:
This application is based on Japanese Patent Application Nos. 11-225372 filed Aug. 9, 1999 and 2000-172059 filed Jun. 8, 2000, the contents of which are incorporated hereinto by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a vehicle stability control apparatus adapted to assure stable running of an automotive vehicle, and more particularly to techniques for improving running safety of the vehicle.
2. Discussion of Related Art
A so-called “vehicle stability control (VSC)” is known, wherein a vehicle running stability control device is operated under a hazardous running condition of an automotive vehicle, to apply a brake to at least one wheel of the vehicle, and/or reduce an output of an engine of the vehicle, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,873,802 by was of example. Under some running conditions of the vehicle, a vehicle running stability control is not sufficient or effective to assure stable running or turning of the vehicle, namely, to safely clear an obstacle or prevent a collision of the vehicle with the obstacle, or to prevent a deviation of the running vehicle from the nominal running path or traffic lane of the vehicle. JP-A-10-264795 discloses an example of an improved vehicle stability control apparatus which is adapted to deal with such a problem that may happen under severe vehicle running conditions beyond the capacity of the conventional vehicle stability control. This apparatus is equipped with a CCD (charge-coupled device) camera for obtaining an image of a scene in front of the vehicle as seen by the vehicle operator in the vehicle running direction. Described more specifically, the improved vehicle stability control apparatus incorporates obstacle-clearance determining means for detecting an obstacle which lies in front of the vehicle in a running path of the vehicle, on the basis of image data obtained by the CCD camera, and for determining whether it is possible to control the vehicle so as to prevent a collision of the vehicle with the obstacle. When the obstacle-clearance determining means determines that the vehicle running stability control does not permit the vehicle to be adequately controlled so as to clear the detected obstacle, the vehicle stability control apparatus terminates its vehicle stability control upon detection of a vehicle operator's manipulation to prevent a collision of the vehicle with the obstacle.
The vehicle stability control apparatus disclosed in the above-identified publication is arranged such that the vehicle operator's manipulation of the vehicle is predominant over the control performed by the vehicle running stability control apparatus, in the event that a collision of the vehicle with the obstacle is highly expected in the process of the vehicle running stability control, so that the vehicle collision with the obstacle can be prevented, rather than the vehicle running or turning stability control is continued. Accordingly, the apparatus assures safe running of the vehicle even under severe running conditions beyond the vehicle running stability control. However, the apparatus relies upon an adequate manipulation of the vehicle operator to clear the obstacle by brake application to the vehicle and/or operating the steering wheel. In some emergency cases, the vehicle operator may bet at a loss or get puzzled with a hazardous running condition of the vehicle, and cannot take an appropriate measure to adequately control the vehicle. If the vehicle operator did not manipulate the vehicle at all under such a hazardous running condition, the vehicle running stability control would be continued, leading to a possibility of the vehicle collision with the obstacle. When the vehicle-operator's manipulation is performed, the vehicle running stability control is terminated, but the vehicle collision with the obstacle cannot be prevented if the manipulation is not adequate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle stability control apparatus which assures safe running of the vehicle without an adequate manipulation of the vehicle by the vehicle operator in the event of a determination that there is a risk of a collision of the vehicle with an obstacle or a deviation of the vehicle from the nominal running path or traffic lane of the vehicle.
The above object may be achieved by a vehicle stability control apparatus according to any one of the following modes of the present invention, each of which is numbered like the appended claims and depends from the other mode or modes, where appropriate, to indicate and clarify possible combinations of elements or technical features. It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the technical features or any combinations thereof which will be described for illustrative purpose only. It is to be further understood that a plurality of elements or features included in any one of the following modes of the invention are not necessarily provided all together, and that the invention may be embodied without some of the elements or features described with respect to the same mode.
(1) A vehicle stability control apparatus comprising a vehicle running stability control device for controlling an automotive vehicle for stable running of the vehicle, and a braking device for applying a brake to the vehicle, said apparatus further comprising:
a hazard detecting device for detecting a hazardous condition of the vehicle; and
an automatic brake application device operable to activate the braking device, when the hazard detecting device has detected the hazardous condition of the vehicle at least during an operation of the vehicle running stability control device.
In the conventional vehicle stability control apparatus, an operation of the vehicle running stability control device is terminated upon determination that there is a risk of a collision of the vehicle with an obstacle, if the vehicle operator has operated the braking device and also operated the steering wheel during the operation of the vehicle running stability control device, and if the direction of operation of the steering wheel permits the vehicle to clear the obstacle.
In the vehicle stability control apparatus according to the above mode (1) of this invention, the vehicle is automatically braked by the automatic brake application device, to assure a safe state of the vehicle, without an adequate manipulation of the vehicle by the vehicle operator, upon detection of a hazardous condition of the vehicle during an operation of the vehicle running stability control device, for instance, in the event of determination that there is a risk of a collision of the vehicle with an obstacle or a deviation of the vehicle from the nominal running path, during an operation of the vehicle running stability control device. The automatic brake application device may or may not be operated to automatically brake the vehicle upon detection of the hazardous condition of the vehicle while the vehicle running stability control device is not in operation.
(2) A vehicle stability control apparatus according to the above mode (1), wherein the hazard detecting device includes an obstacle detecting device for detecting an obstacle in front of the vehicle as seen in a running direction of the vehicle, and the automatic brake application device is operated to activate the braking device, when an output of the obstacle detecting device at least during an operation of the vehicle running stability device indicates that there is a risk of a collision of the vehicle with the obstacle.
In the vehicle stability control apparatus according to the above mode (2), the vehicle is automatically braked by the automatic brake application device, to prevent the collision of the vehicle with the obstacle, without a manipulation of the vehicle by the vehicle operator, in the event of determination that there is a risk of the vehicle collision while the vehicle running stability control device is in operation. The automatic brake appli
Igaki Munenaga
Nonaka Masakatsu
Buchanan Christopher
Rice Kenneth R.
Toyota Jidosha & Kabushiki Kaisha
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