Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – Indication or control of braking – acceleration – or deceleration
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-24
2001-10-30
Chin, Gary (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
Indication or control of braking, acceleration, or deceleration
C701S301000, C342S071000, C340S903000, C180S179000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06311122
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicular velocity control apparatus for automatically controlling a vehicular velocity to follow up a preceding vehicle which is running ahead of the vehicle at a target inter-vehicle distance.
b) Description of the Related Art
A Japanese Patent Application First (unexamined) Publication No. Heisei 8-169252 published on Jul. 2, 1996 exemplifies a previously proposed vehicular velocity control apparatus.
In the previously proposed vehicular velocity control apparatus, a negative driving force is developed through an automatic brake system in order to make a vehicular velocity substantially equal to the target value.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
When such a kind of the vehicular velocity control apparatus described above is applied to a preceding vehicle follow-up run control system which makes a follow-up run control for the vehicle to follow up a preceding vehicle which is running ahead of the vehicle, maintaining an inter-vehicle distance to the preceding vehicle constant, a control performance on the inter-vehicle distance may be applied.
However, when the previously proposed vehicular velocity control apparatus is applied to the follow-up run control system, it may be necessary to effect a vehicular brake continuously for a long period of time in order to maintain the inter-vehicle distance constant even though the vehicle is running on a descending slope for the long period of time.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide vehicular velocity control apparatus which can prevent a continuous operation of a vehicular brake for a considerably long period of time during an operation of the preceding vehicle follow-up run control.
The above-described object can be achieved by providing a vehicular velocity control apparatus for an automotive vehicle, comprising: a first calculator to calculate a target vehicular velocity to make an actual inter-vehicle distance from the vehicle to another vehicle which is running ahead of the vehicle substantially equal to a target inter-vehicle distance; a second calculator to calculate a target vehicular driving force to make an actual vehicular velocity substantially equal to the target vehicular velocity; a first controller operated to control an engine output variable of a vehicular engine to make an actual engine output variable substantially equal to the target vehicular driving force; a second controller responsive to a negative target driving force to control a mechanical brake manipulated variable of a vehicular brake system to make a vehicular brake force substantially equal to the negative target vehicular driving force together with an operation of the first controller; a brake force integrator to integrate the mechanical brake manipulated variable of the vehicular brake system with respect to a time duration; and a follow-up run release controller to release a follow-up run control for the vehicle to follow up the other vehicle at the target inter-vehicle distance through the first and second controllers when an integration value of the mechanical brake manipulated variable with respect to a time duration by the brake force -integrator is in excess of a preset reference value.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5934399 (1999-08-01), Iiboshi et al.
patent: 6044321 (2000-03-01), Nakamura et al.
patent: 6154168 (2000-11-01), Egawa et al.
patent: 6161073 (2000-12-01), Tange et al.
patent: 6175799 (2001-01-01), Tsutsumi et al.
patent: 8-169252 (1996-07-01), None
Chin Gary
McDermott & Will & Emery
Nissan Motor Co,. Ltd.
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