Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – Indication or control of braking – acceleration – or deceleration
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-07
2001-10-30
Nguyen, Tan (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
Indication or control of braking, acceleration, or deceleration
C701S093000, C701S300000, C340S903000, C367S087000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06311120
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic speed control device for a vehicle. More particularly, it relates to an automatic speed control device which is capable of preventing a vehicle from approaching the preceding vehicle incautiously.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is an earlier automatic speed control device which includes a distance measuring sensor for detecting a distance and an angle between the vehicle concerned and the preceding vehicle. Note, the distance between the driver's vehicle and the preceding vehicle will be referred as “distance between the vehicles”, hereinafter. In the automatic speed control device, when detecting the preceding vehicle during traveling at a speed established by a driver, the driver's vehicle is automatically decelerated for a distance (or a time) predetermined corresponding to respective traveling velocities of the driver's vehicle and the preceding vehicle and thereafter, the driver's vehicle is traveled while keeping the distance between the vehicles. When the preceding vehicle changes its traffic lane and disappears from a traffic lane of the driver's vehicle, then it is automatically accelerated up to the speed established in advance.
In the conventional automatic speed control device, however, when the distance measuring sensor loses track of the preceding vehicle under the influence of, for example, curves, slopes, weather or the like, there is a possibility of causing a problem that the driver's vehicle is automatically accelerated in spite of existence of the preceding vehicle, so that the distance between the vehicles is reduced incautiously.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an automatic speed control device which is capable of preventing a driver's vehicle from approaching the preceding vehicle incautiously.
The above-mentioned object of the present invention can be accomplished by an automatic speed control device for controlling a speed of a driver's vehicle depending on an existence of a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of a driver's vehicle, the automatic speed control device comprising:
speed control section for controlling a vehicle speed of the driver's vehicle so as to realize a predetermined distance between the driver's vehicle and the preceding vehicle when there exists the preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the driver's vehicle, the predetermined distance being established corresponding to both of the vehicle speed of the driver's vehicle and a vehicle speed of the preceding vehicle in advance; and further controlling the driver's vehicle to accelerate to a preset vehicle speed when the preceding vehicle is lost;
wherein, when losing track of the preceding vehicle, the speed control section at least controls the vehicle speed of the driver's vehicle so as to maintain a vehicle speed of the driver's vehicle at a time of losing the preceding vehicle at least until the driver's vehicle arrives at a lost point where the preceding vehicle was lost.
According to the above arrangement, by controlling the vehicle speed so as to maintain a present vehicle speed until the driver's vehicle reaches the lost point, even if losing track of the preceding vehicle, it is possible to prevent the driver's vehicle from approaching the preceding vehicle incautiously.
In the second aspect of the invention, the above-mentioned object of the present invention can be also accomplished by an automatic speed control device for controlling a speed of a driver's vehicle depending on an existence of a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of a driver's vehicle a vehicle, the automatic speed control device comprising:
a distance measuring unit for measuring a distance between the driver's vehicle and the preceding vehicle;
a speed detecting unit for detecting a vehicle speed of the driver's vehicle;
a target speed determining section for determining a target speed corresponding to the distance detected by the distance measuring unit and the vehicle speed detected by the speed detecting unit;
a speed storing section for storing the vehicle speed detected by the speed detecting unit as a set speed;
a selecting section for selecting a smaller speed of the target speed determined by the target speed determining section and the set speed stored by the speed storing section; and
a speed control section for controlling the vehicle speed so as to be the smaller speed selected by the selecting section;
wherein, when losing the preceding vehicle, the speed control section further controls the vehicle speed so as to maintain a vehicle speed of the driver's vehicle at a time of losing the preceding vehicle until the driver's vehicle arrived at a lost point where the preceding vehicle was lost.
With the above-mentioned constitution, even if losing track of the preceding vehicle, it is possible to prevent the driver's vehicle from approaching the preceding vehicle incautiously.
According to the third aspect of the invention, in the above-mentioned automatic speed control device, when the preceding vehicle cannot be detected by the distance measuring unit and when the lost point is included in a curve larger than a predetermined curve, the speed control section controls the vehicle speed so as to maintain a vehicle speed of the driver's vehicle at a time of losing the preceding vehicle.
With the above-mentioned operation of the speed control section, even if losing track of the preceding vehicle entering the curve, it is possible to prevent the driver's vehicle from approaching the preceding vehicle incautiously.
According to the fourth aspect of the invention, in the above-mentioned automatic speed control device, when the preceding vehicle cannot be detected by the distance measuring unit and when the lost point is contained in a straight load, the speed control section controls the vehicle speed so as to increase to the set speed stored in the speed storing section.
By accelerating the vehicle to the set speed on the assumption that the preceding vehicle has changed its traffic lane, it is possible to prevent the driver's vehicle from approaching the preceding vehicle incautiously.
According to the fifth aspect of the invention, the above-mentioned automatic speed control device of the second aspect further comprises a steering angle detecting unit for detecting a steering angle of the driver's vehicle. In such an establishment, when it is judged on the basis of the steering angle of the driver's vehicle that the driver's vehicle is traveling in a regular curve represented by a steering angle more than a predetermined steering angle, the speed control section controls the vehicle speed so as to maintain a present vehicle speed.
With the above operation of the speed control section, even if losing track of the preceding vehicle entering the curve, it is possible to prevent the driver's vehicle from approaching the preceding vehicle incautiously.
According to the sixth aspect of the invention, in the above-mentioned automatic speed control device of the second aspect, the speed control section controls the vehicle speed so as to maintain a present vehicle speed until the preceding vehicle is detected again by the speed detecting unit.
With the above operation of the speed control section, it is possible to prevent the driver's vehicle from incautiously approaching the preceding vehicle until the preceding vehicle is detected again by the speed detecting unit.
According to the seventh aspect of the invention, the above-mentioned automatic speed control device of the second aspect further comprises a steering angle detecting unit for detecting a steering angle of the driver's vehicle. In such an establishment, when it is judged on the basis of the steering angle of the driver's vehicle that the driver's vehicle travels in a curve larger than a predetermined cu
Foley & Lardner
Nguyen Tan
Nissan Motor Co,. Ltd.
Tran Dalena
LandOfFree
Automatic speed control device for vehicle does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Automatic speed control device for vehicle, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Automatic speed control device for vehicle will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2616697