Vehicle traveling control apparatus

• US 10,272,926 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2017
• Issued: 04/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamashita, Keiji, Inoguchi, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US15/711,609
• Publication Number:
  US 20180093677A1
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2310/20 Operator actuated switches or levers for cruise control or speed limiting systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2310/22 Displays for target speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2310/244 changing target speed or setting a new target speed, e.g. changing algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/105 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/804 Relative longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/182 Brake pressure, e.g. of fluid or between pad and disc
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2754/30 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/143 Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/165 Automatically following the path of a preceding lead vehicle, e.g. "electronic tow-bar"
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/085 Changing the parameters of the control units, e.g. changing limit values, working points by control input
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/10 Interpretation of driver requests or demands
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 : Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention

Abstract

When an accept operation for permitting a speed limit to be set as a target speed has been detected, a driving support ECU gradually increases the current target speed toward the current speed limit. The target speed is displayed in a gradual-change display screen on a display apparatus. A driver performs a correcting operation at the time at which the driver recognizes that the displayed target speed exceeds the speed limit. The driving support ECU corrects the target speed based on the correcting operation.

Claims

1. A vehicle traveling control apparatus comprising:

an operating unit which is operated by a driver; and

a processor programmed to;

execute a constant speed control for keeping an own vehicle traveling at a constant speed equal to a target speed without an accelerator pedal operation by the driver,

detect a speed limit of a road on which the own vehicle travels,

display the target speed and the detected speed limit on a display apparatus,

when a permission operation which is an operation of the operating unit for permitting the detected speed limit to be set as the target speed is detected, set the target speed to the detected speed limit,

when an adjustment operation which is an operation of the operating unit for increasing or decreasing the target speed is detected, increase or decrease the target speed in response to an amount of the adjustment operation,

display a first display value as the target speed displayed on the display apparatus and gradually change the first display value from the current target speed toward the detected speed limit, when the permission operation has been detected, and

display, in place of the first display value, a second display value which is a value adjusted with respect to a final value of the first display value in response to an amount of the adjustment operation of the operating unit, when the adjustment operation has been detected while the first display value is being changed toward the detected speed limit.

2. The vehicle traveling control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

the processor is further programmed to gradually change the target speed from the current target speed toward the detected speed limit in accordance with the change of the first display value, when the permission operation has been detected.

3. The vehicle traveling control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

the processor is further programmed to set the target speed to the detected speed limit irrespective of the first display value, when the permission operation has been detected.

4. The vehicle traveling control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

the processor is further programmed to set the target speed to the second display value, when the second display value is displayed on the display apparatus.

5. The vehicle traveling control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the operating unit is configured to function as both an operating unit for performing the permission operation and an operating unit for performing the adjustment operation, and

the processor is further programmed to detect, as the permission operation, a push operation, which is an operation in a direction for bringing the target speed closer to the detected speed limit in a case where the operating unit is used as the operating unit for performing the adjustment operation, and which is a long-push operation in which a duration time of the push operation continues for a predetermined long-push completion time or more.

6. A vehicle traveling control apparatus comprising:

an operating unit which is operated by a driver; and

a processor programmed to;

control a driving force and a braking force of an own vehicle such that a vehicle speed of the own vehicle does not exceed an upper speed limit,

detect a speed limit of a road on which the own vehicle travels,

display the upper speed limit and the detected speed limit on a display apparatus,

when a permission operation which is an operation of the operating unit for permitting the detected speed limit to be set as the upper speed limit is detected, setting the upper speed limit to the detected speed limit,

when an adjustment operation which is an operation of the operating unit for increasing or decreasing the upper speed limit is detected, increasing or decreasing the upper speed limit in response to an amount of the adjustment operation,

display a first display value as the upper speed limit displayed on the display apparatus and gradually change the first display value from the current upper speed limit toward the detected speed limit, when the permission operation has been detected, and

end the display of the first display value, and display a second display value which is a value adjusted with respect to a final value of the first display value in response to an amount of the adjustment operation, when the adjustment operation has been detected while the first display value is being changed toward the detected speed limit.