Running control system

• US 20050203693A1
• Filed: 03/10/2005
• Published: 09/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Arai, Toshiaki, Okada, Tadayoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,216,027 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/96
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/662 characterised by specified functions of the control system components
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/17 with provision for special action when the preceding vehicle comes to a halt, e.g. stop and go
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18018 Start-stop drive, e.g. in a traffic jam
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/02 peculiar to engines driving vehicles; peculiar to engines driving variable pitch propellers

Abstract

A running control system of the present invention includes a follow-up intention detection device for detecting an operation of requesting a follow-running control by the driver, and a running control device for aborting the follow-running control with respect to the preceding vehicle based on a signal from the braking operation detection device. If an operation by the driver for requesting the follow-running control is detected by the driver while the braking operation by the driver is detected by the braking operation detection device, the running control device starts the follow-running control after the end of the driver'"'"'s braking operation.

Claims

1. A running control system comprising:

a vehicle speed measuring device for measuring a running speed of a present vehicle;

an object detecting device, provided in the present vehicle, for detecting objects in an advance direction of the present vehicle;

a preceding vehicle determining device for determining a preceding vehicle to be followed by the present vehicle from among the detected objects;

a target inter-vehicle distance determining device for determining a target inter-vehicle distance between the present vehicle and the preceding vehicle;

a target speed determining device for determining a target speed of the present vehicle based on a signal from the object detecting device and the target inter-vehicle distance;

a follow-running control device for controlling follow-running of the present vehicle with respect to the preceding vehicle based on the determined target speed and the running speed of the present vehicle;

a braking operation detection device for detecting a braking operation performed by a driver of the present vehicle;

a follow-up intention detection device for detecting an operation of requesting a follow-running control by the driver; and

a running control device for aborting the follow-running control with respect to the preceding vehicle based on an output signal from the braking operation detection device,

wherein if an operation by the driver for requesting the follow-running control is detected while the braking operation by the driver is detected by the braking operation detection device, the running control device starts the follow-running control after the end of the driver'"'"'s braking operation.

2. The running control system according to claim 1, wherein

the braking operation detection device outputs an output signal in response to the braking operation by the driver, and

the running control device terminates the follow-running control with respect to the preceding vehicle in response to a changing point in the output signal from the braking operation detecting device, which indicates a beginning of the braking operation by the driver.

3. A running control system comprising:

a vehicle speed measuring device for measuring a running speed of a present vehicle;

an object detecting device, provided in the present vehicle, for detecting objects in an advance direction of the present vehicle;

a preceding vehicle determining device for determining a preceding vehicle to be followed by the present vehicle from among the detected objects;

a target inter-vehicle distance determining device for determining a target inter-vehicle distance between the present vehicle and the preceding vehicle;

a target speed determining device for determining a target speed of the present vehicle based on a signal from the object detecting device and the target inter-vehicle distance;

a follow-running control device for controlling follow-running of the present vehicle with respect to the preceding vehicle based on the determined target speed and the running speed of the present vehicle;

a braking operation detection device for detecting a braking operation performed by a driver of the present vehicle;

a follow-up intention detection device for detecting an operation of requesting the follow-running control by the driver;

a running control device for aborting the follow-running control with respect to the preceding vehicle based on an output signal from the braking operation detection device; and

a throttle opening control device for controlling a degree of opening of a throttle of the present vehicle based on control by the running control device;

wherein

if the operation for requesting the follow-running control is input by the driver while the braking operation by the driver is detected by the braking operation detection device, the running control device starts the follow-running control, and the throttle opening control device maintains the degree of opening of the throttle in a fully-closed state while detecting the driver'"'"'s braking operation.

4. The running control system according to claim 3, wherein

the braking operation detection device outputs the output signal in response to the braking operation by the driver, and

the running control device terminates the follow-running control with respect to the preceding vehicle in response to a changing point in the output signal from the braking operation detecting device, which indicates a beginning of the braking operation by the driver.