Declaration control apparatus and method for automotive vehicle

• US 20050236895A1
• Filed: 04/21/2005
• Published: 10/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Suzuki, Tatsuya, Matsumoto, Shinji, Nakamura, Masahide
• Granted Patent: US 7,562,948 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 303/140
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/08 Lane monitoring; Lane Keeping Systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/17557 specially adapted for lane departure prevention road vehicle drive control systems for lane keeping otherwise than by controlling a particular sub-unit B60W30/12

Abstract

There is provided a deceleration control apparatus for an automotive vehicle, which has a control unit including a deceleration control block that causes deceleration of the vehicle in accordance with a traveling state of the vehicle, an estimation block that estimates a change in vehicle behavior produced by causing the vehicle deceleration, and a suppression block that controls a braking force on each vehicle wheel so as to suppress the estimated vehicle behavior change.

Claims

1. A deceleration control apparatus for causing deceleration of an automotive vehicle in accordance with a traveling state of the vehicle, comprising a control unit programmed to estimate, prior to causing said vehicle deceleration, a change in vehicle behavior that can occur under said deceleration, and then, control a braking force on each vehicle wheel so as to suppress said vehicle behavior change.

2. A deceleration control apparatus for an automotive vehicle, which comprises a control unit including:

a deceleration control block that causes deceleration of the vehicle in accordance with a traveling state of the vehicle;

an estimation block that estimates a change in vehicle behavior produced by causing the vehicle deceleration; and

a suppression block that controls a braking force on each vehicle wheel so as to suppress the estimated vehicle behavior change.

3. The deceleration control apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the deceleration control block provides a reference braking force to cause the vehicle deceleration at a desired rate, and the suppression block applies a braking force differential between left and right vehicle wheels with respect to the reference braking force so as to suppress the estimated vehicle behavior change.

4. The deceleration control apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the deceleration control block regulates a brake fluid pressure on each vehicle wheel to cause the vehicle deceleration, and the suppression block limits a braking force on an inner rear wheel so as to suppress the estimated vehicle behavior change.

5. The deceleration control apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the deceleration control block controls the vehicle deceleration by causing at least one of a decrease in engine output, an increase in brake fluid pressure and a change in transmission gear ratio.

6. The deceleration control apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the deceleration control block calculates a target yaw rate from actual vehicle speed and steering angle;

reads an actual yaw rate of the vehicle;

selects a higher value of the read actual yaw rate and the calculated target yaw rate;

sets a lateral acceleration limit of the vehicle;

obtains a friction coefficient of a road on which the vehicle is traveling;

determines a target vehicle speed based on the higher value of the read actual yaw rate and the calculated target yaw rate, the lateral acceleration limit and the road friction coefficient;

determines a target deceleration rate from the target vehicle speed; and

provides a braking force on each vehicle wheel to cause the vehicle deceleration at the target deceleration rate.

7. The deceleration control apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the control unit further includes an obstacle detection block that detects the presence of an obstacle ahead of the vehicle and the degree of approach of the vehicle to the obstacle, and the deceleration control block causes the vehicle deceleration according to the degree of approach of the vehicle to the obstacle.

8. The deceleration control apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the deceleration control block determines a target vehicle speed based on the shape of a curved road ahead of the vehicle and causes the vehicle deceleration according to a difference between the target vehicle speed and actual vehicle speed.

9. The deceleration control apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the deceleration control block judges a tendency of the vehicle to deviate from a traveling lane and causes the vehicle deceleration according to the tendency of the vehicle to deviate from the traveling lane.

10. The deceleration control apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the deceleration control block acquires information about a traveling environment of the vehicle and causes the vehicle deceleration according to the acquired vehicle traveling environment information.

11. A deceleration control method for an automotive vehicle, comprising:

causing deceleration of the vehicle in accordance with a traveling state of the vehicle;

estimating a change in vehicle behavior produced by causing the vehicle deceleration; and

controlling a braking force on each vehicle wheel so as to suppress the estimated vehicle behavior change.