Vehicle control apparatus and throttle trouble handling method

• US 20060278197A1
• Filed: 05/25/2006
• Published: 12/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Inagaki, Shoji, Nakai, Yasuhiro, Takamatsu, Hideki, Kawahara, Kenji
• Granted Patent: US 7,318,408 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 123/396
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 11/106 Detection of demand or actuation
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 11/107 Safety-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2011/102 at least one throttle being moved only by an electric actuator
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/1432 the system including a filter, e.g. a low pass or high pass filter
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/227 Limping Home, i.e. taking specific engine control measures at abnormal conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0404 Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/602 Pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0002 Controlling intake air
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/021 Introducing corrections for particular conditions exterior to the engine conjoint control of vehicle sub-units for propelling the vehicle B60W30/18
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

For setting a predetermined target control amount concerning running of a vehicle according to an operation amount for a predetermined operation member for running the vehicle, an operation amount obtaining part obtaining the operation amount for the operation member; a trouble determining part determining whether or not a trouble occurs in any one of the operation member and the operation amount obtaining part; a target control amount setting part setting a trouble occasion target control amount which is a target control amount for a trouble occasion when the trouble determining part determines that a trouble occurs in at least any one of the operation member and the operation amount obtaining part; and a correcting part correcting the trouble occasion target control amount set by the trouble occasion target control amount setting part in such a manner that on-spring vibration of the vehicle is damped, are provided.

Claims

1. A vehicle control apparatus which sets a predetermined target control amount concerning running of a vehicle according to an operation amount of a predetermined operation member for running the vehicle, comprising:

an operation amount obtaining part obtaining the operation amount of said operation member;

a trouble determining part determining whether or not a trouble occurs in at least any one of said operation member and said operation amount obtaining part;

a target control amount setting part setting a trouble occasion target control amount which is the target control amount for trouble occasion, when said trouble determining part determines that a trouble occurs in at least any one of said operation member and said operation amount obtaining part; and

a correcting part correcting said trouble occasion target control amount set by said trouble occasion target control amount setting part in such a manner as to damp on-spring vibration of said vehicle.

2. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said operation member comprises a throttle pedal, and said target control amount comprises a target driving power of said vehicle; and

a target throttle position obtaining part is provided for obtaining a predetermined trouble occasion target throttle position which is a throttle valve target position for trouble occasion, when said trouble determining part determines that a trouble occurs in at least any one of said operation member and said operation amount obtaining part, wherein;

said target control amount setting part sets the trouble occasion target driving power based on the trouble occasion target throttle position obtained by said target throttle position obtaining part.

3. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

said correcting part comprises a quadratic notch filter having attenuation characteristics such as to attenuate the on-spring vibration of the vehicle.

4. A throttle trouble handling method for a case where a trouble occurs in at least any one of a throttle pedal of a vehicle and a throttle operation amount obtaining part configured to obtain the throttle pedal operation amount, comprising the steps of:

determining whether or not a trouble occurs in at least any one of said throttle pedal of the vehicle and said throttle operation amount obtaining part;

obtaining a trouble occasion target throttle position which is a target throttle position for trouble occasion, when said trouble determining part determines that a trouble occurs in at least any one of said throttle pedal and said throttle operation amount obtaining part;

setting a trouble occasion target driving power which is the vehicle target driving power for trouble occasion, based on the trouble occasion target throttle position; and

correcting said trouble occasion target control amount in such a manner as to damp on-spring vibration of said vehicle.