Vehicle travel controlling apparatus and method

• US 20070208485A1
• Filed: 03/01/2007
• Published: 09/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Nakamura, Masahide, Yamamura, Yoshinori, Seto, Yoji
• Granted Patent: US 7,751,962 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/93
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0066 responsive to vehicle path curvature
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/24 Curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/36 Global Positioning System [GPS]
• 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 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/106 Rate of change
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/05 Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/20 Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/30 Road curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/16 by integrating acceleration or speed, i.e. inertial navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence

Abstract

A vehicle travel controlling apparatus and method in which a target vehicle speed for when a vehicle travels along a curve is calculated based on a radius of the curve, and the vehicle speed is controlled based on the calculated target vehicle speed. When an accelerator operation performed by a driver is detected, the controller corrects the target vehicle speed based on a vehicle position where the acceleration operation is performed.

Claims

1. A control apparatus for a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a vehicle position detector configured to detect a traveling position of the vehicle;

an accelerator operation detector configured to detect an accelerator operation by a driver; and

a controller operable to;

calculate a target vehicular speed for cornering a curve in a path of the vehicle based on a radius of the curve;

correct the target vehicular speed based on the traveling position where the accelerator operation is detected by the accelerator operation detector; and

control a vehicular speed based on the target vehicular speed.

2. The control apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the accelerator operation detector is further configured to detect an amount of the accelerator operation;

and wherein the controller is further operable to;

correct the target vehicular speed based on the traveling position where the accelerator operation is detected by the accelerator operation detector and the amount of the accelerator operation detected by the accelerator operation detector.

3. The control apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the controller is further operable to:

correct the target vehicular speed after the acceleration operation such that a larger the amount of the accelerator operation, a smaller a degree of deceleration for the control of the vehicular speed.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the controller is further operable to:

calculate an accelerator release speed; and

end correction of the target vehicular speed when the accelerator release speed is equal to or greater than a predetermined speed.

5. The control apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the amount of the accelerator operation is based on at least one of an amount of depression of an accelerator, a time integration value of the amount of the depression of the accelerator, and a number of depressions of the accelerator.

6. The control apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the controller is further operable to:

correct the target vehicular speed after the accelerator operation such that a closer the position when the accelerator operation is detected is to an exit of the curve, a larger a degree of acceleration for the control of the vehicular speed.

7. The control apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the accelerator operation detector is further configured to detect an amount of the accelerator operation;

and wherein the controller is further operable to;

determine a precision with which the traveling position is detected by the vehicle position detector;

compare the precision to a predetermined precision; and

correct the target vehicular speed in accordance with the amount detected by the accelerator operation detector when a next target vehicle speed is calculated when the precision is equal to or greater than the predetermined precision.

8. The control apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

a lateral acceleration detector configured to detect an actual lateral acceleration of the vehicle when the vehicle passes along the curve; and

wherein the controller is further operable to;

calculate an estimated lateral acceleration of the vehicle, prior to when the vehicle passes along the curve, for when the vehicle passes along the curve, the estimated lateral acceleration based on the radius of the curve; and

compare the precision to the predetermined precision based on the estimated lateral acceleration and the actual lateral acceleration.

9. The control apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the controller is further operable to:

calculate the target vehicular speed in a first section from a location before entering the curve to an exit of the curve;

control at least one of deceleration and acceleration of the vehicle based on the target vehicular speed; and

correct the target vehicular speed after the accelerator operation is detected such that a larger an amount of the accelerator operation, a larger a degree of acceleration for the control of the vehicular speed.

10. The control apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the controller is further operable to:

correct the target vehicle speed for after the accelerator operation such that a closer the traveling position where the accelerator operation is detected is to an exit of the curve, a smaller a degree of deceleration for the control of the vehicle speed.

11. The control apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the traveling position where the accelerator operation is detected is at least one of a vehicle position when the accelerator operation is started, a vehicle position when the accelerator operation is completed and a section of the curve at which an accelerator pedal is operated.

12. The control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of sections forming the curve; and

wherein the controller is further operable to;

correct the target vehicular speed based on which of the plurality of sections the traveling position where the accelerator operation is detected occurs.

13. The control apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the plurality of sections forming the curve comprises a first section occupied before entering a curve entrance, a second section between the curve entrance and a point where the radius of the curve is a minimum and a third section between the point where the radius of the curve radius is a minimum and an exit of the curve.

14. The control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of sections forming the curve; and

wherein the controller is further operable to;

increase the target vehicle speed at all sections of the curve when the driver performs the acceleration operation when the radius of the curve is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

15. A control apparatus for a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

means for detecting a traveling position of the vehicle;

means for detecting an accelerator operation by a driver;

means for calculating a target vehicular speed for cornering a curve in a path of the vehicle based on a radius of the curve;

means for correcting the target vehicular speed based the traveling position where the accelerator operation is detected by the accelerator operation detecting means; and

means for controlling a vehicular speed based on the target vehicular speed.

16. A control method for a vehicle, the method comprising:

detecting an accelerator operation by a driver;

calculating a target vehicular speed for cornering a curve in a path of the vehicle based on a radius of the curve;

correcting the target vehicular speed based on a position of the vehicle with respect to the curve, the position occurring when the accelerator operation by the driver is detected; and

controlling a vehicular speed based on the target vehicular speed.

17. The control method according to claim 16, further comprising:

detecting an amount of the accelerator operation; and

wherein correcting the target vehicular speed further comprises correcting the target vehicular speed based on the position and the amount.

18. The control method according to claim 17 wherein correcting the target vehicular speed based on the position and the amount further comprises correcting the target vehicular speed such that a larger the amount, a smaller a degree of deceleration.

19. The control method according to claim 16, further comprising:

calculating an accelerator release speed; and

ending correcting the target vehicular speed when the accelerator release speed is equal to or greater than a predetermined speed.

20. The control method according to claim 16 wherein correcting the target vehicular speed further comprises correcting the target vehicular speed such that a closer the position is to an exit of the curve, a larger a degree of acceleration.