Drive Controlling Apparatus For A Vehicle

• US 20090030574A1
• Filed: 07/26/2007
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Yokoyama, Atsushi, Yamakado, Makoto, Abe, Masato
• Granted Patent: US 8,744,689 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/44
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/16 Curve braking control, e.g. turn control within ABS control algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/105 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/045 Improving turning performance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/16 Tactile feedback to the driver, e.g. vibration or force feedback to the driver on the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/029 Steering assistants using warnings or proposing actions to the driver without influencing the steering system
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/00 Arrangements for automatically controlling steering depending on driving conditions sensed and responded to, e.g. control circuits means for initiating a change in direction B62D1/00; steering valves B62D5/06; combined with means for inclining the vehicle body or wheels on bends B62D9/00

Abstract

To provide a vehicle motion control system capable of defining clear guidelines on more specific control timing associated with accelerating, steering, and braking operations, and conducting motion control based on the defined guidelines.

An ideal motion control unit 42 within a central controller 40 uses longitudinal jerk information of a vehicle to control the steering of the vehicle. Information for determining the initiation timing of steering is presented from a human-vehicle interface (HVI) 55 to a driver. In accordance with the information presented from the HVI 55, the driver controls the initiation timing of steering.

Claims

1. A vehicle motion control system having a device adapted to control steering of a vehicle, the control system further comprising at least controll means for controlling the steering of the vehicle by using at least longitudinal jerk information of the vehicle.

2. The vehicle motion control system according to claim 1, wherein

said control means conducts control such that steering is started during a period of time that a longitudinal jerk value is in neighborhood of zero.

3. The vehicle motion control system according to claim 2, further comprising an automatic steering mechanism independent of a driver,

wherein said control means controls steering initiation timing of said automatic steering mechanism.

4. The vehicle motion control system according to claim 2, further comprising information presenting means for presenting information for determining initiation timing of steering, to a driver,

wherein timing in which the driver starts steering is controlled in accordance with the information presented from said information-presenting means.

5. The vehicle motion control system according to claim 4, wherein

said information-presenting means presents at least one of three kinds of information, that is, visual information, audible information, or torque inputs to a steering device.

6. A vehicle motion control system having a device adapted to control acceleration and deceleration of a vehicle, the control system further comprising at least means for controlling the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle by using at least lateral jerk information of the vehicle.

7. The vehicle motion control system according to claim 6, wherein

said control means conducts control such that when steering is operated during deceleration, the deceleration is terminated during a period of time that a lateral jerk value is in neighborhood of zero.

8. The vehicle motion control system according to claim 7, further comprising an automatic decelerating mechanism independent of a driver,

wherein said control means controls termination timing of the deceleration.

9. The vehicle motion control system according to claim 7, further comprising means for presenting, to a driver, information intended for prompting the driver to stop the deceleration or to determine timing in which a deceleration level is to be made constant,

wherein the timing in which the driver stops the deceleration is controlled in accordance with the information presented from said information-presenting means.

10. The vehicle motion control system according to claim 9, wherein

said information-presenting means presents at least one of three kinds of information, that is, visual information, audible information, or reaction inputs to a steering device.

11. The vehicle motion control system according to claim 6, wherein

said control means conducts control such that when steering is operated, acceleration is started during a period of time that at least a lateral jerk value is in neighborhood of zero.

12. The vehicle motion control system according to claim 11, further comprising an automatic accelerating mechanism independent of a driver,

wherein said control means controls initiation timing of acceleration.

13. The vehicle motion control system according to claim 11, further comprising means for presenting information for determining initiation timing of acceleration, to a driver,

wherein timing in which the driver accelerates the vehicle is controlled in accordance with the information presented from said information-presenting means.

14. The vehicle motion control system according to claim 13, wherein

said information-presenting means presents at least one of kinds of information, that is, visual information, audible information, or reaction inputs to an accelerator pedal and other accelerating devices.