VEHICLE TRAVEL CONTROL DEVICE

• US 20100121550A1
• Filed: 09/04/2008
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advics Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Advics Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Inoue, Gen, Ishida, Yasuhito
• Granted Patent: US 8,370,040 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/94
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/04 Hill descent control
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/143 Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence

Abstract

A vehicle travel control device has a engine that controls an engine based on a driving target controlled variable; a brake that controls a brake device based on a braking target controlled variable; and a automatic travel control that calculates the driving target controlled variable and/or braking target controlled variable so that a vehicle speed of a vehicle becomes a target vehicle speed, and outputs the driving target controlled variable to the engine and the braking target controlled variable to the brake, the vehicle travel control device being configured such that, upon detection of an acceleration operation during the vehicle travel control, the automatic travel control calculates a target vehicle speed for vehicle travel control by the brake device, so that the target vehicle speed becomes higher than a current vehicle speed of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle travel control device, comprising:

a first control portion that controls an engine based on a driving target controlled variable;

a second control portion that controls a brake device based on a braking target controlled variable; and

a third control portion that calculates the driving target controlled variable and/or braking target controlled variable for performing vehicle travel control so that a vehicle speed of a vehicle becomes a target vehicle speed, and outputs the driving target controlled variable to the first control portion and the braking target controlled variable to the second control portion,

wherein upon detection of an acceleration operation performed by a driver during the vehicle travel control, the third control portion calculates a target vehicle speed for vehicle travel control by the brake device, so that the target vehicle speed becomes higher than a current vehicle speed of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle travel control device according to claim 1, wherein the first control portion, the second control portion, and the third control portion are integrated into a single control device.

4. The vehicle travel control device according to claim 1, wherein when the third control portion does not detect the deceleration operation performed by the driver during the vehicle travel control, and when at the time of the detection by the third control portion is immediately after the driver has stopped the deceleration operation, the third control portion calculates a target vehicle speed for vehicle travel control by the engine, so that the vehicle is gradually accelerated.

5. The vehicle travel control device according to claim 1, further comprising gradient detection portion for detecting a gradient of a road on which the vehicle travels, wherein when the third control portion does not detect the deceleration operation performed by the driver during the vehicle travel control, and when the gradient of the road indicates an ascending slope, the third control portion calculates a target vehicle speed for vehicle travel control by the engine, so that the target vehicle speed is matched with a target vehicle speed that is set by a target vehicle speed setting part.

6. The vehicle travel control device according to claim 5, wherein when the third control portion does not detect the deceleration operation performed by the driver during the vehicle travel control, and when the gradient of the road indicates a descending slope, the third control portion calculates the target vehicle speed for vehicle travel control by the engine, so that the target vehicle speed becomes lower than the target vehicle speed that is set by the target vehicle speed setting part.

7. The vehicle travel control device according to claim 1, further comprising gradient detection portion for detecting a gradient of a road on which the vehicle travels, wherein when the third control portion detects the deceleration operation performed by the driver during the vehicle travel control, and when the gradient of the road indicates an ascending slope, the third control portion calculates a target vehicle speed for vehicle travel control by the engine, so that this target vehicle speed becomes lower than the target vehicle speed that is set by a target vehicle speed setting part.

8. The vehicle travel control device according to claim 7, wherein when the third control portion detects the deceleration operation performed by the driver during the vehicle travel control, and when the gradient of the road indicates a descending slope, the third control portion calculates the target vehicle speed for vehicle travel control by the engine, so that the target vehicle speed is gradually reduced to 0.

9. The vehicle travel control device according to claim 1, wherein when the third control portion detects neither the deceleration operation nor the acceleration operation performed by the driver during the vehicle travel control, and when at the time of the detection by the third control portion is immediately after the driver has stopped the acceleration operation, the third control portion calculates the target vehicle speed for vehicle travel control by the brake device, so that the vehicle is gradually decelerated.

10. The vehicle travel control device according to claim 1, wherein when the third control portion detects neither the deceleration operation nor the acceleration operation performed by the driver during the vehicle travel control, and when at the time of the detection by the third control portion is immediately after the driver has stopped the deceleration operation, the third control portion calculates the target vehicle speed for vehicle travel control by the brake device, so that the vehicle is gradually accelerated.

11. The vehicle travel control device according to claim 1, further comprising gradient detection portion for detecting a gradient of a road on which the vehicle travels, wherein when the third control portion detects neither the deceleration operation nor acceleration operation performed by the driver during the vehicle travel control, and when the gradient of the road indicates an ascending slope, the third control portion calculates the target vehicle speed for vehicle travel control by the brake device, so that this target vehicle speed becomes higher than the target vehicle speed that is set by a target vehicle speed setting part.

12. The vehicle travel control device according to claim 11, wherein when the third control portion detects neither the deceleration operation nor the acceleration operation performed by the driver during the vehicle travel control, and when the gradient of the road indicates a descending slope, the third control portion calculates the target vehicle speed for vehicle travel control by the brake device, so that this target vehicle speed is matched with the target vehicle speed that is set by the target vehicle speed setting part.

2. A vehicle travel control device, comprising:

a first control portion that controls an engine based on a driving target controlled variable;

a second control portion that controls a brake device based on a braking target controlled variable; and

a third control portion that calculates the driving target controlled variable and/or braking target controlled variable for performing vehicle travel control so that a vehicle speed of a vehicle becomes a target vehicle speed, and outputs the driving target controlled variable to the first control portion and the braking target controlled variable to the second control portion,

wherein upon detection of a deceleration operation performed by a driver during the vehicle travel control, the third control portion calculates a target vehicle speed for vehicle travel control by the brake device, so that the target vehicle speed is matched with a current vehicle speed of the vehicle.

15. The vehicle travel control device according to claim 2, wherein the first control portion, the second control portion, and the third control portion are integrated into a single control device.

16. The vehicle travel control device according to claim 2, wherein when the third control portion does not detect the deceleration operation performed by the driver during the vehicle travel control, and when at the time of the detection by the third control portion is immediately after the driver has stopped the deceleration operation, the third control portion calculates a target vehicle speed for vehicle travel control by the engine, so that the vehicle is gradually accelerated.

17. The vehicle travel control device according to claim 2, further comprising gradient detection portion for detecting a gradient of a road on which the vehicle travels, wherein when the third control portion does not detect the deceleration operation performed by the driver during the vehicle travel control, and when the gradient of the road indicates an ascending slope, the third control portion calculates a target vehicle speed for vehicle travel control by the engine, so that the target vehicle speed is matched with a target vehicle speed that is set by a target vehicle speed setting part.

18. The vehicle travel control device according to claim 17, wherein when the third control portion does not detect the deceleration operation performed by the driver during the vehicle travel control, and when the gradient of the road indicates a descending slope, the third control portion calculates the target vehicle speed for vehicle travel control by the engine, so that the target vehicle speed becomes lower than the target vehicle speed that is set by the target vehicle speed setting part.

19. The vehicle travel control device according to claim 2, further comprising gradient detection portion for detecting a gradient of a road on which the vehicle travels, wherein when the third control portion detects the deceleration operation performed by the driver during the vehicle travel control, and when the gradient of the road indicates an ascending slope, the third control portion calculates a target vehicle speed for vehicle travel control by the engine, so that this target vehicle speed becomes lower than the target vehicle speed that is set by a target vehicle speed setting part.

20. The vehicle travel control device according to claim 19, wherein when the third control portion detects the deceleration operation performed by the driver during the vehicle travel control, and when the gradient of the road indicates a descending slope, the third control portion calculates the target vehicle speed for vehicle travel control by the engine, so that the target vehicle speed is gradually reduced to 0.

21. The vehicle travel control device according to claim 2, wherein when the third control portion detects neither the deceleration operation nor the acceleration operation performed by the driver during the vehicle travel control, and when at the time of the detection by the third control portion is immediately after the driver has stopped the acceleration operation, the third control portion calculates the target vehicle speed for vehicle travel control by the brake device, so that the vehicle is gradually decelerated.

22. The vehicle travel control device according to claim 2, wherein when the third control portion detects neither the deceleration operation nor the acceleration operation performed by the driver during the vehicle travel control, and when at the time of the detection by the third control portion is immediately after the driver has stopped the deceleration operation, the third control portion calculates the target vehicle speed for vehicle travel control by the brake device, so that the vehicle is gradually accelerated.

23. The vehicle travel control device according to claim 2, further comprising gradient detection portion for detecting a gradient of a road on which the vehicle travels, wherein when the third control portion detects neither the deceleration operation nor acceleration operation performed by the driver during the vehicle travel control, and when the gradient of the road indicates an ascending slope, the third control portion calculates the target vehicle speed for vehicle travel control by the brake device, so that this target vehicle speed becomes higher than the target vehicle speed that is set by a target vehicle speed setting part.

24. The vehicle travel control device according to claim 23, wherein when the third control portion detects neither the deceleration operation nor the acceleration operation performed by the driver during the vehicle travel control, and when the gradient of the road indicates a descending slope, the third control portion calculates the target vehicle speed for vehicle travel control by the brake device, so that this target vehicle speed is matched with the target vehicle speed that is set by the target vehicle speed setting part.

13. A vehicle travel control method, comprising the steps of:

determining whether or not vehicle travel control is performed to control a vehicle speed of a vehicle to a target vehicle speed;

calculating a target vehicle speed for vehicle travel control by the braking force, so that the target vehicle speed becomes higher than the vehicle speed of the vehicle when the vehicle travel control is performed and when an acceleration operation performed by a driver is detected; and

calculating a braking target controlled variable based on the calculated target vehicle speed for vehicle travel control by the braking force.

14. A vehicle travel control method, comprising the steps of:

determining whether or not vehicle travel control is performed to control a vehicle speed of a vehicle to a target vehicle speed;

calculating a target vehicle speed for vehicle travel control by the braking force, so that the target vehicle speed is matched with a current vehicle speed when the vehicle travel control is performed and when a deceleration operation performed by a driver is detected; and

calculating a braking target controlled variable based on the calculated target vehicle speed for vehicle travel control by the braking force.