Inter-vehicle distance control device

• US 20100286887A1
• Filed: 05/07/2010
• Published: 11/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Fuji Jukogyo KK (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Maruyama, Tasuku
• Granted Patent: US 8,396,641 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/96
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/02 Active or adaptive cruise control system; Distance control
• 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 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/22 including control of suspension systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4042 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/804 Relative longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/17 with provision for special action when the preceding vehicle comes to a halt, e.g. stop and go

Abstract

A preceding vehicle speed estimation unit estimates a preceding vehicle speed after a predetermined period of time based on a preceding vehicle speed and an acceleration of the preceding vehicle, and an ACC target vehicle speed setting unit sets a target vehicle speed for the vehicle following based on an inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and preceding vehicle and the preceding vehicle speed after a predetermined period of time. Then, during the stop maintaining control, an ACC resetting acceptability determination unit compares the target vehicle speed and a reference threshold. When the target vehicle speed is greater than the reference threshold, it is determined to accept ACC resetting in response to the driver'"'"'s input operation, and, when the target vehicle speed is equal to or less than the reference threshold, it is determined not to accept ACC resetting.

Claims

1. An inter-vehicle distance control device that captures a preceding vehicle in front of a vehicle installed the inter-vehicle distance control device and performs a vehicle following control as maintaining an inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle, the inter-vehicle distance control device comprising:

a stop maintaining control unit configured to move an operation to a stop maintaining control that releases the vehicle following control and keeps a brake activation condition to maintain the vehicle stopped when the vehicle stops in response to a stop of the preceding vehicle; and

a resetting acceptability determination unit configured to determine whether or not to accept resetting of the vehicle following control in response to the driver'"'"'s operation based on an acceleration of the preceding vehicle and either of the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle or a vehicle speed of the preceding vehicle when the preceding vehicle starts to move during the stop maintaining control.

2. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 1, comprising:

a target vehicle speed setting unit configured to set a target vehicle speed of the vehicle following control based on at least the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle and the vehicle speed of the preceding vehicle; and

a preceding vehicle speed estimation unit configured to estimate a vehicle speed of the preceding vehicle speed after a predetermined period of time based on the acceleration of the preceding vehicle and output the estimated vehicle speed to the target vehicle speed setting unit; and

wherein when the preceding vehicle starts to move during the stop maintaining control, the resetting acceptability determination unit compares the target vehicle speed set based on the estimated vehicle speed with a predetermined threshold and determines whether or not to accept resetting of the vehicle following control in response to the driver'"'"'s operation.

3. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 1, wherein

the resetting acceptability determination unit determines the acceptability of ACC resetting based on the vehicle speed and acceleration of the preceding vehicle when the preceding vehicle starts to move,

wherein resetting of the vehicle following control is accepted when the vehicle speed of the preceding vehicle speed exceeds a vehicle speed determination threshold and the acceleration of the preceding vehicle exceeds an acceleration determination threshold.

4. The inter-vehicle distance control device according to claim 1, wherein

the resetting acceptability determination unit determines the acceptability of ACC resetting based on the vehicle speed and acceleration of the preceding vehicle and the inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle and the vehicle when the preceding vehicle starts to move, and when the acceleration of the preceding vehicle is large, the inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle and the vehicle for accepting resetting of the vehicle following control is set to be shorter compared to a case in which the acceleration of the preceding vehicle is smaller.