Vehicle Control Apparatus

• US 20110066342A1
• Filed: 09/07/2010
• Published: 03/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: OZAKI, Kazunori
• Granted Patent: US 8,751,125 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/662 characterised by specified functions of the control system components
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/686 in hydraulic systems or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/12 Friction
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2250/04 Vehicle reference speed; Vehicle body speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/042 by electrical means, e.g. using travel or force sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/12 for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger limiting speed of vehicles other than rail vehicles B60K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/4872 pump-back systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/143 Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/085 Changing the parameters of the control units, e.g. changing limit values, working points by control input

Abstract

A vehicle control apparatus includes an accelerator-manipulated-amount detecting section configured to detect a manipulated amount of accelerator; a braking-force generating section configured to generate a braking force of the vehicle; a driving-force generating section configured to generate a driving force of the vehicle; a control unit including a vehicle-body speed calculating section configured to calculate an actual vehicle-body speed. The control unit is configured to perform a normal control mode which generates a driving force corresponding to the accelerator manipulated amount, and to perform a speed control mode which calculates a target vehicle-body speed based on the accelerator manipulated amount and which controls the braking-force generating section and the driving-force generating section so as to bring the actual vehicle-body speed closer to the target vehicle-body speed. The vehicle control apparatus further includes a selecting switch configured to select between the normal control mode and the speed control mode. The control unit is configured to control the vehicle by one selected between the normal control mode and the speed control mode by the selecting switch.

Claims

1. A vehicle control apparatus comprising:

an accelerator-manipulated-amount detecting section configured to detect a manipulated amount of accelerator by a driver;

a braking-force generating section configured to generate a braking force of the vehicle;

a driving-force generating section configured to generate a driving force of the vehicle;

a control unit including a vehicle-body speed calculating section configured to calculate an actual vehicle-body speed of the vehicle, the control unit being configured

to perform a normal control mode which generates a driving force corresponding to the manipulated amount of accelerator, and

to perform a speed control mode which calculates a target vehicle-body speed based on the manipulated amount of accelerator and which controls the braking-force generating section and the driving-force generating section so as to bring the actual vehicle-body speed closer to the target vehicle-body speed; and

a selecting switch configured to select between the normal control mode and the speed control mode, wherein the control unit is configured to control the vehicle by one selected between the normal control mode and the speed control mode by the selecting switch.

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

wherein the control unit includes

an accelerator-manipulation variation-amount calculating section configured to calculate a variation amount of accelerator manipulation per unit time on the basis of the accelerator manipulated amount detected by the accelerator-manipulated-amount detecting section, and

a target acceleration/deceleration-value calculating section configured to calculate a target acceleration/deceleration value on the basis of the calculated accelerator-manipulation variation amount and the calculated actual vehicle-body speed;

and

wherein the control unit is configured to calculate the target vehicle-body speed from the calculated target acceleration/deceleration value, and to bring the actual vehicle-body speed closer to the calculated target vehicle-body speed.

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

wherein the control unit is configured to increase a driving force of the driving-force generating section, if a state where the actual vehicle-body speed is lower than or equal to a last-time-around vehicle-body speed has continued for a predetermined duration time after the accelerator-manipulation variation-amount calculating section determined that the detected accelerator manipulated amount became larger than or equal to a last-time-around accelerator manipulated amount.

4. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 3,

wherein the control unit is configured to increase the driving force of the driving-force generating section by a larger amount in a case where the actual vehicle-body speed is equal to 0 as compared with a case where the actual vehicle-body speed is greater than 0, if the state where the actual vehicle-body speed is lower than or equal to the last-time-around vehicle-body speed has continued for the predetermined duration time after the accelerator-manipulation variation-amount calculating section determined that the accelerator manipulated amount became larger than or equal to the last-time-around accelerator manipulated amount.

5. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 4,

wherein the control unit increases the driving force of the driving-force generating section and then causes the braking-force generating section to reduce the vehicle-body speed irrespective of the accelerator manipulated amount when the actual vehicle-body speed becomes other than 0 because of the increase of driving force, if the state where the actual vehicle-body speed is lower than or equal to the last-time-around vehicle-body speed has continued for the predetermined duration time after the accelerator-manipulation variation-amount calculating section determined that the accelerator manipulated amount became larger than or equal to the last-time-around accelerator manipulated amount and if the actual vehicle-body speed is equal to 0.

6. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the vehicle control apparatus further comprises a road-surface friction coefficient detecting section configured to detect a friction coefficient of road surface on which the vehicle is running;

and

wherein the control unit is configured to set a control gain for generating the braking/driving force at a larger value in a case where the detected road-surface friction coefficient is higher than a predetermined value, as compared with a case where the detected road-surface friction coefficient is lower than the predetermined value.

7. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the control unit is configured to cancel the speed control mode and carry out the normal control mode, when a predetermined condition is satisfied under a state where the speed control mode is being selected.

8. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein

the vehicle control apparatus further comprises a brake-manipulated-state detecting section configured to detect a brake manipulated state of the driver;

and

the predetermined condition is satisfied by a requirement that the brake-manipulated-state detecting section detects an actual brake manipulation of the driver.

9. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein

the predetermined condition is satisfied by a requirement that the calculated actual vehicle-body speed is higher than a predetermined vehicle-body speed.

10. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein

the vehicle control apparatus further comprises a steering-state detecting section configured to detect a steering state of the driver;

and

the predetermined condition is satisfied by a requirement that the steering-state detecting section detects an actual steering of the driver.

11. A vehicle control apparatus comprising:

an accelerator-manipulated-state detecting section configured to detect a manipulated state of accelerator by a driver;

a deceleration unit configured to reduce a speed of the vehicle; and

a control unit including

a vehicle speed calculating section configured to calculate the speed of the vehicle, and

a speed control section configured to set a target vehicle speed based on the detected accelerator manipulated state and the calculated vehicle speed, and configured to control the deceleration unit so as to bring the vehicle speed closer to the set target vehicle speed.

12. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 11,

wherein the vehicle control apparatus further includes

an accelerator-manipulation variation-amount calculating section configured to calculate a variation amount of accelerator manipulation per unit time on the basis of the detected accelerator manipulated state, and

an acceleration unit configured to increase the vehicle speed;

and

wherein the control unit is configured to set a target deceleration value on the basis of the calculated accelerator-manipulation variation amount and the calculated vehicle speed in order to calculate the target vehicle speed, and configured to bring the vehicle speed closer to the calculated target vehicle speed.

13. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 12,

wherein the control unit is configured to increase a driving force of the acceleration unit, if a state where the vehicle speed is lower than or equal to a last-time-around vehicle speed has continued for a predetermined duration time after the accelerator-manipulation variation-amount calculating section detected that the accelerator manipulated state became larger than or equal to a last-time-around accelerator manipulated state.

14. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 13,

wherein the control unit is configured to increase the driving force of the acceleration unit by a larger amount in a case where the actual vehicle speed is equal to 0 as compared with a case where the actual vehicle speed is greater than 0, if the state where the vehicle speed is lower than or equal to the last-time-around vehicle speed has continued for the predetermined duration time after the accelerator-manipulation variation-amount calculating section detected that the accelerator manipulated state became larger than or equal to the last-time-around accelerator manipulated state.

15. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 14,

wherein the control unit increases the driving force of the acceleration unit and then causes the deceleration unit to reduce the actual vehicle speed irrespective of the detected accelerator manipulated state when the actual vehicle speed becomes other than 0 because of the increase of driving force, if the state where the vehicle speed is lower than or equal to the last-time-around vehicle speed has continued for the predetermined duration time after the accelerator-manipulation variation-amount calculating section detected that the accelerator manipulated state became larger than or equal to the last-time-around accelerator manipulated state and if the actual vehicle speed is equal to 0.

16. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein

the control unit further includes a normal control section configured to cause the acceleration unit to generate a driving force corresponding to the detected accelerator manipulated state;

the vehicle control apparatus further comprises a selecting switch configured to select between the speed control section and the normal control section; and

the control unit is configured to control the vehicle by using the selected one of the speed control section and the normal control section, and configured to change the speed control section to the normal control section when a predetermined condition is satisfied under a state where the speed control section is being selected.

17. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein

the vehicle control apparatus further comprises a brake-manipulated-state detecting section configured to detect a brake manipulated state of the driver;

and

the predetermined condition is satisfied by a requirement that the brake-manipulated-state detecting section detects a brake manipulation of the driver.

18. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein

the predetermined condition is satisfied by a requirement that the calculated actual vehicle speed is higher than a predetermined vehicle speed.

19. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein

the vehicle control apparatus further comprises a steering-state detecting section configured to detect a steering state of the driver;

and

the predetermined condition is satisfied by a requirement that the steering-state detecting section detects a steering of the driver.

20. A vehicle control method comprising:

providing a selecting switch configured to select between a normal control mode and a speed control mode;

setting a target vehicle-body speed on the basis of an acceleration/deceleration value corresponding to an accelerator manipulated amount of a driver; and

controlling a braking/driving force of the vehicle so as to achieve the set target vehicle-body speed, when the driver is selecting the speed control mode.