VEHICLE CONTROL APPARATUS

• US 20120150411A1
• Filed: 10/27/2011
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Astemo Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: OOSAWA, Toshiya, Sonoda, Hiroki, Takahashi, Akira
• Granted Patent: US 8,712,664 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/96
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2310/26 Distance setting methods, e.g. determining target distance to target vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0083 responsive to centrifugal force acting on vehicle due to the path it is following

Abstract

In a vehicle control apparatus employing a first speed self-adjustment control system configured to control a speed of a host vehicle based on a first command value, in a manner so as to maintain a distance of the host vehicle from a preceding vehicle or to maintain a set speed, a second speed self-adjustment control system is provided for controlling the host vehicle'"'"'s speed based on a second command value determined based on information about a lateral acceleration acting on the host vehicle. Also provided is a deceleration selector configured to select either one of the first and second command values, which selected command value produces a greater deceleration exerted on the host vehicle. A control unit is configured to control the host vehicle'"'"'s speed by driving an actuator based on the selected command value.

Claims

1. A vehicle control apparatus comprising:

(a) a first speed self-adjustment control system configured to control a speed of a host vehicle based on a first command value, in a manner so as to maintain a distance of the host vehicle from a preceding vehicle or to maintain a set speed;

(b) a second speed self-adjustment control system configured to control the host vehicle'"'"'s speed based on a second command value determined based on information about a lateral acceleration acting on the host vehicle;

(c) a deceleration selector configured to select either one of the first command value and the second command value, which selected command value is a deceleration command value for producing a greater deceleration exerted on the host vehicle; and

(d) a control unit configured to control the host vehicle'"'"'s speed by driving an actuator based on the selected command value.

2. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit further comprises:

(e) an acceleration selector configured to select either one of the first command value and the second command value, which selected command value is an acceleration command value for producing a smaller acceleration exerted on the host vehicle.

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

the second speed self-adjustment control system is configured to control the host vehicle'"'"'s speed by application of a longitudinal acceleration/deceleration to the host vehicle, based on the information about the lateral acceleration acting on the host vehicle.

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

the second speed self-adjustment control system is further configured to set the second command value to zero, when it is determined, based on the information about the lateral acceleration, that the lateral acceleration acting on the host vehicle is kept substantially constant.

5. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

the control unit is further configured to produce a smaller longitudinal acceleration/deceleration for the same data signal value of the information about the lateral acceleration, when the set speed, set within the first speed self-adjustment control system, is high, as compared to a state where the set speed, set within the first speed self-adjustment control system, is low.

6. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

a steering state detector provided for detecting a driver'"'"'s steering state,

wherein the control unit is configured to select the deceleration command value via the deceleration selector when a state of the host vehicle entering from a straight lane to a curve has been detected by the steering state detector, and also configured to select the acceleration command value via the acceleration selector when a state of the host vehicle entering from the curve to a straight lane has been detected by the steering state detector.

7. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein:

the host vehicle'"'"'s speed is controlled based on a lower one of the first command value and the second command value during a transition from the state of the host vehicle entering the curve to the state of the host vehicle leaving the curve.

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

the control unit further comprises a second command value compensator provided for altering the second command value so as to control the host vehicle'"'"'s speed to a vehicle speed at a point of time of detection of the host vehicle'"'"'s entry into the curve, when the second command value has been selected by the acceleration selector.

9. A vehicle control apparatus comprising:

(a) a vehicle-to-vehicle distance control system configured to drive an actuator based on a vehicle-to-vehicle distance control command value in a manner so as to maintain a preset distance of a host vehicle from a preceding vehicle;

(b) a constant-speed control system configured to drive the actuator based on a constant-speed control command value in a manner so as to maintain a preset speed of the host vehicle;

(c) a curve-turning vehicle speed control system configured to control a speed of the host vehicle based on a curve-turning vehicle speed control command value determined based on information about a lateral acceleration acting on the host vehicle; and

(d) a control unit configured to select, depending on a running condition of the host vehicle, either one of the vehicle-to-vehicle distance control command value, the constant-speed control command value, and the curve-turning vehicle speed control command value, and also configured to drive the actuator based on the selected command value of the three command values.

10. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the control unit further comprises:

(e) a deceleration selector configured to select either one of the vehicle-to-vehicle distance control command value, the constant-speed control command value, and the curve-turning vehicle speed control command value, which selected command value is a deceleration command value for producing a greater deceleration exerted on the host vehicle.

11. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the control unit further comprises:

(f) an acceleration selector configured to select either one of the vehicle-to-vehicle distance control command value, the constant-speed control command value, and the curve-turning vehicle speed control command value, which selected command value is an acceleration command value for producing a smaller acceleration exerted on the host vehicle.

12. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the curve-turning vehicle speed control system is configured to control the host vehicle'"'"'s speed by application of a longitudinal acceleration/deceleration to the host vehicle, based on the information about the lateral acceleration acting on the host vehicle.

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

the control unit is further configured to produce a smaller longitudinal acceleration/deceleration for the same data signal value of the information about the lateral acceleration, when the set speed, set within the constant-speed control system, is high, as compared to a state where the set speed is low.

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

the curve-turning vehicle speed control system is further configured to set the curve-turning vehicle speed control command value to zero, when it is determined, based on the information about the lateral acceleration, that the lateral acceleration acting on the host vehicle is kept substantially constant.

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

a steering state detector provided for detecting a driver'"'"'s steering state,

wherein the control unit is configured to select the deceleration command value via the deceleration selector when a state of the host vehicle entering from a straight lane to a curve has been detected by the steering state detector, and also configured to select the acceleration command value via the acceleration selector when a state of the host vehicle entering from the curve to a straight lane has been detected by the steering state detector.

16. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 15, further comprising:

a forward situation recognition device provided for determining the presence or absence of the preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the host vehicle,

wherein the control unit is configured to select either one of the vehicle-to-vehicle distance control command value and the constant-speed control command value, based on a result of decision about the presence or absence of the preceding vehicle during a transition from the state of the host vehicle entering the curve to the state of the host vehicle leaving the curve, and also configured to control the host vehicle'"'"'s speed based on a lower one of the curve-turning vehicle speed control command value and the selected command value of the vehicle-to-vehicle distance control command value and the constant-speed control command value.

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

the control unit is configured to control the host vehicle'"'"'s speed based on a lower one of the curve-turning vehicle speed control command value and the vehicle-to-vehicle distance control command value, when the preceding vehicle has been recognized via the forward situation recognition device during the transition from the state of the host vehicle entering the curve to the state of the host vehicle leaving the curve.

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

the control unit is configured to control the host vehicle'"'"'s speed based on a lower one of the curve-turning vehicle speed control command value and the constant-speed control command value, when the preceding vehicle has not yet been recognized via the forward situation recognition device during the transition from the state of the host vehicle entering the curve to the state of the host vehicle leaving the curve.

19. The vehicle control apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein:

the control unit further comprises a command value compensator provided for altering the curve-turning vehicle speed control command value so as to control the host vehicle'"'"'s speed to a vehicle speed at a point of time of detection of the host vehicle'"'"'s entry into the curve, when the curve-turning vehicle speed control command value has been selected by the acceleration selector.

20. A vehicle control apparatus comprising:

(a) a first speed self-adjustment control system configured to control a speed of a host vehicle by operating, based on a first command value, a braking system or a driving system, and by executing acceleration/deceleration control for the host vehicle in a manner so as to maintain a distance of the host vehicle from a preceding vehicle or to maintain a set speed;

(b) a second speed self-adjustment control system configured to control the host vehicle'"'"'s speed by operating, based on a second command value determined based on information about a lateral acceleration acting on the host vehicle, the braking system or the driving system, and by executing acceleration/deceleration control for the host vehicle;

(c) a deceleration selector configured to select either one of the first command value and the second command value, which selected command value is a deceleration command value for producing a greater deceleration exerted on the host vehicle, during the deceleration control;

(d) an acceleration selector configured to select either one of the first command value and the second command value, which selected command value is an acceleration command value for producing a smaller acceleration exerted on the host vehicle, during the acceleration control; and

(e) a control unit configured to control the host vehicle'"'"'s speed based on the selected command value, by operating the braking system when the selected command value is the deceleration command value selected by the deceleration selector and by operating the driving system when the selected command value is the acceleration command value selected by the acceleration selector.