VEHICULAR CONTROL APPARATUS

• US 20150259008A1
• Filed: 12/28/2012
• Published: 09/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Seguchi, Hiroaki
• Application Number:
  US14/431,597
• Publication Number:
  US 20150259008A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2030/1809 Without torque flow between driveshaft and engine, e.g. with clutch disengaged or transmission in neutral
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/12 Lane keeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18072 Coasting
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/025 Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation B62D1/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0255 Automatic changing of lane, e.g. for passing another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/02 peculiar to engines driving vehicles; peculiar to engines driving variable pitch propellers
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/084 State of vehicle accessories, e.g. air condition or power steering
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/0809 Electrical loads
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A control apparatus for a vehicle including a lane keeping assist control mechanism configured to execute lane keeping assist control for preventing the vehicle from deviating from a running lane by the power steering mechanism; and an automatic stop control mechanism configured to stop the engine upon fulfillment of predetermined automatic stop conditions during running of the vehicle, the automatic stop conditions include a condition that the lane keeping assist control not be executed.

Claims

1. A control apparatus for a vehicle, the vehicle including an engine, a transmission, a generator and a power steering mechanism, the engine generates a motive power, the transmission transmits the motive power of the engine, the generator is driven by the engine, and the power steering mechanism provides assistance in operating a steering wheel through a use of an electric power generated by the generator, the control apparatus comprising:

a lane keeping assist control mechanism configured to execute lane keeping assist control for preventing the vehicle from deviating from a running lane by the power steering mechanism; and

an automatic stop control mechanism configured to stop the engine upon fulfillment of predetermined automatic stop conditions during running of the vehicle, the automatic stop conditions include a condition that the lane keeping assist control not be executed.

2. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lane keeping assist control mechanism is configured to be changed over between a standby mode and a non-standby mode, the standby mode is a mode wherein the lane keeping assist control is permitted to be executed, and the non-standby mode is a mode wherein the lane keeping assist control is restrained from being executed, and

the automatic stop conditions include a condition that the lane keeping assist control mechanism be changed over to the non-standby mode.

3. The control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the lane keeping assist control mechanism includes a switch, the switch is configured to change over between the standby mode and the non-standby mode through a manual operation input.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the vehicle includes a disconnection mechanism, the disconnection mechanism is configured to disconnect a motive power transmission path from the engine to the transmission, and

the automatic stop control mechanism causes the vehicle to coast by autonomously operating the engine while disconnecting the motive power transmission path from the engine to the transmission with the disconnection mechanism when all the automatic stop conditions other than a condition that the lane keeping assist control mechanism be changed over to the standby mode are fulfilled among the automatic stop conditions.

5. The control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the disconnection mechanism includes a clutch that can disconnect and connect the motive power transmission path from the engine to the running drive mechanism.

6. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the power steering mechanism includes an electric actuator that operates based on a steering input signal corresponding to a steering input signal to a steering input member, and the power steering mechanism is configured to generate a steering assist force with the electric actuator,

the lane keeping assist control mechanism is configured to generate the steering input signal, the steering input signal is a signal that assists steering to prevent the vehicle from deviating from a running lane, and

the lane keeping assist control mechanism is configured to cause the power steering mechanism to carry out lane keeping assist steering corresponding to the steering input signal.