Constant-speed cruising control system for vehicles

• US 5,197,563 A
• Filed: 06/07/1991
• Issued: 03/30/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jidosha Denki Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsuba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Jidosha Denki Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsuba Corporation)
• Inventors: Sakonju, Kazutaka, Hori, Eisaku
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US07/711,849
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 180/170, 180/174, 180/176, 180/177, 180/178, 180/179, 123/350, 123/352, 123/360, 364/426.04, 364/431.07
• US Class Current: 180/176
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/107 the memory being digital

Abstract

A constant-speed cruising control system for vehicles comprises a car-speed sensor, a command switch group, a car-speed memory, an actuator for driving a throttle, and a control mechanism which has a cruising control function, a resuming control function after cancelling the cruising control and controls the vehicle speed so as to coincide with a reset cruising speed stored in reponse to a reset operation during the resuming control by driving the throttle in the decelerative direction of the vehicle for the time given by subtracting set initialize time from the sum total of time the throttle is controlled in the accelerative direction of the vehicle during the time from the operation of the resume switch till the reset operation. It is possible to solve the undershooting of the vehicle speed at the transitional time from the acceleration state to the cruising state at the constant-speed.

Claims

1. A constant-speed cruising control system for a vehicle comprising:

a car-speed sensor for detecting a running speed of a vehicle and generating car-speed data proportional to the running speed of the vehicle;

command switch means including a set switch for generating a setting signal and a resume switch for generating a resuming signal;

car-speed data memorizing means for storing the car-speed data supplied from said car-speed sensor as cruising speed data in response to the operation of said set switch of said command switch means;

a cancelling switch for producing a cancelling signal responding to braking means of the vehicle;

an actuator for driving a throttle of the vehicle;

controlling means connected to said car-speed sensor, said command switch means, said car-speed data memorizing means, said cancelling switch and said actuator;

said controlling means being responsive to a first setting signal from said set switch of said command switch means for controlling the running speed of the vehicle under a first cruising control state so as to coincide with a cruising speed defined as a first stored cruising speed data in said car-speed data memorizing means in response to a first operation of said set switch of said command switch means, the cancelling signal from said cancelling switch for cancelling the first cruising control state, the resuming signal from said resume switch of said command switch means for controlling the running speed of the vehicle under a resuming control state so as to resume the running speed of the vehicle to the cruising speed of the first cruising control state, and a second setting signal generated from said set switch of said command switch means for controlling the running speed of the vehicle under the resuming control state so as to coincide with a cruising speed defined as a second stored cruising speed data in said car-speed data memorizing means in response to second operation of said set switch of said command switch means;

said control means generating a first set initializing signal in proportion to the running speed of the vehicle at the time of said first operation of said set switch of said command switch means to supply the first set initializing signal to said actuator for driving the throttle of the vehicle, a resume initializing signal in proportion to the running speed of the vehicle at the time of operation of said resume switch of said command switch means to supply the resume initializing signal to said actuator for driving the throttle of the vehicle, and a second set initializing signal in proportion to the running speed of the vehicle at the time of said second operation of said set switch of said command switch means;

wherein said controlling means includes;

counter means for counting the sum total of duration time of signals supplied to said actuator during the resuming state by which the throttle of the vehicle is driven in an acceleration direction of the vehicle;

subtracting means for subtracting the duration time of the second set initializing signal from the sum total of duration time counted in said counter means and for generating a subtracting signal; and

reset initializing signal generating means for generating a reset initializing signal of duration time determined from the subtracting signal generated in said subtracting means to supply the reset initializing signal to said actuator for driving the throttle of the vehicle in a deceleration direction of the vehicle.

2. A constant-speed cruising control system for a vehicle comprising:

a car-speed sensor for detecting a running speed of a vehicle and generating car-speed data proportional to the running speed of the vehicle;

command switch means including a set switch for generating a setting signal and a resume switch for generating a resuming signal;

car-speed data memorizing means for storing the car-speed data supplied from said car-speed sensor as cruising speed data in response to the operation of said set switch of said command switch means;

a cancelling switch for producing a cancelling signal responding to braking means of the vehicle;

an actuator having a negative pressure chamber, a vacuum valve for driving a throttle of the vehicle in the acceleration direction by introducing negative pressure into the negative pressure chamber and a vent valve for driving the throttle of the vehicle in the deceleration direction by introducing atmospheric pressure into the negative pressure chamber;

controlling means connected to said car-speed sensor, said command switch means, said car-speed data memorizing means, said cancelling switch and said actuator;

said controlling means being responsive to a first setting signal from said set switch of said command switch means for controlling the running speed of the vehicle under a first cruising control state so as to coincide with a cruising speed defined as a first stored cruising speed data in said car-speed data memorizing means in response to a first operation of said set switch of said command switch means, the cancelling signal from said cancelling switch for cancelling the first cruising control state, the resuming signal from said resume switch of said command switch means for controlling the running speed of the vehicle under a resuming control state so as to resume the running speed of the vehicle to the cruising speed of the first cruising control state, and a second setting signal generated from said set switch of said command switch means for controlling the running speed of the vehicle under the resuming control state so as to coincide with a cruising speed defined as a second stored cruising speed data in said car-speed data memorizing means in response to second operation of said set switch of said command switch means;

said control means generating a first set initializing signal in proportion to the running speed of the vehicle at the time of said first operation of said set switch of said command switch means to supply the first set initializing signal to the vacuum valve of said actuator for driving the throttle of the vehicle, a resume initializing signal in proportion to the running speed of the vehicle at the time of operation of said resume switch of said command switch means to supply the resume initializing signal to the vacuum valve of said actuator for driving the throttle of the vehicle, and a second set initializing signal in proportion to the running speed of the vehicle at the time of said second operation of said set switch of said command switch means;

wherein said controlling means includes;

counter means for counting the sum total of duration time of signals supplied to said actuator during the resuming state by which the throttle of the vehicle is driven in an acceleration direction of the vehicle;

subtracting means for subtracting the duration time of the second set initializing signal from the sum total of duration time counted in said counter means and for generating a subtracting signal; and

reset initializing signal generating means for generating a reset initializing signal of duration time determined from the subtracting signal generated in said subtracting means to supply the reset initializing signal to said actuator for driving the throttle of the vehicle in a deceleration direction of the vehicle.