Control apparatus for ensuring safety of a vehicle run

• US 5,418,727 A
• Filed: 06/01/1993
• Issued: 05/23/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Seiji, Seni, Hirofumi, Ikeda, Toshifumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Teska, Kevin J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US08/069,396
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 364/426.04, 364/426.05, 364/426.03, 364/424.03, 364/424.05, 364/578, 364/561, 364/461, 180/197, 180/169, 303/92, 303/93, 340/902, 340/903, 340/943, 340/438, 340/441
• US Class Current: 701/96
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/18 including a device to audibly, visibly, or otherwise signal the existence of unusual or unintended speed to the driver of the vehicle devices primarily intended for indicating speed to other traffic B60Q1/54
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/48 connecting the brake actuator to an alternative or additional source of fluid pressure , e.g. traction control systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/885 using electrical circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/021 Means for detecting failure or malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/105 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/40 Coefficient of friction
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 7/148 provided with safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles

Abstract

A first control device regarding a running stability of a vehicle, such as an anti-skid braking system, a four wheel steering system, a four wheel driving device and a second control device for automatically avoiding the vehicle from being in a dangerous state, such as an automatic braking device, an automatic steering device are provided. Further provided is a fail judging device for judging a fail time when the first control device improperly works. The control for avoiding a danger by the second control device is restricted when the fail judging device judges the fail time of the first control device. Thereby, when the first control device fails, measures to automatically avoid the danger independent of a driver'"'"'s intention by such as an automatic braking, an automatic steering, is not taken. This previously prevents the vehicle from being unstable.

Claims

1. A control apparatus for ensuring safety of a vehicle run comprising:

a first control means for controlling a first factor for enhancing a running stability of a vehicle;

a second control means having a dangerous state judging means for detecting a running state of the vehicle and judging whether the running state is in a dangerous state to output a judgment signal;

said second control means automatically controlling a second factor relating to the running state of the vehicle so as to avoid a dangerous state judged by said dangerous state judging means, whereby the running state of the vehicle is automatically prevented from falling into a further dangerous state;

fail judging means for judging whether said first control means properly functions and for detecting when said first control means improperly functions and for generating an output signal; and

restricting means for restricting control for avoiding the dangerous state by said second control means when said fail judging means detects that said first control means is improperly functioning.

2. The control apparatus for ensuring safety of a vehicle run according to claim 1,

wherein said restricting means prevents abruptly changing a running state of the vehicle for avoiding the dangerous state by said second control device.

3. The control apparatus for ensuring safety of a vehicle run according to claim 1,

wherein said dangerous state judging means of said second control device detects a distance between the vehicle and a forward vehicle and judges that the running state of the vehicle is in a dangerous state when the distance is smaller than a set value, and

said control means of said second control device is a running velocity reducing means for controlling so as to automatically reduce a running velocity of the vehicle when said dangerous state judging means judges that the distance is smaller than the set value.

4. The control apparatus for ensuring safety of a vehicle run according to claim 3,

wherein said running velocity reducing means of said second control device is a braking force applying means for applying a braking force of the vehicle.

5. The control apparatus for ensuring safety of a vehicle run according to claim 4,

wherein said dangerous state judging means of said second control device has a larger threshold value (L2) and a smaller threshold value (L3) corresponding to a distance between the vehicle and the forward vehicle for judging the dangerous state of the vehicle run, and

said braking force applying means controls so as to apply a relatively small braking force when the distance between the vehicle and the forward vehicle is smaller than the larger threshold value (L2) and to apply a relatively large braking force when the distance therebetween is smaller than the smaller threshold value (L3).

6. The control apparatus for ensuring safety of a vehicle run according to claim 5,

wherein said restricting means prevents applying the relatively large braking force by said braking force applying means when said fail judging means judges that said first control means is improperly functioning.

7. The control apparatus for ensuring safety of a vehicle run according to claim 4,

wherein said restricting means amends the set value of the distance therebetween used for judging the dangerous state by said dangerous state judging means for said second control means to a great value when said fail judging means detects that said first control means is improperly functioning.

8. The control apparatus for ensuring safety of a vehicle run according to claim 5,

wherein said dangerous state judging means has another threshold value (L1) different from the threshold values (L2, L3), the threshold value (L1) being larger than the threshold values (L2, L3) with regard to the distance between the vehicle and the forward vehicle, and

said second control means further has an alarm means for raising an alarm when the distance between the vehicle and the forward vehicle is smaller than the threshold value (L1).

9. The control apparatus for ensuring safety of a vehicle run according to claim 1,

wherein the first factor controlled by said first control means is a steering angle of rear wheels of the vehicle.

10. The control apparatus for ensuring safety of a vehicle run according to claim 1,

wherein the first factor controlled by said first control means is a braking force applied to wheels of the vehicle.

11. The control apparatus for ensuring safety of a vehicle run according to claim 1,

wherein the first factor controlled by said first control means is a driving force applied to wheels of the vehicle.

12. The control apparatus for ensuring safety of a vehicle run according to claim 1,

wherein said second control means changes a running direction of the vehicle.

13. The control apparatus for ensuring safety of a vehicle run according to claim 12,

wherein said restricting means prevents abruptly changing the running direction of the vehicle by said second control means.

14. A control apparatus for ensuring safety of a vehicle run comprising:

a first control means for controlling a first factor for enhancing a running stability of a vehicle;

a second control means having a dangerous state judging means for detecting a distance between the vehicle and a forward vehicle and judging the running state of the vehicle is in a dangerous state where the distance is smaller than a set value, and braking force applying means for applying a braking force of the vehicle so as to automatically reduce a running velocity of the vehicle when said dangerous state judging means judges that the distance is smaller than the set value, whereby a danger of contact between the vehicle and the forward vehicle is automatically avoided;

fail judging means for judging whether said first control means properly functions and detecting when said first control means improperly functions and for generating an output signal; and

restricting means for restricting control for avoiding the dangerous state by said second control means when said fail judging means detects that said first control means improperly functions.

15. The control apparatus for ensuring safety of a vehicle run according to claim 14,

wherein said dangerous state judging means of said second control means has a larger threshold value (L2) and a smaller threshold value (L3) corresponding to a distance between the vehicle and the forward vehicle for judging the dangerous state of the vehicle run, and

said braking force applying means of said second control means controls so as to apply a relatively small braking force when the distance between the vehicle and the forward vehicle is smaller than the larger threshold value (L2) and to apply a relatively large braking force when the distance is smaller than the smaller threshold value (L3), and

said restricting means prevents applying the relatively large braking force by said braking force applying means when said fail judging means judges that said first control means is improperly functioning.