Method and system for detecting abnormality of vehicle constant speed travel control
First Claim
1. An abnormality detecting system for a control mechanism which performs a constant speed travel control, said system comprising:
- vehicle speed detecting means for detecting a speed of a vehicle;
control means having a driving force controlling mechanism for controlling a driving force of an engine of the vehicle, and a motor for driving the driving force controlling mechanism;
constant speed travel controlling means for, on the basis of a deviation between the speed of the vehicle detected by the vehicle speed detecting means and a target speed, controlling the motor so as to reduce the deviation of the detected speed from the target speed and thereby controlling the driving force of the engine by way of the driving force controlling mechanism;
electric current detecting means for detecting an electric current supplied to the motor;
electric current cutting means for cutting an electric current input to the motor when the driving force controlling mechanism has been controlled to a minimum driving-force state;
excess speed state determining means for determining whether or not the speed of the vehicle detected by the vehicle speed detecting means is higher than a reference speed which is higher than the target speed;
driving force minimization controlling means for, when it is being determined by the excess speed state determining means that the detected speed of the vehicle is higher than the reference speed, rotating the motor and thereby controlling the driving force controlling mechanism to the minimum driving-force state; and
abnormality determining means for determining that the control mechanism is abnormal when the electric current to the motor is being detected by the current detecting means for more than a time period during which it is being continuously determined by the excess speed state determining means that the speed of the vehicle is higher than the reference speed.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A constant speed travel control system uses a time period Q which is set such that, if a motor of the actuator is not locked but normally rotated, actuator opening becomes almost certainly fully closed within that time period with the result that a first limit switch is made open. If the motor is normal, the processing operation proceeds to a normal constant speed travel control by which an electric current to the motor ceases and "motor open" condition is detected. When no "motor open" state is detected, even after the elapse of the time period Q, under the condition that the vehicle speed is higher than a reference speed, a determination that the motor is in the locked condition is made and the operation proceeds to a speed control cancellation process.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. An abnormality detecting system for a control mechanism which performs a constant speed travel control, said system comprising:
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vehicle speed detecting means for detecting a speed of a vehicle; control means having a driving force controlling mechanism for controlling a driving force of an engine of the vehicle, and a motor for driving the driving force controlling mechanism; constant speed travel controlling means for, on the basis of a deviation between the speed of the vehicle detected by the vehicle speed detecting means and a target speed, controlling the motor so as to reduce the deviation of the detected speed from the target speed and thereby controlling the driving force of the engine by way of the driving force controlling mechanism; electric current detecting means for detecting an electric current supplied to the motor; electric current cutting means for cutting an electric current input to the motor when the driving force controlling mechanism has been controlled to a minimum driving-force state; excess speed state determining means for determining whether or not the speed of the vehicle detected by the vehicle speed detecting means is higher than a reference speed which is higher than the target speed; driving force minimization controlling means for, when it is being determined by the excess speed state determining means that the detected speed of the vehicle is higher than the reference speed, rotating the motor and thereby controlling the driving force controlling mechanism to the minimum driving-force state; and abnormality determining means for determining that the control mechanism is abnormal when the electric current to the motor is being detected by the current detecting means for more than a time period during which it is being continuously determined by the excess speed state determining means that the speed of the vehicle is higher than the reference speed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for detecting an abnormality in a vehicle speed control mechanism which includes an electric motor and controls the electric motor in a direction to reduce a deviation of an actual vehicle speed from a target vehicle speed, the method comprising steps of:
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detecting an excess speed condition in which the actual vehicle speed is higher than a reference speed which is higher than the target vehicle speed, the target vehicle speed being a desired vehicle speed which the vehicle speed control mechanism attempts to maintain; detecting an electric current supplied to the electric motor; rotating the electric motor in a direction such that the vehicle speed control mechanism is put into a minimum condition for reducing an output power of an engine of the vehicle when the excess speed condition is detected; cutting off the electric current to the electric motor when the vehicle control mechanism is put into the minimum condition; and determining an abnormality in the vehicle speed control mechanism when the electric current is detected by the step of detecting an electric current while the excess speed condition is being detected for more than a predetermined time period. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An abnormality detecting system for a constant speed travel control, comprising:
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vehicle speed detecting means for detecting a speed of a vehicle; control mechanism comprising; a driving force controlling mechanism for controlling a driving force of an engine of the vehicle, a power transmission mechanism enabling a transmission of power to the driving force controlling mechanism, and a motor for driving the driving force controlling mechanism through the power transmission mechanism; constant speed travel control means for, upon receipt of a constant speed travel control instruction, making the power transmission mechanism able to transmit power to the driving force controlling mechanism and based on a deviation between the speed of the vehicle detected by the vehicle speed detecting means and a target speed controlling the motor so as to reduce the deviation and thereby controlling the driving force of the engine by way of the power transmission mechanism and the driving force controlling mechanism; electric current detecting means for detecting an electric current supplied to the motor; electric current cutting means for cutting off electric current input to the motor when the power transmission mechanism has been controlled to a minimum power transmission state; excess speed state determining means for determining whether or not the speed of the vehicle detected by the vehicle speed detecting means is higher than a reference speed obtained by adding to the target speed a speed substantially the same as a deviation which, during a state of control wherein the speed of the vehicle is controlled to a speed substantially equal to the target speed, is unlikely to occur during an ordinary constant speed travel control; driving force minimization controlling means for, when it is being determined by the excess speed state determining means that the speed of the vehicle is higher than the reference speed, rotating the motor and thereby controlling the power transmission mechanism to the minimum power-transmission state; and abnormality determining means for determining that the control mechanism is abnormal when electric current is being detected by the electric current detecting means when it is being determined by the excess speed state determining means that a state wherein the speed of the vehicle is higher than the reference speed continues for a prescribed time period, the prescribed time period corresponding to a time period required until the power transmission mechanism is controlled by the driving force minimization controlling means to the minimum power-transmission state.
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Specification