Cruise controller for vehicles

• US 5,695,020 A
• Filed: 05/18/1994
• Issued: 12/09/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Nishimura, Eiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Merritt, Karen B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): YU, MIN SON
• Application Number:
  US08/245,769
• Time in Patent Office: 1,301 Days
• Field of Search: 180/167, 180/169, 180/178, 180/179, 180/170, 340/901, 340/903, 364/426.04, 364/424.05, 364/461, 364/426.044
• US Class Current: 180/169
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9319 Controlling the accelerator
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9321 Velocity regulation, e.g. cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9325 for inter-vehicle distance regulation, e.g. navigating in platoons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle which can execute both vehicle-speed based auto-cruising control and vehicle-interval distance based auto-cruising control has a single operation knob having a SET switch, a RESUME switch, and a COAST switch. In order to allow the single operation knob to set both a target vehicle speed and a target vehicle-interval distance, when the SET switch is operated during the vehicle-speed based auto-cruising control, a vehicle speed at the time of the operation or at the end of the switch operation is set to be the target vehicle speed; when the SET switch is operated during vehicle-interval distance based auto-cruising control, a vehicle-interval distance at the time of the operation or at the end of the switch operation is set to be the target vehicle-interval distance.

Claims

1. A cruise control apparatus, comprising:

a switch operated by a driver which outputs a signal indicative of operation information for target vehicle speed;

vehicle-speed based auto-cruising control means for determining a target vehicle speed based on the signal indicative of operation information for target vehicle speed, and controlling a vehicle speed toward the target vehicle speed;

vehicle-interval distance based auto-cruising control means for maintaining a vehicle-interval distance to a vehicle ahead to be a desired target vehicle-interval distance;

determining means for determining whether a traveling condition when the switch is operated by the driver is a predetermined traveling condition under which said vehicle-interval distance based auto-cruising control means is operable or not operable; and

conversion means for converting, where said vehicle-interval distance based auto-cruising control means is operable, the signal indicative of the operation information for target vehicle speed into a signal indicative of operation information for target vehicle-interval distance to output the converted signal to said vehicle-interval distance based auto-cruising control means, and for converting, where said vehicle-interval distance based auto-cruising control means is not operable, the signal indicative of the operation information for target vehicle speed into a signal indicative of operation information for target vehicle speed to output the converted signal to said vehicle-speed based auto-cruising control means.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for exclusively switching a driving mode between a vehicle-speed based mode in which said vehicle-speed based auto-cruising control means operates, and a vehicle-interval distance based mode in which said vehicle-interval distance based auto-cruising control means operates, wherein said conversion means is enabled to operate in the vehicle-interval distance based mode.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said switch is a push-button type SET switch for setting the target vehicle speed, and when it is detected that said SET switch is depressed for a short period of time under the predetermined traveling condition, said conversion means sets a distance to the vehicle ahead obtained when said SET switch is depressed to be the target vehicle-interval distance, and outputs the target vehicle-interval distance to said vehicle-interval distance based auto-cruising control means.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said conversion means is triggered to operate in accordance with an operation time of said switch by the driver.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said switch is a RESUME switch for an operation for resuming an auto-cruising operation after the auto-cruising operation is temporarily canceled, and said conversion means instructs said vehicle interval distance based auto-cruising control means to restart vehicle-interval distance based auto-cruising control when said RESUME switch is depressed under the predetermined traveling condition.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said switch is arranged near a steering wheel.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conversion means determines that the predetermined traveling condition is a travelling condition under which said vehicle-interval distance based auto-cruising control means is operable when a vehicle-interval distance to a vehicle ahead is within a predetermined range.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conversion means determines that the predetermined traveling condition is a travelling condition under which said vehicle-interval distance based auto-cruising control means is operable when the vehicle is traveling straight.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conversion means, while said switch is continuously operated by the driver under the predetermined travelling condition, converts an operation signal from the switch into a control signal to change the vehicle speed, and sets an interval distance to the vehicle ahead at the time when the operation of the switch is stopped by the driver, and outputs the set interval distance as a target interval distance to said vehicle-interval distance based auto-cruising control means.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said switch is a push-button type SET switch for setting the target vehicle speed, and while said SET switch is continuously depressed under the predetermined traveling condition, said conversion means converts a signal indicating the depression operation into a signal for increasing a vehicle speed, sets a distance to the vehicle ahead obtained when said SET switch is released to be the target vehicle-interval distance, and outputs the target vehicle-interval distance to said vehicle-interval distance based auto-cruising control means.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said switch is a COAST switch for decreasing the target vehicle speed, and while said COAST switch is continuously depressed under the predetermined traveling condition, said conversion means converts a signal indicating the depression operation into a signal for decreasing a vehicle speed, sets a distance to the vehicle ahead obtained when said COAST switch is released to be the target vehicle-interval distance, and outputs the target vehicle-interval distance to said vehicle-interval distance based auto-cruising control means.

12. A cruise control apparatus, comprising:

a switch for outputting a predetermined signal in accordance with an operation of a driver, said predetermined signal indicating an execution of a vehicle-speed based auto-cruising control and a vehicle-interval distance based auto-cruising control;

conversion means for converting the predetermined signal from said switch into a signal indicative of a target vehicle speed where the vehicle-interval distance based auto cruising control is not operable to output to vehicle-speed based auto-cruising control means, and for converting the predetermined signal from said switch into a signal indicative of a target vehicle-interval distance where the vehicle-interval distance based auto cruising control is operable to output to vehicle-interval distance based auto-cruising means;

vehicle-speed based auto-cruising control means for controlling a vehicle speed toward the target vehicle speed on the basis of the converted signal indicative of the target vehicle speed; and

vehicle-interval distance based auto-cruising control means for controlling the vehicle speed to maintain a vehicle-interval distance to a vehicle ahead at the target vehicle-interval distance on the basis of the converted signal indicative of the target vehicle-interval distance.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said switch is arranged near a steering wheel.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said switch is a push-button type SET switch for setting a target vehicle speed, and when it is detected that said SET switch is depressed for a short period of time, said vehicle-interval distance based auto-cruising control means in response to the switch sets a distance to the vehicle ahead obtained upon depression of said SET switch to be the target vehicle-interval distance.

15. The apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising:

means for, when said control apparatus is started, setting a control mode of said control apparatus in a first mode for controlling the vehicle speed toward the target vehicle speed; and

means for, when it is detected in the first mode that the vehicle-interval distance becomes close to a predetermined target vehicle-interval distance, changing the control mode of said control apparatus from the first mode to a second mode for maintaining the vehicle-interval distance to be the target vehicle-interval distance.

16. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said vehicle-speed based auto-cruising control means comprises means for measuring a vehicle speed, and means for converting the predetermined signal from said switch into the signal indicative of target vehicle speed on the basis of the measured vehicle speed, and

wherein said vehicle-interval distance based auto-cruising control means comprises means for measuring an interval distance to the vehicle ahead, and means for converting the signal from said switch into the signal indicative of target vehicle-interval distance on the basis of the measured interval distance.

17. A cruise control apparatus, which can individually execute vehicle-speed based auto-cruising control for controlling a vehicle speed toward a target vehicle speed, and vehicle-interval distance based auto-cruising control for controlling a vehicle speed to maintain a vehicle-interval distance to a vehicle ahead to be a target vehicle-interval distance, comprising:

an operation member including a first switch which can be operated by a driver;

an operation sensor for detecting the operation of said first switch by the driver;

a vehicle speed sensor for detecting a vehicle speed;

a distance sensor for detecting a vehicle-interval distance to the vehicle ahead;

a conversion section for receiving outputs from said operation sensor, said vehicle speed sensor, and said distance sensor, for, when said first switch is operated in a vehicle-speed based auto-cruising mode, converting vehicle speed data detected by said vehicle speed sensor at that time into target vehicle speed data, and for, when said first switch is operated in a vehicle-interval distance based auto-cruising mode, converting vehicle-interval distance data detected by said distance sensor at that time into target vehicle-interval distance data; and

a control section operatively connected to said sensors and said conversion section for controlling the vehicle speed toward the converted target vehicle speed in the vehicle-speed based auto-cruising mode, and for controlling the vehicle-interval distance to the vehicle ahead toward the converted target vehicle-interval distance in the vehicle-interval distance based auto-cruising mode.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said first switch comprises a push-button type SET switch, and when it is detected in the vehicle-interval distance based auto-cruising mode that said SET switch is depressed for a predetermined period of time, said conversion section sets a vehicle-interval distance obtained when said SET switch is released to be the target vehicle-interval distance.

19. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said operation member comprises a COAST switch as a second switch, and when it is detected in the vehicle-interval distance based auto-cruising mode that said COAST switch is depressed, said conversion section sets a vehicle-interval distance obtained when said COAST switch is released to be the target vehicle-interval distance.

20. A cruise control apparatus, comprising:

a switch for outputting a switching signal in accordance with an operation of a driver, said switching signal indicating that a target vehicle speed is to be changed;

vehicle-speed based auto-cruising control means for converting a signal from said switch into a target vehicle speed signal where a vehicle-interval distance control is not operable and controlling a vehicle speed toward a target vehicle speed on the basis of the converted signal;

vehicle-interval distance based auto-cruising control means for converting the signal from said switch into a target vehicle-interval distance signal where a vehicle-interval distance control is operable and controlling a vehicle speed to maintain a vehicle-interval distance to a vehicle ahead to be a target vehicle-interval distance on the basis of the converted signal; and

conversion means for, while said switch is continuously operated by the driver where the vehicle-interval distance control is operable, converting the switching signal from the switch into a control signal to change the vehicle speed, and sets an interval distance to the vehicle ahead at the time when the operation of the switch is stopped by the driver and outputs the set interval distance as a target interval distance to said vehicle-interval distance based auto-cruising control means.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said switch is a push-button type SET switch for setting a target vehicle speed, and while said SET switch is continuously depressed, said conversion means converts a signal indicating the depression operation into a signal for increasing the vehicle speed, and sets a distance to the vehicle ahead obtained when said SET switch is released to be the target vehicle-interval distance.

22. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said switch is a COAST switch for decreasing the target vehicle speed, and while said COAST switch is continuously depressed, said conversion means converts a signal indicating the depression operation into a signal for decreasing the vehicle speed, and sets a distance to the vehicle ahead obtained when said COAST switch is released to be the target vehicle-interval distance.