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Controlling vehicular driving force in anticipation of road situation on which vehicle is to run utilizing vehicular navigation system

  • US 5,832,400 A
  • Filed: 09/01/1995
  • Issued: 11/03/1998
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/05/1994
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A control apparatus for an automotive vehicle, comprising:

  • a) electronic road map storing means for storing a road map information, said road map information including at least a gradient information of roads;

    b) vehicle present position determining means for determining a present position of the vehicle;

    c) running road estimating means for referring to the stored road map information using present position of the vehicle so as to receive said road map information for the vehicle, and for estimating a future position of the vehicle, said estimated future position of the vehicle being a future position of the vehicle several seconds after a time at which the vehicle has been placed at the determined present position;

    d) running resistance measuring means for deriving a present vehicle load condition imposed on a vehicular driving system at the determined present position of the vehicle;

    e) driving force predicting means for correcting the present vehicular load condition at the determined present position of the vehicle so as to predict a required driving force at the future estimated position of the vehicle as a function of the gradient information between the determined present position of the vehicle and the estimated future position of the vehicle; and

    f) vehicular driving system controlling means for adjusting in advance a setting of a driving characteristic of at least one of a vehicular engine and an engine associated automatic power transmission installed in the vehicle driving system as a function of the predicted driving force at the estimated future position of the vehicle so as to suppress a fuel consumption as low as possible within a range such that the fuel consumption enables the vehicular driving system to exert the required driving force at the estimated future position of the vehicle.

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