Vehicular control system for detecting road situations of a planned route

• US 6,014,605 A
• Filed: 03/31/1997
• Issued: 01/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Murakami, Kuniaki, Morisawa, Kunio
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US08/825,566
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: 701/208, 701/51, 701/55, 701/65, 701/213, 701/201, 701/210
• US Class Current: 701/65
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/666 Determining road conditions by using vehicle location or position, e.g. from global navigation systems [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/66 Road conditions, e.g. slope, slippery
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 63/40 comprising signals other than signals for actuating the final output mechanisms

Abstract

A vehicular control system for enabling the driver to recognize in advance an obstructing state present in a plan route to be followed by the driver, even if the driver has a poor consciousness or a concentration on the driving operation. The vehicular control system comprises a mechanism for changing the gear stage of the automatic transmission of the vehicle and establishing the shift shock, if the presence of a traffic obstruction such as another vehicle obstructing the run of the vehicle on the plan route is detected, to notify the driver of the presence of another vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicular control system for detecting the road situations of a plan route to be followed by the vehicle and for executing controls including the control of an automatic transmission, mounted on the vehicle, on the basis of the road situations, comprising:

obstructing factor detecting means for detecting the presence of factors for obstructing the run of the vehicle on said plan route; and

obstruction notifying means for notifying, every time that the presence of said factors is detected by said obstructing factor detecting means, a driver of the vehicle of the presence of said obstructing factors by controlling a drive state of said automatic transmission, to establish a change of vehicle behavior.

2. A vehicular control system according to claim 1,

wherein said obstructing factor detecting means includes means for detecting said plan route and the present position on map data and said obstructing factors on said plan route.

3. A vehicular control system according to claim 1,

wherein said obstruction notifying means includes means for lowering the torque transmission in the automatic transmission.

4. A vehicular control system according to claim 1,

wherein said obstruction notifying means includes means for executing both the reduction in the torque transmission in the automatic transmission and the restoration of the transmission of the reduced torque consecutively.

5. A vehicular control system according to claim 1, further comprising:

display means for executing a control appealing the visual sense of the driver when said obstruction notifying means executes the control to notify the presence of said obstructing factors.

6. A vehicular control system according to claim 1,

wherein said obstructing factor detecting means includes means for detecting a traffic obstruction on said plan route, and

wherein said obstruction notifying means includes means for notifying the driver of the presence of said obstructing factors by controlling the drive state of the automatic transmission when the presence of said traffic obstruction is detected.

7. A vehicular control system for detecting the road situations of a plan route to be followed by the vehicle and for executing controls including the control of an automatic transmission, mounted on the vehicle, on the basis of the road situations, comprising:

obstructing factor detecting means for the presence of factors for obstructing the run of the vehicle on said plan route, wherein said obstructing factors include at least one of a traffic stagnation and a traffic obstruction on the roads; and

obstruction notifying means for notifying, when the presence of said factors is detected by said obstructing factor detecting means, a driver of the vehicle of the presence of said obstructing factors by controlling a drive state of said automatic transmission.

8. A vehicular control system for detecting the road situations of a plan route to be followed by the vehicle and for executing controls in including the control of an automatic transmission, mounted on the vehicle, on the basis of the road situations, comprising:

obstructing factor detecting means for detecting the presence of factors for obstructing the run of the vehicle on said plan route; and

obstruction notifying means for notifying, when the presence of said factors is detected by said obstructing factor detecting means, a driver of the vehicle of the presence of said obstructing factors by controlling a drive state of said automatic transmission, wherein said obstruction notifying means includes means for establishing shocks by changing the output torque of the vehicle.

9. A vehicular control system for detecting the road situations of a plan route to be followed by the vehicle and for executing controls including the control of an automatic transmission, mounted on the vehicle, on the basis of the road situations, comprising:

obstructing factor detecting means for detecting the presence of factors for obstructing the run of the vehicle on said plan route; and

obstruction notifying means for notifying, when the presence of said factors is detected by said obstructing factor detecting means, a driver of the vehicle of the presence of said obstructing factors by controlling a drive state of said automatic transmission, wherein said obstruction notifying means includes shift means for executing a downshift and an upshift consecutively in the automatic transmission.

10. A vehicular control system for detecting the road situations of a plan route to be followed by the vehicle and for executing controls including the control of an automatic transmission, mounted on the vehicle, on the basis of the road situations, comprising:

obstructing factor detecting means for detecting the presence of factors for obstructing the run of the vehicle on said plan route; and

obstruction notifying means for notifying, when the presence of said factors is detected by said obstructing factor detecting means, a driver of the vehicle of the presence of said obstructing factors by controlling a drive state of said automatic transmission, wherein said obstruction notifying means includes shift means including temporary applied state forming means for temporarily enlarging, at a shifting instant when a predetermined first frictional engagement unit of the automatic transmission is to be applied whereas a second frictional engagement unit is to be released, the transmission troque capacities of the two fictional engagement units to approach an applied state.

11. A vehicular control system according to claim 10,

wherein said temporary applied state forming means includes means for executing a feed of an oil pressure to the frictional engagement unit to be applied, faster at the time of notifying said obstructing factors than at other times.

12. A vehicular control system for detecting the road situations of a plan route to be followed by the vehicle and for executing controls including the control of an automatic transmission, mounted on the vehicle, on the basis of the road situations, comprising:

obstructing factor detecting means for detecting the presence of factors for obstructing the run of the vehicle on said plan route;

obstruction notifying means for notifying, when the presence of said factors is detected by said obstructing factor detecting means, a driver of the vehicle of the presence of said obstructing factors by controlling a drive state of said automatic transmission;

stop detecting means for detecting that the vehicle can be stopped at a predetermined position prior to reaching said obstructing factors; and

braking means for executing the braking of the vehicle when it is not detected that the vehicle can be stopped before said predetermined position.

13. A vehicular control system for detecting the road situations of a plan route to be followed by the vehicle and for executing controls including the control of an automatic transmission, mounted on the vehicle, on the basis of the road situations, comprising:

obstructing factor detecting means for detecting the presence of factors for obstructing the run of the vehicle on said plan route;

obstruction notifying means for notifying, when the presence of said factors is detected by said obstructing factor detecting means, a driver of the vehicle of the presence of said obstructing factors by controlling a drive state of said automatic transmission;

stop detecting means for detecting that the vehicle can be stopped at a predetermined position prior to reaching said obstructing factors; and

non-drive means for lowering the torque transmission in the automatic transmission to a neutral state when it is not detected that the vehicle can be stopped before said predetermined position.

14. A vehicular control system for detecting the road situation of a plan route to be followed by the vehicle and for executing controls including the control of an automatic transmission, mounted on the vehicle, on the basis of the road situations, comprising:

obstructing factor detecting means for detecting the presence of factors for obstructing the run of the vehicle on said plan route;

obstruction notifying means for notifying, when the presence of said factors is detected by said obstructing factor detecting means, a driver of the vehicle of the presence of said obstructing factors by controlling a drive state of said automatic transmission;

stop detecting means for detecting that the vehicle can be stopped at a predetermined position prior to reaching said obstructing factors;

braking means for executing the braking of the vehicle when it is not detected that the vehicle can be stopped before said predetermined position; and

non-drive means for lowering the torque transmission in the automatic transmission to a neutral state when it is not detected that the vehicle can be stopped before said predetermined position.

15. A vehicular control system for detecting the road situations of a plan route to be followed by the vehicle and for executing controls including the control of an automatic transmission, mounted on the vehicle, on the basis of the road situations, comprising:

obstructing factor detecting means for detecting the presence of factors for obstructing the run of the vehicle on said plan route;

obstruction notifying means for notifying, when the presence of said factors is detected by said obstructing factor detecting means, a driver of the vehicle of the presence of said obstructing factors by controlling a drive state of said automatic transmission;

avoiding operation detecting means for detecting an operation to avoid the approach of the vehicle to said obstructing factors;

stop detecting means for detecting that the vehicle can be stopped at a predetermined position prior to reaching said obstructing factors; and

braking means for executing the braking of the vehicle when it is not detected that the vehicle can be stopped before said predetermined position.

16. A vehicular control system according to claim 15, further comprising:

means for executing the shift of the automatic transmission repeadly so that the shock may gradually rise, when said avoiding operation detecting means fails to detect said avoiding operation.

17. A vehicular control system according to claim 15,

wherein said avoiding operation detecting means includes means for detecting that at least one of the braking operation and a steering operation in the direction to avoid said obstructing factors.

18. A vehicular control system for detecting the road situations of a plan route to be followed by the vehicle and for executing controls including the control of an automatic transmission, mounted on the vehicle, on the basis of the road situations, comprising:

obstructing factor detecting means for detecting the presence of factors for obstructing the run of the vehicle on said plan route;

obstruction notifying means for notifying, when the presence of said factors is detected by said obstructing factor detecting means, a driver of the vehicle of the presence of said obstructing factors by controlling a drive state of said automatic transmission;

avoiding operation detecting means for detecting an operation to avoid the approach of the vehicle to said obstructing factors;

stop detecting means for detecting that the vehicle can be stopped at a predetermined position prior to reaching said obstructing factors; and

non-drive means for lowering the torque transmission in the automatic transmission to a neutral state when it is not detected that the vehicle can be stopped before said predetermined position.

19. A vehicular control system for detecting the road situations of a plan route to be followed by the vehicle and for executing controls including the control of an automatic transmission, mounted on the vehicle, on the basis of the road situations, comprising:

obstructing factor detecting means for detecting the presence of factors for obstructing the run of the vehicle on said plan route;

obstruction notifying means for notifying, when the presence of said factors is detected by said obstructing factor detecting means, a driver of the vehicle of the presence of said obstructing factors by controlling a drive state of said automatic transmission;

avoiding operation detecting means for detecting an operation to avoid the approach of the vehicle to said obstructing factors;

stop detecting means for detecting that the vehicle can be stopped at a predetermined position prior to reaching said obstructing factors;

braking means for executing the braking of the vehicle when it is not detected that the vehicle can be stopped before said predetermined position; and

non-drive means for lowering the torque transmission in the automatic transmission to a neutral state when it is not detected that the vehicle can be stopped before said predetermined position.

20. A vehicular control system for detecting the road situations of a plan route to be followed by the vehicle and for executing controls including the control of an automatic transmission, mounted on the vehicle, on the basis of the road situations, comprising:

obstructing factor detecting means for detecting the presence of factors for obstructing the run of the vehicle on said plan route;

obstruction notifying means for notifying, when the presence of said factors is detected by said obstructing factor detecting means, a driver of the vehicle of the presence of said obstructing factors by controlling a drive state of said automatic transmission; and

power-ON detecting means for detecting the power-On state in which the automatic transmission is driven by the torque which is inputted from an engine of the vehicle,

wherein said obstructing factor detecting means includes means for lowering the torque transmission in the automatic transmission to a neutral state when it detects the presence of said obstructing factors and said power-ON detecting means detects the power-ON state.

21. A vehicular control system for detecting the road situations of a plan route to be followed by the vehicle and for executing controls including the control of an automatic transmission, mounted on the vehicle, on the basis of the road situations, comprising:

obstructing factor detecting means for detecting the presence of factors for obstructing the run of the vehicle on said plan route;

obstruction notifying means for notifying, when the presence of said factors is detected by said obstructing factor detecting means, a driver of the vehicle of the presence of said obstructing factors by controlling a drive state of said automatic transmission; and

power-ON detecting means for detecting the power-On state in which the automatic transmission is driven by the torque which is inputted from an engine of the vehicle, wherein said obstructing factor detecting means includes means for executing a downshift and an upshift consecutively in the automatic transmission when the obstructing factor detecting means detects the presence of said obstructing factors and said power-ON detecting means fails to detect the power-ON state.

22. A vehicular control system for detecting the road situations of a plan route to be followed by the vehicle and for executing controls including the control of an automatic transmission, mounted on the vehicle, on the basis of the road situations, comprising:

obstructing factor detecting means for detecting the presence of factors obstructing the run of the vehicle on said plan route; and

obstruction notifying means for immediately notifying, every time that the presence of said factors is detected by said obstructing factor detecting means, a driver of the vehicle of the presence of said obstructing factors by controlling a drive state of said automatic transmission, to establish a change of vehicle behavior.