Motor vehicle drive system controller and automatic drive controller

• US 6,178,372 B1
• Filed: 08/10/1999
• Issued: 01/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Fukumura, Kagenori, Tabata, Atsushi, Nakamura, Yasunari, Tomomatsu, Hideo, Taniguchi, Hiroji
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US09/371,006
• Time in Patent Office: 532 Days
• Field of Search: 701/97, 701/92, 701/93, 701/95, 701/200, 701/301, 701/62, 340/903, 340/436, 340/467, 340/901, 340/425.5, 123/352, 123/351, 180/167, 180/168
• US Class Current: 701/97
• 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: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/11 Stepped gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/115 with planetary gears
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/021 Means for detecting failure or malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/16 Driving resistance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0616 Position of fuel or air injector
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/143 Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/1819 Propulsion control with control means using analogue circuits, relays or mechanical links
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/029 Adapting to failures or work around with other constraints, e.g. circumvention by avoiding use of failed parts
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/1232 Bringing the control into a predefined state, e.g. giving priority to particular actuators or gear ratios
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/1264 Hydraulic parts of the controller, e.g. a sticking valve or clogged channel
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/0206 Layout of electro-hydraulic control circuits, e.g. arrangement of valves for control of actuators selecting and moving final output members, e.g. shift forks F16H61/2807
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/04 Smoothing ratio shift
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/12 Detecting malfunction or potential malfunction, e.g. fail safe in control of hydrostatic gearing F16H61/4192; Circumventing or fixing failures
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/16 Inhibiting or initiating shift during unfavourable conditions, e.g. preventing forward reverse shift at high vehicle speed, preventing engine over speed unintentional control input F16H61/18

Abstract

A motor vehicle drive system controller is adapted to automatic drive control, the engine and the transmission being among the objects of control. The power output of the motor is controlled so as to maintain either a consistent drivable mode or a consistent undrivable mode as the automatic transmission shifts gears while the vehicle is running under automatic drive control. The consistent drivable mode refers to a state where the output torque of the motor is greater than the sum of the average running resistance and the variation in the running resistance and the consistent undrivable mode refers to a state where the output torque of the motor is smaller than the difference of the average running resistance and the variation in the running resistance. The automatic drive control function is prohibited when the controller detects abnormality in the transmission.

Claims

1. An automatic drive controller for controlling the running speed of a motor vehicle according to the inter-vehicular distance between the motor vehicle and an object found in front of the motor vehicle, wherein

the transmission of the motor vehicle is one of the objects controlled by the controller, and

the controller comprises means for prohibiting automatic drive control operation when it detects an abnormality in the transmission.

2. An automatic drive controller according to claim 1, wherein

said transmission is an automatic transmission provided with a hydraulic control unit and said hydraulic control unit is provided with solenoid devices for controlling the transmission;

and

said abnormality includes one or more failed solenoid devices.

3. An automatic drive controller for controlling the running speed of a motor vehicle according to the inter-vehicular distance between the motor vehicle and an object found in front of the motor vehicle, wherein

the transmission of the motor vehicle as one of the objects controlled by the controller, and

the controller comprises means for notifying the driver that the automatic drive control is inoperative when it detects an abnormality in the transmission.

4. An automatic drive controller according to claim 3, wherein

said means for notifying the driver that the automatic drive control inoperative is an indicator lamp.

5. An automatic drive controller according to claim 3, wherein

said means for notifying the driver that the automatic drive control inoperative is a device for emitting alarm sound.

6. An automatic drive controller according to claim 3, wherein

said means for notifying the driver that the automatic drive control inoperative is a device providing a verbal warning.