Vehicle traveling control device

• US 6,184,784 B1
• Filed: 09/28/1998
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Inventors: Shibuya, Toshihide
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John
• Application Number:
  US09/155,445
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: 340/438, 340/440, 180/167, 180/290
• US Class Current: 340/438
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0408 transmitting the signals by non-mechanical means from the wheel or tyre to a vehicle body mounted receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0195 characterised by the regulation being combined with other vehicle control systems conjoint control of vehicle sub-units including control of suspension systems B60W10/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/026 Heavy duty trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/204 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/50 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/51 in suspension unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/10 responsive to conditions relating to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/00 Vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator fittings acting on two or more sub-units B60W30/14; speedometers G01P; systems or devices for controlling speed in general G05D13/00 ; in traffic anti-collision system for road vehicles G08G1/16
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/12 for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger limiting speed of vehicles other than rail vehicles B60K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/10 Weight
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/22 Safety or indicating devices for abnormal conditions in air/fuel ratio feedback systems F02D41/1495, in electric control linkage F02D11/107, in purge control systems F02M25/0809
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/44 dependent on machine speed of the machine, e.g. the vehicle

Abstract

The present invention is a vehicle traveling control device, which can extend the life of a structure constituting a vehicle body. For this purpose, the traveling control device includes respective pressure sensors (22) for detecting pressures exerted on suspensions, a vehicle speed detector (33), a controller (10) for obtaining stress exerted on at least one of a frame (1), a vessel (41), front axles (42), and a rear axle (43) based on pressure detection values from the respective pressure sensors (22) and for issuing a deceleration instruction when the obtained stress is greater than a predetermined allowable value, and a speed control means (31) for inputting the deceleration instruction and controlling at least one of an engine fuel injection quantity, a transmission, and a braking device so that a detected value from the vehicle speed detector (33) equals an instruction speed of the deceleration instruction.

Claims

1. A vehicle traveling control device in a vehicle including freely rotative wheels;

front axles and a rear axle for supporting said wheels;

suspensions for supporting and absorbing shock exerted on said front axles and said rear axle;

a frame which is supported by said front axles, said rear axle, and said suspensions; and

a vessel which is mounted on a top portion of said frame;

said vehicle traveling control device comprising;

pressure sensors for detecting pressures exerted on respective ones of said suspensions;

a vehicle speed detector for detecting vehicle speed;

position detecting means for detecting a position of the vehicle;

a controller for determining a stress exerted on at least one of the following;

said frame, said vessel, said front axles, and said rear axle, based on pressure detection values of respective ones of said pressure sensors, for inputting a vehicle position from said position detecting means at a time of determining said stress and for storing the inputted vehicle position when said determined stress is greater than a predetermined allowable value, and for outputting a deceleration instruction when thereafter passing a thus stored vehicle position; and

a speed control means for inputting said deceleration instruction, and for controlling at least one of the following;

engine fuel injection quantity, a transmission, and a braking device, so that a detection value from said vehicle speed detector equals an instructed speed in said deceleration instruction.

2. A vehicle traveling control device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

a transmitter/receiver for transmitting and receiving position data to and from other vehicles,

said controller transmitting the vehicle position, at the time of determining said stress, to the other vehicles by means of said transmitter/receiver when inputting and storing the vehicle position from said position detecting means at the time of determining said stress, and said controller receiving vehicle positions from said other vehicles, in which a stress greater than a predetermined allowable value is detected, by means of said transmitter/receiver and storing thus received vehicle positions.

3. A vehicle traveling control device in a vehicle including freely rotative wheels;

front axles and a rear axle for supporting said wheels;

suspensions for supporting and absorbing shock exerted on said front axles and said rear axle;

a frame which is supported by said front axles, said rear axle, and said suspensions; and

a vessel which is mounted on a top portion of said frame;

said vehicle traveling control device comprising;

pressure sensors for detecting pressures exerted on respective ones of said suspensions at predetermined cycle times;

a vehicle speed detector for detecting vehicle speed;

a controller for determining a stress exerted on at least one of the following;

said frame, said vessel, said front axles, and said rear axle, based on pressure detection values from respective ones of said pressure sensors at each of said predetermined cycle times, for determining which stress range out of predetermined stress ranges the thus determined stress falls in, for renewing a frequency value corresponding to the thus determined stress range, for obtaining for each stress range a product of a central stress value in a respective one of said stress ranges and a frequency value at the respective central stress value, for calculating a total amount of the thus obtained products in all of the stress ranges as a damage quantity, and for outputting a deceleration instruction when a load multiplying factor, which is calculated based on said damage quantity, is greater than a predetermined allowable value; and

a speed control means for inputting said deceleration instruction, and for controlling at least one of the following;

engine fuel injection quantity, a transmission, and a braking device, so that a detection value from said vehicle speed detector equals an instructed speed in said deceleration instruction.

4. A vehicle traveling control device in a vehicle including freely rotative wheels;

front axles and a rear axle for supporting said wheels;

suspensions for absorbing and supporting shock exerted on said front axles and said rear axle;

a frame which is supported by said front axles, said rear axle and said suspensions; and

a vessel which is mounted on a top portion of said frame;

said vehicle traveling control device comprising;

pressure sensors for detecting pressures exerted on respective ones of said suspensions at predetermined cycle times;

a loading completion informing means for informing a loader side that loadage weight reaches an allowable loadage weight value when a loading completion signal is inputted; and

a controller for determining a stress exerted on at least one of the following;

said frame, said vessel, said front axles, and said rear axle, based on pressure detection values from respective ones of said pressure sensors at each of said predetermined cycle times, for determining which stress range out of predetermined stress ranges the thus determined stress falls in, for renewing a frequency value corresponding to the thus determined stress range, for obtaining for each stress range a product of a central stress value in a respective one of said stress ranges and a frequency value at the respective central stress value, for calculating a total amount of the thus obtained products in all of the stress ranges as a damage quantity, for decreasing said allowable loadage weight value when a load multiplying factor, which is calculated based on said damage quantity, is greater than a predetermined allowable value, and for outputting the loading completion signal to said loading completion informing means when a loadage weight, which is obtained based on pressure detection values of said pressure sensors, reaches said decreased allowable loadage weight value at a next loading time.