Method and apparatus for controller power train of motor vehicle

• US 6,216,082 B1
• Filed: 04/20/1999
• Issued: 04/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Minowa, Toshimichi, Ochi, Tatsuya, Kuroda, Hiroshi, Kuragaki, Satoru, Kurata, Kenichirou
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US09/294,312
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 701/65, 701/70, 701/96, 701/83, 701/84, 701/90, 701/91, 701/111, 307/10.1, 123/478, 123/492, 123/493, 477/107, 477/54, 477/186, 340/436, 180/197
• US Class Current: 701/96
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/66 Electrical control in fluid-pressure brake systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/24 Curve radius
• 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 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/16 Driving resistance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/20 Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/30 Road curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/40 Coefficient of friction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/106 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/08 Active safety systems predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision or attempting to minimise its consequences
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/06 Road conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9318 Controlling the steering
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93185 Controlling the brakes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 : Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

The vehicle power train control method and apparatus according to the invention secures both operability and safety by controlling an actual acceleration/deceleration to a target acceleration/deceleration requested by a driver under safe traveling condition, and changing the target acceleration/deceleration so as to take precedence for safe traveling if the driver encounters a dangerous traveling condition. According to the invention, acceleration/deceleration and speed of a motor vehicle are detected; a target acceleration/deceleration is determined; and a road condition such as a road gradient or presence or absence of a forward motor vehicle is detected to decide whether the road condition is dangerous. The target acceleration is changed if the condition is decided to be dangerous.

Claims

1. A control apparatus for a power train of a motor vehicle comprising:

a pattern memory in which data of road environment patterns is stored;

a road environment detector for detecting road environment data in front of said motor vehicle;

a pattern converter unit for converting said road environment data to a road environment pattern;

a pattern comparing unit wherein one of said road environment patterns is selected by matching said converted environment pattern and said data of road environment patterns; and

a controlling unit wherein at least one of an engine, a transmission, and brake is controlled based on said selected road environment pattern.

2. A control apparatus for a power train of a motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

at least one of said pattern converter unit and said pattern comparing unit is a computer capable of performing an operation according to a neural network.

3. A control apparatus for a power train of a motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said road environment is a shape of a road.

4. A control method for a power train of a motor vehicle comprising the steps of:

storing data of road environment patterns in a pattern memory;

detecting road environment data in front of said motor vehicle;

converting said road environment data to a road environment pattern;

selecting a road environment pattern by matching said converted environment pattern and data of road environment patterns in said pattern memory; and

controlling at least one of an engine, a transmission, and brake based on said selected road environment pattern.

5. A control method for a power train of a motor vehicle according to claim 4, wherein:

at least one of said steps of converting said road environment data to a road environment pattern and selecting a road environment pattern is performed by means of a neural network.

6. A control method for a power train of a motor vehicle according to claim 4, wherein said road environment is a shape of a road.