Apparatus and method for performing automatic control over velocity of automotive vehicle
First Claim
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1. A control apparatus for an automotive vehicle, comprising:
- an inter-vehicle distance detector to detect an actual inter-vehicle distance which is running ahead of the vehicle on the same traffic lane as the vehicle; and
a controller programmed to;
calculate a target value of a vehicular velocity variation rate on the basis of the actual value of the inter-vehicle distance and a target value of the same;
perform a follow-up run control for the vehicle to follow up the preceding vehicle according to the target value of the vehicular velocity variation rate and to maintain the inter-vehicle distance from the vehicle to the preceding vehicle at the target value of the same;
responsive to a detection of a new preceding vehicle by the inter-vehicle distance detector, where the new preceding vehicle has a different inter-vehicle distance than the target inter-vehicle distance, calculate a target vehicle motion to be a transitional vehicle motion of the vehicle until a new inter-vehicle distance from the vehicle to the new preceding vehicle is made substantially equal to the target value of the inter-vehicle distance from the vehicle to the preceding vehicle; and
adjust the vehicular velocity variation rate in such a manner that the vehicular motion becomes the target vehicular motion.
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Abstract
In automatic vehicular velocity control apparatus and method for an automotive vehicle, a controller is responsive to the detection of a new preceding vehicle by an inter-vehicle distance detector and programmed to derive a target motion of the vehicle until a present relationship between the vehicle and the new preceding vehicle becomes a relationship between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle in a steady state and to adjust a vehicular variation rate in such a manner that the motion of the vehicle gives the target motion of the vehicle. In a embodiment, a target value of a vehicular acceleration/deceleration is calculated as the target motion of the vehicle.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A control apparatus for an automotive vehicle, comprising:
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an inter-vehicle distance detector to detect an actual inter-vehicle distance which is running ahead of the vehicle on the same traffic lane as the vehicle; and
a controller programmed to;
calculate a target value of a vehicular velocity variation rate on the basis of the actual value of the inter-vehicle distance and a target value of the same;
perform a follow-up run control for the vehicle to follow up the preceding vehicle according to the target value of the vehicular velocity variation rate and to maintain the inter-vehicle distance from the vehicle to the preceding vehicle at the target value of the same;
responsive to a detection of a new preceding vehicle by the inter-vehicle distance detector, where the new preceding vehicle has a different inter-vehicle distance than the target inter-vehicle distance, calculate a target vehicle motion to be a transitional vehicle motion of the vehicle until a new inter-vehicle distance from the vehicle to the new preceding vehicle is made substantially equal to the target value of the inter-vehicle distance from the vehicle to the preceding vehicle; and
adjust the vehicular velocity variation rate in such a manner that the vehicular motion becomes the target vehicular motion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A control apparatus for an automotive vehicle, comprising:
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inter-vehicle distance detecting means for detecting an actual inter-vehicle distance which is running ahead of the vehicle on the same traffic lane as the vehicle; and
controlling means for calculating a target value of a vehicular velocity variation rate on the basis of the actual value of the inter-vehicle distance and for performing a follow-up run control for the vehicle to follow up the preceding vehicle according to the target value of the vehicular velocity variation rate and to maintain the inter-vehicle distance from the vehicle to the preceding vehicle at the target value of the same, the controlling means being responsive to a detection of a new preceding vehicle, where the new preceding vehicle has a different inter-vehicle distance than the target inter-vehicle distance, by the inter-vehicle distance detecting means for calculating the target value of the vehicular velocity variation rate to be a transitional vehicular velocity variation rate on the basis of a new inter-vehicle distance from the vehicle to the new preceding vehicle and a variation rate of the new inter-vehicle distance and for varying the vehicular velocity on the basis of the target value of the vehicular velocity variation rate until the new inter-vehicle distance is made substantially equal to the target value of the inter-vehicle distance from the vehicle to the preceding vehicle.
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20. A control method for an automotive vehicle, comprising:
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detecting an actual inter-vehicle distance from the vehicle to a preceding vehicle which is running ahead of the vehicle on the same traffic lane as the vehicle;
calculating a target value of a vehicular velocity variation rate on the basis of the actual value of the inter-vehicle distance and a target value of the same;
performing a follow-up run control for the vehicle to follow up the preceding vehicle according to the calculated target vehicular velocity variation rate;
maintaining the inter-vehicle distance from the vehicle to the preceding vehicle at the target value of the same;
when detecting a new preceding vehicle, where the new preceding vehicle has a different inter-vehicle distance than the target inter-vehicle distance, deriving a target motion of the vehicle to be a transitional vehicle motion of the vehicle until a new inter-vehicle distance from the vehicle to the new preceding vehicle is made substantially equal to the target value of the inter-vehicle distance from the vehicle to the preceding vehicle; and
adjusting the vehicular variation rate in such a manner that the motion of the vehicle gives the derived target motion of the vehicle.
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Specification