Vehicle drive force control device

• US 6,272,416 B1
• Filed: 02/08/1999
• Issued: 08/07/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Abe, Hiroshi, Sato, Yoshihiro, Toukura, Nobusuke, Sato, Hiroshi, Kuroda, Kouichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hernandez, Olga
• Application Number:
  US09/246,096
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• Field of Search: 701/70, 701/72, 701/200, 701/111, 701/95, 340/990, 340/995, 180/170
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/74 with electrical assistance or drive
• 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 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/045 Improving turning performance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18127 Regenerative braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18145 Cornering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/06 Road conditions
• 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 61/0213 characterised by the method for generating shift signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network

Abstract

A control device detects a curve in front of a vehicle based on the vehicle position and map information, and a driver'"'"'s accelerator pedal operation is detected based on a sensor output. When a curve is detected in front of the vehicle and it is detected that the driver has released the accelerator pedal, a speed ratio of the automatic transmission is modified to generate a deceleration force.

Claims

1. A drive force control device for a vehicle comprising:

deceleration force generating means for decelerating said vehicle,

a sensor for detecting a position, of said vehicle,

a storing medium wherein map information is stored,

a sensor for detecting release of an accelerator pedal, and

a microprocessor programmed to;

detect a curve in front of said vehicle based on said vehicle position and map information, and

control said deceleration force generating means to decelerate said vehicle when a curve is detected in front of said vehicle and release of the accelerator pedal is detected.

2. A control device as defined in claim 1 further comprising a sensor for detecting a speed of said vehicle, wherein said microprocessor is further programmed to:

calculate a distance between said vehicle position and said curve,

control said deceleration force generating means to generate a larger deceleration force the shorter said distance.

3. A control device as defined in claim 1, wherein said microprocessor is further programmed to:

calculate a distance between said vehicle position and said curve,

set a control permission distance according to said vehicle speed, and

control said deceleration force generating means to decelerate said vehicle when said distance between said vehicle position and said curve is less than said control permission distance, and release of the accelerator pedal is detected.

4. A control device as defined in claim 3, wherein the rate of increase of said control permission distance relative to said vehicle speed is set to be smaller the smaller a curvature radius of said curve.

5. A control device as defined in claim 3, wherein the rate of increase of said control permission distance relative to said vehicle speed is set not to depend on the curvature radius of said detected curve when the curvature radius of said curve is larger than a predetermined value.

6. A control device as defined in claim 3, wherein said control permission distance is set to be larger than a predetermined value.

7. A controller as defined in claim 1,

further comprising a sensor for detecting that a brake pedal is depressed, and wherein said microprocessor is further programmed to:

control said deceleration force generating means to decelerate said vehicle during a time period from the release of the accelerator pedal until the depression of the brake pedal.

8. A controller as defined in claim 1,

wherein said deceleration force generating means comprises an automatic transmission, and

said deceleration force generating means decelerates said vehicle by modifying a speed ratio of said transmission.

9. A controller as defined in claim 1,

wherein said deceleration force generating means comprises a brake actuator which applies a braking force to said vehicle, and

said deceleration force generating means decelerates said vehicle (11) by applying a braking force of said brake actuator.