Wheel control state display apparatus

• US 6,352,318 B1
• Filed: 05/18/2000
• Issued: 03/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Hosomi, Kazushi, Yamamoto, Shinsuke, Nagae, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): RODRIGUEZ, PAMELA
• Application Number:
  US09/572,851
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 303/139, 303/163, 303/167, 303/113.2, 340/453, 340/467, 340/479
• US Class Current: 303/139
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/662 characterised by specified functions of the control system components
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/22 Devices for monitoring or checking brake systems; Signal devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2270/206 Monitoring, e.g. parameter monitoring, plausibility check
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/175 Brake regulation specially adapted to prevent excessive wheel spin during vehicle acceleration, e.g. for traction control safety devices for propulsion unit control responsive to, or preventing, skidding of wheels B60K28/16
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/4809 Traction control, stability control, using both the wheel brakes and other automatic braking systems

Abstract

A wheel control state display apparatus of the present invention has a vehicle state detector for detecting a state of a vehicle, a traction-braking force controller for adjusting braking force or traction at a plurality of wheels mounted on the vehicle, based on the result of detection of the vehicle state detector, and a control state display for displaying a wheel under adjustment of the braking force or the traction by the traction-braking force controller. The apparatus according to the present invention can present the conditions of the vehicle to the driver in more detail by displaying which wheel is under the adjustment of the traction-braking force.

Claims

1. A wheel control state display apparatus, comprising:

vehicle state detecting means for detecting a state of a vehicle;

traction-braking force control means for adjusting braking force or traction at a plurality of wheels mounted on the vehicle, based on a result of detection of said vehicle state detecting means; and

control state display means for displaying which wheel is under adjustment of the braking force or the traction by said traction-braking force control means.

2. The wheel control state display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control state display means comprises display areas for the respective wheels located in a layout similar to that of said wheels in said vehicle.

3. The wheel control state display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said traction-braking force control means comprises braking force adjusting means for adjusting the braking force at each of said wheels by urging a friction material against said wheel or a rotary part to which said wheel is coupled, and traction adjusting means for adjusting the traction at said wheels, and

wherein said control state display means displays different display patterns in said display areas for the respective wheels between in a situation in which only the braking force is adjusted at said wheels by said braking force adjusting means and in a situation in which only the traction is adjusted at said wheels by said traction adjusting means.

4. The wheel control state display apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said vehicle state detecting means is slip rate detecting means for detecting slip rates of said wheels, and

wherein said traction-braking force control means is traction control means for adjusting the braking force or the traction at said wheels in order to restrain a slip at said wheels, based on a result of detection of said slip rate detecting means.

5. The wheel control state display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said traction-braking force control means comprises braking force adjusting means for adjusting the braking force at each of said wheels by urging a friction material against said wheel or a rotary part to which said wheel is coupled and wherein said control state display means displays a wheel under adjustment of the braking force by said braking force adjusting means.

6. The wheel control state display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said traction-braking force control means comprises traction adjusting means for adjusting the traction at said wheels and wherein said control state display means displays a wheel under adjustment of the traction by said traction adjusting means.