Vehicular velocity controlling apparatus and method to follow up a preceding vehicle running ahead of vehicle
First Claim
1. A vehicular velocity controlling apparatus, comprising:
- an inter-vehicle distance detector to detect an inter-vehicle distance from a host vehicle to a preceding vehicle which is running ahead of the host vehicle;
a target vehicular velocity calculating section that calculates a target vehicular velocity to make a detected value of the inter-vehicle distance substantially equal to a target inter-vehicle distance;
a vehicular velocity detector to detect a vehicular velocity of the host vehicle;
a target vehicular driving force calculating section that calculates a target vehicular driving force to make a detected value of the vehicular velocity substantially equal to the target vehicular velocity;
a road surface gradient detector to detect a gradient of a descending slope on which the host vehicle is running; and
a vehicular velocity controlling section that controls a driving force exerted by a rotary driving force source and a gear position of a vehicular transmission and controls a brake force exerted by a vehicular brake system if the target vehicular driving force is negative, the vehicular velocity controlling section including a gear position shift limiter to place a limitation on a shift of the gear position of the vehicular transmission even under an establishment of a gear position shift condition in accordance with the road surface gradient detected by the road surface gradient detector, wherein the gear position shift limiter of the vehicular velocity controlling section includes;
a deceleration force margin calculator to calculate a deceleration force margin FDM on the basis of the target vehicular driving force;
a shift threshold value setting section that sets a shift threshold value with reference to which the shift of the gear position of the vehicular transmission is to be made in accordance with the magnitude of the detected gradient of the descending slope on which the host vehicle is running; and
a gear shift position determining section to determine the gear position of the vehicular transmission to which the present gear position is shifted on the basis of the deceleration force margin and the shift threshold value.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In vehicular velocity controlling method and apparatus, an inter-vehicle distance from the vehicle to another vehicle which is running ahead of the vehicle is detected, a target vehicular velocity to make a detected value of the inter-vehicle distance substantially equal to a target inter-vehicle distance is calculated, a vehicular velocity of the vehicle is detected, a target vehicular driving force to make a detected value of the vehicular velocity substantially equal to the target vehicular velocity is detected, a gradient of a descending slope on which the vehicle is running is detected, a driving force exerted by a rotary driving force source and a gear position of a vehicular transmission are controlled and simultaneously a brake force exerted by a vehicular brake system if the target driving force is negative on the basis of the calculated target driving force is controlled, and a limitation on a shift of the gear position of the vehicular transmission even under an establishment of a gear position shift condition in accordance with the road surface gradient is placed.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A vehicular velocity controlling apparatus, comprising:
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an inter-vehicle distance detector to detect an inter-vehicle distance from a host vehicle to a preceding vehicle which is running ahead of the host vehicle;
a target vehicular velocity calculating section that calculates a target vehicular velocity to make a detected value of the inter-vehicle distance substantially equal to a target inter-vehicle distance;
a vehicular velocity detector to detect a vehicular velocity of the host vehicle;
a target vehicular driving force calculating section that calculates a target vehicular driving force to make a detected value of the vehicular velocity substantially equal to the target vehicular velocity;
a road surface gradient detector to detect a gradient of a descending slope on which the host vehicle is running; and
a vehicular velocity controlling section that controls a driving force exerted by a rotary driving force source and a gear position of a vehicular transmission and controls a brake force exerted by a vehicular brake system if the target vehicular driving force is negative, the vehicular velocity controlling section including a gear position shift limiter to place a limitation on a shift of the gear position of the vehicular transmission even under an establishment of a gear position shift condition in accordance with the road surface gradient detected by the road surface gradient detector, wherein the gear position shift limiter of the vehicular velocity controlling section includes;
a deceleration force margin calculator to calculate a deceleration force margin FDM on the basis of the target vehicular driving force;
a shift threshold value setting section that sets a shift threshold value with reference to which the shift of the gear position of the vehicular transmission is to be made in accordance with the magnitude of the detected gradient of the descending slope on which the host vehicle is running; and
a gear shift position determining section to determine the gear position of the vehicular transmission to which the present gear position is shifted on the basis of the deceleration force margin and the shift threshold value.- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A vehicular velocity controlling apparatus, comprising:
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an inter-vehicle distance detector to detect an inter-vehicle distance from a host vehicle to a preceding vehicle which is running ahead of the host vehicle;
a target vehicular velocity calculating section that calculates a target vehicular velocity to make a detected value of the inter-vehicle distance substantially equal to a target inter-vehicle distance;
a vehicular velocity detector to detect a vehicular velocity of the host vehicle;
a target vehicular driving force calculating section that calculates a target vehicular driving force to make a detected value of the vehicular velocity substantially equal to the target vehicular velocity;
a road surface gradient detector to detect a gradient of a descending slope on which the host vehicle is running; and
a vehicular velocity controlling section that controls a driving force exerted by a rotary driving force source and a gear position of a vehicular transmission and controls a brake force exerted by a vehicular brake system if the target vehicular driving force is negative, the vehicular velocity controlling section including a gear position shift limiter to place a limitation on a shift of the gear position of the vehicular transmission even under an establishment of a gear position shift condition in accordance with the road surface gradient detected by the road surface gradient detector, wherein the gear position shift limiter of the vehicular velocity controlling section includes;
a descending slope gradient running time duration measuring section that measures a time duration for which the host vehicle runs continuously on the descending slope whose gradient is detected by the road surface gradient detector; and
an up shift inhibiting section that inhibits an up shift of the gear position from a lower speed gear position to a higher speed gear position of the transmission after a down shift from the higher speed gear position to the lower speed gear position is carried out for an up shift inhibit time duration set in accordance with the measured time duration.- View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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12. A vehicular velocity controlling apparatus, comprising:
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an inter-vehicle distance detector to detect an inter-vehicle distance from a host vehicle to a preceding vehicle which is running ahead of the host vehicle;
a target vehicular velocity calculating section that calculates a target vehicular velocity to make a detected value of the inter-vehicle distance substantially equal to a target inter-vehicle distance;
a vehicular velocity detector to detect a vehicular velocity of the host vehicle;
a target vehicular driving force calculating section that calculates a target vehicular driving force to make a detected value of the vehicular velocity substantially equal to the target vehicular velocity;
a road surface gradient detector to detect a gradient of a descending slope on which the host vehicle is running; and
a vehicular velocity controlling section that controls a driving force exerted by a rotary driving force source and a gear position of a vehicular transmission and controls a brake force exerted by a vehicular brake system if the target vehicular driving force is negative, the vehicular velocity controlling section including a gear position shift limiter to place a limitation on a shift of the gear position of the vehicular transmission even under an establishment of a gear position shift condition in accordance with the road surface gradient detected by the road surface gradient detector, wherein the vehicular velocity controlling section further includes;
a deceleration force margin calculator to calculate a deceleration force margin from a difference between a deceleration force demand value based on the target vehicular driving force and a maximum deceleration force based on the target vehicular velocity;
a shift position determining section that compares the deceleration force margin with a predetermined threshold value to determine a shift position of the vehicular transmission; and
an up shift inhibiting section that inhibits an up shift of the gear position from a lower speed gear position to a higher speed gear position of the vehicular transmission after a down shift from the higher speed gear position to the lower speed gear position is carried out from a time point at which the deceleration force command value is reset to a time point at which an up shift inhibit time duration set in accordance with the detected road surface descending slope gradient has elapsed.- View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. A vehicular velocity controlling apparatus, comprising:
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inter-vehicle distance detecting means for detecting an inter-vehicle distance from a host vehicle to a preceding vehicle which is running ahead of the host vehicle;
target vehicular velocity calculating means for calculating a target vehicular velocity to make a detected value of the inter-vehicle distance substantially equal to a target inter-vehicle distance;
vehicular velocity detecting means for detecting a vehicular velocity of the host vehicle;
target vehicular driving force calculating means for calculating a target vehicular driving force to make a detected value of the vehicular velocity substantially equal to the target vehicular velocity;
road surface gradient detecting means for detecting a gradient of a descending slope on which the host vehicle is running;
vehicular velocity controlling means for controlling a driving force exerted by a rotary driving force source and a gear position of a vehicular transmission and controlling a brake force exerted by a vehicular brake system if the target vehicular driving force is negative, the vehicular velocity controlling means including gear position shift limiting means for placing a limitation on a shift of the gear position of the vehicular transmission even under an establishment of a gear position shift condition in accordance with the road surface gradient detected by the road surface gradient detecting means, wherein the gear position shift limiting means of the vehicular velocity controlling means includes;
a deceleration force margin calculating means for calculating a deceleration force margin FDM on the basis of the target vehicular driving force;
a shift threshold value setting means for setting a shift threshold value with reference to which the shift of the gear position of the vehicular transmission is to be made in accordance with the magnitude of the detected gradient of the descending slope on which the host vehicle is running; and
a gear shift position determining means for determining the gear position of the vehicular transmission to which the present gear position is shifted on the basis of the deceleration force margin and the shift threshold value.
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17. A vehicular velocity controlling method, comprising:
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detecting an inter-vehicle distance from a host vehicle to a preceding vehicle which is running ahead of the host vehicle;
calculating a target vehicular velocity to make a detected value of the inter-vehicle distance substantially equal to a target inter-vehicle distance;
detecting a vehicular velocity of the host vehicle;
calculating a target vehicular driving force to make a detected value of the vehicular velocity substantially equal to the target vehicular velocity;
detecting a gradient of a descending slope on which the host vehicle is running;
controlling a driving force exerted by a rotary driving force source and a gear position of a vehicular transmission and simultaneously controlling a brake force exerted by a vehicular brake system if the target vehicular driving force is negative; and
placing a limitation on a shift of the gear position of the vehicular transmission even under an establishment of a gear position shift condition in accordance with the road surface gradient, wherein the placing a limitation on a shift of the gear position of the vehicular transmission includes;
calculating a deceleration force margin FDM on the basis of the target vehicular driving force;
setting a shift threshold value with reference to which the shift of the gear position of the vehicular transmission is to be made in accordance with the magnitude of the detected gradient of the descending slope on which the host vehicle is running; and
determining the gear position of the vehicular transmission to which the present gear position is shifted on the basis of the deceleration force margin and the shift threshold value.
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Specification