Alarm device and running control apparatus including the alarm device

• US 6,724,300 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2001
• Issued: 04/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Satake, Hiroyuki, Miyakoshi, Hironori, Furui, Nobuyuki, Kodera, Haruyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TANG, SON M
• Application Number:
  US09/927,490
• Publication Number:
  US 20020044047A1
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 340/435, 340/903, 340/936, 340/436, 340/438, 701/70, 701/96, 348/135, 348/148, 342/118, 364/426.04, 364/421, 180/167, 180/169, 180/282, 180/171
• US Class Current: 340/435
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication

Abstract

An alarm device generates an alarm when a distance between a vehicle and an object that exists in a set region in front of the vehicle is smaller than a set distance. A controller of the alarm device determines a tentative set distance based on at least one of a running speed of the vehicle and a relative velocity between the vehicle and the object, and then corrects the tentative set distance based on at least a deceleration of the vehicle, so as to determine a final set distance.

Claims

1. An alarm device that generates an alarm when a distance between a vehicle and an object that exists in a set region in front of the vehicle is smaller than a set distance, comprising a controller that:

determines a tentative set distance based on at least one of a running speed of the vehicle and a relative velocity between the vehicle and the object;

determines a relative running deceleration between the vehicle and the object based on a change in a relative position between the vehicle and the object; and

corrects the determined tentative set distance, based on at least one of a running deceleration condition of the vehicle and the relative running deceleration between the object and the vehicle, so as to determine a final set distance.

2. The alarm device according to claim 1, wherein the controller sets a correction value used for correcting the determined tentative set distance, to a smaller value, as the running deceleration condition indicates that a deceleration of the vehicle increases.

3. The alarm device according to claim 2, wherein the controller determines at least one of the tentative set-distance and the final set-distance taking account of a relative positional relationship between the vehicle and the object, which relationship is requested by a vehicle operator.

4. The alarm device according to claim 1, wherein the controller determines at least one of the tentative set-distance and the final set-distance taking account of a relative positional relationship between the vehicle and the object, which relationship is requested by a vehicle operator.

5. The alarm device according to claim 1, wherein the controller determines at least one of the tentative set-distance and the final set-distance with reference to at least one map.

6. A running control apparatus, comprising:

an alarm device as defined in claim 1; and

a running controller that controls a running state of the subject vehicle based on a relative positional relationship between the vehicle and the object.

7. The running control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the running controller performs cruise control that controls the running state of the vehicle so that the vehicle and a preceding vehicle as the object are kept in a relative relationship that is requested by a vehicle operator.

8. The running control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the running controller performs deceleration control that decelerates the vehicle by applying a brake so as to restrain rotation of a wheel of the vehicle.

9. An alarm device that generates an alarm when a distance between a vehicle and an object that exists in a set region in front of the vehicle is smaller than a set distance, comprising a controller that:

determines a tentative set distance based on at least one of a running speed of the vehicle and a relative velocity between the vehicle and the object;

determines a relative running deceleration between the vehicle and the object based on a change in a relative position between the vehicle and the object; and

corrects the determined tentative set distance, based on at least the relative running deceleration between the vehicle and the object, so as to determine a final set distance.

10. The alarm device according to claim 9, wherein the controller determines the final set distance by correcting the determined tentative set distance based on both a deceleration of the vehicle and the relative deceleration between the vehicle and the object.

11. The alarm device according to claim 9, wherein the controller sets a correction value for correcting the determined tentative set distance, to a smaller value, as a tendency of the vehicle to be separated from the object becomes stronger.

12. The alarm device according to claim 9, wherein the controller determines at least one of the tentative set-distance and the final set-distance with reference to at least one map.

13. A running control apparatus, comprising:

an alarm device as defined in claim 9; and

a running controller that controls a running state of the vehicle based on a relative positional relationship between the vehicle and the object.

14. The running control apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the running controller performs cruise control that controls the running state of the vehicle so that the vehicle and a preceding vehicle as the object are kept in a relative relationship that is requested by a vehicle operator.

15. The running control apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the running controller performs deceleration control that decelerates the vehicle by applying a brake so as to restrain rotation of a wheel of the vehicle.

16. An alarm device that generates an alarm when a distance between a vehicle and an object that exists in a set region in front of the vehicle is smaller than a set distance, comprising:

a controller that determines a relative running deceleration between the vehicle and the object based on a change in a relative position between the vehicle and the object, and the set distance based on (a) at least one of a running speed of the vehicle and a relative velocity between the vehicle and the object, (b) a running deceleration of the vehicle, and (c) the relative running deceleration between the vehicle and the object.

17. An alarm device that generates an alarm when a distance between a vehicle and an object that exists in a set region in front of the vehicle is smaller than a set distance, comprising:

a controller that determines a relative running deceleration between the vehicle and the object based on a change in a relative position between the vehicle and the object, and the set distance based on (a) at least one of a running speed of the vehicle and a relative velocity between the vehicle and the object, and (b) the relative running deceleration between the vehicle and the object.

18. An alarm device that generates an alarm when a relative positional relationship between a vehicle and an object that exists in a set region in front of the vehicle represents a tendency of the vehicle to approach the object as compared with a set relative positional relationship, comprising a controller that:

determines a tentative set relative positional relationship based on at least one of a running speed of the vehicle and a relative velocity between the vehicle and the object; and

corrects the determined tentative set relative positional relationship, based on at least one of a running deceleration of the vehicle and a relative running deceleration between the vehicle and the object, so as to determine a final set relative positional relationship.

19. The alarm device of claim 18, wherein the relative positional relationship comprises at least one of an inter-vehicle time, a relative velocity and a relative running deceleration between the vehicle and the object.