Headway control system

• US 6,876,915 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2002
• Issued: 04/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Astemo Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kuramochi, Yuichi, Manaka, Toshio, Adachi, Hidefumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US10/254,523
• Publication Number:
  US 20030171857A1
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23, 701/70, 701117-119, 701/1, 701/54, 701/64, 701/68, 701/78, 701/79, 701/301, 701/96, 701/95, 701/93
• US Class Current: 701/96
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0623 Fuel flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0638 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0671 Engine manifold pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/105 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/16 Ratio selector position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18027 Drive off, accelerating from standstill
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

To provide a headway control system, in which a congestion following processing can be started by the same operation as in ordinary driving. An arrangement is provided that lets a following control unit 10 to start a control to follow a preceding vehicle on condition that a characteristic value, which is produced in a host vehicle when a driver starts moving the host vehicle, is detected in congested traffic. Acceleration or a vehicle speed may be used as the characteristic value. Another possible arrangement is to start the following control on condition that a variation in an engine of the host vehicle, which is generated in the host vehicle when the driver operates to start moving the host vehicle, is detected in congested traffic. For example, the following control may be started under condition that at least either one of the following is detected: an increase in an engine speed, an increase in an intake pressure, an increase in an injection pulse width, an increase in an engine oil pressure, and an increase in the number of ignition pulses.

Claims

1. A vehicle headway control system, comprising:

a following control unit that performs a following control which causes a host vehicle to follow a preceding vehicle in congested traffic;

wherein, after the host vehicle has come to a standstill, the following control unit autonomously starts following control of the host vehicle upon detecting that a characteristic value generated in the host vehicle indicates that the host vehicle has started moving in response to a demand for a resumption of movement input by a driver.

2. The vehicle headway control system according to claim 1, wherein the following control unit performs the following control when acceleration of the vehicle reaches or exceeds a predetermined value.

3. The vehicle headway control system according to claim 1, wherein the following control unit performs following control when vehicle speed reaches or exceeds a predetermined value.

4. A vehicle headway control system, comprising:

a following control unit that performs a following control which causes a host vehicle to follow a preceding vehicle in congested traffic;

wherein, after the host vehicle has come to a standstill, the following control unit autonomously starts following control of the host vehicle upon detecting a variation in operation of an engine of the host vehicle, which variation is indicative that the host vehicle has started moving in response to an input demand for a resumption of movement from the vehicle operator.

5. The vehicle headway control system according to claim 4, wherein said variation in operation of the engine comprises an increase of engine speed.

6. The vehicle headway control system according to claim 4, wherein said variation in operation of the engine comprises an increase intake air pressure.

7. The vehicle headway control system according to claim 4, wherein said variation in operation of the engine comprises an increase of fuel injection pulse width.

8. The vehicle headway control system according to claim 4, wherein said variation in operation of the engine comprises an increase in oil pressure.

9. The vehicle headway control system according to claim 4, wherein said variation in operation of the engine comprises an increase in the frequency of ignition pulses.

10. A vehicle headway control system, comprising:

a following control unit that performs a following control which causes a host vehicle to follow a preceding vehicle in congested traffic, wherein the following control unit autonomously starts the following control on condition that it detects that the host vehicle remains stationary, the preceding vehicle has started moving, and a shift lever of a transmission is in a drive range.

11. The vehicle headway control system according to claim 10, wherein the following control unit refrains from starting the following control if a driver is operating a brake.

12. The vehicle headway control system according to claim 10, wherein the following control unit starts the following control on condition that it detects that a driver operates to release a brake pedal.

13. A vehicle headway control system, comprising:

a following control unit that performs following control of a host vehicle, causing it to follow a preceding vehicle in congested traffic;

means for measuring a characteristic value that is indicative of a degree of movement of said vehicle in response to an input demand from an operator of said host vehicle;

means for generating a triggering signal indicative of a start of movement of said host vehicle when said characteristic value exceeds a preset value;

means for autonomously initiating following control of said host vehicle by said following control unit in response to receipt of said triggering signal.

14. The vehicle headway control system according to claim 13, wherein said characteristic value comprises a vehicle operating parameter.

15. The vehicle headway control system according to claim 13, wherein said characteristic value is based on a magnitude of a change of at least one vehicle operating parameter selected from the group consisting of vehicle acceleration, vehicle speed, engine speed, intake air, quantity, fuel injection pulse width, engine oil pressure and frequency of ignition pulses.

16. The vehicle headway control system according to claim 15, wherein said triggering signal is generated at a point in time at which a value of said at least one operating parameter exceeds a predetermined value following a stopping of said host vehicle.

17. The vehicle headway control system according to claim 13, wherein said characteristic value is indicative of a variation in engine operation when the operator starts the vehicle in motion in heavy traffic.

18. A vehicle headway control system, comprising:

a following control unit that performs a following control which causes a host vehicle to follow a preceding vehicle in congested traffic; and

means, operative after the host vehicle has come to a standstill, for generating a vehicle following control starting signal when a characteristic value generated in the host vehicle reaches a magnitude indicative that the host vehicle has started moving in response to an input demand for a resumption of movement from a driver;

wherein said following control unit autonomously commences following control operation upon receipt of said vehicle starting signal.

19. The headway control system according to claim 18, wherein the characteristic value is based on at least one vehicle operating parameter selected from the group consisting of vehicle speed, vehicle acceleration, engine speed, intake air pressure, fuel injection pulse width, engine oil pressure;

and frequency of ignition pulses.