Cruise control apparatus performing automatic adjustment of object recognition processing in response to driver actions relating to vehicle speed alteration
First Claim
1. A cruise control apparatus installed on a host vehicle, including:
- acceleration means and deceleration means respectively operable for accelerating and decelerating said host vehicle;
object recognition means including radar means for performing scanning of a region external to said host vehicle by sweeping emitted electromagnetic waves through a fixed angular range and for detecting resultant reflected waves, said object recognition means further including means for calculating at least the relative position and relative speed of a detected obstacle with respect to said host vehicle based on detection results obtained from said radar means, preceding vehicle selection means for selecting a vehicle that is a preceding vehicle with respect to said host vehicle, based on detection results obtained from said object recognition means; and
cruise control means for acting on said acceleration means and deceleration means to effect control of an inter-vehicle distance such that said host vehicle follows a preceding vehicle, when said preceding vehicle has been selected by said preceding vehicle selection means, and to effect control for maintaining a fixed speed of said host vehicle in accordance with a set value of speed, when no preceding vehicle has been selected by said preceding vehicle selection means;
wherein said cruise control means comprises;
adjustment means responsive to execution of a predetermined deceleration command action by a driver of said host vehicle for performing at least one of a group of adjustment operations, when said host vehicle is in a condition in which no vehicle is currently selected as a preceding vehicle by said preceding vehicle selection means and said cruise control means is applying control to cause said host vehicle to run at a fixed speed, said group of adjustment operations including an operation of acting on said object recognition means to render the detection of an external object easier and an operation of acting on said preceding vehicle selection means to render the selection of a preceding vehicle easier.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A cruise control apparatus can control a host vehicle to run with a fixed separation from a preceding vehicle when such a preceding vehicle is detected based on received radar signals and to run at a preset fixed speed when no preceding vehicle is detected. The cruise control apparatus is configured to respond to one of a set of predetermined actions by the vehicle driver, which indicate an intention to change the vehicle speed, by making it easier or more difficult for a preceding vehicle to be detected, in accordance with whether the indicated intention may signify that an actual preceding vehicle is not being detected or may signify that a non-existent preceding vehicle is being detected and that the host vehicle speed has been reduced accordingly. Improved performance is thereby achieved by utilizing the cognitive abilities of the driver to augment the detection operation of the cruise control apparatus.
80 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A cruise control apparatus installed on a host vehicle, including:
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acceleration means and deceleration means respectively operable for accelerating and decelerating said host vehicle;
object recognition means including radar means for performing scanning of a region external to said host vehicle by sweeping emitted electromagnetic waves through a fixed angular range and for detecting resultant reflected waves, said object recognition means further including means for calculating at least the relative position and relative speed of a detected obstacle with respect to said host vehicle based on detection results obtained from said radar means, preceding vehicle selection means for selecting a vehicle that is a preceding vehicle with respect to said host vehicle, based on detection results obtained from said object recognition means; and
cruise control means for acting on said acceleration means and deceleration means to effect control of an inter-vehicle distance such that said host vehicle follows a preceding vehicle, when said preceding vehicle has been selected by said preceding vehicle selection means, and to effect control for maintaining a fixed speed of said host vehicle in accordance with a set value of speed, when no preceding vehicle has been selected by said preceding vehicle selection means;
wherein said cruise control means comprises;
adjustment means responsive to execution of a predetermined deceleration command action by a driver of said host vehicle for performing at least one of a group of adjustment operations, when said host vehicle is in a condition in which no vehicle is currently selected as a preceding vehicle by said preceding vehicle selection means and said cruise control means is applying control to cause said host vehicle to run at a fixed speed, said group of adjustment operations including an operation of acting on said object recognition means to render the detection of an external object easier and an operation of acting on said preceding vehicle selection means to render the selection of a preceding vehicle easier. - View Dependent Claims (5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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2. A cruise control apparatus installed on a host vehicle, including:
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acceleration means and deceleration means respectively operable for accelerating and decelerating said host vehicle;
object recognition means including radar means for performing scanning of a region external to said host vehicle by sweeping emitted electromagnetic waves through a fixed angular range and for detecting resultant reflected waves, said object recognition means further including means for calculating at least the relative position and relative speed of a detected obstacle with respect to said host vehicle based on detection results obtained from said radar means, preceding vehicle selection means for selecting a vehicle that is a preceding vehicle with respect to said host vehicle, based on detection results obtained from said object recognition means; and
cruise control means for acting on said acceleration means and deceleration means to effect control of an inter-vehicle distance such that said host vehicle follows a preceding vehicle, when said preceding vehicle has been selected by said preceding vehicle selection means, and to effect control for maintaining a fixed speed of said host vehicle in accordance with a set value of speed, when no preceding vehicle has been selected by said preceding vehicle selection means, comprising;
adjustment means responsive to information indicative of a predetermined acceleration command operation performed by a driver of said host vehicle for performing at least one of a group of operations, when said cruise control means is applying control of said inter-vehicle distance, said group including at least an operation of acting on said object recognition means to render the detection of an external object more difficult and an operation of acting on said preceding vehicle selection means to render the selection of a preceding vehicle more difficult. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 12)
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3. A cruise control apparatus installed on a host vehicle, including:
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acceleration means and deceleration means respectively operable for accelerating and decelerating said host vehicle;
object recognition means including radar means for performing scanning of a region external to said host vehicle by sweeping emitted electromagnetic waves through a fixed angular range and for detecting resultant reflected waves, said object recognition means further including means for calculating at least the relative position and relative speed of a detected obstacle with respect to said host vehicle based on detection results obtained from said radar means, preceding vehicle selection means for selecting a vehicle that is a preceding vehicle with respect to said host vehicle, based on detection results obtained from said object recognition means; and
cruise control means for acting on said acceleration means and deceleration means to effect control of an inter-vehicle distance such that said host vehicle follows a preceding vehicle, when said preceding vehicle has been selected by said preceding vehicle selection means, comprising;
adjustment means responsive to information indicating that the same object has been continuously selected by said preceding vehicle selection means as a preceding vehicle during a predetermined time interval, for performing at least one of a group of operations which include at least an operation of acting on said object recognition means to render the detection of an external object easier and an operation of acting on said preceding vehicle selection means to render the selection of a preceding vehicle easier.
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4. A cruise control apparatus installed on a host vehicle, including:
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acceleration means and deceleration means respectively operable for accelerating and decelerating said host vehicle;
object recognition means including radar means for performing scanning of a region external to said host vehicle by sweeping emitted electromagnetic waves through a fixed angular range and for detecting resultant reflected waves, said object recognition means further including means for calculating at least the relative position and relative speed of a detected obstacle with respect to said host vehicle based on detection results obtained from said radar means, preceding vehicle selection means for selecting a vehicle that is a preceding vehicle with respect to said host vehicle, based on detection results obtained from said object recognition means; and
cruise control means for acting on said acceleration means and deceleration means to effect control of an inter-vehicle distance such that said host vehicle follows a preceding vehicle, when said preceding vehicle has been selected by said preceding vehicle selection means, and to effect control for maintaining a fixed speed of said host vehicle in accordance with a set value of speed, when no preceding vehicle has been selected by said preceding vehicle selection means, comprising;
adjustment means for performing at least one of a group of operations in response to information indicating that a vehicle which is selected as a preceding vehicle does not satisfy predetermined conditions relating to at least one of the position and speed of said preceding vehicle, when said cruise control means is not executing said vehicle separation control and a control start command is issued by a driver of said host vehicle for starting said vehicle separation control operation, said group including an operation of acting on said object recognition means to render the detection of an external object more difficult and an operation of acting on said preceding vehicle selection means to render the selection of a preceding vehicle more difficult.
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Specification