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Automatic vehicle speed control apparatus

  • US 6,975,931 B2
  • Filed: 04/24/2003
  • Issued: 12/13/2005
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2002
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. An automatic vehicle speed control apparatus comprising:

  • a vehicle speed detection unit for detecting a speed of an own vehicle;

    a headway distance detection unit for detecting a headway distance to a preceding vehicle; and

    a vehicle control unit for controlling said own vehicle so as to maintain the headway distance detected by said headway distance detection unit at a set headway distance when a preceding vehicle exists, and for controlling said own vehicle so as to maintain the vehicle speed detected by said vehicle speed detection unit at a set cruise speed when no preceding vehicles exist;

    wherein, if the set cruise speed is at an upper limit of a settable vehicle speed range, an upper limit speed of the own vehicle is set to a value greater than the set cruise speed when a preceding vehicle exists.

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