System and method for informing vehicle environment

• US 7,155,341 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2003
• Issued: 12/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Suzuki, Tatsuya, Kimura, Takeshi, Naito, Genpei
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US10/449,233
• Publication Number:
  US 20030236624A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,303 Days
• Field of Search: 701/301, 701/70, 701/96, 180/167, 180/169, 342/70, 342/71
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 11/105 characterised by the function converting demand to actuation, e.g. a map indicating relations between an accelerator pedal position and throttle valve opening or target engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/021 Introducing corrections for particular conditions exterior to the engine conjoint control of vehicle sub-units for propelling the vehicle B60W30/18
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking

Abstract

An information system for a host vehicle is comprised of an accelerator manipulation detecting device that detects an accelerator manipulation quantity of an accelerator according to which a driver demand driving force is generated by an internal combustion engine, an object detecting unit that detects an object ahead of the host vehicle; and a controller which is connected to the accelerator manipulation detecting device and the object detecting unit. The controller determines a contact possibility that the host vehicle will contact with an object ahead of the host vehicle, on the basis of information from the objecting detecting unit, and corrects a driving-force relationship between the driver demand driving force and the accelerator manipulation quantity according to the contact possibility. The controller may include a processor that employs a simulation of a virtual member in front of the host vehicle which provides feedback to a driver of the host vehicle based on a relationship between the host vehicle and an object ahead of the host vehicle. The virtual member may be, for example, a virtual spring.

Claims

1. An information system for a host vehicle, comprising:

an accelerator manipulation detecting device that detects an accelerator manipulation quantity of an accelerator according to which a driver demand driving force is generated by an internal combustion engine;

an object detecting unit that detects an object ahead of the host vehicle; and

a controller connected to the accelerator manipulation detecting device and the object detecting unit, the controller being configured,

to determine a contact possibility that the host vehicle will contact with an object ahead of the host vehicle, on the basis of information from the object detecting unit, and

to correct a driving-force relationship between the driver demand driving force and the accelerator manipulation quantity according to the contact possibility,

wherein the controller is further configured to increase the driver demand driving force with respect to the accelerator manipulation quantity when the accelerator manipulation quantity is greater than a predetermined quantity.

2. The information system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to decrease the driver demand driving force with respect to the accelerator manipulation quantity as the contact possibility increases.

3. A vehicle comprising the information system claimed in claim 1.

4. An information system for a host vehicle, comprising:

an accelerator manipulation detecting device that detects an accelerator manipulation quantity of an accelerator according to which a driver demand driving force is generated by an internal combustion engine;

an object detecting unit that detects an object ahead of the host vehicle; and

a controller connected to the accelerator manipulation detecting device and the object detecting unit, the controller being configured,

to determine a contact possibility that the host vehicle will contact with an object ahead of the host vehicle, on the basis of information from the object detecting unit, and

to correct a driving-force relationship between the driver demand driving force and the accelerator manipulation quantity according to the contact possibility,

wherein the controller is further configured to increase the driver demand driving force with respect to the accelerator manipulation quantity when a rate of change of the accelerator manipulation quantity is greater than or equal to a predetermined rate, as compared with the driver demand driving force with respect to the acceleration manipulation quantity in a condition that the rate of change of the accelerator manipulation quantity is smaller than the predetermined rate.

5. An information system for a host vehicle, comprising:

an accelerator manipulation detecting device that detects an accelerator manipulation quantity of an accelerator according to which a driver demand driving force is generated by an internal combustion engine;

a brake manipulation detecting device that detects a brake manipulation quantity of a brake manipulation device according to which a driver demand braking force is generated by a brake system;

an object detecting unit that detects an object ahead of the host vehicle; and

a controller connected to the accelerator manipulation detecting device and the object detecting unit, the controller being configured,

to determine a contact possibility that the host vehicle will contact with an object ahead of the host vehicle, on the basis of information from the object detecting unit;

to correct a driving-force relationship between the driver demand driving force and the accelerator manipulation quantity according to the contact possibility, and

to correct a braking-force relationship between the driver demand braking force and the brake manipulation quantity when the accelerator manipulation quantity is smaller than a predetermined manipulation quantity.

6. The information system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to vary a degree of a correction of the braking-force relationship according to a degree of the correction of the driving-force relationship.

7. The information system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to increase the driver demand braking force with respect to the brake manipulation quantity.

8. The information system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to limit correcting the driving-force relationship and the braking-force relationship when a manipulation of the accelerator corresponds to a predetermined manipulation.

9. The information system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the predetermined manipulation is a manipulation for suddenly decreasing the accelerator manipulation quantity, and the limitation of correcting the driving-force relationship is a limitation of a rate of decrease of the driver demand driving force with respect to the accelerator manipulation quantity, and the limitation of correcting the braking-force relationship is a limitation of a rate of increase of the driver demand braking force with respect to the brake manipulation quantity.

10. The information system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the contact possibility on the basis of a host-vehicle speed, a relative speed between the host-vehicle speed and a preceding-object speed, and a distance between the the host vechicle and an object ahead of the host vehicle.

11. A vehicle comprising the information system claimed in claim 5.

12. The information system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to estimate a near-future host vehicle course on the basis of a host vehicle speed and a steering angle.

13. The information system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the contact possibility when the host vehicle travels the estimated near-future host vehicle course.

14. An information system for a host vehicle, comprising:

an accelerator manipulation detecting device that detects an accelerator manipulation quantity of an accelerator according to which a driver demand driving force is generated by an internal combustion engine;

a brake manipulation detecting device that detects a brake manipulation quantity of a brake manipulation device according to which a driver demand braking force is generated by a brake system;

an object detecting unit that detects an object ahead of the host vehicle; and

a controller connected to the accelerator manipulation detecting device and the object detecting unit, the controller being configured,

to determine a contact possibility that the host vehicle will contact with an object ahead of the host vehicle, on the basis of information from the object detecting unit,

to correct a driving-force relationship between the driver demand driving force and the accelerator manipulation quantity according to the contact possibility, and

to correct a braking-force relationship between the driver demand braking force and the brake manipulation quantity when the accelerator manipulation quantity is smaller than a predetermined manipulation quantity,

wherein on the assumption that a virtual force applied to the host vehicle is generated so as to increase as a distance between the host vehicle and an object having a possibility of contacting with the host vehicle decreases, the controller is configured to correct the driving-force relationship and the braking-force relationship so that a sum of a decreased quantity of the driver demand driving force and an increased quantity of the driver demand braking force is equal to the virtual force, wherein the decreased quantity of the driver demand driving force is a quantity generated by decreasing the driver demand driving force with respect to the accelerator manipulation quantity and the increased quantity of the driver demand braking force is a quantity generated by increasing the driver demand braking force with respect to the brake manipulation quantity.

15. The information system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the virtual force is a reaction force of a virtual elastic member which is compressed according to the distance between the host vehicle and the object.

16. The information system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the virtual force is a running resistance which is applied to the host vehicle when the host vehicle travels on a virtual upslope whose gradient varies according to the distance between the host vehicle and the object.

17. A method of informing a contact possibility of a host vehicle with an object ahead of the host vehicle, comprising:

determining a contact possibility that the host vehicle will contact with an object ahead of the host vehicle;

correcting a driving-force relationship between a driver demand driving force and an accelerator manipulation quantity according to the contact possibility; and

increasing the driver demand driving force with respect to the accelerator manipulation quantity when the accelerator manipulation quantity is greater than a predetermined quantity.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the operation of correcting the driving-force relationship includes an operation of decreasing the driver demand driving force with respect to the accelerator manipulation quantity as the contact possibility increases.

19. A method of informing a contact possibility of a host vehicle with an object ahead of the host vehicle, comprising:

determining a contact possibility that the host vehicle will contact with an object ahead of the host vehicle;

correcting a driving-force relationship between a driver demand driving force and an accelerator manipulation quantity according to the contact possibility; and

correcting a braking-force relationship between a driver demand braking force and a brake manipulation quantity when the accelerator manipulation quantity is smaller than a predetermined manipulation quantity.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the operation of correcting the braking-force relationship includes an operation of increasing the driver demand braking force with respect to the brake manipulation quantity.

21. The method as claimed in claim 19, further comprising an operation of correcting the driving-force relationship and the braking-force relationship so that a sum of a decreased quantity of the driver demand driving force and an increased quantity of the driver demand braking force is equal to a virtual force when it is assumed that the virtual force applied to the host vehicle is generated so as to increase as a distance between the host vehicle and an object having a possibility of contacting with the host vehicle decreases,

wherein the decreased quantity of the driver demand driving force is a quantity generated by decreasing the driver demand driving force with respect to the accelerator manipulation quantity and the increased quantity of the driver demand braking force is a quantity generated by increasing the driver demand braking force with respect to the brake manipulation quantity.

22. A method of informing a contact possibility of a host vehicle with an object ahead of the host vehicle, comprising:

detecting an environment of the host vehicle;

correcting a driving-force relationship between a driver demand driving force and an accelerator manipulation quantity according to the detected environment; and

correcting a braking-force relationship between a driver demand braking force and a brake manipulation quantity when the accelerator manipulation quantity is smaller than a predetermined manipulation quantity.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the environment includes at least one of a state of the host vehicle itself and an environment around the host vehicle.

24. An information system for a host vehicle, the host vehicle being equipped with an engine controller for controlling an internal combustion engine so as to generate a driving force according to an accelerator manipulation quantity of an accelerator manipulating means and a brake controller for controlling a brake system so as to generate a braking force according to a brake manipulation quantity of a brake manipulating means, the information system comprising:

object detecting means for detecting an object ahead of the host vehicle;

contact-possibility determining means for determining a contact possibility of the host vehicle with an object ahead of the host vehicle on the basis of information from the object detecting means;

first correcting means for correcting a generated quantity of the driving force with respect to the accelerator manipulation quantity, according to the contact possibility; and

second correcting means for correcting a generated quantity of the braking force with respect to the manipulation quantity of the brake manipulating means, according to the contact possibility.

25. A vehicle comprising:

a vehicle body; and

a controller, supported by the vehicle body, and containing a simulation of a virtual member at a front end of the vehicle body, the virtual member functioning as a running resistance of the vehicle when a distance between an object ahead of the vehicle and the vehicle is smaller than a threshold distance.

26. The vehicle as claimed in claim 25, wherein the running resistance is generated by a drive system.

27. The vehicle as claimed in claim 25, wherein the running resistance is generated by at least one of a drive system and a brake system.

28. The vehicle as claimed in claim 25, wherein the running resistance is generated by correcting at least one of a driving-force relationship between a driver demand driving force and an accelerator manipulation quantity and a braking-force relationship between a driver demand braking force and a brake manipulation quantity.

29. The vehicle as claimed in claim 25, wherein the running resistance is varied according to the distance between the object and the vehicle.

30. The vehicle as claimed in claim 25, wherein the virtual member comprises a virtual elastic member.

31. A control system of a host vehicle, comprising:

an accelerator manipulation detecting device that detects an accelerator manipulation quantity of an accelerator according to which a driver demand driving force is generated by an internal combustion engine;

a brake manipulation detecting device that detects a brake manipulation quantity of a brake manipulation device according to which a driver demand braking force is generated by a brake system;

an object detecting unit that detects an object ahead of the host vehicle; and

a controller connected to the accelerator manipulation detecting device and the object detecting unit, the controller being configured,

to set a virtual elastic member between the object and the host vehicle, the virtual elastic member applying a virtual force which is varied according to the distance between the object and the host vehicle, and

to generate the virtual force by correcting a driving-force relationship between the driver demand driving force and the accelerator manipulation quantity according to a contact possibility.

32. The control system as claimed in claim 31, wherein the controller is connected to the brake manipulation detecting device and is further configured to generate the virtual force by correcting a braking-force relationship between the driver demand braking force and the brake manipulation quantity according to the contact possibility.

33. The control system as claimed in claim 31, wherein the controller is further configured to estimate a near-future host vehicle course on the basis of a host vehicle speed and a steering angle.

34. The control system as claimed in claim 33, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the contact possibility when the host vehicle travels the estimated near-future host vehicle course.

35. A controller for a host vehicle which has an object detecting unit that detects an object ahead of the host vehicle, the controller comprising:

a processor containing a simulation of a virtual member in front of the host vehicle which provides feedback to a driver of the host vehicle based on a relationship between the host vehicle and an object ahead of the host vehicle.

36. A controller as claimed in claim 35, wherein an extent of the virtual member in front of the host vehicle changes based on a speed of the host vehicle.

37. A controller as claimed in claim 36, wherein an extent of the virtual member in front of the host vehicle changes based on a product of a speed of the host vehicle and a threshold.

38. A controller as claimed in claim 35, wherein the virtual member comprises a virtual spring.

39. A controller as claimed in claim 35, wherein the controller outputs a signal to adjust a brake system of the host vehicle based on said simulation.