Vehicular kinetic control system

• US 7,280,895 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2005
• Issued: 10/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Tanaka, Hiromichi, Sawada, Mamoru, Kataoka, Motoaki, Mabuchi, Mamoru
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US11/137,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20050267648A1
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/22, 701/24, 701/29, 701/36, 701/79, 340/438, 340/439, 340/441
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0066 responsive to vehicle path curvature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data

Abstract

In a state where a driver sees a region near a vehicle, a finally-requested output-shaft torque is set so that a response is hastened in a deceleration and slowed in an acceleration. Thereby, a vehicle takes a forward descending position in which the front end of the vehicle is descending, which gives a driver a sense of deceleration or a sense of turning. Further, this position causes a front wheel load acting on the ground to increase and a rear wheel load acting on the ground to decrease, in comparison to a normal position. This thereby makes it easier for the vehicle to decelerate when practically decelerating or turning, and further enables turning to slightly over-steer. A resultant vehicular kinetic characteristic becomes comparable with a sense that is expected by the driver.

Claims

1. A vehicular kinetic control system provided in a vehicle, the vehicular kinetic control system comprising:

an interpreting unit that obtains, based on an accelerator operating amount in the vehicle, a first physical amount corresponding to a first driving force that a driver of the vehicle requests;

an environment detecting unit that detects environment information relating to the vehicle;

a modifying unit that modifies the first physical amount based on the environment information to thereby set a second physical amount that corresponds to a second driving force that is finally requested;

a driving force controlling unit that generates a control signal based on the second physical amount; and

an actuator that generates the second driving force based on the control signal,

wherein the modifying unit sets the second physical amount by modifying a response characteristic of the first physical amount based on the environment information.

2. The vehicular kinetic control system of claim 1,

wherein the environment detecting unit includes

a surrounding vehicle detecting unit that

detects whether a certain vehicle that surrounds the vehicle is present or not, a distance between the vehicle and the certain vehicle, and a relative speed between the vehicle and the certain vehicle, and

outputs, to the modifying unit, as the environment information, one of information indicating the distance and the relative speed and information indicating a danger degree of the vehicle, wherein the danger degree is based on the distance and the relative speed.

3. The vehicular kinetic control system of claim 1,

wherein the environment detecting unit includes

a navigation device that

stores road map information, and

outputs, to the modifying unit, as the environment information, one of information indicating a curvature of a road that the vehicle travels in future and information indicating a degree of a turning request to the vehicle, where in the degree of the turning request is based on the curvature.

4. The vehicular kinetic control system of claim 1,

wherein the environment detecting unit includes

a navigation device that

stores road map information, and

outputs information indicating a slope of a road that the vehicle travels in future as the environment information to the modifying unit.

5. The vehicular kinetic control system of claim 1,

wherein the environment detecting unit includes

a slope detecting unit that

detects a slope of a road that the vehicle travels at present, and

outputs information indicating the slope of the road that the vehicle travels at present as the environment information to the modifying unit.

6. The vehicular kinetic control system of claim 1,

wherein the modifying unit sets the second physical amount by modifying the first physical amount so that a response in a deceleration is hastened and a response in an acceleration is slowed, when the environment information indicates a state where the driver tends to see a region near the vehicle.

7. The vehicular kinetic control system of claim 1,

wherein the modifying unit sets the second physical amount by modifying the first physical amount so that a response in a deceleration is slowed and a response in an acceleration is hastened, when the environment information indicates a state where the driver tends to see a region far from the vehicle.

8. A vehicular kinetic control device that is provided in a vehicle and receives environment information relating to the vehicle, the vehicular kinetic control device comprising:

an interpreting unit that obtains, based on an accelerator operating amount in the vehicle, a first physical amount corresponding to a first driving force that a driver of the vehicle requests;

a modifying unit that modifies the first physical amount based on the environment information to thereby set a second physical amount that corresponds to a second driving force that is finally requested;

a driving force controlling unit that generates a control signal based on the second physical amount; and

an actuator that generates the second driving force based on the control signal,

wherein the modifying unit sets the second physical amount by modifying a response characteristic of the first physical amount based on the environment information.