Acceleration control system

• US 7,853,390 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2008
• Issued: 12/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Inou, Hiroshi, Totsuka, Seiji, Fujii, Takehito, Okada, Minoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith; Jack
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khatib; Rami
• Application Number:
  US12/214,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20080319628A1
• Time in Patent Office: 903 Days
• Field of Search: 701/93, 701/96, 701/98, 382/107, 180/271, 180/274, 180/279
• US Class Current: 701/93
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0657 Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4041 Position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/804 Relative longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0666 Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/00 Output or target parameters relating to overall vehicle dynamics
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/106 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/143 Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/04 Traffic conditions

Abstract

An acceleration control system stores a target acceleration calculation equation acquired by transforming an equation that expresses that a product of the differentiation of the square power of the speed and the environmental factor α_env represents a sensed value ε of acceleration. A surrounding environment monitor device detects surrounding bodies present in the forward periphery of the vehicle, and an environmental factor calculation unit calculates the environmental factor α_env by using the detected positions of the surrounding bodies. A target acceleration setting unit successively sets target accelerations a_ref in compliance with the target acceleration calculation equation by using the environmental factor α_env. The acceleration is executed to match the driver'"'"'s feeling.

Claims

1. An acceleration control system for setting a target speed and performing acceleration control of a vehicle based on the target speed and a current speed, the acceleration control system comprising:

a surrounding body detection device for successively detecting relative positions of surrounding bodies present in a front outside periphery of the vehicle;

means for calculating, based upon the following Equations 1 to 3, a target acceleration from the relative position of the surrounding body detected by the surrounding body detection device and a preset target acceleration sensed value ε

₀ which is used as a sensed value ε

of acceleration defined by the Equation 2, wherein

the Equation 1 expresses a relation among τ

_s which represents, based on visual information, time until a surrounding body in front of the vehicle comes in contact with a driver, an angular velocity u of the surrounding body relative to the driver as a reference, and τ

which represents, based on visual information, an elapse of time until the surrounding body passes by a side of the vehicle, wherein

the Equation 2 expresses a relation between differentiation of 1/τ

² and the sensed value ε

of acceleration which numerically expresses a driver'"'"'s acceleration feeling, and

the Equation 3 expresses a relation among τ

_s, distance r from the vehicle to the surrounding body and a differentiated of the distance r; and

means for controlling torque of a prime mover of the vehicle so as to attain the target acceleration determined by the calculating means,

2. The acceleration control system according to claim 1, wherein the calculating means successively determines target accelerations while maintaining constant the target acceleration sensed value ε

₀.