Deceleration control apparatus and method for automotive vehicle

• US 7,917,272 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2009
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Jimbo, Tomohiro, Matsumoto, Shinji, Naitou, Genpei, Suzuki, Tatsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith; Jack
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dager; Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US12/360,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20090138164A1
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701 36- 48, 701 51- 62, 701 64- 66, 701 70- 92, 731/143.6, 123/337, 180/335, 477/182, 477/203, 477/205, 477/206
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0066 responsive to vehicle path curvature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes

Abstract

In deceleration control apparatus and method for an automotive vehicle, a deceleration control is performed in accordance with a turning travel situation of the vehicle; and an engine throttle opening angle is controlled gradually in a closure direction at a preset variation degree.

Claims

1. A deceleration control apparatus for an automotive vehicle, comprising:

a deceleration controlling section configured to set a target vehicle speed in accordance with a turning travel situation of the vehicle in order for a vehicle speed to become equal to the target vehicle speed, and configured to perform a deceleration control, wherein a deceleration required in the deceleration control is obtained through a control of a braking fluid pressure for wheel cylinders of respective road wheels;

a throttle opening angle controlling section configured to control an engine throttle opening angle; and

an accelerator manipulated variable detecting section configured to detect an accelerator manipulated variable by a vehicle driver,

wherein the throttle opening angle controlling section is configured to control the throttle opening angle such that the throttle opening angle is decrementally reduced by a predetermined quantity in a closure direction when starting the deceleration control by the deceleration controlling section, the predetermined quantity being an amount which does not give an unpleasant feeling to a vehicular occupant;

wherein the throttle opening angle controlling section is configured to control the throttle opening angle such that the throttle opening angle is recovered to a throttle opening angle corresponding to the accelerator manipulated variable detected by the accelerator manipulated variable detecting section at a variation degree when the brake fluid pressure control by the deceleration controlling section is ended, wherein the variation degree corresponds to a variation quantity of the target vehicle speed, wherein the variation degree becomes larger as the variation quantity of the target vehicle speed becomes larger.

2. A deceleration control apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a predetermined quantity setting section configured to set the predetermined quantity of a throttle valve in a closure direction in accordance with a traveling situation of the vehicle.

3. A deceleration control apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a road surface frictional coefficient detecting section configured to detect a road surface fictional coefficient of a road surface on which the vehicle is traveling and wherein the predetermined quantity setting section is configured to set the predetermined quantity in such a manner that as the road surface frictional coefficient detected by the road surface frictional coefficient detecting section becomes higher, the predetermined quantity becomes larger.

4. A deceleration control apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the deceleration controlling section is configured to set a target deceleration in accordance with the turning travel situation of the vehicle and to perform the deceleration control to achieve target deceleration and the predetermined quantity setting section is configured to set the predetermined quantity in such a manner that as the target deceleration becomes larger, the predetermined quantity becomes larger.

5. A deceleration control apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 2, further comprising an accelerator manipulated variable detecting section configured to detect a manipulated variable of an accelerator pedal and wherein the predetermined quantity setting section is configured to set the predetermined quantity in such a manner that as the manipulated variable of the accelerator pedal detected by the accelerator manipulated variable detecting section becomes larger, the predetermined quantity becomes larger.

6. A deceleration control apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a driving force controlling section configured to control an engine throttle opening angle and configured to perform a driving force control to develop a required driving force specified and wherein the predetermined quantity setting section is configured to set the predetermined quantity in such a manner that as the required driving force becomes larger, the predetermined quantity becomes larger.

7. A deceleration control apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an accelerator manipulated variable detecting section configured to detect a manipulated variable of an accelerator pedal and wherein the throttle opening angle controlling section is configured to set the first predetermined quantity to be larger as the manipulated variable of the accelerator pedal detected by the accelerator manipulated variable detecting section becomes larger.

8. A deceleration control apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a driving force controlling section configured to control an engine throttle opening angle and to perform a driving force control to develop a specified required driving force and wherein the throttle opening angle controlling section is configured to set the first predetermined quantity in such a manner that as the required driving force becomes larger, the first predetermined quantity becomes larger.

9. A deceleration control apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a recovery predetermined quantity setting section configured to set the predetermined quantity of the throttle opening angle in a recovery direction in accordance with a traveling situation of the vehicle.

10. A deceleration control apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a road surface frictional coefficient detecting section configured to detect a road surface frictional coefficient of a road surface on which the vehicle is traveling and wherein the recovery predetermined quantity setting section is configured to set the predetermined quantity in such a manner that as the road surface frictional coefficient becomes higher, the predetermined quantity becomes larger.

11. A deceleration control apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 9, wherein the deceleration controlling section is configured to set a target vehicle speed in accordance with the turning travel situation of the vehicle and to perform the deceleration control for a traveling speed of the vehicle to be coincident with target vehicle speed and wherein the recovery predetermined quantity setting section is configured to set the predetermined quantity in such a manner that as an increase rate of the target vehicle speed set by the deceleration controlling section becomes larger, the predetermined quantity is set to be a larger value.

12. A deceleration control apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the throttle opening angle controlling section is configured to control the throttle opening angle to a preset minimum opening angle by the predetermined quantity.

13. A deceleration control apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 12, further comprising a minimum opening angle setting section configured to set the minimum opening angle of a throttle valve in accordance with a traveling situation of the vehicle.

14. A deceleration control apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 13, further comprising an accelerator manipulated variable detecting section configured to detect a manipulated variable of an accelerator pedal and wherein the minimum opening angle setting section is configured to set the minimum opening angle in accordance with the manipulated variable of the accelerator pedal detected by the accelerator manipulated variable detecting section.

15. A deceleration control apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 14, wherein the minimum opening angle setting section is configured to set the minimum opening angle to a preset constant value when the manipulated variable of the accelerator pedal is larger than a preset threshold value and to set the minimum opening angle to a value smaller than the constant value when the manipulated variable of the accelerator pedal is equal to or smaller than the preset threshold value.

16. A deceleration control apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 15, further comprising a road surface frictional coefficient detecting section configured to detect a road surface frictional coefficient of a road surface on which the vehicle is traveling and wherein the minimum opening angle setting section is configured to set the constant value to a larger value as the road surface frictional coefficient detected by the road surface frictional coefficient detecting section becomes higher.

17. A deceleration control apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 15, wherein the minimum opening angle setting section is configured to set the constant value to a larger value as a shift ratio of a transmission becomes smaller.

18. A deceleration control apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 14, wherein the minimum opening angle setting section is configured to set the minimum opening angle to a larger value as the manipulated variable of the accelerator pedal becomes larger.

19. A deceleration control apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 18, further comprising a road surface frictional coefficient detecting section configured to detect a road surface frictional coefficient of a road surface on which the vehicle is traveling and wherein the minimum opening angle setting section is configured to set the minimum opening angle to a larger value as the road surface frictional coefficient becomes higher.

20. A deceleration control apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 18, wherein the minimum opening angle setting section is configured to set the minimum opening angle to be a larger value as a shift ratio of a transmission becomes smaller.

21. A deceleration control apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 18, wherein the minimum opening angle setting section is configured to set the minimum opening angle to a complete closure state when the manipulated variable of the accelerator pedal is equal to or lower than a preset threshold value.

22. A deceleration control apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 21, further comprising a road surface frictional coefficient detecting section configured to detect a road surface frictional coefficient of a road surface on which the vehicle is traveling and wherein the minimum opening angle setting section is configured to set the threshold value to a larger value as the road surface frictional coefficient detected by the road surface frictional coefficient detecting section becomes lower.

23. A deceleration control apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 21, wherein the minimum opening angle setting section is configured to set the threshold value to be a larger value as a shift ratio of a transmission becomes larger.

24. A deceleration control apparatus for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the deceleration controlling section is configured to perform deceleration control while a driver of the vehicle is pressing an accelerator pedal of the vehicle.