Height control device for vehicle

• US 8,209,067 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2007
• Issued: 06/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Isono, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US12/303,432
• Publication Number:
  US 20090198405A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,782 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/35, 701 48- 9, 701/4, 207/232, 207/256.1, 207/181, 207/217.3, 180/23
• US Class Current: 701/4
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0164 mainly during accelerating or braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/106 longitudinal with regard to vehicle, e.g. braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/204 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/25 Stroke; Height; Displacement
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/39 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/30 Height or ground clearance
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0244 with logic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0276 reaction to emergency situations, e.g. crash
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/16 height-adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/662 characterised by specified functions of the control system components
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/3255 Systems in which the braking action is dependent on brake pedal data

Abstract

A seat height control amount setting part determines a target seat height displacement amount according to a deceleration outputted from a braking state calculating part. The deceleration is corrected according to the vehicle speed of a vehicle, and the target seat displacement amount is set such that the seat height becomes lower as the vehicle speed is higher. While correcting the target seat height displacement amount, a target deceleration with respect to the amount of operation of a brake pedal is corrected. The target deceleration is corrected such that the target deceleration with respect to the amount of operation of the brake pedal becomes greater as the vehicle speed is higher.

Claims

1. A vehicle altitude control apparatus comprising:

a braking state detecting unit for detecting a braking state of a vehicle;

a target altitude setting unit for setting a target altitude of a driver with respect to a road surface according to the braking state detected by the braking state detecting unit;

an altitude adjusting unit for adjusting an altitude of the driver according to the target altitude set by the target altitude setting unit; and

a vehicle speed detecting unit for detecting a vehicle speed of the vehicle;

wherein the target altitude setting unit corrects the target altitude according to the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detecting unit.

2. A vehicle altitude control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the target altitude setting unit corrects the target altitude so that the amount of downward displacement of the target altitude becomes greater as the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detecting unit is higher.

3. A vehicle altitude control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a braking unit for braking the vehicle and braking control unit for controlling the braking unit;

wherein the braking control unit sets a greater amount of braking in the braking unit as the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detecting unit is higher.

4. A vehicle altitude control apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

a brake operating unit for operating the braking unit, the brake operating unit being operated by the driver,

a braking operation amount detecting unit for detecting an amount of braking operation of the brake operating unit, and

an acceleration detecting unit for detecting an acceleration of the vehicle;

wherein the braking state detecting unit detects the braking state of the vehicle according to the amount of braking operation of the brake operating unit detected by the braking operation amount detecting unit and the acceleration of the vehicle detected by the acceleration detecting unit; and

wherein the target altitude setting unit keeps a constant relationship between the altitude and the amount of operation of the brake operating unit and determines a ratio of the altitude set with respect to the acceleration of the vehicle according to the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detecting unit.

5. A vehicle altitude control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the target altitude is determined according to a seat height of a driver'"'"'s seat in the vehicle;

wherein the target altitude setting unit is a seat height setting unit for setting the seat height; and

wherein the altitude adjusting unit is a seat height adjusting unit for adjusting the seat height.

6. A vehicle altitude control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the target altitude is determined according to a vehicle height of the vehicle;

wherein the target altitude setting unit is a vehicle height setting unit for setting the vehicle height; and

wherein the altitude adjusting unit is a vehicle height adjusting unit for adjusting the vehicle height of the vehicle.