Vehicle driving force suppression device

• US 8,843,286 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2013
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Tezuka, Shunsuke, Kenmochi, Rikio
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US13/941,324
• Publication Number:
  US 20140025267A1
• Time in Patent Office: 438 Days
• US Class Current: 701/51
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0071 Controller overrides driver automatically
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/06 Direction of travel
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/106 Rate of change
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/16 Ratio selector position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0666 Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/182 Brake pressure, e.g. of fluid or between pad and disc
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18027 Drive off, accelerating from standstill
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08

Abstract

A vehicle driving force suppression device is provided, and driving force suppression is conducted on the basis of existence of an obstacle which is on the opposite course to the selected shift position. Adding specific conditions related to acceleration pedal depression amount and speed, inclination of the road in the direction which an obstacle exists, or distance to the obstacle, magnitude of driving force suppression is decided.

Claims

1. A vehicle driving force suppression device comprising:

an object detection unit for detecting an object existing only in front of a vehicle;

a shift position detection unit for detecting a transmission position;

a driving force suppression determination unit for determining whether to suppress a vehicle driving force, on the basis of a detection result of the object given by the object detection unit and a detection result of the transmission position given by the shift position detection unit; and

a driving force suppression unit for suppressing the vehicle driving force by adjusting at least one of a brake and an engine output,

wherein, upon a vehicle starting off, if the object detection unit does not detect any object which is an obstacle to driving and which is in front of the vehicle and the shift position detection unit detects that the transmission position is a reverse position, the driving force suppression determination unit determines to suppress the vehicle driving force and outputs a command of driving force suppression to the driving force suppression unit; and

wherein the driving force suppression unit receives the command from the driving force suppression determination unit, and executes at least one of restriction of the engine output against the driver'"'"'s acceleration operation and generation of deceleration force with the brake, thus suppressing the vehicle driving force.

2. The vehicle driving force suppression device according to claim 1, wherein the driving force suppression determination unit adds, to a determination condition of the driving force suppression, a condition that an acceleration pedal depression speed by a driver is equal to or more than a threshold value made into a pattern in accordance with an acceleration pedal depression amount.

3. A vehicle driving force suppression device comprising:

an object detection unit for detecting an object existing in front of or at back of a vehicle;

a shift position detection unit for detecting a transmission position;

a driving force suppression determination unit for determining whether to suppress a vehicle driving force, on the basis of a detection result of the object given by the object detection unit and a detection result of the transmission position given by the shift position detection unit; and

a driving force suppression unit for suppressing the vehicle driving force by adjusting at least one of a brake and an engine output, wherein

upon a vehicle starting off, if the object detection unit does not detect any object which is an obstacle to driving and which is in front of the vehicle and the shift position detection unit detects that the transmission position is a reverse position, or if the object detection unit does not detect any object which is an obstacle to driving and which is at the back of the vehicle and the shift position detection unit detects that the transmission position is a forward position, the driving force suppression determination unit determines to suppress the vehicle driving force and outputs a command of driving force suppression to the driving force suppression unit,

the driving force suppression unit receives the command from the driving force suppression determination unit, and executes at least one of restriction of the engine output against the driver'"'"'s acceleration operation and generation of deceleration force with the brake, thus suppressing the vehicle driving force,

the driving force suppression determination unit adds, to a determination condition of the driving force suppression, a condition that an acceleration pedal depression speed by a driver is equal to or more than a threshold value made into a pattern in accordance with an acceleration pedal depression amount, and

in a case where, when the vehicle starts, an object which is an obstacle to driving is detected in front of the vehicle and the transmission position is the reverse position and the vehicle is on a road surface descending to a front side, then the driving force suppression determination unit sets the threshold value at a higher level as an inclination of the slope of the road surface descending to the front side increases, and makes the determination as to whether to suppress the driving force or not.

5. The vehicle driving force suppression device according to claim 3, wherein the threshold value is set at a higher value as a distance between the vehicle and the object is closer, and a determination is made as to whether to suppress the driving force or not.

4. A vehicle driving force suppression device comprising:

an object detection unit for detecting an object existing in front of or at back of a vehicle;

a shift position detection unit for detecting a transmission position;

a driving force suppression determination unit for determining whether to suppress a vehicle driving force, on the basis of a detection result of the object given by the object detection unit and a detection result of the transmission position given by the shift position detection unit; and

a driving force suppression unit for suppressing the vehicle driving force by adjusting at least one of a brake and an engine output, wherein

upon a vehicle starting off, if the object detection unit does not detect any object which is an obstacle to driving and which is in front of the vehicle and the shift position detection unit detects that the transmission position is a reverse position, or if the object detection unit does not detect any object which is an obstacle to driving and which is at the back of the vehicle and the shift position detection unit detects that the transmission position is a forward position, the driving force suppression determination unit determines to suppress the vehicle driving force and outputs a command of driving force suppression to the driving force suppression unit,

the driving force suppression unit receives the command from the driving force suppression determination unit, and executes at least one of restriction of the engine output against the driver'"'"'s acceleration operation and generation of deceleration force with the brake, thus suppressing the vehicle driving force,

the driving force suppression determination unit adds, to a determination condition of the driving force suppression, a condition that an acceleration pedal depression speed by a driver is equal to or more than a threshold value made into a pattern in accordance with an acceleration pedal depression amount, and

in a case where, when the vehicle starts, an object which is an obstacle to driving is detected at the rear of the vehicle and the transmission position is the forward position and the vehicle is on a road surface ascending to a front side, then the driving force suppression determination unit sets the threshold value at a higher level as an inclination of the slope of the road surface ascending to the front side increases, and makes the determination as to whether to suppress the driving force or not.

6. The vehicle driving force suppression device according to claim 4, wherein the threshold value is set at a higher value as a distance between the vehicle and the object is closer, and a determination is made as to whether to suppress the driving force or not.

7. A vehicle driving force suppression device comprising:

an object detection unit for detecting an object existing in front of or at back of a vehicle;

a shift position detection unit for detecting a transmission position;

a driving force suppression determination unit for determining whether to suppress a vehicle driving force, on the basis of a detection result of the object given by the object detection unit and a detection result of the transmission position given by the shift position detection unit; and

a driving force suppression unit for suppressing the vehicle driving force by adjusting at least one of a brake and an engine output, wherein

upon a vehicle starting off, if the object detection unit does not detect any object which is an obstacle to driving and which is in front of the vehicle and the shift position detection unit detects that the transmission position is a reverse position, or if the object detection unit does not detect any object which is an obstacle to driving and which is at the back of the vehicle and the shift position detection unit detects that the transmission position is a forward position, the driving force suppression determination unit determines to suppress the vehicle driving force and outputs a command of driving force suppression to the driving force suppression unit,

the driving force suppression unit receives the command from the driving force suppression determination unit, and executes at least one of restriction of the engine output against the driver'"'"'s acceleration operation and generation of deceleration force with the brake, thus suppressing the vehicle driving force,

the driving force suppression determination unit adds, to a determination condition of the driving force suppression, a condition that an acceleration pedal depression speed by a driver is equal to or more than a threshold value made into a pattern in accordance with an acceleration pedal depression amount, and

when a structure extending to a front side or a rear side along a side of the vehicle is detected, and a steering wheel angle is equal to or more than a certain value, then the threshold value is set at a low level as compared with a case where the steering wheel angle is less than the certain value, and a determination is made as to whether to suppress the driving force or not.

8. A vehicle driving force suppression device comprising:

an object detection unit for detecting an object existing only at back of a vehicle;

a shift position detection unit for detecting a transmission position;

a driving force suppression determination unit for determining whether to suppress a vehicle driving force, on the basis of a detection result of the object given by the object detection unit and a detection result of the transmission position given by the shift position detection unit; and

a driving force suppression unit for suppressing the vehicle driving force by adjusting at least one of a brake and an engine output,

wherein, upon a vehicle starting off, if the object detection unit does not detect any object which is an obstacle to driving and which is at the back of the vehicle and the shift position detection unit detects that the transmission position is a forward position, the driving force suppression determination unit determines to suppress the vehicle driving force and outputs a command of driving force suppression to the driving force suppression unit; and

wherein the driving force suppression unit receives the command from the driving force suppression determination unit, and executes at least one of restriction of the engine output against the driver'"'"'s acceleration operation and generation of deceleration force with the brake, thus suppressing the vehicle driving force.