Vehicle travel control device
First Claim
1. A vehicle travel control apparatus comprising:
- a reaction force controller for controlling a reaction force to be applied to an accelerator pedal;
a depressed angle sensor for detecting an accelerator pedal depressed angle of the accelerator pedal;
an intention determiner for determining a vehicle speed adjusting intention of a driver based on the accelerator pedal depressed angle detected by the depressed angle sensor;
a recommended speed estimator for estimating a recommended speed for a host vehicle based on an external situation around the host vehicle, or based on a traveling state of the host vehicle; and
a vehicle speed sensor for detecting a present vehicle speed of the host vehicle;
wherein the reaction force controller judges whether or not it is necessary to seek the driver'"'"'s attention based on the recommended speed estimated by the recommended speed estimator, the present vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor, and a present accelerator pedal depressed angle detected by the depressed angle sensor, and if the reaction force controller determines that it is necessary to seek the driver'"'"'s attention, the reaction force controller applies an attention seeking reaction force to the accelerator pedal for a predetermined time to decelerate a vehicle based on a judgment made by the vehicle itself, and after the attention seeking reaction force is sharply reduced, the intention determiner sets an intention determining period required to determine the vehicle speed adjusting intention of the driver, and the reaction force controller applies an intention determining reaction force smaller than the attention seeking reaction force for the intention determining period, andthe intention determiner determines the vehicle speed adjusting intention of the driver depending on the accelerator pedal depressed angle, which is detected by the depressed angle sensor during the intention determining period.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle travel control device can accurately determine a driver'"'"'s intention to adjust the vehicle speed. After applying attention attracting reaction force corresponding to outside circumstances and the like to an accelerator pedal through a reaction force application mechanism, a reaction force control unit outputs intention determining reaction force that is used to determine the driver'"'"'s intention to adjust the vehicle speed and is smaller than the attention attracting reaction force, and determines the intention to adjust the vehicle speed on the basis of the accelerator pedal operation amount of the driver while the intention determining reaction force is being applied to the accelerator pedal through the reaction force application mechanism.
18 Citations
9 Claims
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1. A vehicle travel control apparatus comprising:
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a reaction force controller for controlling a reaction force to be applied to an accelerator pedal; a depressed angle sensor for detecting an accelerator pedal depressed angle of the accelerator pedal; an intention determiner for determining a vehicle speed adjusting intention of a driver based on the accelerator pedal depressed angle detected by the depressed angle sensor; a recommended speed estimator for estimating a recommended speed for a host vehicle based on an external situation around the host vehicle, or based on a traveling state of the host vehicle; and a vehicle speed sensor for detecting a present vehicle speed of the host vehicle; wherein the reaction force controller judges whether or not it is necessary to seek the driver'"'"'s attention based on the recommended speed estimated by the recommended speed estimator, the present vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor, and a present accelerator pedal depressed angle detected by the depressed angle sensor, and if the reaction force controller determines that it is necessary to seek the driver'"'"'s attention, the reaction force controller applies an attention seeking reaction force to the accelerator pedal for a predetermined time to decelerate a vehicle based on a judgment made by the vehicle itself, and after the attention seeking reaction force is sharply reduced, the intention determiner sets an intention determining period required to determine the vehicle speed adjusting intention of the driver, and the reaction force controller applies an intention determining reaction force smaller than the attention seeking reaction force for the intention determining period, and the intention determiner determines the vehicle speed adjusting intention of the driver depending on the accelerator pedal depressed angle, which is detected by the depressed angle sensor during the intention determining period. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A vehicle travel control apparatus comprising:
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an information acquirer for acquiring vehicle information, which is information concerning an external situation or a traveling state of a host vehicle while the host vehicle is traveling; a recommended speed setter for setting a recommended speed for the host vehicle depending on the vehicle information acquired by the information acquirer; a recommended speed maintaining zone setter for setting a recommended speed maintaining zone as a zone for maintaining the recommended speed depending on the vehicle information acquired by the information acquirer; a reaction force controller for controlling a reaction force to be applied to an accelerator pedal; a depressed angle sensor for detecting an accelerator pedal depressed angle of the accelerator pedal; and an intention determiner for determining a vehicle speed adjusting intention of a driver based on the accelerator pedal depressed angle detected by the depressed angle sensor; wherein when the host vehicle enters the recommended speed maintaining zone, the reaction force controller controls the reaction force based on the recommended speed set by the recommended speed setter; the recommended speed setter corrects the recommended speed depending on a determined result from the intention determiner; the intention determiner outputs an intention value based on the accelerator pedal depressed angle; the recommended speed setter sets, as the recommended speed, a vehicle speed at a time when the intention value becomes equal to or greater than a first threshold value; and the recommended speed setter sets, as the recommended speed, a vehicle speed immediately before entering the recommended speed maintaining zone, in a case where the intention value becomes equal to or greater than a second threshold value, which is greater than the first threshold value. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. A vehicle travel control apparatus comprising:
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an information acquirer for acquiring vehicle information, which is information concerning an external situation or a traveling state of a host vehicle while the host vehicle is traveling; a recommended speed setter for setting a recommended speed for the host vehicle depending on the vehicle information acquired by the information acquirer; a recommended speed maintaining zone setter for setting a recommended speed maintaining zone as a zone for maintaining the recommended speed depending on the vehicle information acquired by the information acquirer; a reaction force controller for controlling a reaction force to be applied to an accelerator pedal; a depressed angle sensor for detecting an accelerator pedal depressed angle of the accelerator pedal; and an intention determiner for determining a vehicle speed adjusting intention of a driver based on the accelerator pedal depressed angle detected by the depressed angle sensor; wherein when the host vehicle enters the recommended speed maintaining zone, the reaction force controller controls the reaction force based on the recommended speed set by the recommended speed setter; the recommended speed setter corrects the recommended speed depending on a determined result from the intention determiner; the intention determiner outputs an intention value based on the accelerator pedal depressed angle; the recommended speed setter corrects the recommended speed based on a change in the intention value in a case where the intention value value becomes equal to or greater than a first threshold value; and the recommended speed setter sets, as the recommended speed, a vehicle speed immediately before entering the recommended speed maintaining zone, in a case where the intention value becomes equal to or greater than a second threshold value, which is greater than the first threshold value.
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Specification