Vehicle speed control apparatus, and vehicle

• US 9,908,529 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2016
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakade, Yusuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Alex C
• Application Number:
  US15/097,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20160339912A1
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/106 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/143 Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/146 Speed limiting

Abstract

A vehicle speed control apparatus generate a speed command value to control a vehicle speed according to a detected treading amount of an accelerator pedal, determines an upper-limit speed of the vehicle according to a speed limit of a road, generates a limit command value to control the vehicle speed to be the upper-limit speed, and adjusts the vehicle speed according to one of the speed command value and the limit command value to cause the lower vehicle speed. If the upper-limit speed is updated due to a change in the speed limit of the road while the vehicle speed is being adjusted according to the limit command value, a rate of change of the vehicle speed is limited continuously until a predetermined timing.

Claims

1. A vehicle speed control apparatus, comprising one or more processors configured to carry out:

generating a speed command value to control a vehicle speed according to a detected treading amount of an accelerator pedal;

determining an upper-limit speed of the vehicle according to a determined speed limit of a road;

generating a limit command value to control the vehicle speed to become the upper-limit speed determined by the determining; and

adjusting the vehicle speed according to one of the speed command value and the limit command value to cause the lower vehicle speed,

wherein if the determining updates the upper-limit speed due to a change in the speed limit of the road while the adjusting is adjusting the vehicle speed according to the limit command value, the adjusting limits a rate of change of the vehicle speed continuously until a predetermined timing, wherein the predetermined timing is a timing coming after the vehicle speed reaches a convergent value of the vehicle speed to be reached when the adjusting adjusts the vehicle speed according to the one of the speed command value and the limit command value to cause the lower vehicle speed after the upper-limit speed is updated.

4. A vehicle, comprising:

the vehicle speed control apparatus as claimed in claim 1;

a treading amount detection part detecting the treading amount of the accelerator pedal;

a speed limit determination part determining the speed limit of the road; and

a power train driving wheels by power according to a control signal that is output by the adjusting.

2. A vehicle speed control apparatus, comprising one or more processors configured to carry out:

generating a speed command value to control a vehicle speed according to a detected treading amount of an accelerator pedal;

determining an upper-limit speed of the vehicle according to a determined speed limit of a road;

generating a limit command value to control the vehicle speed to become the upper- limit speed determined by the determining; and

adjusting the vehicle speed according to one of the speed command value and the limit command value to cause the lower vehicle speed,

wherein if the determining updates the upper-limit speed due to a change in the speed limit of the road while the adjusting is adjusting the vehicle speed according to the limit command value, the adjusting limits a rate of change of the vehicle speed continuously until a predetermined timing, wherein the predetermined timing is a timing at which a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the adjusting started the limiting the rate of change of the vehicle speed.

3. The vehicle speed control apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the adjusting terminates the limiting the rate of change of the vehicle speed after the predetermined period of time has elapsed, and thereafter changes the vehicle speed at a greater rate.

5. A vehicle, comprising:

the vehicle speed control apparatus as claimed in claim 2;

a treading amount detection part detecting the treading amount of the accelerator pedal;

a speed limit determination part determining the speed limit of the road; and

a power train driving wheels by power according to a control signal that is output by the adjusting.

6. A vehicle, comprising:

the vehicle speed control apparatus as claimed in claim 3;

a treading amount detection part detecting the treading amount of the accelerator pedal;

a speed limit determination part determining the speed limit of the road; and

a power train driving wheels by power according to a control signal that is output by the adjusting.