Vehicle control apparatus

• US 20050071071A1
• Filed: 09/16/2004
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Advics Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Advics Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Nagata, Yuji
• Application Number:
  US10/941,811
• Publication Number:
  US 20050071071A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/14 responsive to accident or emergency, e.g. deceleration, tilt of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/024 Collision mitigation systems
• 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 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/106 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18009 related to particular drive situations

Abstract

An electric controller starts post-collision control when an acceleration of the vehicle detected by means of sensors mounted on the vehicle is greater than an acceleration threshold (i.e., after occurrence of a collision of a vehicle). In the post-collision control, the electric controller fixes the throttle valve opening to a predetermined value, and shifts the transmission from the present gear position to an adjacent lower-side gear position. Moreover, the electric controller controls the hydraulic pressure of the brake such that the vehicle deceleration in the front-rear direction detected by means of the sensors becomes a target deceleration.

Claims

1. A vehicle control apparatus comprising:

acceleration detection means for detecting acceleration of a vehicle;

collision determination means for determining, on the basis of the detected acceleration of the vehicle, whether the vehicle has undergone a collision; and

automatic deceleration force generation means for automatically generating a deceleration force for decelerating the vehicle when the vehicle is determined to have undergone a collision.

2. A vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the automatic deceleration force generation means is configured to generate the deceleration force by actuating a brake of the vehicle.

3. A vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the automatic deceleration force generation means is configured to generate the deceleration force by controlling an operating state of a drive source, which is mounted on the vehicle and adapted to generate a drive force for driving the vehicle, in such a manner that the drive source serves as a load against travel of the vehicle.

4. A vehicle control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the automatic deceleration force generation means is configured to generate the deceleration force by controlling an operating state of a drive source, which is mounted on the vehicle and adapted to generate a drive force for driving the vehicle, in such a manner that the drive source serves as a load against travel of the vehicle.

5. A vehicle control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the automatic deceleration force generation means is configured to shift a transmission mounted on the vehicle from a gear position at the time when the vehicle is determined to have undergone a collision to a lower-side gear position.

6. A vehicle control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the automatic deceleration force generation means is configured to shift a transmission mounted on the vehicle from a gear position at the time when the vehicle is determined to have undergone a collision to a lower-side gear position.

7. A vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an operation switch for prohibiting automatic generation of the deceleration force.

8. A vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the automatic deceleration force generation means is configured to continue automatic generation of the deceleration force until the vehicle stops.

9. A vehicle control apparatus comprising:

acceleration detection means for detecting acceleration of a vehicle;

collision determination means for determining, on the basis of the detected acceleration of the vehicle, whether the vehicle has undergone a collision;

a drive source for generating a drive force for driving the vehicle in accordance with an instruction signal;

instruction-signal generation means for generating the instruction signal in response to a drive operation of a driver and for modifying the instruction signal, when the vehicle is determined to have undergone a collision, in such a manner that the drive force generated in accordance with the instruction signal does not exceed a predetermined level.

10. A vehicle control apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising an operation switch for prohibiting the modification of the instruction signal.

11. A vehicle control apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the instruction-signal generation means is configured to continue the modification of the instruction signal until the vehicle stops.

12. A vehicle control apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the instruction-signal generation means is configured to continue the modification of the instruction signal until the vehicle stops.