Driving force control apparatus for moving vehicle by desired distance

• US 6,006,144 A
• Filed: 08/02/1996
• Issued: 12/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Takahashi, Hiroshi, Oshiage, Katsunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US08/691,302
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 701/70, 701/80, 701/84, 701/85, 701/90, 701/96, 701/91, 701/301, 701/302, 701/1, 701/200, 180/167, 180/171, 180/179, 180/168, 180/170, 367/99
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/10 Automatic or semi-automatic parking aid systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/12 for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger limiting speed of vehicles other than rail vehicles B60K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/105 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/40 Coefficient of friction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/06 Automatic manoeuvring for parking
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18063 Creeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/1819 Propulsion control with control means using analogue circuits, relays or mechanical links

Abstract

A driving force control apparatus for moving a vehicle by a desired distance includes an input section for input a desired move distance, a throttle controller section for setting a throttle actuator of the vehicle at an opening degree, an actual moved distance detecting section for detecting an actual moved distance of the vehicle, and a braking section for stopping the vehicle by braking when the vehicle moved the desired distance. Therefore, a slight movement of the vehicle is simplified and therefore the load to a vehicle driver is decreased.

Claims

1. A driving force control apparatus for moving a vehicle by a small desired distance to park the vehicle, the vehicle being equipped with a throttle actuator, said driving force control apparatus comprising:

an input means for inputting a command to enter an automatic mode of the vehicle from a non-automatic driver-operated mode so as to move the small desired distance, wherein the move command provides for entering of the automatic mode when the move command is inputted after the vehicle has reached a fully stopped state in the non-automatic mode;

a throttle control means for inputting a throttle opening degree to the throttle actuator;

an actual moved distance detecting means for detecting an actual moved distance of the vehicle;

an obstacle detecting means for detecting a distance between the vehicle and an obstacle existing near the vehicle;

a comparing means for comparing the detection signal of said obstacle detecting means and the small desired distance;

a move distance changing means for lessening the small desired distance by a preset amount when said comparing means decides that the obstacle is within the small desired distance; and

a braking force generating means for stopping the vehicle when the actual moved distance becomes equal to the small desired distance for a first case where no obstacle is determined to be within the small desired distance, and for stopping the vehicle when the actual moved distance becomes equal to the small desired distance lessened by the preset amount for a second case where an obstacle is determined to be within the small desired distance.

2. A driving force control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a speed detecting means for detecting a vehicle running speed, said braking force generating means promptly stopping the vehicle when the detection value by said speed detecting means is greater than a predetermined value.

3. A driving force control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a friction coefficient detecting means for detecting a friction coefficient between a road surface and a tire of the vehicle, said throttle control means forbidding to input the throttle opening degree to the throttle actuator when the friction coefficient value detected by said friction detecting means is smaller than a predetermined value.

4. A driving force control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an acceleration detecting means for detecting an acceleration of the vehicle, said braking force generating means stopping the vehicle when the acceleration detected by said acceleration detecting means is greater than a preset value.

5. A driving force control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a brake pedal sensor for detecting a depression degree of a brake pedal, said throttle control means outputting a command for fully closing the throttle actuator and stopping the vehicle by generating the braking force through said braking force generating means when said brake pedal sensor detects the depression of a brake pedal of the vehicle.

6. A driving force control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means to cancel the automatic mode of the vehicle prior to the vehicle moving the desired move distance.

7. A driving force control apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the means to cancel comprising a sensor for sensing an actuation of a braking pedal of the vehicle by the driver while the vehicle is in the automatic mode.

8. A driving force control apparatus for moving a vehicle by a small desired distance to park the vehicle, the vehicle being equipped with a throttle actuator, said driving force control apparatus comprising:

a command inputting means through which a driver within the vehicle inputs a move command for moving the vehicle, the move command providing for the moving of the vehicle when the move command is inputted to enable an automatic mode after the vehicle has reached a fully stopped state during a non-automatic mode in which the driver is physically driving the vehicle;

a move distance changing means for setting a target move distance equal to the small desired distance when the move command is inputted through said command inputting means;

a throttle control means for inputting a throttle opening degree value to the throttle actuator;

an actual moved distance detecting means for detecting an actual moved distance of the vehicle;

an obstacle detecting means for detecting a distance between the vehicle and an obstacle existing near the vehicle;

a comparing means for comparing the detection signal of said obstacle detecting means and the target move distance;

a move distance changing means for lessening the target move distance by a preset amount when said comparing means decides that the obstacle is within the small desired distance; and

a braking force generating means for stopping the vehicle when the actual moved distance becomes equal to the small desired distance for a first case where no obstacle is determined to be within the target move distance, and for stopping the vehicle when the actual moved distance becomes equal to the target move distance lessened by the preset amount for a second case where an obstacle is determined to be within the target move distance.

9. A driving force control apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the move command causes the vehicle to enter an automatic mode in which the driver is not physically driving the vehicle, and

wherein the apparatus further comprising means for cancel the automatic mode prior to the vehicle moving the desired move distance.

10. A driving force control apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the means to cancel comprising a sensor for sensing of an actuation of a braking pedal of the vehicle while the vehicle is in the automatic mode prior to the vehicle moving the desired move distance.

11. An apparatus for moving an automotive vehicle to a small desired distance position to park the vehicle, said apparatus installed to the vehicle, with the vehicle including an internal combustion engine and a braking system, said apparatus comprising:

a move distance command button by which a driver in the vehicle commands the execution of the vehicle moving operation, the move distance command button providing for execution of the vehicle moving operation when the move distance command button is operated during a non-automatic mode of the vehicle while the vehicle is in a fully stopped state, the move distance command causing the vehicle to enter an automatic mode of the vehicle for moving the vehicle by a target move distance;

a vehicle condition detecting means for detecting a vehicle condition, said vehicle condition detecting means outputting a signal when the vehicle satisfies a predetermined condition;

a throttle actuator for controlling the engine output of the vehicle;

a braking actuator for stopping the vehicle;

a controller configured to start control of said throttle actuator and said brake actuator while monitoring an actual moved distance of the vehicle when said controller receives the signal from said vehicle condition detecting means;

a circumference sensor which measures an obstacle distance between the vehicle and an obstacle located near the vehicle. said controller changing the target move distance to the obstacle distance when the obstacle distance is smaller than the target move distance,

said controller configured to continue the control of said throttle actuator and said brake actuator until the vehicle moves the target move distance, and then stopping the vehicle.

12. A driving force control apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein said vehicle condition detecting means includes a vehicle speed sensor which detects a running speed of the vehicle and outputs a speed signal, an acceleration sensor which detects an acceleration of the vehicle in a fore-and-aft direction and outputs an acceleration signal, an accelerator pedal sensor which detects a depression degree of an accelerator pedal of the vehicle and outputs an accelerator depressed signal, and a shift position sensor which detects a selected position of an automatic transmission connected to the engine and outputting a drive signal.

13. A driving force control apparatus as claimed in claim 11, further comprising an alarm for outputting information to a vehicle driver, said controller stopping the vehicle and outputting information indicative of the stopped condition when the opening degree of said accelerator pedal becomes greater than a first value, the vehicle speed becomes greater than a second value or the acceleration becomes greater than a third value.

14. A driving force control apparatus as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a wiper switch which operates a wiper of the vehicle and outputs a signal based on the turning-on thereof to said controller and an ambient temperature sensor which detects a temperature external to the vehicle and outputs a signal indicative of an ambient temperature to said controller, said controller stopping the execution of the move distance command when said controller determines that a road surface is wet according to the signal from the wiper switch or that the road surface is slippery due to ice or snow according to the signal from said ambient temperature sensor.

15. A driving force control apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein actuation of the move distance command button causes the vehicle to enter an automatic mode, and

wherein the apparatus further comprising means for cancel the automatic mode prior to the vehicle moving the predetermined distance.

16. A driving force control apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the means to cancel comprising a sensor for sensing n actuation of a braking pedal of the vehicle by the driver while the vehicle is in the automatic mode.