US 4,763,745 AGranted

Motor vehicle with driving status detection device

AssigneeToyoda Koki Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorsKunihiko Eto, Yutaka Mori, Akihiro Oono, Kazumasa Kodama

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Abstract

A motor vehicle is provided with a driving status discrimination device, which includes a detector for detecting a parameter signal (e.g., vehicle speed, engine rotational speed, the opening degree of an engine throttle valve, or the like) relating to the driving speed of the motor vehicle at a predetermined interval, and a microcomputer for processing the parameter signals input thereto. The microprocessor calculates a differentiated value of the parameter signal and stores the differential value in a memory device. The memory device has a plurality of memory locations each storing the differential value. The microprocessor futher calculates an integrated value of a plurality of differentiated values stored in the memory device and discriminates various driving status from one another (e.g., a mountain road driving from a high speed driving) based upon the calculated integrated value.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A motor vehicle having a driving status detection device comprising:

a speed signal detector for detecting a parameter signal proportional to the vehicle speed;
acceleration calculation means operable at a plurality of predetermined intervals for calculating a differentiated value of said parameter signal for each interval detected by said speed signal detector with respect to time representing the acceleration of said vehicle, including data modifying means receiving said parameter signal for modifying the same in accordance with a functional formula so as to obtain a modified parameter signal, and differentiating means for calculating a differential value of said modified parameter signal obtained by said data modifying means, wherein said functional formula magnifies at a large magnification ratio said parameter signal which represents a vehicle speed belonging to a medium speed range and magnifies at a small magnification ratio said parameter signal which represents a vehicle speed belonging to either of low and high speed ranges;
and
driving status calculation means for calculating an integrated value of a plurality of said differentiated values successively calcualted by said acceleration calculation means, said integrated value representing the sum of accelerations given to said vehicle which is indicative of the driving status of said vehicle.

1 more element

A motor vehicle having a driving status detection device comprising:

a speed signal detector for detecting a parameter signal proportional to the vehicle speed;
acceleration calculation means operable at a plurality of predetermined intervals for calculating a differentiated value of said parameter signal for each interval detected by said speed signal detector with respect to time representing the acceleration of said vehicle;
wherein said differentiated value calculated by said acceleration calculation means represents an acceleration of said motor vehicle;
and
driving status calculation means for calculating an integrated value of a plurality of said differentiated values successively calculated by said acceleration calculation means, said integrated value representing the sum of accelerations given to said vehicle which is indicative of the driving status of said vehicle, including:
converting means for obtaining an absolute value of said acceleration calculated by said acceleration calculation means;
and
integrating means for calculating an integrated value based on a plurality of said absolute values each obtained by said converting means.

5 more elements

A motor vehicle having a power steering system of the type wherein an electromagnetic actuator controls the assisting power generated by a power cylinder in response to an electric current applied thereto, driving status detection means for detecting the driving status of said motor vehicle so as to output a driving status index representing the driving status, and electric current calculation means for calculating the electric current applied to said electromagnetic actuator based upon said driving status index and a parameter signal relating to the vehicle speed, said driving status detection means comprising:

a speed signal detector for detecting said parameter signal proportional to the vehicle speed;
acceleration calculation means operable at a plurality of predetermined intervals for calculating a differentiated value of said parameter for signal for each interval detected by said speed signal detector with respect to time;
and
driving status calculation means for calculating an integrated value of a plurality of said differentiated values each calculated by said acceleration calculation means, said integrated value representing the sum of accelerations given to said motor vehicle.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.