US 5,752,214 A · Method and apparatus for controller power train of motor vehicle

Abstract

The vehicle power train control method and apparatus according to the invention secures both operability and safety by controlling an actual acceleration/deceleration to a target acceleration/deceleration requested by a driver under safe traveling condition, and changing the target acceleration/deceleration so as to take precedence for safe traveling if the driver encounters a dangerous traveling condition. According to the invention, acceleration/deceleration and speed of a motor vehicle are detected; a target acceleration/deceleration is determined; and a road condition such as a road gradient or presence or absence of a forward motor vehicle is detected to decide whether the road condition is dangerous. The target acceleration is changed if the condition is decided to be dangerous.

Claims17

Dependent claims

An apparatus for controlling a power train of a motor vehicle, comprising:

acceleration/deceleration detection means for detecting a motor vehicle acceleration/deceleration requested by a driver;
motor vehicle speed detection means for detecting a motor vehicle speed;
target acceleration/deceleration determining means for setting a target acceleration/deceleration in accordance with signals output from the acceleration/deceleration detection means and the motor vehicle speed detection means;
road condition detection means for detecting a current road condition, including existence of an obstacle such as an approaching motor vehicle;
dangerous traveling decision means for determining whether a dangerous traveling conditions exists, based on a signal output from the road condition detection means;
and
target value change means for changing target values set by the target acceleration/deceleration operation means when dangerous traveling is decided by the dangerous traveling decision means.

4 more elements

A method for controlling a power train of a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of:

detecting a desired motor vehicle acceleration requested by a driver;
detecting a motor vehicle speed;
setting a target acceleration/deceleration in accordance with a detected desired acceleration/deceleration and a detected motor vehicle speed;
detecting current road condition, including existence of an obstacle such as a forward motor vehicle;
deciding whether the present motor vehicle traveling condition is dangerous in accordance with the detected road condition;
and
changing the target acceleration/deceleration when the present motor vehicle traveling condition is decided to be dangerous.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for controller power train of motor vehicle

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for controller power train of motor vehicle

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17