Driving force control for automotive vehicle

A driving force control method for an automotive vehicle having an accelerator pedal and a powertrain including an internal combustion engine, comprising:

• detecting an operating parameter indicative of a speed of the vehicle and generating a vehicle speed signal indicative of said detected operating parameter;
• determining an ordinary target driving force in response to operator manipulation of the accelerator pedal and said vehicle speed indicated by said vehicle speed signal and generating an ordinary target driving force signal indicative of said determined ordinary target driving force, said ordinary target driving force being a predetermined target value of driving force required to keep the vehicle rolling over the surface of a flat road that has 0% gradient;
• determining an increment in running resistance from a standard resistance that is predetermined for the vehicle and generating a running resistance increment signal indicative of said determined increment in running resistance;
• detecting idle operation of the engine and generating an idle signal;
• detecting braking operation of the vehicle and generating a brake signal;
• determining corrected target driving force in response to said running resistance increment signal, and generating said determined corrected target driving force;
• and restraining influence of said running resistance increment on said determined corrected target driving force when said idle signal and said brake signal indicate one of idle operation and brake operation.

A driving force control system for an automotive vehicle having an accelerator pedal and a powertrain including an internal combustion engine, comprising:

• a vehicle speed sensor detecting an operating parameter indicative of a speed of the vehicle and generating a vehicle speed signal indicative of said detected operating parameter;
• an idle switch detecting idle operation of the engine and generating an idle signal;
• a brake switch detecting braking operation of the vehicle and generating a brake signal;
• and
• a powertrain control module, which is so programmed as to be operative
• to determine an ordinary target driving force in response to operator manipulation of the accelerator pedal and said vehicle speed indicated by said vehicle speed signal and to generate an ordinary target driving force signal indicative of said determined ordinary target driving force, said ordinary target driving force being a predetermined target value of driving force required to keep the vehicle rolling over the surface of a flat road that has 0% gradient;
• said powertrain control module being operative to determine an increment in running resistance from a standard resistance that predetermined for the vehicle and generating a running resistance increment signal indicative of said determined increment in running resistance;
• said powertrain control module being operative to receive said ordinary target driving force signal, said running resistance increment signal, said idle signal, and said brake signal, and to determine corrected target driving force, and to generate said determined corrected target driving force;
• said powertrain control module being operative to restrain influence of said running resistance increment on said determined corrected target driving force when said idle signal and said brake signal indicate one of idle operation and brake operation.