Vehicular velocity control apparatus to follow up preceding vehicle running ahead of vehicle

Abstract

In a vehicular velocity control apparatus for an automotive vehicle, a first calculator is provided to calculate a target vehicular velocity to make an actual inter-vehicle distance from the vehicle to another vehicle which is running ahead of the vehicle substantially equal to a target inter-vehicle distance, a second calculator is provided to calculate a target vehicular driving force to make an actual vehicular velocity substantially equal to the target vehicular velocity, a first controller is operated to control an engine output variable of a vehicular engine to make an actual engine output variable substantially equal to the target vehicular driving force, a second controller is responsive to a negative target driving force to control a mechanical brake manipulated variable of a vehicular brake system to make a vehicular brake force substantially equal to the negative target vehicular driving force together with an operation of the first controller, a brake force integrator is provided to integrate the mechanical brake manipulated variable of the vehicular brake system with respect to a time duration, and a follow-up run release controller is provided to release a follow-up run control for the vehicle to follow up the other vehicle at the target inter-vehicle distance through the first and second controllers when an integration value of the mechanical brake manipulated variable with respect to a time duration by the brake force integrator is in excess of a preset reference value.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.