Automatic vehicular velocity control apparatus for automotive vehicle

An automatic vehicular velocity control apparatus for an automotive vehicle, comprising:

• an inter-vehicle distance detector to detect an inter-vehicle distance from the vehicle to a preceding vehicle which is running ahead of the vehicle;
• a vehicular velocity detector to detect a vehicular velocity of the vehicle;
• a relative velocity detector to detect a relative velocity of the preceding vehicle to the vehicle;
• an inter-vehicle distance command value calculator to calculate a command value of an inter-vehicle distance;
• a target value determinator to determine a target value of the inter-vehicle distance prescribing a variation of the inter-vehicle distance with time until the detected value of the inter-vehicle distance has reached to the command value of the inter-vehicle distance;
• a gain determinator to determine a first gain by which a deviation between the target value of the inter-vehicle distance and the detected value of the inter-vehicle distance is multiplied in accordance with the detected value of the relative velocity;
• a vehicular velocity command value calculator to calculate a command value of the vehicular velocity to make the detected value of the inter-vehicle distance equal to the target value of the inter-vehicle distance on the basis of the detected value of the vehicular velocity, the detected value of the relative velocity, and the deviation between the target value of the inter-vehicle distance and the detected value thereof;
• and
• a vehicular velocity control section to control at least one of a driving force of the vehicle, a braking force of the vehicle, and a gear ratio of a vehicular transmission in such a manner that the detected value of the vehicular velocity is made equal to the command value thereof.