Vehicle velocity control apparatus and method with preceding vehicle following control function

A vehicle velocity control apparatus for an automotive vehicle, comprising:

• vehicle velocity detecting means for detecting a velocity of the vehicle;
• preceding vehicle detecting means for detecting a preceding vehicle which is running ahead of the vehicle;
• first following vehicle velocity control means for executing a first following control to control the vehicle velocity of the vehicle to make the vehicle velocity of the vehicle substantially equal to a predetermined vehicle velocity when no preceding vehicle is detected and, when the preceding vehicle is detected, to make the vehicle follow the preceding vehicle with the predetermined vehicle velocity as an upper limit on the basis of detected results by the vehicle velocity detecting means and the preceding vehicle detecting means;
• first following control start requesting means for requesting the first following vehicle velocity control section to start the first following control;
• second following vehicle velocity control means for executing a second following control to control the velocity of the vehicle to make the vehicle follow the preceding vehicle when the preceding vehicle is detected on the basis of the detected results by the vehicle velocity detecting means and the preceding vehicle detecting means;
• second following control start requesting means for requesting the second following vehicle velocity control section to start the second following control:
• first request allowing means, included in the first following vehicle velocity control means, for allowing the request to start the first following control from the first following control start requesting means when the vehicle velocity of the vehicle detected by the vehicle velocity detecting means falls in a velocity range equal to or higher than a preset first set vehicle velocity;
• and
• second request allowing means, included in the second following vehicle velocity control means, for allowing the request to start the second following control from the second control start requesting means when the velocity of the vehicle falls in another velocity range which is equal to or lower than a preset second set vehicle velocity which is lower than the first set vehicle velocity.

A vehicle velocity control method for an automotive vehicle, comprising:

• detecting a velocity of the vehicle;
• detecting a preceding vehicle which is running ahead of the vehicle;
• executing a first following control to control the vehicle velocity of the vehicle to make the vehicle velocity of the vehicle substantially equal to a predetermined vehicle velocity when no preceding vehicle is detected and, when the preceding vehicle is detected, to make the vehicle follow the preceding vehicle with the predetermined vehicle velocity as an upper limit on the basis of detected results in detecting the vehicle velocity of the vehicle and detecting the preceding vehicle;
• requesting to start the first following control;
• executing a second following control to control the velocity of the vehicle to make the vehicle follow the preceding vehicle when the preceding vehicle is detected on the basis of the detected results in detecting the vehicle velocity of the vehicle and detecting the preceding vehicle;
• requesting to start the second following control:
• allowing the request to start the first following control when the detected vehicle velocity of the vehicle falls in a velocity range equal to or higher than a preset first set vehicle velocity;
• and
• allowing the request to start the second following control when the detected velocity of the vehicle falls in another velocity range which is equal to or lower than a preset second set vehicle velocity which is lower than the first set vehicle velocity.