US 8,620,554 B2Granted

Accelerator reaction force control apparatus

AssigneeNissan Motor Co., Ltd.

InventorsShigeyuki Sakaguchi, Masao Shiomi, Masahiro Omori

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

An accelerator reaction force control apparatus has an accelerator position detecting device that detects an accelerator position and a reaction force varying device that varies a reaction force of an accelerator. The reaction force varying device increases the accelerator's reaction force beyond a base reaction force in response to the accelerator position being equal to or larger than a reaction force increase threshold, and decreases the accelerator's reaction force toward the base reaction force in response to the accelerator position becoming equal to or smaller than a reaction force increase cancellation threshold after the reaction force has been increased beyond the base reaction force. The reaction force varying device varies a reaction force decrease rate at which the accelerator's reaction force is decreased based on an accelerator position change condition existing at a time when the accelerator position becomes equal to or smaller than the reaction force increase cancellation threshold.

Claims12

Dependent claims

An accelerator apparatus comprising:

an accelerator device;
an accelerator device position sensor that detects an accelerator device position of the accelerator device;
and
a reaction force controller that adjusts a reaction force of the accelerator device, the reaction force controller being configured to
set a first position threshold based on an operating state,
set a second position threshold that is equal or less than the first position threshold,
increase the reaction force in response to the accelerator device passing the first position threshold,
reduce the reaction force at a reaction force decrease rate to return to the base reaction force in response to the accelerator device being reduced to a position below the second position threshold from a position above the first position threshold, and
vary the reaction force decrease rate based on a change condition of the accelerator device position indicating a rate at which the accelerator device moves past a reaction force increase cancellation threshold at a time as the accelerator device is reduced to a position below the second position threshold.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/856,610Filed 4 Apr 2013 · division
Priority: JP 2009-12479925 May 2009
Published: US 2013/0226404 A129 Aug 2013
Granted: 31 Dec 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

B60K 26/021
Of initiating means or elements: with means for providing feel, e.g. by changing pedal force characteristics
B60W 2540/106
Accelerator pedal position: rate of change
B60K
Arrangement or mounting of propulsion units or of transmissions in vehicles
B60W
Conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function

Family

Application12/785,720Parent of this division · filed 24 May 2010
US 2013/0226404 A1Pre-grant publication · published 29 Aug 2013
US 8,457,855 B2Parent of this division
US 2010/0299037 A1Published application
US 8,620,554 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.