US 9,399,397 B2 · Cruise control apparatus

Abstract

The cruise control apparatus includes a headway control means for making a first determination as to whether or not at least one recognized front vehicle running ahead of an own vehicle is a preceding vehicle present in an own-vehicle lane in which the own vehicle is running, performing a headway control to cause the own vehicle to run following the preceding vehicle when the first determination is affirmative, and a vehicle type recognizing means for recognizing a type of the recognized front vehicle. The headway control means is configured to change a way to perform the headway control depending on the type (vehicle size, for example) of the recognized front vehicle.

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Claims2

Dependent claims

A cruise control apparatus comprising:

a headway control unit that determines whether or not at least one recognized front vehicle running ahead of an own vehicle is a preceding vehicle present in an own-vehicle lane in which the own vehicle is running by transmitting and receiving a frequency-modulated radar wave, and if the recognized front vehicle is determined to be the preceding vehicle, performs a headway control to cause the own vehicle to run following the preceding vehicle;
and
a vehicle type recognizing unit that recognizes a vehicle type of the recognized front vehicle including whether the vehicle type is a first type or a second type, the first type has a first rear width that is greater than a second rear width of the second type;
wherein
the headway control unit changes a way to perform the headway control based on the vehicle type of the recognized front vehicle,
the headway control unit calculates an own-lane probability that the recognized front vehicle is present in the own-vehicle lane based on a position of the recognized front vehicle, performs a filtering operation on the own-lane probability to generate a filtered own-lane probability, the filtered own-lane probability has a temporal variation which is reduced compared to a temporal variation of the own-lane probability calculated, the headway control unit determining whether or not the recognized front vehicle is the preceding vehicle using the filtered own-lane probability,
the vehicle type recognizing unit determines whether or not the recognized front vehicle is of the first type or the second type based on whether the vehicle has a shape corresponding to one of a plurality of model patterns stored in a memory unit in advance,
when the vehicle type is the first type, the filtered own-lane probability is:
a previously filtered own-lane probability added to a difference between the previously filtered own-lane probability and the calculated own-lane probability, the sum of which is multiplied by a first temporal variation to lower by a first degree of responsiveness the determination of whether or not the recognized front vehicle is the preceding vehicle, and
when the vehicle type is the second type, the filtered own-lane probability is:
the previously filtered own-lane probability added to the difference between the previously filtered own-lane probability and the calculated own-lane probability, the sum of which is multiplied by a second temporal variation that is less than the first temporal variation to lower by a second degree of responsiveness the determination of whether or not the recognized front vehicle is the preceding vehicle, the second degree of responsiveness is less than the first degree of responsiveness.

8 more elements

A cruise control apparatus comprising:

a headway control unit that determines whether or not at least one recognized front vehicle running ahead of an own vehicle is a preceding vehicle present in an own-vehicle lane in which the own vehicle is running by transmitting and receiving a frequency-modulated radar wave, and if the recognized front vehicle is determined to be the preceding vehicle, performs a headway control to cause the own vehicle to run following the preceding vehicle;
and
a vehicle type recognizing unit that recognizes a vehicle type of the recognized front vehicle including whether the vehicle type is a first type or a second type, the first type has a first rear width that is greater than a second rear width of the second type;
wherein
the headway control unit changes a way to perform the headway control based on the vehicle type of the recognized front vehicle,
the headway control unit performs a filtering operation on a detected front vehicle lateral position as a lateral position of the recognized front vehicle along a width direction of the own vehicle to generate a filtered front vehicle lateral position, the filtered front vehicle lateral position has a temporal variation which is smaller than a temporal variation of the detected front vehicle lateral position, the headway control unit determining whether or not the recognized front vehicle is the preceding vehicle using the filtered front vehicle lateral position,
the vehicle type recognizing unit determines whether or not the recognized front vehicle is of the first type or the second type based on whether the vehicle has a shape corresponding to one of a plurality of model patterns stored in a memory unit in advance,
when the vehicle type is the first type, the filtered front vehicle lateral position is:
a previously filtered front vehicle lateral position added to a difference between the previously filtered front vehicle lateral position and the calculated front vehicle lateral position, the sum of which is multiplied by a first temporal variation to lower by a first degree of responsiveness the determination of whether or not the recognized front vehicle is the preceding vehicle, and
when the vehicle type is the second type, the filtered front vehicle lateral position is:
the previously filtered front vehicle lateral position added to the difference between the previously filtered front vehicle lateral position and the calculated front vehicle lateral position, the sum of which is multiplied by a second temporal variation that is less than the first temporal variation to lower by a second degree of responsiveness.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description4,942 words

Summary680 words

#This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2012-28519 filed on Feb. 13, 2012, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates to a cruise control apparatus having a function to cause an own vehicle (a vehicle equipped with this cruise control apparatus) to run following a preceding vehicle.

Brief description of the drawings4 figures

#In the accompanying drawings:

#FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing the structure of a cruise control system including a cruise control apparatus according to a first embodiment of the invention;

#FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing steps of a cruise control process performed by the cruise control apparatus according to the first embodiment of the invention;

Detailed description4,151 words

#FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing the structure of a cruise control system 1 including a cruise control apparatus according to a first embodiment of the invention. This cruise control system 1 is mounted on a vehicle (may be referred to as the own vehicle hereinafter).

#As shown in FIG. 1, the cruise control system 1 includes a following-distance control electronic control unit (referred to as the following-distance control ECU hereinafter) 2, a radar apparatus 3, a camera 4, an engine electronic control unit (referred to as the engine ECU hereinafter) 5, a brake electronic control unit (referred to as the brake ECU hereinafter) 6. The ECUs 2, 5 and 6 are connected to one another through an in-vehicle LAN 7 so that each of them can transmit and receive various data to and from the other ECUs.

#The engine ECU 5 transmits, to the following-distance control unit ECU 2, data representing a vehicle speed, an engine control state and an accelerator operation state measured respectively by not-shown vehicle speed sensor, throttle opening degree sensor and accelerator pedal opening degree sensor. Also, the engine ECU 5 receives data representing a target acceleration, a fuel cut request and so forth from the following-distance control unit ECU 2, and outputs a drive command to a throttle actuator or the like for adjusting the throttle opening degree of the internal combustion engine of the vehicle in accordance with the vehicle running state determined from the received data.

Facts

Application

13/761,548Filed 7 Feb 2013

Priority

JP 2012-02851913 Feb 2012

Published

US 2013/0211689 A115 Aug 2013

Granted

26 Jul 2016

Term ends

6 May 2033

Estimated · how

20 years from earliest known nonprovisional domestic filing plus recorded patent term adjustment, including 88 days of adjustment. Maintenance-fee lapses, terminal disclaimers and statutory extensions have not been checked. The continuity chain may be incomplete; this is not an enforceability determination.

Classification6 codes

B60K 31/00
Vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle
B60W 30/16
Adaptive cruise control: control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
B60W 2420/403
Photo, light or radio wave sensitive means, e.g. infrared sensors: image sensing, e.g. optical camera
B60W 2420/408
Photo, light or radio wave sensitive means, e.g. infrared sensors: radar; Laser, e.g. lidar

Timeline

13 Feb 2012Priority claimedJP 2012-028519
7 Feb 2013Application filedUS 13/761,548
7 Feb 2013Assigned to Denso Corporationassignment of assignor's interest
15 Aug 2013PublishedUS 2013/0211689 A1
26 Jul 2016GrantedUS 9,399,397 B2
12 Oct 2026TodayWithin its term
6 May 2033Term endsEstimated, includes 88 days of adjustment

Cruise control apparatus

Life of this patent

Cruise control apparatus

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims2

Description4,942 words

Drawings

Classification6 codes

Life of this patent

Description4,942 words