Method and apparatus for control of a vehicle constant speed mechanism

Claim 5

Apparatus for constant speed control of vehicle travel speed, comprising: a first electrical circuit providing an electrical signal responsive to actual vehicle speed; a second electric circuit for providing a second electric signal responsive to desired vehicle speed; a third electric circuit including a potentiometer for obtaining a negative feedback signal responsive to throttle valve opening degree, said third circuit being connected with said second circuit, for varying said desired vehicle speed; means for establishing the desired vehicle speed; a fourth electric circuit for storing the desired vehicle speed signal in said second circuit; a fifth electric circuit for fixedly maintaining the negative feedback signal from said third circuit during operation of the means for establishing the desired vehicle speed; and a sixth circuit for comparing the output signal from said first circuit with the desired vehicle speed and bringing said output signal from said first circuit into coincidence with the desired vehicle speed signal, if there is a difference between said signals.

Claim 6

Apparatus for constant speed control of vehicle travel speed, comprising: a first electrical circuit providing an electrical signal responsive to actual vehicle speed; a second electric circuit for providing a second electric signal responsive to desired vehicle speed; a third electric circuit including a potentiometer for obtaining a negative feedback signal responsive to throttle valve opening degree, said third circuit being connected with said second circuit, for varying said desired vehicle speed; means for establishing the desired vehicle speed; a fourth electric circuit for storing the desired vehicle speed signal in said second circuit; a fifth electric circuit for fixedly maintaining the negative feedback signal from said third circuit during operation of the means for establishing the desired vehicle speed; and a sixth circuit for comparing the output signal from said first circuit with the desired vehicle speed and bringing said output signal from said first circuit into coincidence with the desired vehicle speed signal, if there is a difference between said signals.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said first circuit comprises a detector adapted for generation of an electrical pulse responsive to vehicle speed and means for inverting said pulses.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said second circuit comprises means for determination of a quasi-stabilization period, said second circuit being adapted for generation of pulse the width of which is responsive to said determination means.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said fourth circuit comprises a field-effect transistor capable of operating in response to a difference between the respective outputs from said first and second circuits during operation of said desired vehicle speed means, said quasi-stabilization time determining meanS of said second circuit being controlled by said transistor, for bringing thereby the output from said second circuit into coincidence with the output from said first circuit during operation of said desired vehicle speed means, thereby storing the output from said first circuit in said second circuit.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said field-effect transistor comprises a first gate having electrical potential capable of rising when the pulse width as the output signal from said first circuit is larger than that at the output from said second circuit, and vice versa, and a second gate adapted for control of transistor means included in said quasi-stabilization period determination means into its non-conductive state with an increase of the potential at said first gate, for bringing the widths of respective output pulses from said first and second circuits into coincidence with each other, or for bringing said transistor means into its conducting state, so as to bring the respective pulse widths of outputs from said first and second circuits into coincidence with each other.