System and method for automatically controlling cruising speed of a vehicle

Claim 1

A system for automatically controlling a vehicle speed to a desired cruise speed,: (a) an actuator for actuating an engine driving force adjusting mechanism to change an operating variable of the engine driving force adjusting mechanism so that the vehicle speed is controlled; (b) first means for operatively commanding the actuator to actuate the engine driving force adjusting mechanism so that the vehicle speed is changed at a constant rate, and for operatively commanding the actuator to actuate the engine driving force adjusting mechanism so that the vehicle speed is maintained; (c) second means for detecting the vehicle speed; (d) third means for setting a first initialize signal and providing the first initialize signal for the actuator during a first initialization control for the actuator to prevent a drop in vehicle speed immediately after the first means operatively commands the actuator to actuate the engine driving force adjusting mechanism so that the vehicle speed is changed at the constant rate, a value of the first initialize signal being set so as to correspond to the detected vehicle speed; (e) fourth means for setting a tap-up initialize signal and providing the tap up initialize signal for the actuator during a tap-up initialize for the actuator so as to slightly increase the vehicle speed immediately after the first means operatively commands the actuator to change the vehicle speed, the system executes a constant change rate control of the vehicle speed via the actuator, the first means operatively commands the actuator to maintain the vehicle speed, and thereafter the first means again commands the actuator to change the vehicle speed, a value of the tap-up initialize signal being set so as to have a predetermined functional relationship to the first initialize signal value; and (f) fifth means for setting a small initialize signal and for providing the small initialize signal for the actuator during a small initialize control to improve a response characteristic of the actuator to a control signal produced during the constant change rate control immediately after the tap up initialize control by the fourth means, the small initialize signal being set so as to have the predetermined functional relationship to the first initialize signal value.

Claim 2

A system for automatically controlling a vehicle speed to a desired cruise speed,: (a) an actuator for actuating an engine driving force adjusting mechanism to change an operating variable of the engine driving force adjusting mechanism so that the vehicle speed is controlled; (b) first means for operatively commanding the actuator to actuate the engine driving force adjusting mechanism so that the vehicle speed is changed at a constant rate, and for operatively commanding the actuator to actuate the engine driving force adjusting mechanism so that the vehicle speed is maintained; (c) second means for detecting the vehicle speed; (d) third means for setting a first initialize signal and providing the first initialize signal for the actuator during a first initialization control for the actuator to prevent a drop in vehicle speed immediately after the first means operatively commands the actuator to actuate the engine driving force adjusting mechanism so that the vehicle speed is changed at the constant rate, a value of the first initialize signal being set so as to correspond to the detected vehicle speed; (e) fourth means for setting a tap-up initialize signal and providing the tap up initialize signal for the actuator during a tap-up initialize for the actuator so as to slightly increase the vehicle speed immediately after the first means operatively commands the actuator to change the vehicle speed, the system executes a constant change rate control of the vehicle speed via the actuator, the first means operatively commands the actuator to maintain the vehicle speed, and thereafter the first means again commands the actuator to change the vehicle speed, a value of the tap-up initialize signal being set so as to have a predetermined functional relationship to the first initialize signal value; and (f) fifth means for setting a small initialize signal and for providing the small initialize signal for the actuator during a small initialize control to improve a response characteristic of the actuator to a control signal produced during the constant change rate control immediately after the tap up initialize control by the fourth means, the small initialize signal being set so as to have the predetermined functional relationship to the first initialize signal value.

Claim 11

A system for automatically controlling a cruising speed of a vehicle, comprising: (a) an actuator for actuating a throttle valve of a vehicular engine in a direction to change a vehicle speed; (b) a switch which is operated in order to command a desired change of vehicle speed; (c) first means for detecting the vehicle speed; (d) second means for setting (i) a first initialize signal value by which the vehicle speed is initially changed immediately after the desired change of the vehicle speed is initially commanded through operation of the switch, (ii) a second initialize signal value by which the vehicle speed is changed immediately after a second command of the desired change of the vehicle speed through operation of the switch is performed a second time, and (iii) a third initialize signal value by which a vehicle speed response characteristic is modified after the second initialize signal value has been set during the second command of the desired change through the operation of the switch, the first, second and third initialize signal values corresponding to the detected vehicle speed; (e) third means for setting a control signal value by which the vehicle speed is changed at a constant rate after the second means sets the first initialize signal value; and (f) fourth means for selecting one of the first, second and third initialize signal values and control signal value in accordance with the command of the desired change of the vehicle speed through operation of the switch and actuating the actuator to adjust the engine speed so that the vehicle speed is adjusted according to the selected one of the first, second, and third initialize signal values and control signal value.

Claim 12

A system for automatically controlling a cruising speed of a vehicle, comprising: (a) an actuator for actuating a throttle valve of a vehicular engine in a direction to change a vehicle speed; (b) a switch which is operated in order to command a desired change of vehicle speed; (c) first means for detecting the vehicle speed; (d) second means for setting (i) a first initialize signal value by which the vehicle speed is initially changed immediately after the desired change of the vehicle speed is initially commanded through operation of the switch, (ii) a second initialize signal value by which the vehicle speed is changed immediately after a second command of the desired change of the vehicle speed through operation of the switch is performed a second time, and (iii) a third initialize signal value by which a vehicle speed response characteristic is modified after the second initialize signal value has been set during the second command of the desired change through the operation of the switch, the first, second and third initialize signal values corresponding to the detected vehicle speed; (e) third means for setting a control signal value by which the vehicle speed is changed at a constant rate after the second means sets the first initialize signal value; and (f) fourth means for selecting one of the first, second and third initialize signal values and control signal value in accordance with the command of the desired change of the vehicle speed through operation of the switch and actuating the actuator to adjust the engine speed so that the vehicle speed is adjusted according to the selected one of the first, second, and third initialize signal values and control signal value.

Claim 14

A system for automatically controlling the cruising speed of a vehicle, comprising: (a) first means for adjusting an engine speed; (b) second means for operatively commanding the first means to adjust the engine speed in order to effect a desired change of a vehicle speed; (c) third means for setting an initialization value which corresponds to the vehicle speed and by which the vehicle speed is initially changed whenever the desired change of the vehicle speed is operatively commanded through the second means, the initialization value being set irrespective of a type of the vehicle using the system; (d) fourth means for setting a control value by which the vehicle speed is changed at a constant rate after the third means establishes the initialization value; and (e) fifth means for selecting one of the initialization and control values according to the operative command of the desired change of the vehicle speed through the second means and actuating the first means to adjust the engine speed so that the vehicle speed is adjusted according to the selected one of the initialization and control values.

Claim 15

A system for automatically controlling the cruising speed of a vehicle, comprising: (a) first means for adjusting an engine speed; (b) second means for operatively commanding the first means to adjust the engine speed in order to effect a desired change of a vehicle speed; (c) third means for setting an initialization value which corresponds to the vehicle speed and by which the vehicle speed is initially changed whenever the desired change of the vehicle speed is operatively commanded through the second means, the initialization value being set irrespective of a type of the vehicle using the system; (d) fourth means for setting a control value by which the vehicle speed is changed at a constant rate after the third means establishes the initialization value; and (e) fifth means for selecting one of the initialization and control values according to the operative command of the desired change of the vehicle speed through the second means and actuating the first means to adjust the engine speed so that the vehicle speed is adjusted according to the selected one of the initialization and control values.

Claim 21

A method for automatically controlling a cruising speed of a vehicle, comprising the steps of: (a) providing means which operatively command a desired change of a vehicle speed and determining whether the desired change of the vehicle speed is commanded; (b) detecting the vehicle speed; (c) setting and producing a first initialization value which corresponds to the detected vehicle speed and by which the vehicle speed is changed immediately after the means operatively commands a desired change of the vehicle speed in step (a); (d) setting and producing a first control value by which the vehicle speed is changed at a first constant rate after the first initialization value is set and produced in step (c); (e) setting and producing a second control value by which the vehicle speed is maintained as constant after the means no longer operatively commands the desired change of the vehicle speed; and (f) setting and producing second and third initialization values by which the vehicle speed is changed at a second constant rate predetermined vehicle speed response characteristic immediately after the desired change of the vehicle speed is operatively commanded by the means a second time, the first, second, and third initialization values being set according to the vehicle speed detected at step (b).

Claim 22

A method for automatically controlling a cruising speed of a vehicle, comprising the steps of: (a) providing means which operatively command a desired change of a vehicle speed and determining whether the desired change of the vehicle speed is commanded; (b) detecting the vehicle speed; (c) setting and producing a first initialization value which corresponds to the detected vehicle speed and by which the vehicle speed is changed immediately after the means operatively commands a desired change of the vehicle speed in step (a); (d) setting and producing a first control value by which the vehicle speed is changed at a first constant rate after the first initialization value is set and produced in step (c); (e) setting and producing a second control value by which the vehicle speed is maintained as constant after the means no longer operatively commands the desired change of the vehicle speed; and (f) setting and producing second and third initialization values by which the vehicle speed is changed at a second constant rate predetermined vehicle speed response characteristic immediately after the desired change of the vehicle speed is operatively commanded by the means a second time, the first, second, and third initialization values being set according to the vehicle speed detected at step (b).