System for controlling a driving device of a vehicle

Claim 1

A system for controlling a driving vehicle operated by a driver, the driving vehicle comprising a brake, and an accelerator, the system comprising: means for setting a slow-run mode; means for detecting that the brake of the driving vehicle is being activated; means, mechanically separated from the accelerator of the driving vehicle, for controlling a driving force of the driving vehicle; means for detecting a running speed of the driving vehicle; means for setting a slow-run speed command signal set by the driver representing a commanded speed; means for receiving information concerning the brake activation, the running speed, and the slow-run speed command signal, and for sequentially generating a target slow-run speed command signal in accordance with the received information so that a target slow-run speed can be sequentially increased incrementally over time, wherein, in the slow-run mode, when the brake is not activated, said means for controlling said driving force is driven so as to allow the running speed of the driving vehicle to increase to become the target slow-run speed in response to the target slow-run speed command signal, and, when the brake is activated, no driving force is produced; means for measuring an inter-vehicle distance between the driving vehicle and a preceding vehicle in front of the driving vehicle, said means for generating a target slow-run speed command signal being operative, in response to received information concerning the brake activation, the inter-vehicle distance, the running speed of the vehicle, and a slow-run speed command signal, to sequentially generate a target slow-run speed command signal that causes the driving vehicle to incrementally accelerate in accordance with the received information; and means for setting a commanded inter-vehicle distance; wherein the system operates operating in one of two control modes selected by a means for selecting wherein, a first control mode is an inter-vehicle distance predominating control mode, and the driving vehicle is incrementally accelerated until the commanded inter-vehicle distance is measured by said means for measuring, and a second control mode is a running speed predominating control mode, and the driving vehicle is incrementally accelerated until the commanded speed is detected as the running speed.

Claim 2

A system for controlling a driving vehicle operated by a driver, the driving vehicle comprising a brake, and an accelerator, the system comprising: means for setting a slow-run mode; means for detecting that the brake of the driving vehicle is being activated; means, mechanically separated from the accelerator of the driving vehicle, for controlling a driving force of the driving vehicle; means for detecting a running speed of the driving vehicle; means for setting a slow-run speed command signal set by the driver representing a commanded speed; means for receiving information concerning the brake activation, the running speed, and the slow-run speed command signal, and for sequentially generating a target slow-run speed command signal in accordance with the received information so that a target slow-run speed can be sequentially increased incrementally over time, wherein, in the slow-run mode, when the brake is not activated, said means for controlling said driving force is driven so as to allow the running speed of the driving vehicle to increase to become the target slow-run speed in response to the target slow-run speed command signal, and, when the brake is activated, no driving force is produced; means for measuring an inter-vehicle distance between the driving vehicle and a preceding vehicle in front of the driving vehicle, said means for generating a target slow-run speed command signal being operative, in response to received information concerning the brake activation, the inter-vehicle distance, the running speed of the vehicle, and a slow-run speed command signal, to sequentially generate a target slow-run speed command signal that causes the driving vehicle to incrementally accelerate in accordance with the received information; and means for setting a commanded inter-vehicle distance; wherein the system operates operating in one of two control modes selected by a means for selecting wherein, a first control mode is an inter-vehicle distance predominating control mode, and the driving vehicle is incrementally accelerated until the commanded inter-vehicle distance is measured by said means for measuring, and a second control mode is a running speed predominating control mode, and the driving vehicle is incrementally accelerated until the commanded speed is detected as the running speed.

Claim 3

A system for controlling a driving vehicle operated by a driver, the driving vehicle comprising a brake, and an accelerator, the system comprising: means for setting a slow-run mode; means for detecting that the brake of the driving vehicle is being activated; means, mechanically separated from the accelerator of the driving vehicle, for controlling a driving force of the driving vehicle; means for sensing a running speed of the driving vehicle; means for measuring a distance between the driving vehicle and a preceding vehicle in front of the driving vehicle; means for setting a slow-run speed command signal representing a commanded speed; means, in response to information concerning the brake activation, the measured inter-vehicle distance, the running speed of the vehicle, and the slow-run speed command signal, for sequentially generating a target slow-run speed command signal in accordance with the received information so that a target slow-run speed can be sequentially increased incrementally over time; and decision means, in response to information concerning the inter-vehicle distance and the running speed of the vehicle, for calculating a speed approaching the vehicle in front, to make a decision as to whether the measured inter-vehicle distance is with a proper distance value so as to output a warning signal to the driver and output a braking command signal to said driving force control means when the inter-vehicle distance between the preceding car and the driving car is less than the proper distance value, wherein in the slow-run mode, if the braking command signal is output from said decision means, said driving force control means is driven in accordance with the braking command signal, and wherein, if there is no such command signal, when the brake is not activated, said driving force control means is driven to cause the vehicle to run at the target slow-run speed, and when the brake is activated, said driving force control means is driven such that no driving force is produced; wherein the system operates in one of two control modes selected by a means for selecting wherein, a first control mode is an inter-vehicle distance predominating control mode, the driving vehicle being incrementally accelerated until the commanded inter-vehicle distance is measured by said means for measuring, and a second control mode is a running speed predominating control mode, the driving vehicle being incrementally accelerated until the commanded speed is detected as the running speed.

Claim 4

A system for controlling a driving vehicle operated by a driver, the driving vehicle comprising a brake, and an accelerator, the system comprising: means for setting a slow-run mode; means for detecting that the brake of the driving vehicle is being activated; means, mechanically separated from the accelerator of the driving vehicle, for controlling a driving force of the driving vehicle; means for sensing a running speed of the driving vehicle; means for measuring a distance between the driving vehicle and a preceding vehicle in front of the driving vehicle; means for setting a slow-run speed command signal representing a commanded speed; means, in response to information concerning the brake activation, the measured inter-vehicle distance, the running speed of the vehicle, and the slow-run speed command signal, for sequentially generating a target slow-run speed command signal in accordance with the received information so that a target slow-run speed can be sequentially increased incrementally over time; and decision means, in response to information concerning the inter-vehicle distance and the running speed of the vehicle, for calculating a speed approaching the vehicle in front, to make a decision as to whether the measured inter-vehicle distance is with a proper distance value so as to output a warning signal to the driver and output a braking command signal to said driving force control means when the inter-vehicle distance between the preceding car and the driving car is less than the proper distance value, wherein in the slow-run mode, if the braking command signal is output from said decision means, said driving force control means is driven in accordance with the braking command signal, and wherein, if there is no such command signal, when the brake is not activated, said driving force control means is driven to cause the vehicle to run at the target slow-run speed, and when the brake is activated, said driving force control means is driven such that no driving force is produced; wherein the system operates in one of two control modes selected by a means for selecting wherein, a first control mode is an inter-vehicle distance predominating control mode, the driving vehicle being incrementally accelerated until the commanded inter-vehicle distance is measured by said means for measuring, and a second control mode is a running speed predominating control mode, the driving vehicle being incrementally accelerated until the commanded speed is detected as the running speed.