Braking apparatus and braking method for vehicle

Claim 2

A braking apparatus for a vehicle comprising: an operation member operated by a driver of the vehicle; a booster for exerting a braking force, according to an operation force of said operation member, on wheels of the vehicle; braking force increasing means for increasing a braking force output of said booster irrespective of the operation force of said operation member; braking condition determination means for determining whether a braking operation by said operation member is that of a normal braking condition or an emergency braking condition; and control means for, when the braking operation is determined by the braking condition determination means to be a normal braking condition, controlling the booster to exert a braking force according to the operation force of said operation member on the wheels, and for, when the braking operation is determined to be emergency braking condition, controlling is said braking force increasing means to increase a braking force output of the booster irrespective of the operation force of said operation member, to thereby exert a braking force larger than the braking force normally exerted on the vehicle wheels.

Claim 3

The braking apparatus for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said braking condition determination means includes operation force detection means for detecting the operation force of said operation member, and wherein an emergency braking condition is determined when a maximum operation force of the operation force detected by said operation force detection means is greater than a preset operation force and when an operation time, from the beginning of operation of said operation member until the maximum operation force is reached, is greater than a preset length of time.

Claim 4

The braking apparatus for a vehicle of claim 2, wherein said braking condition determination means includes storage means for successively storing a value of the operation force and updating the value to a greater value detected by said operation force detection means, and wherein an emergency braking condition is determined when the maximum operation force, newly updated after the operation time exceeds the preset length of time, exceeds the preset operation force.

Claim 5

The braking apparatus for a vehicle of claim 2 or claim 3, wherein said operation member is a brake pedal, and said operation force detection means is a pressing force sensor mounted to the brake pedal.

Claim 6

The braking apparatus for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said booster is linked to said operation member and is provided with a master cylinder for converting the operation force of said operation member to a hydraulic pressure and outputting a braking force acting upon the vehicle wheels.

Claim 7

The braking apparatus for a vehicle of claim 5, wherein said braking condition determination means is provided with pressure detection means for detecting the hydraulic pressure as an output of said master cylinder, and wherein an emergency braking condition is determined when a maximum pressure gradient of a pressure gradient detected by said pressure detection means is greater than a preset pressure gradient, and when a time lapse from the beginning of operation of said operation member until the maximum pressure gradient is reached is greater than a preset time lapse.

Claim 8

The braking apparatus for a vehicle of claim 6, wherein said braking condition determination means includes storage means for successively storing a value, and updating the value to a greater value, of the pressure gradient value detected by said pressure detection means as the maximum pressure gradient, and wherein an emergency braking condition is determined when the maximum pressure gradient, newly updated after the operation time exceeds the preset time lapse, exceeds the preset pressure gradient.

Claim 9

The braking apparatus for a vehicle of claim 6 or claim 7, further comprising: vehicle speed detection means for detecting a speed of the vehicle; steering wheel angle detection means for detecting a steering wheel angle of the vehicle; an accelerator opening sensor for detecting an accelerator opening of the vehicle; first estimation means for estimating a traffic condition of the vehicle from a running time ratio and an average speed derived from the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detection means, and from an average lateral acceleration derived from the detected vehicle speed and the steering wheel angle detected by said steering wheel angle detection means; second estimation means for estimating an operation tendency of the driver from a frequency analysis value of an accelerator opening derived from the accelerator opening detected by said accelerator opening sensor, a frequency analysis value of the vehicle speed detected by said vehicle speed sensor, a frequency analysis value of a longitudinal direction acceleration derived from the detected vehicle speed, a frequency analysis value of lateral acceleration derived from the detected vehicle speed and the detected steering wheel angle, and from the traffic condition estimated by said first estimation means; and preset pressure gradient changing means for changing a preset pressure gradient according to the operation tendency estimated by said second estimation means.

Claim 10

The braking apparatus for a vehicle of claim 8, wherein said second estimation means determines frequency distributions of individual parameters of the detected accelerator opening, the detected vehicle speed, the longitudinal direction acceleration, and the detected lateral acceleration, and estimates the operation tendency from a weighted total sum of average values and variances of the individual parameters derived from the frequency distributions and the traffic condition estimated by said first estimation means.

Claim 11

The braking apparatus for a vehicle of claim 5, wherein said braking condition determination means is provided with pressure detection means for detecting the hydraulic pressure as an output of said master cylinder, and wherein an emergency braking condition is determined when a first condition is met, where an average value of the detected pressure from a time at which a pressure gradient detected by said pressure detection means to a time before a first preset time, added with a preset value, is greater than the detected hydraulic pressure, after a second preset time from the first preset time, thereafter the time lapse from the second preset time is greater than a third preset time, and pressure gradient is greater than a second preset pressure gradient.

Claim 12

The braking apparatus for a vehicle of claim 10, wherein said braking condition determination means measures a length of time when the pressure gradient is zero or a negative value when the first condition is met, determines a normal braking condition when the measured length of time is greater than a fourth preset time, and cancels the meeting of the first condition.

Claim 13

The braking apparatus for a vehicle of claim 10, further comprising: vehicle speed detection means for detecting a speed of the vehicle; a steering wheel angle sensor for detecting a steering wheel angle of the vehicle; an accelerator opening sensor for detecting an accelerator opening of the vehicle; first estimation means for estimating a traffic condition of the vehicle from a running time ratio and an average speed derived from the vehicle speed detected by said vehicle speed detection means, and an average lateral acceleration derived from the detected vehicle speed and the steering wheel angle detected by said steering wheel angle detection means; second estimation means for estimating an operation tendency of the driver of the vehicle from a frequency analysis value of an accelerator opening derived from the accelerator opening detected by said accelerator opening sensor, a frequency analysis value of vehicle speed detected by said vehicle speed sensor, a frequency analysis value of a longitudinal direction acceleration derived from the detected vehicle speed, a frequency analysis value of lateral acceleration derived from the detected vehicle speed and the detected steering wheel angle, and the traffic condition estimated by said first estimation means; and preset pressure gradient changing means for changing a second preset pressure gradient according to the operation tendency estimated by said second estimation means.

Claim 14

The braking apparatus for a vehicle of claim 12, wherein said second estimation means determines frequency distributions of individual parameters of the detected accelerator opening, the detected vehicle speed, the longitudinal direction acceleration, and the detected lateral acceleration, and estimates the operation tendency from a weighted total sum of average values and variances of the individual parameters derived from the frequency distributions and the traffic condition estimated by said first estimation means.

Claim 15

The braking apparatus for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said control means includes operation detection means for detecting whether or not the driver operates said operation member, and first prohibition means for prohibiting operation of said braking force increasing means when the operation detection means detects that the driver does not operate said operation member, after an emergency braking condition is determined by said braking condition determination means.

Claim 16

The braking apparatus for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said control means includes operation force detection means for detecting the operation force of said operation member, and second prohibition means for prohibiting operation of said braking force increasing means when the operation force detected by said operation force detection means is less than a preset value after an emergency braking condition is determined by said braking condition determination means.

Claim 17

A braking method for a vehicle comprising the steps of: (a) determining whether a braking operation by an operation member, operated by a driver of the vehicle, is a normal braking condition or an emergency braking condition; (b) applying a braking force according to an operation force of the operation member, when the braking operation is determined in step (a) to be a normal braking condition; and (c) increasing the braking force acting upon the vehicle wheels, irrespective of the operation force of the operation member, when the braking operation is determined in step (a) to be an emergency braking condition, to exert a braking force larger than applied during normal braking on the vehicle wheels.

Claim 18

A braking method for a vehicle comprising the steps of: (a) determining whether a braking operation by an operation member, operated by a driver of the vehicle, is a normal braking condition or an emergency braking condition; (b) applying a braking force according to an operation force of the operation member, when the braking operation is determined in step (a) to be a normal braking condition; and (c) increasing the braking force acting upon the vehicle wheels, irrespective of the operation force of the operation member, when the braking operation is determined in step (a) to be an emergency braking condition, to exert a braking force larger than applied during normal braking on the vehicle wheels.

Claim 19

The braking method for a vehicle of claim 16, wherein step (a) includes the substeps of, (a1) detecting the operation force of the operation member, and (a2) determining an emergency braking condition when a maximum operation force of the operation force detected in step (a1) is greater than a preset operation force and a length of time, from a beginning of operation of the operation member until the maximum operation force is reached, is greater than a preset length of time.

Claim 20

The braking method for a vehicle of claim 17, wherein step (a) includes the further substeps of, (a3) storing a value of the detected operation force, (a4) successively updating the stored value of substep (a3) to store a maximum operation force, and (a5) determining an emergency braking condition when the maximum operation force, newly updated after the operation length of time exceeds the preset length of time, exceeds the preset operation force.

Claim 21

The braking method for a vehicle of claim 18, further comprising the steps of, estimating a traffic condition of the vehicle from a running time ratio and an average speed derived from a detected speed of the vehicle, and from an average lateral acceleration derived from the detected vehicle speed and a detected steering wheel angle of the vehicle; estimating an operation tendency of the vehicle driver from a frequency analysis value of an accelerator opening derived from a detected accelerator opening of the vehicle, a frequency analysis value of the detected vehicle speed, a frequency analysis value of a longitudinal direction acceleration derived from the detected vehicle speed, a frequency analysis value of lateral acceleration derived from the detected vehicle speed and the detected steering wheel angle; and varying the estimated traffic condition, and the second preset pressure gradient according to the estimated operation tendency.

Claim 22

The braking method for a vehicle of claim 19, wherein frequency distributions of the individual parameters of the detected accelerator opening, the detected vehicle speed, the derived longitudinal direction acceleration, and the derived lateral acceleration are determined, and the method further includes the steps of, estimating the operation tendency from a weighted total sum of average values and variances of the individual parameters determined from the frequency distributions and the estimated traffic condition.

Claim 23

The braking method for a vehicle of claim 16, further comprising the steps of, (d) converting the operation force of the operation member to a hydraulic pressure; (e) outputting a braking force acting upon the vehicle wheels; (f) detecting the hydraulic pressure of step (d); and (g) determining an emergency braking condition when a maximum pressure gradient of a pressure gradient of the detected hydraulic pressure of step (f) is greater than a preset pressure gradient, and when a time lapse from a beginning of operation of the operation member until the maximum pressure gradient is reached is greater than a preset time lapse.

Claim 24

The braking method for a vehicle of claim 21, wherein step (a) includes the substeps of, (a1) storing a greater value of the pressure gradient value, (a2) successively updating the stored value of substep (a1) to a greater value of the pressure gradient value to store a maximum pressure gradient, and (a3) determining an emergency braking condition when the maximum pressure gradient, newly updated after the operation time lapse exceeds the preset time, exceeds the preset pressure gradient.

Claim 25

The braking method for a vehicle of claim 21 or 22, further comprising the steps of, estimating a traffic condition of the vehicle from a running time ratio and an average speed derived from a detected speed of the vehicle, and from an average lateral acceleration derived from the detected vehicle speed and a detected steering wheel angle of the vehicle; estimating an operation tendency of the driver from a frequency analysis value of an accelerator opening derived from a detected accelerator opening of the vehicle, a frequency analysis value of the detected vehicle speed, a frequency analysis value of a longitudinal direction acceleration derived from the detected vehicle speed, a frequency analysis value of lateral acceleration derived from the detected vehicle speed and the detected steering wheel angle; and varying the preset pressure gradient according to the estimated operation tendency.

Claim 26

The braking method for a vehicle of claim 23, wherein frequency distributions of the individual parameters of the detected accelerator opening, the detected vehicle speed, the derived longitudinal direction acceleration, and the derived lateral acceleration are determined, and estimating the operation tendency from a weighted total sum of average values and variances of the individual parameters determined from the frequency distributions and the estimated traffic condition.

Claim 27

The braking method for a vehicle of claim 21, wherein the hydraulic pressure is detected as an output of a master cylinder of the vehicle, and an emergency braking condition is determined in step (a) when a first condition is met where an average value of the detected hydraulic pressure, from a time at which a pressure gradient is detected, to a time before a first preset time added with the preset value, is greater than the detected hydraulic pressure, after a second preset time from the first preset time, thereafter the time lapse from the second preset time is greater than a third preset time, and pressure gradient is greater than a second preset pressure gradient.

Claim 28

The braking method for a vehicle of claim 25, further comprising the steps of, (d) measuring a length of time when the pressure gradient is zero or a negative value when the first condition is met; (e) determining a normal braking condition when the measured length of time is greater than a fourth preset time; and (f) canceling the meeting of the first condition.

Claim 29

The braking method for a vehicle of claims 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 25, or 26, further comprising the steps of, determining whether or not the vehicle driver operates the operation member; and prohibiting increase of the braking force when it is determined that the driver does not operate the operation member, after an emergency braking condition is determined.

Claim 30

The braking method for a vehicle of claims 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 25, or 26, further comprising the steps of, detecting the operation force of the operation member is detected; and prohibiting increase of the braking force when the detected operation force is less than a preset value, after an emergency braking condition is determined.