US6062659A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Automatic brake system for vehicle
Assignee: Honda Motor Co Ltd
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Filing: 1998-05-20
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Granted: 2000-05-16
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Expires: 2018-05-20
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus for automatic braking of a vehicle includes a number of elements which operate to control vehicle speed as the vehicle enters upcoming curves. A road shape detection device detects a road shape in a forward direction of a vehicle, and a proper vehicle travelling speed calculating device calculates a proper vehicle travelling speed in the forward direction, based upon the detected road shape. A vehicle speed detecting device detects a speed of the vehicle, and a deceleration setting device sets a vehicle deceleration. A brake control device is connected to the deceleration setting device, the vehicle speed detecting device, and the proper vehicle travelling speed calculating device, for reducing the vehicle speed according to the vehicle deceleration. A road surface friction detecting device detects a value corresponding to a frictional or slippery condition of the road surface. A deceleration correcting device increases the deceleration as the road surface becomes more slippery.
Inventors
- 👤 Shohei Matsuda
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 18:30
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60T; B60T7/00; B60T7/12
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 33
Claim 1
Independent Claim
171 words
An automatic brake system for a vehicle, comprising: road shape detecting means for detecting a road shape in a forward direction of a vehicle; proper vehicle travelling speed calculating means connected to said road shape detecting means for calculating a proper vehicle travelling speed in the forward direction, based on the road shape detected; vehicle speed detecting means for detecting a speed of the vehicle; deceleration setting means for setting a vehicle deceleration; and brake control means connected to said deceleration setting means, said vehicle speed detecting means, and said proper vehicle travelling speed calculating means for reducing the vehicle speed according to the vehicle deceleration to the proper vehicle travelling speed based on a result of comparing the proper vehicle travelling speed with the vehicle speed, said system further comprising road surface friction detecting means for detecting a value corresponding to a slippery condition of a road surface; and deceleration correcting means connected to said road surface friction detecting means for increasing the deceleration as the road surface becomes slippery.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
171 words
An automatic brake system for a vehicle, comprising: road shape detecting means for detecting a road shape in a forward direction of a vehicle; proper vehicle travelling speed calculating means connected to said road shape detecting means for calculating a proper vehicle travelling speed in the forward direction, based on the road shape detected; vehicle speed detecting means for detecting a speed of the vehicle; deceleration setting means for setting a vehicle deceleration; and brake control means connected to said deceleration setting means, said vehicle speed detecting means, and said proper vehicle travelling speed calculating means for reducing the vehicle speed according to the vehicle deceleration to the proper vehicle travelling speed based on a result of comparing the proper vehicle travelling speed with the vehicle speed, said system further comprising road surface friction detecting means for detecting a value corresponding to a slippery condition of a road surface; and deceleration correcting means connected to said road surface friction detecting means for increasing the deceleration as the road surface becomes slippery.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
75 words
An automatic brake system according to claim 1, further comprising area setting means connected to said deceleration setting means for setting a range of values corresponding to a high frictional road surface area and a low frictional road surface area in such a way that the range of values overlap, wherein the deceleration setting means sets a deceleration in the high frictional road surface area and another deceleration in the low frictional road surface area.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
An automatic brake system according to claim 2, wherein an increase in the deceleration in the low frictional road surface area is set smaller than an increase in the deceleration in the high frictional road surface area.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
An automatic brake system according to claim 2, wherein the deceleration in the low frictional road surface area is set at a constant value.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
45 words
An automatic brake system according to claim 1, wherein when the road surface friction detecting means detects the slippery condition of the road surface, the brake control means sets a braking force of front wheels to be greater than a braking force of rear wheels.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
An automatic brake system according to claim 5, wherein the brake control means sets the braking force of the rear wheels to zero.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
38 words
An automatic brake system according to claim 1, further comprising storage means connected to the road shape detecting means, wherein the road shape detecting means detects the road shape based on road information stored in the storage means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
57 words
An automatic brake system according to claim 7, further comprising vehicle position detecting means for detecting a position of the vehicle relative to the road, and wherein the road shape detecting means detects the road shape based upon the road information stored in the storage means and the vehicle position detected by the vehicle position detecting means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
50 words
An automatic brake system according to claim 1, further comprising imaging means connected to said road shape detecting means for providing image data of the road ahead of the vehicle to said road shape detecting means, said road shape detecting means detecting the road shape based upon the image data.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
48 words
An automatic brake system according to claim 1, further comprising receiving means connected to the road shape detecting means for receiving road shape data from information transmitting means installed on the road, said road shape detecting means determining the road shape based on information from said receiving means.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
120 words
A method for automatic braking of a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of: detecting a road shape in a forward direction of a vehicle; calculating a proper vehicle travelling speed for the road shape detected; detecting a speed of the vehicle; setting a vehicle deceleration based upon a comparison of the detected vehicle speed to the proper vehicle travelling speed; actuating a vehicle brake to reduce the vehicle speed according to the vehicle deceleration such that said vehicle speed is reduced to the proper vehicle travelling speed; detecting a slippery condition of a road surface based upon feedback data from said actuation of said vehicle brake; correcting the deceleration based upon the detected slippery condition of the road surface.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
120 words
A method for automatic braking of a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of: detecting a road shape in a forward direction of a vehicle; calculating a proper vehicle travelling speed for the road shape detected; detecting a speed of the vehicle; setting a vehicle deceleration based upon a comparison of the detected vehicle speed to the proper vehicle travelling speed; actuating a vehicle brake to reduce the vehicle speed according to the vehicle deceleration such that said vehicle speed is reduced to the proper vehicle travelling speed; detecting a slippery condition of a road surface based upon feedback data from said actuation of said vehicle brake; correcting the deceleration based upon the detected slippery condition of the road surface.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
69 words
A method for automatic braking as recited in claim 11, wherein said step of setting the vehicle deceleration includes a step of setting a range of values corresponding to a high frictional road surface area and a low frictional road surface area, wherein the range of values overlap, and wherein the vehicle deceleration is set in the high frictional road surface area and the low frictional road surface area.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method as recited in claim 12, wherein said correcting step is such that an increase in the deceleration in the low frictional road surface area is smaller than an increase in the deceleration in the high frictional road surface area.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the step of setting the deceleration includes a step of setting the deceleration in the low frictional road surface area to a constant value.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
46 words
A method as recited in claim 11, wherein the step of detecting the slippery condition of the road surface includes a step of setting a braking force of front wheels of the vehicle to be greater than a braking force of rear wheels of the vehicle.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the braking force of the rear wheels is set to be zero.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method as recited in claim 11, wherein said method comprises a first step of providing a storage means for storing road information data, wherein the step of detecting the road shape includes a step of reading the road information from the storage means.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method as recited in claim 17, wherein said step of detecting a road shape includes a step of detecting a vehicle position based upon the road information in the storage means.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method as recited in claim 11, wherein said step of detecting a road shape includes a step of generating an image of the road ahead of the vehicle through data provided by an image generating device.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method as recited in claim 11, wherein said step of detecting a road shape includes a step of receiving road shape data from remote information transmitting means, said road shape being determined based on said road shape data.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
178 words
An automatic brake system for a vehicle, comprising: a road shape detecting device for detecting a road shape in a forward direction of a vehicle; a proper vehicle travelling speed calculating device connected to said road shape detecting device for calculating a proper vehicle travelling speed in the forward direction, based on the road shape detected; a vehicle speed detecting device for detecting a speed of the vehicle; a deceleration setting device for setting a vehicle deceleration; and a brake control device connected to said deceleration setting device, said vehicle speed detecting device, and said proper vehicle travelling speed calculating device, for reducing the vehicle speed according to the vehicle deceleration to the proper vehicle travelling speed based on a result of comparing the proper vehicle travelling speed with the vehicle speed; said system further comprising a road surface friction detecting device for detecting a value corresponding to a slippery condition of a road surface; and a deceleration correcting device connected to said road surface friction detecting device for increasing the deceleration as the road surface becomes slippery.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
178 words
An automatic brake system for a vehicle, comprising: a road shape detecting device for detecting a road shape in a forward direction of a vehicle; a proper vehicle travelling speed calculating device connected to said road shape detecting device for calculating a proper vehicle travelling speed in the forward direction, based on the road shape detected; a vehicle speed detecting device for detecting a speed of the vehicle; a deceleration setting device for setting a vehicle deceleration; and a brake control device connected to said deceleration setting device, said vehicle speed detecting device, and said proper vehicle travelling speed calculating device, for reducing the vehicle speed according to the vehicle deceleration to the proper vehicle travelling speed based on a result of comparing the proper vehicle travelling speed with the vehicle speed; said system further comprising a road surface friction detecting device for detecting a value corresponding to a slippery condition of a road surface; and a deceleration correcting device connected to said road surface friction detecting device for increasing the deceleration as the road surface becomes slippery.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
75 words
An automatic brake system according to claim 21, further comprising an area setting device connected to said deceleration setting device for setting a range of values corresponding to high frictional road surface area and a low frictional road surface area in such a way that the range of values overlap, wherein the deceleration setting device sets the deceleration in the high frictional road surface area and the deceleration in the low frictional road surface area.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
37 words
An automatic brake system according to claim 22, wherein an increase in the deceleration in the low frictional road surface area is set smaller than an increase in the deceleration in the high frictional road surface area.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
24 words
An automatic brake system according to claim 22, wherein the deceleration in the low frictional road surface area is set at a constant value.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
45 words
An automatic brake system according to claim 21, wherein when the road surface friction detecting device detects the slippery condition of the road surface, the brake control device sets a braking force of front wheels to be greater than a braking force of rear wheels.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
23 words
An automatic brake system according to claim 25, wherein the brake control device sets the braking force of the rear wheels to zero.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
39 words
An automatic brake system according to claim 21, further comprising a storage device connected to the road shape detecting device, wherein the road shape detecting device detects the road shape based on road information stored in the storage device.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
58 words
An automatic brake system according to claim 27, further comprising a vehicle position detecting device for detecting a position of the vehicle relative to the road, and wherein the road shape detecting device detects the road shape based upon the road information stored in the storage device and the vehicle position detected by the vehicle position detecting device.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
51 words
An automatic brake system according to claim 21, further comprising an imaging device connected to said road shape detecting device for providing image data of the road ahead of the vehicle to said road shape detecting device, said road shape detecting device detecting the road shape based upon the image data.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
49 words
An automatic brake system according to claim 21, further comprising a receiving device connected to the road shape detecting device for receiving road shape data from information transmitting devices installed on the road, said road shape detecting device determining the road shape based on information from said receiving device.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-05-16 | 2003-11-15 | 2004-05-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-05-16 | 2007-11-15 | 2008-05-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-05-16 | 2011-11-15 | 2012-05-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |