Vehicle travel control apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016200321-A1
Application number	US-201414915839-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 27, 2014
Priority date	Sep 6, 2013
Publication date	Jul 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vehicle travel control apparatus includes a sensor that obtains preceding vehicle speed information representing a vehicle speed of a preceding vehicle, and preceding vehicle information representing at least one of a lateral position and a lateral speed of the preceding vehicle with respect to a traveling direction of a host vehicle, and a controller that, during a following mode in which the host vehicle follows the preceding vehicle, determines a target value related to acceleration/deceleration of the host vehicle based on the preceding vehicle speed information such that the host vehicle follows the preceding vehicle, and controls the acceleration/deceleration of the host vehicle such that the target value is implemented. During the following mode, the controller corrects the target value related to the acceleration/deceleration of the host vehicle based on the preceding vehicle information.

First claim

1 . A vehicle travel control apparatus, comprising:
a sensor that obtains preceding vehicle speed information representing a vehicle speed of a preceding vehicle, and preceding vehicle information representing at least one of a lateral position and a lateral speed of the preceding vehicle with respect to a traveling direction of a host vehicle; and
a controller that, during a following mode in which the host vehicle follows the preceding vehicle, determines a target value related to acceleration/deceleration of the host vehicle based on the preceding vehicle speed information such that the host vehicle follows the preceding vehicle, and controls the acceleration/deceleration of the host vehicle such that the target value is implemented, wherein
during the following mode, the controller corrects the target value related to the acceleration/deceleration of the host vehicle based on the preceding vehicle information.

2 . The vehicle travel control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein during the following mode, the controller suppresses control of the acceleration/deceleration when a predetermined accelerator operation is detected, and cancels suppression of the control of the acceleration/deceleration, and
the controller corrects the target value related to the acceleration/deceleration of the host vehicle based on the preceding vehicle information in a state immediately after canceling the suppression of the control of the acceleration/deceleration.

3 . The vehicle travel control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller corrects the target value such that magnitude of the deceleration of the host vehicle becomes smaller as the lateral position or the lateral speed of the preceding vehicle becomes greater.

4 . The vehicle travel control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller limits a change in a correction amount of the target value for a predetermined period when the lateral position or the lateral speed of the preceding vehicle starts to decrease from its increasing state.

5 . The vehicle travel control apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the target value related to the acceleration/deceleration of the host vehicle is calculated by multiplying a target value of the deceleration by a correction gain, the target value of the deceleration being calculated based on the preceding vehicle speed information, and the correction gain is set such that the correction gain becomes smaller as the lateral position or the lateral speed of the preceding vehicle becomes greater, and
when the lateral position or the lateral speed of the preceding vehicle starts to decrease from its increasing state, the controller keeps a the correction gain unchanged for the predetermined period with respect to the correction gain before the lateral position or the lateral speed of the preceding vehicle starts to decrease from its increasing state.

6 . The vehicle travel control apparatus of claim 5 , wherein when the lateral position or the lateral speed of the preceding vehicle increases, the controller changes the correction gain.

7 . The vehicle travel control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller changes a way of correcting the target value based on an operation state of a winker by a driver.

8 . The vehicle travel control apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the target value related to the acceleration/deceleration of the host vehicle is calculated by multiplying a target value of the deceleration by a correction gain, the target value of the deceleration being calculated based on the preceding vehicle speed information, and
the correction gain is calculated such that the correction gain in the case where the winker is operated in such a direction that corresponds to a direction in which the lateral position or the lateral speed of the preceding vehicle increases is smaller than that in the case where the winker is operated in such a direction that corresponds to a direction in which the lateral position or the lateral speed of the preceding vehicle decreases.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yamada Hiroshi
• Nanami Takeshi

Classifications

• B60W30/14 Primary

  {Adaptive} cruise control · CPC title

• B60W10/06 Primary

  including control of combustion engines · CPC title

• B60W2540/10

  Accelerator pedal position · CPC title

• B60W10/18

  including control of braking systems · CPC title

• B60W2754/10

  Spatial relation or speed relative to objects · CPC title