IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,071,736
Granted Patent B2
US 10,071,736 · App. 15/215,390 · Granted Sep 11, 2018

Driving assistance apparatus for vehicle

Inventor: Minoru Nakadori (Toyota, JP)
Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
B60W30/16B60W30/143B60W30/18F02D29/02F02D41/10F02D41/12B60W2520/105B60W2550/304B60W2550/308B60W2710/0666B60W2720/10B60W2720/106F02D2200/501F02D2200/606F02D2200/701F02D2250/18
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,071,736
App. No.
15/215,390
Granted
Sep 11, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A driving assistance apparatus for a vehicle includes: a switch selecting a drive mode that specifies an output characteristic of a drive source relative to an accelerator operation amount; and a controller configured to calculate a target acceleration, based on the drive mode, for causing a host vehicle to follow a preceding vehicle such that a vehicle-to-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle is maintained at a distance within a predetermined range, and control a driving force of the drive source such that the host vehicle accelerates at the target acceleration.

Claims (20)

1. A driving assistance apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

a switch selecting a first drive mode that specifies a first output characteristic of a drive source relative to an accelerator operation amount and a second drive mode that specifies a second output characteristic of the drive source relative to the accelerator operation amount, the second output characteristic of the drive source being higher than the first output characteristic for a same accelerator operation amount; and

a controller configured to

calculate a target acceleration for each of the first and second drive modes, for causing a host vehicle to follow a preceding vehicle to maintain a vehicle-to-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle at a distance within a predetermined range, the target acceleration for the second drive mode being higher than the target acceleration for the first drive mode,

calculate an upper limit acceleration target for each of the first and second drive modes, the upper limit acceleration target for the second drive mode being higher than the upper limit acceleration target for the first drive mode, and

control a driving force of the drive source to accelerate the host vehicle at a selected target acceleration, within a corresponding upper limit target acceleration,

wherein the upper limit acceleration target corresponding to each of the drive modes is higher when the host vehicle follows the preceding vehicle than when there is no preceding vehicle.

2. The driving assistance apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to

obtain a delivery destination which is a territory in which the host vehicle is sold, and

calculate the selected target acceleration based on the selected drive mode and the delivery destination.

3. The driving assistance apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to

store a plurality of following acceleration characteristics in a larger number than a number of drive modes that is selected by the switch,

select one of the following acceleration characteristic from the plurality of following acceleration characteristics based on a combination of the selected drive mode and the delivery destination, and

calculate the selected target acceleration in accordance with the selected following acceleration characteristic.

4. A driving assistance control method, comprising:

selecting between a first drive mode that specifies a first output characteristic of a drive source relative to an accelerator operation amount and a second drive mode that specifies a second output characteristic of the drive source relative to the accelerator operation amount, the second output characteristic of the drive source being higher than the first output characteristic for a same accelerator operation amount;

calculating a target acceleration for each of the first and second drive modes, for causing a host vehicle to follow a preceding vehicle to maintain a vehicle-to-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle at a distance within a predetermined range, the target acceleration for the second drive mode being higher than the target acceleration for the first drive mode;

calculating an upper limit acceleration target for each of the first and second drive modes, the upper limit acceleration target for the second drive mode being higher than the upper limit acceleration target for the first drive mode; and

controlling a driving force of the drive source to accelerate the host vehicle at a selected target acceleration, within a corresponding upper limit acceleration target,

wherein the upper limit acceleration target corresponding to each of the drive modes is higher when the host vehicle follows the preceding vehicle than when there is no preceding vehicle.

Assignments (2)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNEE'S ADDRESS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 039202 FRAME: 0800. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Aug 29, 2016
From: NAKADORI, MINORU
To: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 039861/0312 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 20, 2016
From: NAKADORI, MINORU
To: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 039202/0800 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2015-145028 · Jul 22, 2015 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170021832A1 · Jan 26, 2017