Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Kiichi Yamada

Masayoshi Ito

Masayuki Hashiguchi

Yasunobu Miyata

Susumu Nishikawa

Katsunori Otake

Hiroaki Yoshida

Shuji Ikeda

Atsuhiro Kawano

Tomohiro Narita

Takeshi Funakoshi

Keiji Isoda

Toshio Shigehara

Masanori Tani

Kazuya Hayafune

Naohiro Kishimoto

Hiroo Yuasa

Tadao Tanaka

Makoto Shimada

Takashi Dogahara

Nobuo Momose

Hiroshi Yoshida

Masayoshi Itoh

Katsunori Ootake

Katsunori Ohtake

Masayoshi Osaki

Yuichiro Hayashi

A vehicle running control apparatus for a motor vehicle is provided which is able to accomplish a braking operation that meets with the driver's intention when the vehicle is decelerated under running control, while assuring improved safety. During deceleration control, target deceleration calculating device calculates a target deceleration degree .alpha.a of the subject vehicle in accordance with a deceleration degree of the preceding vehicle (S30). When the target deceleration degree .alpha.a is smaller than a predetermined deceleration degree X1, braking control device controls an operation of an actuator so as to drive a brake system to generate braking force that corresponds to the target deceleration degree .alpha.a (S32, S36). When the target deceleration degree .alpha.a is equal to or greater than the predetermined deceleration degree X1, on the other hand, the actuator is operated so as to drive the brake system to generate auxiliary braking force that corresponds to the predetermined deceleration degree X1 (S32, S34, S36).

Vehicle running control apparatus and vehicle running control method

A determining method of this invention includes a step of continuously measuring the relative movement between the wheel and the vehicle body by use of a linear stroke sensor while a motor vehicle is running; a step of creating spectral distribution by subjecting the output of the linear stroke sensor to the frequency analysis; a step of calculating characteristic values inherent to various types of road surfaces; and a step of specifying the type of the road surface based on the calculated characteristic values. When the type of the road surface is specified, the control device of this invention changes the damping force of the suspension to a level corresponding to the type of the road surface.

Road surface condition determining method and suspension controlling

A suspension system includes air suspensions provided for individual wheels of a motor vehicle, each including a damping force switching actuator and an air supply/discharge actuator for the air spring. It further includes sensor for detecting the steering angle of a steering wheel, a sensor for detecting the vehicle velocity, and a control device for controlling the damping force and spring constant of each air suspension in accordance with the values detected by means of the sensors. This thereby reduces the roll of the vehicle body and modifies the steering characteristic of the motor vehicle. The control device includes a controller for detecting the gradient and flexure degree of a road. It further includes a controller for discriminating the road conditions by fuzzy inference in accordance with the gradient and flexure degree, and for determining the delay time or time interval between the start of the roll control for the rear portion of the vehicle body and the start of the roll control for the front portion of the vehicle body in accordance with the result of the discrimination.

System for controlling suspension in accordance with road conditions

Various steering coefficients (KB, KC, KG) are decided in accordance with a detected car speed (V), while a correction amount (X) and a correction factor (Y) are determined by fuzzy reasoning in accordance with a detected road surface friction coefficient (.mu.), road surface gradient (.alpha.), and lateral acceleration (G). A reference in-phase steering amount (.delta.RB), equal to a product of a reference in-phase steering coefficient (KB) and a detected steering wheel angle (.theta.H), is corrected by an in-phase correction steering amount (.delta.RC), which is equal to a product of an in-phase steering coefficient (KC) and the detected steering wheel angle (.theta.H), with a delay determined by a time constant (T) calculated from the correction amount (X), to thereby determine a corrected in-phase steering amount (.delta.R). A corrected anti-phase steering amount (.delta.G), obtained by multiplying a reference anti-phase steering amount (.delta.GB), equal to a product of the anti-phase correction coefficient (KG) and a detected steering wheel angular velocity (.theta.HA), by the correction factor (Y), is added to the corrected in-phase steering amount (.delta.R), to thereby obtain a rear-wheel steering amount (.delta.) on which the rear wheels are so steered as to match the road surface friction coefficient, road surface gradient, and lateral acceleration.

Control method and device for steering the rear wheel of a vehicle

In a turning control apparatus for a vehicle, a torque calculation unit calculates a target lateral acceleration of the vehicle according to detection signals from a steering angle sensor for detecting the direction of a steering wheel and a vehicle speed sensor for detecting the speed of the vehicle. It then sets target driving torque of the engine according to the target lateral acceleration. An electronic control unit controls the operation of a torque control device for reducing driving of the engine so that the driving torque of the engine is a target driving torque independent of manipulation by the driver. This thereby rapidly estimates lateral acceleration applied to the vehicle during turning and prevents control delay to enable stable and positive traveling through a curved road.

Turning control apparatus for vehicle

A control apparatus for controlling the output of a vehicle equipped with an internal combustion engine. The control apparatus includes a torque control unit and an electronic control unit, is electrically connected to various sensors for detecting the running conditions of the vehicle, and is capable of controlling, e.g., the operations of a throttle valve and an ignition plug, to thereby control the driving torque of the engine. The control apparatus calculates a reference driving torque of the engine on the basis of the vehicle speed, and also calculates a slippage of the driving wheels on the basis of a deviation of peripheral speed between the driving and driven wheels. A correction torque for the reference driving torque, which is calculated by the control apparatus on the basis of the detected slippage, is subjected to restriction in accordance with the vehicle running conditions, and the reference driving torque is corrected in accordance with the restricted correction torque, to obtain a target driving torque. Thus, the control apparatus controls the operations of the throttle valve and ignition plug such that the actual driving torque of the engine coincides with the target driving torque.

Apparatus for controlling the output of a vehicle equipped with an

An output control apparatus for a vehicle includes a torque reduction device for reducing driving torque of an engine independent of manipulation by the driver and a vehicle speed detection device for detecting a vehicle speed. It further includes a reference driving torque setting device for setting a reference driving torque according to the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detection device. A reference torque setting device is further included for setting a reference driving torque according to a slip amount of the driving wheels. A target driving torque setting device is further included for setting a target driving torque from the reference driving torque set by the reference torque setting device according to a peripheral speed of the driving wheels. A torque control unit is also included for controlling operation of the torque reduction device so that the driving torque is that of the target driving torque set by the target driving torque setting device. Finally, a turning correction device is included for correcting the target driving torque according to the steering angle, to adequately control the driving force of the vehicle during turning, separately from that of straightforward traveling, thereby enabling safe and smooth traveling of the vehicle.

Output control apparatus for vehicle

A method and apparatus for learning the neutral position of vehicle steering angle, in which first neutral position decision means decides that the steering shaft is at a neutral position when a running speed detector detects that the vehicle speed is not less than a predetermined threshold level, that the difference in peripheral speed between the right and left drive wheels is smaller than a predetermined first straight-running threshold value and also when a steering shaft reference position sensor continues to detect a reference position of the steering shaft for at least a first count time. The vehicle steering angle is computed on the basis of the angular displacement from the neutral position thus learned.

Method and apparatus for learning neutral position of vehicle steering

An output control apparatus for a vehicle which includes a torque reduction device for reducing driving torque of an engine independent of manipulation by the driver and a filter device for outputting a corrected longitudinal direction acceleration, varying according to changes in longitudinal direction acceleration of the vehicle body with a predetermined delay time and maintaining the output during a speed shift above the value immediately before the speed shift. A reference torque setting device is further included for setting a reference driving torque according to a slip amount of the driving wheels. A target driving torque setting device is also included for correcting the reference driving torque according to the slip amount of the driving wheels to set a target driving torque. Finally, a torque control unit is included for controlling operation of the torque reduction device so that the driving torque is that of the target driving torque set by the target driving torque setting device, thereby preventing a stalling feeling of the vehicle immediately after the speed shift, and improving the acceleration feeling.

An engine output controlling system for a vehicle by which a driving torque produced by the engine is utilized effectively and such a possible slip of a driving wheel the vehicle that makes driving of the vehicle difficult. The system detects a slipping condition of the driving wheel, sets an aimed driving torque of the engine in accordance with the slipping condition thus detected, and controls the engine to generate the aimed driving torque thus set and controls the engine to retard the ignition timing thereof when the detected slipping condition is excessively great. The system obtains a slip changing rate of the driving wheel, and sets a retard amount, with which the ignition timing is to be retarded, in accordance with the slip changing rate detected.

System for controlling engine output based upon slipping condition of a

An apparatus for effecting a method for estimating the friction coefficient of a road surface according to the present invention comprises front- and rear-wheel rotation sensors for detecting the running speed of a vehicle, a linear G sensor for detecting an actual transverse acceleration of the vehicle, a steering angle sensor for detecting the steering angle of front wheels, and a torque calculating unit supplied with the vehicle speed, actual transverse acceleration, and steering angle detected by means of these sensors. In the torque calculating unit, which takes account of an assumed value of the stability factor of the vehicle in addition to the vehicle speed, actual transverse acceleration, and steering angle, a target transverse acceleration required by a driver is calculated, for example, and whether or not the friction coefficient of the road surface is low is then estimated according to the relationship between the calculated target transverse acceleration and the actual transverse acceleration.

Apparatus and a method for estimating the friction coefficient of a road

A motor vehicle output power control system quickly reduces the drive torque produced by an engine on a motor vehicle depending on the magnitude of a lateral acceleration which is produced when the motor vehicle makes a turn, or the amount by which drive wheels slips when the motor vehicle is accelerated. A target drive torque depending on the lateral acceleration and a demanded drive torque demanded by the driver of the motor vehicle are added at a predetermined ratio into a turn target drive torque, which is selected as a final target drive torque. The motor vehicle output power control system includes an electronic control unit for controlling an actuator to lower the output drive torque of the engine, independent from controlling action of the driver, such that the output drive torque of the engine is equalized to the final target drive torque.

System for controlling the output power of a motor vehicle

Driving and driven wheel velocities of a vehicle are detected by wheel velocity sensors, and a change in driven wheel velocities as a function of time is detected to obtain a driven wheel acceleration by the vehicle acceleration calculating section. A reference target torque is calculated on the basis of the driven wheel acceleration. A slip value of the driving wheels is calculated on the basis of the driving and driven wheel velocities, and a correction torque corresponding to the slip value is calculated every predetermined sampling time at TSn calculating section and TPn calculating section. The correction torque is substracted from the reference target torque to obtain a target engine torque. An engine output is controlled to obtain the target engine torque.

Traction control apparatus

A driving and driven wheel velocity are detected by wheel velocity sensors. A reference velocity is set on the basis of the driven wheel velocity. A slip value of the driving wheel on the basis of a difference between the driving wheel velocity and reference velocity. A target output torque of an engine is set in accordance with the slip value of the driving wheel. The target output torque is corrected in accordance with a lateral acceleration generated in a widthwise direction of the vehicle. An output of the engine is controlled to reach the corrected target output torque.

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Nagoya, Japan

Kiichi Yamada