The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 24, 1991
Filed:
Jun. 04, 1990
Takashi Shibayama, Kanagawa, JP;
Abstract
A system and method for automatically controlling a vehicle's speed to a desired cruise speed, for a vehicle in which a torque converter and an automatic transmission are mounted are disclosed in which, when the vehicle speed is controlled so as to conicide with the desired cruise speed by means of an automatic (vehicle) speed control device (ASCD) associated with the vehicle engine, deviation of a present vehicle speed from a desired cruise speed is derived. When a first predetermined degree of deviation is reached, the lock-up state of a lock-up device in the torque converter is inhibited. When the deviation further reaches a second predetermined degree of deviation, the second predetermined deviation being greater than the first, the automatic transmission is operated to inhibit a maximum speed gear range (e.g. a fourth speed range is downshifted to a third speed gear range). When the vehicle speed is returned to the cruise speed via the inhibition of the maximum speed gear range, the inhibit is released and thereafter lock-up inhibit is also released.