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:
Oct. 31, 2000
Filed:
Apr. 07, 1998
Shohei Matsuda, Saitama, JP;
Hiroshi Sekine, Saitama, JP;
Makoto Otabe, Saitama, JP;
Yuji Sakaki, Saitama, JP;
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
Vehicle control apparatus enables a vehicle to positively and safely pass a curve present in a forward road ahead of the vehicle, irrespective of any error in road data used by the apparatus and any error in a detected vehicle position. The apparatus calculates a predicted passing speed for a curve on the basis of a vehicle speed and a vehicle position, and compares same with a maximum passable speed for the curve which is calculated on the basis of map information and the vehicle position to thereby determine whether the vehicle can positively and safely pass the curve. If the apparatus determines that the vehicle cannot positively and safely pass the curve, warning, automatic deceleration and/or automatic steering is executed by a control mechanism of the apparatus. At this time, the apparatus compares an actual transverse acceleration or an actual yaw rate detected by a transverse acceleration sensor or a yaw rate sensor with a reference transverse acceleration or a reference yaw rate presumed from a road shape determined by a passage-state decision quantity calculating mechanism, and a regulating mechanism regulates a controlled variable and a control timing for effecting the warning, the automatic deceleration and/or the automatic steering, thereby compensating for any error in the road data and any error in the vehicle position.