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:
Feb. 26, 2002
Filed:
Jan. 14, 2000
Satoshi Tange, Kanagawa, JP;
Kenichi Egawa, Tokyo, JP;
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Yokohama, JP;
Abstract
In apparatus and method for automatically controlling a vehicular velocity of an automotive vehicle maintaining an inter-vehicle distance to a preceding vehicle, a release of a follow-up run control (a vehicular run control) to control the vehicular velocity to follow up the preceding vehicle is smoothly carried out when a follow-up run release condition such that when the vehicle is running with a braking control executed on a road surface having a low frictional coefficient such as a wet road or snowy road. For example, when the vehicle is running under a follow-up run control to follow up the preceding vehicle and the release condition of the follow-up run control is established, a controller determines if the vehicle is under the braking control execution. If the vehicle is under the braking control, the follow-up run control is continued. Upon the end of the braking control, a follow-up run release flag FF is set to “1” and the follow-up run control is released. The release of the follow-up run control may be carried out after a predetermined interval of time has passed from a time at which the braking control is ended or may be carried out after the braking pressure is gradually reduced during the braking control.