Inter-vehicle Distance Control Torque Correction Logic

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle systems cause discomfort to drivers by unintentionally accelerating when the preceding vehicle changes lanes or disappears, due to the continuous decrease in engine torque correction even when the inter-vehicle distance is large, leading to an unnatural driving experience.

Innovation Solution

The system suppresses the decrease correction of engine torque when the inter-vehicle distance is greater than a second threshold and detects the driver's acceleration intent, resetting the engine torque generation relationship to normal characteristics, allowing the driver to maintain a consistent accelerator pedal depression without feeling discomfort.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the decrease correction of engine torque is continuously applied when the preceding vehicle disappears or changes lanes, then the inter-vehicle distance maintenance control is maintained, but the driver experiences discomfort due to unintended acceleration

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinter-vehicle distance maintenance controlVSAvoiddriver comfort
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the engine torque correction based on the detection of accelerator pedal depression operations. When the driver depresses the accelerator pedal, the system switches from applying decrease correction to applying increase correction, allowing the engine torque to gradually return to normal characteristics. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by adapting the control behavior to the driver's actual acceleration intent, eliminating unintended acceleration discomfort while maintaining distance control when appropriate.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback from the accelerator pedal depression detection to determine whether to apply decrease correction or increase correction to engine torque. The accelerator pedal depression quantity detector provides continuous feedback about driver input, which the controller uses to switch between different correction modes. This feedback mechanism ensures that the system responds appropriately to driver intent, resolving the contradiction between maintaining control reliability and ensuring driver comfort.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Ease of operation

If the relationship of engine torque generation quantity to accelerator pedal depression quantity is reset to normal characteristics, then the driver's acceleration intent is matched, but the inter-vehicle distance maintenance support is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriver acceleration intent matchingVSAvoidinter-vehicle distance maintenance support
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically switches between two operational modes: distance maintenance mode with decrease correction and normal acceleration mode with increase correction. The transition between modes is triggered by accelerator pedal depression detection. This dynamic switching allows the system to provide distance maintenance support when the driver is not requesting acceleration, while restoring normal acceleration characteristics when the driver actively depresses the accelerator pedal, thus resolving the contradiction between the two competing requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP2072317B1Inter-vehicle distance maintenance supporting system and method
Publication Date: 2012.02.15 NISSAN MOTOR CO LTD
  • EP2072317B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2072317B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2072317B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An inter-vehicle distance maintenance supporting system may include an operational reactive force generating device (70) that generates an operational reactive force on a driving operational equipment based on a first inter-vehicle distance threshold. A driving operational equipment state detector detects an operational state of the driving operational equipment and acceleration intent of the driver. An engine controller controls an engine torque corresponding to the operational state of the driving operational equipment. An engine torque correcting device decreases the engine torque before the operational reactive force is generated. The decrease correction is suppressed when the inter-vehicle distance is greater than a second inter-vehicle distance threshold that is larger than the first inter-vehicle distance, and the driving operational equipment state detector detects the acceleration intent of the driver.