Patent ID: 6597981
Filing Date: 2003-07-22
Classification: B60K,B60T,B60W

Abstract:
An apparatus for controlling a vehicular velocity of a host vehicle to follow a preceding vehicle which is running ahead of the host vehicle, comprising:a vehicular velocity detecting section that detects the vehicular velocity of the host vehicle; an inter-vehicle distance detecting section that detects an inter-vehicle distance of the host vehicle to the preceding vehicle; a gradient variation detecting section that detects a variation of a gradient of a road segment forward to the host vehicle on which the host vehicle is to run; a control target switching section that switches a control target between an inter-vehicle distance control in which the vehicular velocity of the host vehicle is controlled to make a detected value of the inter-vehicle distance substantially equal to a target value of the inter-vehicle distance and a vehicular velocity control in which the vehicular velocity of the host vehicle is controlled to make a detected value of the vehicular velocity of the host vehicle substantially equal to a target value of the vehicular velocity of the host vehicle according to a result of detection of the variation of the gradient of the road segment by the gradient variation detecting section; a target vehicular driving force calculating section that calculates a target value of a vehicular driving force to be exerted by the host vehicle to achieve the control target; and a vehicular driving force controlling section that controls the vehicular driving force on the basis of the calculated target value of the vehicular driving force of the host vehicle.