Patent ID: 6640181
Filing Date: 2003-10-28
Classification: B60K,B60W,G08G

Abstract:
A vehicle velocity control apparatus for an automotive vehicle, comprising:a vehicle velocity detecting section that detects a velocity of the vehicle; a preceding vehicle detecting section that detects a preceding vehicle which is running ahead of the vehicle; a first following vehicle velocity control section that executes a first following control to control the vehicle velocity of the vehicle to make the vehicle velocity of the vehicle substantially equal to a predetermined vehicle velocity when no preceding vehicle is detected and, when the preceding vehicle is detected, to make the vehicle follow the preceding vehicle with the predetermined vehicle velocity as an upper limit on the basis of detected results by the vehicle velocity detecting section and the preceding vehicle detecting section; a first following control start requesting section that requests the first following vehicle velocity control section to start the first following control; a second following vehicle velocity control section that executes a second following control to control the velocity of the vehicle to make the vehicle follow the preceding vehicle when the preceding vehicle is detected on the basis of the detected results by the vehicle velocity detecting section and the preceding vehicle detecting section; a second following control start requesting section that requests the second following vehicle velocity control section to start the second following control: a first request allowing section, included in the first following vehicle velocity control section, that allows the request to start the first following control from the first following control start requesting section when the vehicle velocity of the vehicle detected by the vehicle velocity detecting section falls in a velocity range equal to or higher than a preset first set vehicle velocity; and a second request allowing section, included in the second following vehicle velocity control section, that allows the request to start the second following control from the second control start requesting section when the velocity of the vehicle falls in another velocity range which is equal to or lower than a preset second set vehicle velocity which is lower than the first set vehicle velocity.