Patent ID: 7826959
Filing Date: 2010-11-02
Classification: B60K,B60W,B60Y,F02D

Abstract:
1. A cruise controller for a saddle-seat vehicle, at least including: (a) an accelerator constituted as a throttle grip installed at an end of a handle bar to be operable by an operator; (b) throttle valve that is installed in an air intake pipe of an internal combustion engine and regulates an amount of intake air sucked into the engine; (c) an actuator that drives the throttle valve; (d) a speed set switch that is installed to be operable by the operator; (e) vehicle speed detection means for detecting a vehicle speed at a predetermined interval; and (f) cruise control execution means for executing cruise control by storing the vehicle speed detected at the time the speed set switch is operated as a desired vehicle speed and operating the actuator such that the vehicle speed detected at the predetermined interval becomes the stored desired vehicle speed, wherein the improvement comprises: (g) throttle opening detection means for detecting an actual opening of the throttle valve at a predetermined interval; (h) throttle opening command detection means for detecting at a predetermined interval a throttle opening command issued by the operator using the accelerator; (i) desired throttle opening control execution means for executing desired throttle opening control by setting a desired throttle opening in accordance at least with the detected throttle opening command at a predetermined interval and operating the actuator such that the detected actual throttle opening becomes the desired throttle opening; (j) throttle opening determination means for determining whether, when the cruise control is in effect, one of the throttle opening command and the desired throttle opening is in a predetermined relationship with the actual throttle opening; and (k) control switchover means for switching the cruise control to the desired throttle opening control when it is discriminated that one of the throttle opening command and the desired throttle opening is in the predetermined relationship with the actual throttle opening and a disable condition has been established.