Patent ID: 7530345

Claim:
A vehicle comprising: a vehicle body; a seat for a driver associated with the vehicle body; an engine associated with the vehicle body for powering the vehicle, the engine having at least one combustion chamber; an electronic control unit (ECU) on the vehicle for controlling operation of the engine in one of a normal operation mode and a cruise control operation mode; a throttle body in fluid communication with the at least one combustion chamber; a throttle valve disposed in the throttle body for controlling an amount of air supplied to the at least one combustion chamber; a throttle valve actuator operatively connected to the throttle valve and in electronic communication with the ECU; a throttle operator disposed on the vehicle in proximity to the seat; a throttle operator position sensor for sensing a throttle operator position and in electronic communication with the ECU for sending a signal representative of a throttle operator position to the ECU; a cruise control switch disposed on the vehicle in proximity to the seat and in electronic communication with the ECU for engaging and disengaging the cruise control operation mode; and a vehicle speed sensor for sensing a vehicle speed and in electronic communication with the ECU for sending a signal representative of a vehicle speed to the ECU, when in the normal operation mode, the ECU sends a first control signal to the throttle valve actuator based on the throttle operator position signal, when the cruise control switch engages the cruise control operation mode, the ECU sends a second control signal to the throttle valve actuator based on the vehicle speed signal such that the vehicle speed is maintained at a vehicle cruising speed; the throttle valve actuator adjusting a degree of opening of the throttle valve in response to the first and second control signals, the ECU returning to the normal operation mode when the throttle operator position becomes less than or equal to a reference throttle operator position.