FOLLOWING TRAVEL CONTROL DEVICE FOR VEHICLE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To perform following travel control ensuring an appropriate inter-vehicle distance from a low vehicle speed range to a high vehicle speed range without giving a driver uncomfortable feeling. SOLUTION: With the following travel control device for vehicles capturing the preceding vehicle, when the preceding vehicle is traveling at high speed, a changeover weighing factor w (k) is set to be "0", and based on a target inter-vehicle distance VHin the high vehicle speed range, a target inter-vehicle distance L*is calculated. In this state, when the vehicle speed Vt of the preceding vehicle becomes below a specified low speed value VL1, the changeover weighing factor w (k) is increased to gradually change the target inter-vehicle distance L*from the target inter-vehicle distance VHin the high vehicle speed range to a target inter-vehicle distance VLin the low vehicle speed range, and the target inter-vehicle distance L*of a specified value is set when the preceding vehicle is stopped. At the time of accelerating from the stop state, the target vehicle speed L*is slowly increased according to an accelerating characteristic straight line with an easy gradient. When the vehicle speed Vt of the preceding vehicle exceeds a specified high speed value VH, the target inter-vehicle distance L*is gradually changed to the target inter-vehicle distance VHin the high vehicle speed range. COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO