Patent · US Expired

Vehicle longitudinal spacing controller

US5777451A · kind A · utility

94Cited by
14References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 25, 1996
Grant dateJul 7, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 25, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG05D1/0278
  • WIPO fieldControl
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A frontmost vehicle and a plurality of following vehicles are driven together in a line as a group. A virtual cell is set for each vehicle, allowing a predetermined distance in front of and behind the vehicle, and a virtual cell front end position of the frontmost vehicle is indicated from outside. A value obtained by adding the length of the virtual cell to the virtual cell front end position is transmitted to the following vehicle as the virtual cell front end position of the following vehicle. A relative position in the virtual cell of each vehicle is detected, and by controlling this relative position to a preset target position, the inter-vehicle distance is reduced and the generation of dilatational waves between the vehicles is prevented.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.