An automatic speed control including repeated autonomous establishment of a setpoint variable regarding a setpoint speed and/or a setpoint acceleration of the vehicle in such a way that the setpoint speed is smaller or equal to a specified or established maximum speed and/or the setpoint acceleration of the vehicle remains smaller or equal to a specified or established maximum acceleration controlling at least one vehicle component by taking into account the autonomously newly established setpoint variable so that an actual speed of the vehicle corresponds to the setpoint speed and/or an actual acceleration of the vehicle corresponds to the setpoint acceleration; and establishing the maximum speed and/or the maximum acceleration by taking into account a measured and/or estimated temperature of a component of a wheel brake caliper and/or a driving variable that is relevant for overheating of the component of the wheel brake caliper.

A travel controller includes: an information acquisition part configured to acquire braking state information of a braking device brake state, travel road information, and an ACC-ECU configured to perform travel, based on a set vehicle speed, and follow-up travel control under which the subject vehicle follows another vehicle traveling ahead thereof. After canceling activation of the travel control during the activation of the travel control, when the information acquisition part acquires travel road information showing that a travel road on which the subject vehicle is traveling is not a downhill road any longer, even if a braking performance index based on the braking state information acquired by the information acquisition part is not increased with respect to a second reference threshold, then the ACC-ECU allows the travel control activation to be resumed.

A traveling control apparatus includes: an information obtainer configured to obtain braking state information of a braking device in the host vehicle; and an ACC-ECU configured to execute traveling control including constant speed traveling control to cause the host vehicle to travel at a constant speed based on a preset vehicle speed, and follow-up traveling control to cause the host vehicle to travel so as to follow another vehicle traveling ahead of the host vehicle at a predetermined inter-vehicle distance. The ACC-ECU deactivates the ACC at a time when a braking performance index EV1z, derived from braking state information obtained by the information obtainer while the ACC being in operation, is deemed to be decreased by more than a predetermined first variation width IN_dif1, as compared with a braking performance index EV1a at a time of the ACC having been activated.

A device and a method for controlling vehicle speed in a vehicle equipped with cruise control while traveling downhill. The method involves driving a vehicle downhill with the cruise control set to a brake speed; detecting a current vehicle speed; applying the auxiliary brake to maintain the brake speed; detecting a request for a downshift from a current gear to a lower gear; and determining if a downshift is permissible at the current speed. If a downshift is not permissible, then a control unit automatically applies the service brakes to retard the vehicle speed; retarding the vehicle from a current speed to a lower speed at which a downshift to a lower gear is permissible; and performing a downshift to a lower gear when the second vehicle speed is reached. The cruise control is set to a second brake speed lower than the first brake speed.

A brake control device for a vehicle includes: a motor connected to wheels; a hydraulic brake that generates a friction braking force based on frictional contact with a brake rotor that integrally rotates with the wheels; a controller that performs coordination control of regenerative brake control, in which a regenerative power generation is performed by the motor on a basis of rotation of the wheels to apply a regenerative braking force to the wheels, and hydraulic brake control, in which the hydraulic brake is operated; and a battery that exchanges power with the motor. Further, in a case where a temperature of the brake rotor is higher than a predetermined temperature when input to the battery is restricted in a state where there is a deceleration request, the controller reduces the friction braking force, and performs the regenerative brake control while power is consumed by an electric device.

The invention involves a low speed control system and method for automatically regulating the speed of work vehicles or equipment and, more particularly, vehicles that apply, remove or modify roadways or road markings. The system includes a controller, a speed display, at least one rotary encoder or the like, and one or more Eddy current or mechanical brakes for inhibiting motion of the vehicle at the operator's control. The brakes may be pneumatic, spring operated, Eddy current, or hydraulic that are controlled in response to feedback from the at least one rotary encoder for compliance with the preset speed on the speed display. In another embodiment, a throttle control is also provided.

A brake temperature monitoring system configured to monitor at least one of a rotor and hydraulic fluid of a brake mechanism for a vehicle. The system including a controller including a processor and an electronic storage medium, a vehicle velocity sensor, an ambient temperature sensor, and a pre-programmed module. The vehicle velocity sensor is configured to output a velocity signal to the processor. The ambient temperature sensor is configured to output an ambient temperature signal to the processor. The model is pre-programmed into the electronic storage medium, and is adapted to estimate the temperature of at least one of the rotor and the hydraulic fluid. The estimation is based on an ambient air temperature, and a pre-established relationship between a conductive heat transfer factor and a convective heat transfer factor. The convective heat transfer factor is a function of vehicle velocity.

Downhill charge sustain battery protection strategy is disclosed. For one example, a vehicle is powered by an electric motor and battery. The vehicle includes a vehicle control unit (VCU) to control friction braking and regenerative braking for the vehicle. For one example, the VCU is configured to implement a method comprising detecting a condition to switch back and forth between regenerative braking and friction braking. For one example, the detected condition is a charge sustain event such as, for example, the vehicle being at a top of a hill or going down a hill in a lift condition (no pedals pressed) and the battery is fully charged at maximum state of charge (SOC) or voltage limit.

A method for controlling a vehicle that includes a motor configured to provide a driving/braking force to the vehicle and a friction braking mechanism configured to provide a friction brake force to the vehicle includes a target calculation step of calculating a target torque of the motor in accordance with a displacement of an accelerator pedal, a gradient estimation step of estimating a gradient torque to cancel a disturbance due to a gradient of a road surface where the vehicle is travelling, a command calculation step of calculating a torque command value of the motor based on the gradient torque and the target torque, a control step of controlling a torque of the motor in accordance with the torque command value, and a stop control step.

A control device for a vehicle capable of operating in an automated driving mode for automatically controlling at least the accelerating/decelerating control of the steering control and the accelerating/decelerating control of a vehicle includes: a route information acquisition unit; and an automated driving control unit that decides an action plan on a basis of map information, the action plan includes a target vehicle speed sequence that defines a target vehicle speed at the respective predetermined points at least on a road along which the vehicle will travel next, and the automated driving control unit calculates requested braking force that is braking force for decelerating the vehicle to target vehicle speed when the target vehicle speed is achieved by deceleration, calculates a predicted temperature of a brake device when the requested braking force is achieved, and decides a utilization proportion of the brake device for the requested braking force.