Method and apparatus for controlling cruise control
AssigneeRobert Bosch GmbH
InventorsGabor Gyulai, Eors Mezey, Oliver Sandor Bajnoczki
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Improved control of cruise control for a vehicle, in particular an automated activation of cruise control. For this purpose, the speed of the vehicle is monitored. If the speed of the vehicle and/or a distance between the vehicle and a further vehicle in front of the vehicle is within a predetermined range for a specific period of time it is indicated to a user that cruise control can be activated. Accordingly, cruise control can be automatically activated after providing the indication to the user, or a user may respond to this indication by providing a specific activity such as a release of the acceleration pedal.
Claims20
A method for controlling a cruise control of a vehicle, the method comprising the following steps:
- based on satisfaction of a condition that a range of a speed of the vehicle and/or of a distance between the vehicle and a further vehicle in front of the vehicle is a predetermined range for a predefined first period of time, starting a process for activating cruise control of the vehicle, wherein at least one of the following three features (1)-(3):
- (1) a size of the predetermined range varies depending on the speed of the vehicle that is a center of the range of the speed of the vehicle over the first period of time;
- (2) the first period of time varies depending on at least one of:
- (i) a steering wheel angle;
- (ii) the speed of the vehicle;
- (iii) a predefined condition of a road on which the vehicle is traveling;
- and
- (iv) a history of a user response to prior starts of the process for activating the cruise control;
- and
- (3) the starting of the process for activating the cruise control includes outputting a signal indicating that the condition has been satisfied, the activation of the cruise control is performed responsive to receiving user input of a confirmation to proceed with the activation of the cruise control within a second period of time from the outputting of the signal, and the method further comprises, due to failure to receive the user input of the confirmation within the second period of time, monitoring whether the condition is satisfied again in response to receiving a subsequent user input instruction to resume the monitoring.
An apparatus for controlling a cruise control of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising a processor, wherein the processor is configured to perform a method, the method comprising:
- based on satisfaction of a condition that a range of a speed of the vehicle and/or of a distance between the vehicle and a further vehicle in front of the vehicle is a predetermined range for a predefined first period of time, starting a process for activating cruise control of the vehicle, wherein at least one of the following three features (1)-(3):
- (1) a size of the predetermined range varies depending on the speed of the vehicle that is a center of the range of the speed of the vehicle over the first period of time;
- (2) the first period of time varies depending on at least one of:
- (i) a steering wheel angle;
- (ii) the speed of the vehicle;
- (iii) a predefined condition of a road on which the vehicle is traveling;
- and
- (iv) a history of a user response to prior starts of the process for activating the cruise control;
- and
- (3) the starting of the process for activating the cruise control includes outputting a signal indicating that the condition has been satisfied, the activation of the cruise control is performed responsive to receiving user input of a confirmation to proceed with the activation of the cruise control within a second period of time from the outputting of the signal, and the method further comprises, due to failure to receive the user input of the confirmation within the second period of time, monitoring whether the condition is satisfied again in response to receiving a subsequent user input instruction to resume the monitoring.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.