# US 12,110,021 B2 · Control device and a method for controlling vehicle speed > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,110,021 B2 - Document ID: US12110021B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/773,922 - Filed: 2019-11-06 - Published: 2022-10-27 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2019-11-06 - Assignees: Volvo Truck Corporation - Applicants: Volvo Truck Corporation - Inventors: Anders Eriksson; Jan Hjelmgren - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12110021B2 ## CPC - B60W 30/143: {Speed control (B60W30/16 takes precedence)} - B60W 30/146: {Speed limiting} - B60W 40/072: Curvature of the road - B60W 50/0098: {Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for} - B60W 50/10: Interpretation of driver requests or demands - B60W 2050/0073: {Driver overrides controller} - B60W 2050/0083: {Setting, resetting, calibration} - B60W 2300/125: Heavy duty trucks - B60W 2540/10: Accelerator pedal position - B60W 2540/12: Brake pedal position - B60W 2552/05: Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads - B60W 2552/15: Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction - B60W 2552/20: Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments - B60W 2552/30: Road curve radius - B60W 2556/10: Historical data - B60W 2556/40: High definition maps - B60W 2720/103: Speed profile - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT ## Abstract A method and a control device for controlling speed of a vehicle having an automatic cruise control system configured to automatically control speed based on a set speed and to automatically reduce the speed to a predetermined safe speed below the set speed as it is detected that the vehicle approaches a road section of a predetermined type such as a curve. The method includes while automatically controlling the speed towards the predetermined safe speed as the vehicle approaches the road section of the predetermined type, receiving a request from a driver of the vehicle to control speed to a temporary speed different from the predetermined safe speed and the set speed. The method includes in response to said request, controlling the speed to the temporary speed. The method includes at an end of the road section of the predetermined type, automatically controlling the speed based on the set speed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A control device for controlling a vehicle speed of a vehicle, wherein the control device is configured to automatically control the vehicle speed based on a set speed and to automatically reduce the vehicle speed to a predetermined safe speed below the set speed as it is detected that the vehicle approaches a road section of a predetermined type, wherein the control device is configured to: while automatically controlling the vehicle speed towards the predetermined safe speed as the vehicle approaches the road section of the predetermined type, receive a request from a driver of the vehicle to control the vehicle speed to a temporary vehicle speed different from the predetermined safe speed and the set speed, wherein the temporary vehicle speed is set by the driver; in response to said request and without disabling of the control device, control the vehicle speed to the temporary vehicle speed, and at an end of the road section of the predetermined type, automatically control the vehicle speed based on the set speed, wherein the predetermined type of road section is a curve, wherein the control device is configured to identify, during deceleration of the vehicle speed, at least a first type of request from the driver and in response thereto set the temporary vehicle speed to a current vehicle speed of the vehicle at a time of receiving the first type of request, and wherein the temporary vehicle speed is higher than the predetermined safe speed. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The control device according to claim 1, wherein the control device is further configured to identify a second type of request from the driver and in response thereto reduce the vehicle speed below the predetermined safe speed. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The control device according to claim 2, wherein the control device is configured to reduce the vehicle speed until a predetermined end condition is fulfilled. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The control device according to claim 2, wherein the control device is configured to identify the request from the driver as the second type of request when said request is generated by actuating a brake pedal of the vehicle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The control device according to claim 3, wherein said predetermined end condition is considered to be fulfilled when the first type of request is received, or when it is determined that the vehicle has reached the end of the road section of the predetermined type. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The control device according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to identify the request from the driver as the first type of request when said request is generated by actuating an accelerator pedal of the vehicle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The control device according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to store data relating to the request from the driver. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The control device according to claim 7, wherein the control device is configured to use the stored data for adaptation of the predetermined safe speed of the vehicle. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The control device according to claim 7, wherein the control device is further configured to: detect that the vehicle approaches a previously travelled road section of the predetermined type for which data relating to at least one request from the driver has been stored, and in response to said detection, automatically control the vehicle speed to a stored temporary vehicle speed. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A vehicle comprising a control device according to claim 1. ### Claim 11 A method for controlling a vehicle speed of a vehicle having an automatic cruise control system configured to automatically control the vehicle speed based on a set speed and to automatically reduce the vehicle speed to a predetermined safe speed below the set speed as it is detected that the vehicle approaches a road section of a predetermined type, wherein the method comprises: while automatically controlling the vehicle speed towards the predetermined safe speed as the vehicle approaches the road section of the predetermined type, receiving a request from a driver of the vehicle to control the vehicle speed to a temporary vehicle speed different from the predetermined safe speed and the set speed, wherein the temporary vehicle speed is set by the driver, in response to said request and without disabling of the control device, controlling the vehicle speed to the temporary vehicle speed, at an end of the road section of the predetermined type, automatically controlling the vehicle speed based on the set speed, wherein the predetermined type of road section is a curve, and identifying, during deceleration of the vehicle speed, at least a first type of request from the driver, and in response thereto setting the temporary vehicle speed to a current vehicle speed of the vehicle at a time of receiving the first type of request, wherein the temporary vehicle speed is higher than the predetermined safe speed. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, further comprising identifying a second type of request from the driver and in response thereto reducing the vehicle speed below the predetermined safe speed. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, further comprising reducing the vehicle speed until a predetermined end condition is fulfilled. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, comprising identifying the request from the driver as the second type of request when said request is generated by actuating a brake pedal of the vehicle. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein said predetermined end condition is considered to be fulfilled when the first type of request is received, or when it is determined that the vehicle has reached the end of the road section of the predetermined type. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, comprising identifying the request from the driver as the first type of request when said request is generated by actuating an accelerator pedal of the vehicle. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, further comprising: storing data relating to said request from the driver. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17, further comprising: using the stored data for adaptation of the predetermined safe speed of the vehicle. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17, further comprising: detecting that the vehicle approaches a previously travelled road section of the predetermined type for which data relating to at least one request from the driver has been stored, in response to said detection, automatically controlling the vehicle speed to a stored temporary vehicle speed. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) A non-transitory computer readable medium carrying a computer program comprising program code for performing the steps of claim 11 when said computer program is run on a computer.