Systems and methods for maintaining vehicle speed during road grade changes

A system for dynamically maintaining a vehicle speed during a change in road grade, the system comprising:

• a server configured to store information related to the road grade detected at different locations along a road;
• and
• a vehicle comprising:
• a first sensor configured to detect an amount of depression of an accelerator pedal of the vehicle;
• a second sensor configured to monitor the vehicle speed;
• and
• a vehicle speed control module including a processor, and in the absence of receiving a user input for maintaining the vehicle speed, the processor configured to:
• determine that the accelerator pedal has been depressed within a threshold depression amount for a threshold time period;
• determine that the vehicle speed has been maintained within a threshold speed for the threshold time period;
• determine whether the change in road grade is less than a threshold grade;
• activate a vehicle speed control mode to automatically adjust a load on a power source of the vehicle to maintain the vehicle speed during the change in the road grade based on:
• the determination that the accelerator pedal has been depressed within the threshold depression amount for the threshold time period;
• monitor changes in the vehicle speed in real time;
• and
• a determination that the change in the road grade is less than the threshold grade;
• compare the changes in the vehicle speed with the detected road grade at the different locations along the road to verify an accuracy of the detected road grade;
• and
• based on the comparison, transmit updated road grade information to the server.

A method for dynamically maintaining a vehicle speed during a change in road grade in the absence of receiving a user input for maintaining the vehicle speed, the method comprising:

• receiving, from a first sensor of a vehicle, an indication that an accelerator pedal of the vehicle is depressed;
• determining, by a processor of a vehicle speed control module, that the accelerator pedal has been depressed within a threshold depression amount for a threshold time period;
• receiving, from a second sensor of the vehicle, an indication of the vehicle speed;
• determining, by the processor, that the vehicle speed has been maintained within a threshold speed for the threshold time period;
• determining, by the processor, whether the change in the road grade is less than a threshold grade;
• and
• activating, by the processor, a vehicle speed control mode to automatically adjust a load on a power source of the vehicle to maintain the vehicle speed during the change in the road grade based on:
• the determination that the accelerator pedal has been depressed within the threshold depression amount for the threshold time period;
• and
• a determination that the change in the road grade is less than the threshold grade.