# US 2019/0168754 A1 · Monitoring and adjustment of gaps between vehicles > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0168754 A1 - Document ID: US20190168754A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/832,261 - Filed: 2017-12-05 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-05 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Daniel A. Makled; Michael McQuillen; Nitendra Nath; Nicolas Salciccioli; Aaron L. Mills - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190168754A1 ## CPC - B60W 30/16: Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle - B60W 30/143: {Speed control (B60W30/16 takes precedence)} - B60W 2420/403: Image sensing, e.g. optical camera - B60W 2420/408: Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar - B60W 2420/54: Audio sensitive means, e.g. ultrasound - B60W 2540/30: Driving style - B60W 2552/40: Coefficient of friction - B60W 2554/80: Spatial relation or speed relative to objects - B60W 2554/802: Longitudinal distance - B60W 2554/804: Relative longitudinal speed - B60W 2556/65: Data transmitted between vehicles - B60W 2710/18: Braking system - B60W 2720/106: Longitudinal acceleration - B60W 2754/30: Longitudinal distance - 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 Method and apparatus are disclosed for monitoring and adjustment of gaps between vehicles. An example vehicle includes a rear sensing device and a controller. The controller is to determine a target lead gap for following a lead vehicle during adaptive cruise control and measure, via the rear sensing device, a trailing distance to a trailing vehicle. The controller also is to determine a target trailing gap for the trailing vehicle. The example vehicle also includes a cruise control unit to increase, responsive to the trailing distance being less than the target trailing gap, the target lead gap based on the trailing distance. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle comprising: a rear sensing device; and a controller to: determine a target lead gap for following a lead vehicle during adaptive cruise control; measure, via the rear sensing device, a trailing distance to a trailing vehicle; determine a target trailing gap for the trailing vehicle; and increase, responsive to the trailing distance being less than the target trailing gap, the target lead gap based on the trailing distance. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, further including a cruise control unit is to decrease a vehicle speed to increase a lead distance to the lead vehicle to the target lead gap. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the rear sensing device includes a camera. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the rear sensing device includes a proximity sensor that includes at least one of a radar sensor, a lidar sensor, and an ultrasonic sensor. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, further including a front sensing device for monitoring the lead vehicle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the controller compares the trailing distance and the target lead gap upon the front sensing device detecting the lead vehicle and the rear sensing device detecting the trailing vehicle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The vehicle of claim 5, further including a cruise control unit that increases a vehicle speed responsive to the controller determining that a lead distance measured by the front sensing device is greater than the target lead gap. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the cruise control unit decreases the vehicle speed responsive to the controller determining the lead distance is less than the target lead gap. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, further including a vehicle speed sensor to detect a vehicle speed. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the controller determines the target lead gap based on the vehicle speed. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller determines the target trailing gap based on a trailing vehicle speed of the trailing vehicle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The vehicle of claim 11, further including a dedicated short-range communication module to receive the trailing vehicle speed via vehicle-to-vehicle communication. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller determines the target trailing gap based on a coefficient of friction of a road surface and a perception reaction time of a driver. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The vehicle of claim 13, further including: a GPS receiver to identify a vehicle location; and a communication module to retrieve the coefficient of friction of the road surface from an external network based on the vehicle location. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, further including a brake control module that applies emergency braking for pre-collision assist based upon the trailing distance being less than the target trailing gap. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the brake control module decreases a deceleration rate for the emergency braking responsive to the controller determining that the trailing distance is less than the target trailing gap. ### Claim 17 A method comprising: determining, via a processor, a target lead gap for a vehicle to follow a lead vehicle; measuring, via a rear sensing device of the vehicle, a trailing distance to a trailing vehicle; determining, via the processor, a target trailing gap for the trailing vehicle; and increasing the target lead gap based on the trailing distance responsive to the trailing distance being less than the target trailing gap. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further including decreasing, via a cruise control unit, a vehicle speed to increase the target lead gap to the lead vehicle during adaptive cruise control. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further including: measuring, via a front sensing device, a lead distance to the lead vehicle; and increasing, via the processor, a vehicle speed responsive to determining the lead distance is greater than the target lead gap. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further including decreasing, via a brake control module, a deceleration rate for emergency braking responsive to determining the trailing distance is less than the target trailing gap.