Footrest using accelerator pedal for vehicles in cruise control

A system comprising:

• one or more input sensors of a vehicle that are configured to obtain inputs from a driver as to initiation of a cruise control feature and a free legroom feature for the vehicle;
• one or more accelerator pedal sensors that are coupled to an accelerator pedal of the vehicle and that are configured to obtain a measure of engagement of the accelerator pedal by the driver;
• and
• a processor of the vehicle that is coupled to the one or more input sensors and to the one or more accelerator pedal sensors, and that is configured to at least facilitate selectively controlling, based on the inputs and the measure of engagement of the accelerator pedal, a response of a drive system of the vehicle to the engagement of the accelerator pedal when the cruise control feature and the free legroom feature of the vehicle are both activated based on the inputs, such that a speed of the vehicle will not increase based on the engagement of the accelerator pedal that is less than a predetermined threshold.

A vehicle comprising:

• a body;
• a drive system configured to move the body;
• an accelerator pedal coupled to the drive system;
• one or more input sensors that are configured to obtaining inputs from a driver as to initiation of an adaptive cruise control and a free legroom feature for the vehicle;
• one or more accelerator pedal sensors that are coupled to the accelerator pedal and that are configured to obtain a measure of engagement of the accelerator pedal by the driver;
• and
• a processor of the vehicle that is coupled to the one or more input sensors and to the one or more accelerator pedal sensors, and that is configured to at least facilitate:
• selectively controlling, based on the inputs and the measure of engagement of the accelerator pedal, a response of the drive system to the engagement of the accelerator pedal when the adaptive cruise control and the free legroom feature of the vehicle are both activated based on the inputs, such that a speed of the vehicle will not increase based on the engagement of the accelerator pedal that is less than a predetermined threshold, wherein:
• the predetermined threshold comprises a predetermined travel threshold for accelerator pedal travel of the accelerator pedal;
• when the accelerator pedal travel exceeds the predetermined travel threshold, the processor is configured to at least facilitate increasing a signal output for the accelerator pedal, such that the speed of the vehicle increases as a result of the engagement of the accelerator pedal by the driver;
• and
• when the accelerator pedal travel does not exceed the predetermined travel threshold, the processor is configured to at least facilitate keeping the signal output for the accelerator pedal constant, such that the speed of the vehicle does not increase, and the driver can rest a leg on the accelerator pedal during the adaptive cruise control.