Method for regulating the distance between a vehicle and another vehicle traveling ahead and a distance-regulating system
AssigneeDaimlerChrysler AG
InventorGerhard Noecker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a method for regulating the distance between a vehicle and another vehicle traveling ahead, vehicle state variables, vehicle characteristic variables are determined together with the distance from and velocity of at least one other vehicle in the vicinity. The distance from the other vehicle and the vehicle's own velocity are set to permitted limiting values. To increase driving safety, the vehicle's own velocity or the setpoint distance from the other vehicle traveling directly ahead are determined as a function of the vehicle velocity of at least one other vehicle traveling to the side, or of the distance between a plurality of other vehicles traveling to the side.
Claims18
A method for regulating the distance between a controlled vehicle and a first vehicle traveling directly ahead of the controlled vehicle in proximity thereto, said method comprising:
- sensing vehicle state and characteristic variables of the controlled vehicle, as well as its distance from, and the velocity of, at least the first vehicle and
- controlling a velocity of the controlled vehicle and its distance from the first vehicle to permitted setpoint values as a function of sensed values;
- wherein, at least one of the velocity of the controlled vehicle and the setpoint distance value from the first vehicle determined as a function of a distance between at least a second vehicle and a third vehicle which are traveling to the side of the controlled vehicle.
A distance-regulating system for a controlled vehicle, comprising:
- a measuring device for sensing vehicle state and characteristic variables of the controlled vehicle, and for sensing position and velocity of at least one other vehicle in proximity to the controlled vehicle;
- and
- a regulating and control unit for generating and providing to actuator devices in the vehicle, actuating signals for setting one of a permitted distance from a first vehicle traveling directly ahead of the controlled vehicle and a permitted velocity of the controlled vehicle, as a function of the sensed vehicle state variables and distance from and velocity of the first vehicle, in accordance with a stored regulating strategy;
- wherein one of the controlled vehicle's velocity and the setpoint distance from the first vehicle is determined as a function of distance between at least second and third vehicles traveling in a lane adjacent the controlled vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.