Adaptive cruise control system and method for automotive vehicle with inter-vehicle distance control function

An adaptive cruise control method for an automotive vehicle, comprising:

• detecting a presence of a preceding vehicle which is traveling ahead of the vehicle;
• detecting an inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle;
• detecting a velocity of at least one of the vehicle and the preceding vehicle;
• controlling a traveling state of the vehicle on the basis of the detected inter-vehicle distance and a target inter-vehicle distance;
• providing a delay for said velocity of at least one of the vehicle and the preceding vehicle used to set the target inter-vehicle distance at a time of a detection of said velocity, said delay being independent from any inherent delay in said vehicle velocity detection section;
• and
• setting the target inter-vehicle distance on the basis of said velocity of at least one of the vehicle and the preceding vehicle for which the delay is provided.

An adaptive cruise control system for an automotive vehicle, comprising:

• inter-vehicle distance detecting means for detecting a presence of a preceding vehicle which is traveling ahead of the vehicle and detecting an inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle;
• vehicular velocity detecting means for detecting a velocity of at least one of the vehicle and the preceding vehicle;
• target inter-vehicle distance setting means for setting a target inter-vehicle distance on the basis of said velocity of at least one of the vehicle and the preceding vehicle;
• vehicular traveling speed controlling means for controlling a traveling state of the vehicle on the basis of the detected inter-vehicle distance and the target inter-vehicle distance;
• and
• delay providing means for providing a delay independent from any inherent delay in said vehicle velocity detection section for said velocity of at least one of the vehicle and the preceding vehicle used to set the target inter-vehicle distance at a time of a detection of said velocity, the target inter-vehicle distance setting means setting the target inter-vehicle distance on the basis of said velocity for which the delay is provided by the delay providing means.