Method and device for regulating the speed of a motor vehicle

An apparatus for regulating the speed of a controlled motor vehicle, comprising:

• an object detection system;
• a computer processor configured to calculate a target speed for the controlled motor vehicle as a function of at least one preceding target vehicle in an evaluation region of the object detection system;
• and
• a lane change recognition unit configured to determine whether a lane change by the controlled motor vehicle is imminent;
• wherein:
• when it is determined by the lane change recognition unit that the lane change is imminent, the evaluation region includes both at least a portion of a current lane of the controlled motor vehicle and at least a portion of an adjacent destination lane that is adjacent to the current lane in which the controlled motor vehicle is presently traveling, consideration, with respect to the adjacent destination lane, being given only to vehicles in a region of the adjacent destination lane within a threshold distance from the controlled motor vehicle defined by a boundary line drawn between a first point that is on a first boundary of the adjacent destination lane and a second point that is on a second boundary of the adjacent destination lane, the second point being farther forward of the controlled motor vehicle than the first point, the first boundary of the adjacent destination lane being farther from the current lane than the second boundary;
• and
• when a lane change is not determined by the lane change recognition unit to be imminent, the evaluation region is limited to the at least the portion of the current lane of the controlled motor vehicle and not any of adjacent lanes of the controlled motor vehicle.

A method for regulating the speed of a controlled motor vehicle equipped with an object detection system, a computer processor, and a lane change recognition arrangement via which to determine whether a lane change by the controlled motor vehicle is imminent, the method comprising:

• calculating, by the computer processor, a target speed for the controlled motor vehicle as a function of at least one preceding target vehicle in an evaluation region of the object detection system;
• wherein:
• when it is determined by the lane change recognition arrangement that the lane change is imminent, the evaluation region includes both at least a portion of a current lane of the controlled motor vehicle and at least a portion of an adjacent destination lane that is adjacent to the current lane in which the controlled motor vehicle is presently traveling, consideration, with respect to the adjacent destination lane, being given only to vehicles in a region of the adjacent destination lane within less than a threshold distance from the controlled motor vehicle defined by at least two lines that are each perpendicular to the current lane, are at different respective predefined distances forward of the controlled motor vehicle, and that define components of the threshold distance, the components being at different lateral distances from the controlled motor vehicle;
• and
• when a lane change is not determined by the lane change recognition arrangement to be imminent, the evaluation region is limited to the at least the portion of the current lane of the controlled motor vehicle and not any of adjacent lanes of the controlled motor vehicle.