# US 8,751,134 B2 · Method and device for regulating the speed of a motor vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,751,134 B2 - Document ID: US8751134B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/308,531 - Filed: 2007-10-01 - Published: 2010-11-25 - Granted: 2014-06-10 - Earliest claimed: 2006-11-15 - Assignees: Robert Bosch GmbH - Applicants: Stephan Dorenkamp; Thomas Gruber; Werner Urban; Juergen Boecker - Inventors: Stephan Dorenkamp; Thomas Gruber; Werner Urban; Juergen Boecker - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8751134B2 ## CPC - B60W 30/16: Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle - B60W 2510/20: Steering systems - B60W 2520/14: Yaw - B60W 2540/20: Direction indicator values - B60W 2554/4041: Position - 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 For regulating the speed of a motor vehicle, a control apparatus is equipped with an object detection system, and the reference speed is determined as a function of at least one preceding vehicle in the evaluation region of the object detection system, such that upon recognition of an imminent lane change by the regulated vehicle, vehicles in the adjacent destination lane are additionally taken into consideration for calculation of the reference speed by expanding the evaluation region in the direction of the destination lane, and consideration is given only to vehicles in the destination lane whose distance from the regulated vehicle is less than a predetermined distance value. ## Claims ### Claim 1 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 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 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the evaluation region is substantially the lane in which the controlled motor vehicle is presently traveling. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the threshold distance region is predefined. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the threshold distance is variable. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the threshold distance region is dependent on the speed of the controlled motor vehicle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the threshold distance is dependent on a relative speed of a detected vehicle in the adjacent destination lane with respect to the controlled motor vehicle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising: responsive to a determination that the lane change is imminent, reducing an initial evaluation region in a lateral region opposite the adjacent destination lane. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the reduction of the initial evaluation region in the lateral region opposite the adjacent destination lane occurs only within a zone extending along a direction of travel of the controlled motor vehicle, and wherein the inclusion of the at least a portion of an adjacent destination lane in the evaluation region occurs within the zone extending along the direction of travel. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the determination of whether a lane change is imminent includes at least one of (a) evaluation of a directional indicator signal, (b) evaluation of a present yaw rate, and (c) evaluation of a steering wheel angle signal. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The method as recited in claim 7, wherein at least one of (a) the inclusion of the at least a portion of an adjacent destination lane in the evaluation region and (b) the reduction of the initial evaluation region in the lateral region opposite the adjacent destination lane is canceled after a predetermined time span has elapsed. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The method as recited in claim 7, wherein at least one of (a) the inclusion of the at least a portion of an adjacent destination lane in the evaluation region and (b) the reduction of the initial evaluation region in the lateral region opposite the adjacent destination lane is canceled after a determination of the end of the lane change operation, wherein the determination of the end of the lane change operation includes at least one of (a) evaluation of a directional indicator signal, (b) evaluation of a present yaw rate, and (c) evaluation of a steering wheel angle signal. ### Claim 12 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. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus as recited in claim 12, wherein the computer processor is configured to, responsive to a determination that the lane change is imminent, reduce an initial evaluation region in a lateral region opposite the adjacent destination lane. ### Claim 14 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. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising: responsive to a determination that the lane change is imminent, reducing an initial evaluation region in a lateral region opposite the adjacent destination lane.