# US 8,788,175 B2 · Method of controlling the speed and/or the distance for motor vehicles

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- Number: US 8,788,175 B2
- Document ID: US8788175B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/765,100
- Filed: 2013-02-12
- Published: 2014-04-24
- Granted: 2014-07-22
- Earliest claimed: 2012-10-24
- Assignees: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
- Applicants: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
- Inventors: Walter Kagerer; Maria-Christina Laiou; Torsten Seyffarth
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8788175B2

## CPC

- B60K 31/00: Vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator
- B60W 30/16: Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
- B60W 50/0097: {Predicting future conditions}
- B60W 2554/803: Relative lateral speed
- B60W 2754/30: Longitudinal distance
- B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
- 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

A method of controlling the speed and/or the distance for motor vehicles having distance-controlled cruise control systems is provided in which a sensor unit determines relevant data of a vehicle driving ahead. In the event of a detection of a target object driving ahead, desired acceleration values and/or desired deceleration values for reaching a predetermined desired distance to the target object are determined and outputted. While considering the relevant data of the target object, a swinging-out probability of the target object is determined and, as a function of the determined swinging-out probability, an adaptation of the desired distance to the target object is carried out.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of controlling the speed and/or the distance for motor vehicles having distance-controlled cruise control systems, comprising the acts of:
detecting a target object driving ahead of a vehicle having a sensor unit for determining data of the target object;
determining at least a distance of the target object driving ahead of the vehicle based on the sensor-determined data;
determining a swinging-out probability of the target object based at least on the sensor-determined data;
determining a weighting factor as a function of the swinging-out probability, for weighting a determined distance error;
determining a desired distance to the target object;
altering the desired distance as a function of the swinging-out probability and the weighing factor; and
outputting at least one of desired acceleration and desired deceleration values to the vehicle to adjust the distance to the target object to the altered desired distance,
wherein
as the swinging-out probability rises, the altered desired distance is reduced, and
the altered desired distance is limited to a predefined minimal desired distance.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein
the sensor unit comprises at least one of a camera-based and a radar-based sensor.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein
the swinging-out probability is determined as a function of at least one of a distance of the target object to a lane boundary, a lateral velocity of the target object, a speed of the target object, the distance of the target object, a current speed of the vehicle, and sensor-determined data of a vehicle in front of the target object.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein
the swinging-out probability is determined only if predefined conditions are present, and
the predetermined conditions include at least one of a course of a road on which the vehicle is operating is approximately straight and the road is a multi-lane road.