Adaptative cruise control
AssigneeVolvo Lastvagnar AB
InventorsPeter Kollberg, Fredrik Sandblom
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An adaptive cruise control system for a motor vehicle includes a forward looking object detecting arrangement for simultaneously detecting several target objects moving in the predicted path and adjacent paths of the equipped vehicle. The detecting arrangement is arranged to continuously monitor velocity and distance to each of the target objects, and a processing arrangement processes signals from the detecting means to provide information of distance to and relative speed of vehicles travelling in front of the equipped vehicle.
Claims14
An adaptive cruise control system for a motor vehicle comprising:
- a forward looking object detecting means arranged to simultaneously detect a group of a plurality of target objects moving in the predicted path and adjacent paths of the equipped vehicle, the means being further arranged to continuously monitor velocity and distance to each of the target objects;
- processing means arranged to process signals from the detecting means to provide information of distance to and relative speed of vehicles travelling in front of the equipped vehicle, wherein the processing means further is arranged to repeatedly generate velocity control signals based on the information of distance to and relative speed of vehicles travelling in front of the equipped vehicle;
- and
- means to control velocity of the equipped vehicle in response to the control signals from the processing means,
- wherein the processing means is further arranged to calculate a distance in time from the equipped vehicle to a virtual target vehicle, the distance to and velocity of the virtual target vehicle being calculated based on the vehicles in the group, the spread in distance of the group, and thus the vehicle density of the group, and the variability of position in the group, such that the algorithm of the processing means decides from the above parameters on the allowed deviations in time distance, wherein the processing, means is arranged to produce a signal to the means for controlling the velocity of the equipped vehicle that is based on the calculated distance in time between the equipped vehicle and the virtual vehicle.
A method for controlling the velocity of a motor vehicle equipped with an adaptive cruise control system, comprising:
- simultaneously detecting a group of a plurality of target objects moving in the predicted path and adjacent paths of the equipped vehicle with a forward looking object detecting means;
- continuously monitoring velocity and distance to each of the target objects;
- processing, with a processing means the signals from the detecting means to provide information of distance to and relative speed of vehicles travelling in front of the equipped vehicle;
- using the processing means for repeatedly generating velocity control signals based on the information of distance to and relative speed of vehicles travelling in front of the equipped vehicle;
- controlling the velocity of the equipped vehicle in response to the control signals from the processing means;
- calculating a distance in time from the equipped vehicle to a virtual target vehicle, the distance to and velocity of the virtual target vehicle being calculated based on the vehicles in the group, the spread in distance of the group, and thus the vehicle density of the group, and the variability of positions in the group;
- deciding from the above parameters with the algorithm of the processing means on the allowed deviations in time distance;
- and
- producing a signal with the processing means to the means for controlling the velocity of the equipped vehicle that is based on the calculated distance in time between the equipped vehicle and the virtual vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.