Driver interaction pertaining to economical cruise control

• US 10,131,227 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2012
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scania CV AB (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Scania CV AB (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Johansson, Oskar, Sodergren, Maria, Roos, Fredrik
• Primary Examiner(s): McPherson, James M
• Application Number:
  US14/116,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20140074370A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,386 Days
• Field of Search: 701 93, 123349, 123350
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2310/244 changing target speed or setting a new target speed, e.g. changing algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: 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 fittings acting on two or more sub-units B60W30/14; speedometers G01P; systems or devices for controlling speed in general G05D13/00 ; in traffic anti-collision system for road vehicles G08G1/16
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/20 Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/103 Speed profile
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/143 Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

A method for an economical cruise control and an economical cruise control which demands from a vehicle engine system a reference speed v_ref, which may differ from a chosen set speed v_set. Adjustment of at least the set speed v_set is allowed when the reference speed v_ref differs from the set speed v_set. The adjustment is based at least partly on input from a user of the economical cruise control. A user of the economical cruise control is thus provided with an increased feeling of control over the vehicle'"'"'s speed.

Claims

1. A method performed by a cruise control of a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

the cruise control controlling an engine system of the vehicle by demanding from the engine system a reference speed v_ref which may differ from a set speed v_set chosen by a user of the cruise control, and;

the cruise control controlling the engine system of the vehicle by adjusting at least the reference speed v_ref, when the reference speed v_ref differs from the set speed v_set, to a second value which is not equal to a first value of v_ref chosen by the cruise control before the adjustment, the first value of v_ref being based on v_set, the adjusting being based, at least partly, on input from a user of the cruise control,

wherein

the input changes the reference speed v_ref,

the input causes the reference speed v_ref to be set to a selected one of a plurality of speeds to which the reference speed v_ref may be set, and

the selected one of the plurality of speeds is a current speed v_pres so that v_ref=v_pres.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selected one of the plurality of speeds is the set speed v_set so that v_ref=v_set.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the cruise control setting the set speed v_set to an upwardly adjusted value v_{set, old}+v_adj before the adjusting of the reference speed v_ref, the selected one of the plurality of speeds being v_set=v_{set, old}+v_adj so that v_ref=v_set=v_{set, old}+v_adj.

4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the cruise control setting the set speed v_set to a downwardly adjusted value v_{set, old}−

v_adj before the adjusting of the reference speed v_ref, the selected one of the plurality of speeds being v_set=v_{set, old}−

v_adj so that v_ref=v_set=v_{set, old}−

v_adj.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the current speed v_pres is a temporary lowest speed v_{min temp} so that v_ref=v_{min temp}.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the current speed v_pres is a temporary highest speed v_{max temp} so that v_ref−

v_{max temp}.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selected one of plurality of speeds is an upwardly adjusted value v_{ref old}+v_adj and the adjusting causes the reference speed v_ref to be set to the upwardly adjusted value v_{ref old}+v_adj.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selected one of the plurality of speeds is a downwardly adjusted value v_{ref old}+v_adj and the adjusting causes the reference speed v_ref to be set to the downwardly adjusted value v_{ref, old}−

v_adj.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the adjusting of the reference speed v_ref is applicable for a distance S.

10. The method according to claim 9, in which at least one particular driving situation continues for the distance S.

11. The method according to claim 9, in which an end of the distance S is reached when a deactivation condition is fulfilled.

12. The method according to claim 11, in which the deactivation condition is related to any of events selected from:

a gear change,

a braking,

a clutch operation,

a change in engine torque demanded,

a new input by the user, and

reaching a predetermined part of the distance S.

13. The method according to claim 10 wherein the particular driving situation comprises at least one driving situation selected from:

an uphill run,

a downhill run,

an overtaking,

an acceleration, and

a tunnel.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the adjusting causes the cruise control to apply a reference speed v_ref which according to the cruise control is suboptimised.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the adjusting imposes upon a control of the reference speed v_ref a limitation which is applied by the cruise control.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the input is effected by means of at least one input device selected from:

a button,

a lever,

a knob,

a pedal,

a touchscreen,

a voice input device, and

a menu choice.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cruise control is configured to use knowledge about sections of road ahead.

18. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium which contains a computer program which comprises program code and which causes a computer to control a cruise control of a vehicle to perform a method, the method comprising the steps of:

the cruise control controlling an engine system of the vehicle by demanding from the engine system a reference speed v_ref which may differ from a set speed v_set chosen by a user of the cruise control, and;

the cruise control controlling the engine system of the vehicle by adjusting at least the reference speed v_ref, when the reference speed v_ref differs from the set speed v_set, to a second value which is not equal to a first value of v_ref chosen by the cruise control before the adjusting by the cruise control, the first value of v_ref being based on v_set, the adjusting being based, at least partly, on input from a user of the cruise control,

wherein

the input changes the reference speed v_ref,

the input causes the reference speed v_ref to be set to a selected one of a plurality of speeds to which the reference speed v_ref may be set, and

the selected one of the plurality of speeds is a current speed v_pres so that v_ref=v_pres.

19. A cruise control configured to:

demand from an engine system of a vehicle a reference speed v_ref which may differ from a set speed v_set chosen by a user of the cruise control,

allow adjustment of at least the reference speed v_ref, when it differs from the set speed v_set, to a second value which is not equal to a first value of v_ref chosen by the cruise control before the adjustment, the first value of v_ref being based on v_set, and

base the adjustment, at least partly, on input from a user of the cruise control,

wherein

the input is configured to change the reference speed v_ref,

the input causes the reference speed v_ref to be set to a selected one of a plurality of speeds to which the reference speed v_ref may be set, and

the selected one of the plurality of speeds is a current speed v_pres so that v_ref=v_pres.