System and methods for adaptive cruise control based on user defined parameters

• US 10,358,130 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2017
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Pilutti, Thomas Edward, Elwart, Shane, Kristinsson, Johannes Geir, Hamilton, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US15/722,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20180043891A1
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2310/244 changing target speed or setting a new target speed, e.g. changing algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/166 Navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/168 Target or limit values
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/169 Remaining operating distance or charge
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/174 Economic driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0067 Confirmation by the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/30 Driving style
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/14 Adaptive cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/143 Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

Systems and methods for adaptive cruise control based on user defined parameters are disclosed. An example disclosed vehicle includes a GPS receiver configured to provide a location of the vehicle, an adaptive cruise control; and a cruise control adjuster. In the example cruise control adjuster is configured to generate an action when a cruise control event is defined for the location. In the disclosed example the cruise control event is based on past changes to the adaptive cruise control at the location. The example cruise control adjuster is also configured to apply the action to the adaptive cruise control to change how the adaptive cruise control controls the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a GPS receiver configured to provide a location of the vehicle;

a cruise control adjuster configured to, via a processor;

store, in memory, manual changes to settings of an adaptive cruise control by a driver within a threshold distance of the location, each of the manual changes associated with a different date;

delete the manual changes from the memory as the manual changes become older than a threshold expiration date;

generate a cruise control event associated with the location in response to detecting a threshold number of manual changes associated with the location within memory;

receive input, via a touch screen of the vehicle, modifying the cruise control event with driver preferences; and

subsequently, at the location, change the settings of the adaptive cruise control based on the cruise control event as modified by the driver preferences.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the manual changes to settings of the adaptive cruise control include at least one of activating the adaptive cruise control, deactivating the adaptive cruise control, resuming the adaptive cruise control, modifying a speed setting of the adaptive cruise control, or modifying a gap distance setting of the adaptive cruise control.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the cruise control adjuster is configured to, when changing the settings of the adaptive cruise control to one of activating the adaptive cruise control, resuming the adaptive cruise control, increasing a speed setting of the adaptive cruise control, or decreasing a gap distance setting of the adaptive cruise control, prompt the driver to confirm an action before changing the settings.

4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the cruise control adjuster is configured to, in response to receiving an affirmative input from the driver, change the settings of the adaptive cruise control.

5. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the cruise control adjuster is configured to, in response to receiving a negative input from the driver, not change the settings of the adaptive cruise control.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the cruise control adjuster is configured to provide, via a touch screen of the vehicle, a list of the cruise control events and associated locations.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein when the manual changes to the settings of the adaptive cruise control include changes in a speed setting of the adaptive cruise control, the cruise control adjuster is configured to generate the cruise control event based on an average of the changes in the speed setting.

8. A method comprising:

receiving, from a GPS receiver, a location of a vehicle;

storing, in memory, manual changes to settings of an adaptive cruise control by a driver within a threshold distance of the location, each of the manual changes associated with a different date;

deleting the manual changes from the memory as the manual changes become older than a threshold expiration date;

generating, with a processor, a cruise control event associated with the location in response to detecting a threshold number of manual changes associated with the location within memory;

receiving input, via a touch screen of the vehicle, modifying the cruise control event with driver preferences; and

subsequently, at the location, changing the settings of the adaptive cruise control based on the cruise control event as modified by the driver preferences.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the manual changes to settings of an adaptive cruise control include at least one of activating the adaptive cruise control, deactivating the adaptive cruise control, resuming the adaptive cruise control, modifying a speed setting of the adaptive cruise control, or modifying a gap distance setting of the adaptive cruise control.

10. The method of claim 8, including when changing the settings of the adaptive cruise control to one of activating the adaptive cruise control, resuming the adaptive cruise control, increasing a speed setting of the adaptive cruise control, or decreasing a gap distance setting of the adaptive cruise control, prompting the driver to confirm an action before changing the settings.

11. The method of claim 10, including in response to receiving an affirmative input from the driver, changing the settings of the adaptive cruise control.

12. The method of claim 10, including in response to receiving a negative input from the driver, not changing the settings of the adaptive cruise control.

13. The method of claim 8, including providing, via a touch screen of the vehicle, a list of the cruise control events and associated locations.

14. The method of claim 8, including, when the manual changes to the settings of the adaptive cruise control include changes in a speed setting of the adaptive cruise control, generating the cruise control event based on an average of the changes in the speed setting.

15. A vehicle comprising:

a GPS receiver configured to provide a location of the vehicle;

a cruise control adjuster configured to, via a processor;

generate a cruise control event associated with the location in response to detecting a threshold number of manual changes to settings of an adaptive cruise control by a driver within a threshold distance of the location, each of the manual changes associated with a different date;

provide, via a touch screen of the vehicle, a list of the cruise control events and associated locations;

receive a selection, via the touch screen of the vehicle, of one of the cruise control events;

receive an input, via the touch screen of the vehicle, of a user-generated conditional rule associated with the selected one of the cruise control events, the conditional rule defining (a) a condition and (b) a modification to the selected one of the cruise control events; and

subsequently, at the location, change the settings of the adaptive cruise control based on the cruise control event as modified by the conditional rule when the condition is true.