Adaptive cruise control device for a motor vehicle

• US 20040149504A1
• Filed: 04/07/2004
• Published: 08/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: John, Dirk, Swoboda, Hans-Christian, Irion, Albrecht
• Granted Patent: US 7,753,153 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/169
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/065 by reducing the computational load on the digital processor of the control computer
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4041 Position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4043 Lateral speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/803 Relative lateral speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/726 Multiple target tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9319 Controlling the accelerator
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9321 Velocity regulation, e.g. cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9325 for inter-vehicle distance regulation, e.g. navigating in platoons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

A method and an apparatus are proposed for the adaptive cruise control of a motor vehicle along the lines of a distance-constant control and a speed-constant control, respectively, which includes at least two devices interconnected by a data-exchange device. The first device has at least one transmitting and receiving unit for detecting objects, which operates according to the radar principle and/or lidar principle, as well as at least one target-object-selection device. The second device has at least one speed and distance controller, and is connected to the first device by a data-exchange system through which data with respect to two detected objects is transmitted.

Claims

1. An apparatus for the adaptive cruise control of a motor vehicle along the lines of a distance-constant control and a speed-constant control, respectively, having at least two devices connected by a data-exchange device (13), the first device (7) having at least one object-detection device and at least one target-object selection device, and the second device (10) having at least one speed and distance controller, wherein the data-exchange device (13) transmits data with respect to two detected objects (9).

5. The apparatus as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein the object-detection device is a transmitting and receiving unit for radar radiation and/or a transmitting and receiving unit for lidar radiation and/or a receiving unit for an image sensing system.

6. The apparatus as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein the transmitted data represents at least one of the kinetic variables:

distances of the objects to the object-detection device,

relative velocities of the objects with respect to the object-detection device,

absolute velocities of the objects,

relative accelerations of the objects in relation to the object-detection device,

absolute accelerations of the objects,

sway of the objects relative to the vehicle longitudinal axis or relative to the center axis of the object-detection device,

lateral velocities of the objects relative to the vehicle longitudinal axis or the center axis of the object-detection device,

information about whether the object was detected for the first time or was detected repeatedly,

clear-cut object designation,

information about the performance reliability of the object-detection device, whether it is adjusted, is soiled, is blinded, or whether visibility is poor.

7. The apparatus as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein the first device and the second device are accommodated in a shared housing.

8. The apparatus as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein the first device and the second device are accommodated in two separate housings.

9. The apparatus as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein the apparatus for the exchange of signals is a CAN bus.

2. An apparatus for detecting objects (7), comprising at least one device for the detection of objects, one device for the target-object selection, as well as a device for transmitting data, wherein from the objects detected by the object-detection device, the device for target-object selection selects two objects and outputs the associated, measured, kinematic variables with the aid of the device for transmitting data.

3. An apparatus for regulating the vehicle velocity along the lines of a speed-constant control or a distance-constant control, comprising at least one distance and speed controller, an output device for outputting a power-regulating signal, particularly for an internal combustion engine, an output device for outputting a control signal for the deceleration means, as well as a data-exchange device, wherein the power-regulating signal and the control signal for the deceleration means are formed in the distance and speed controller, and for this purpose, the kinematic variables of two detected objects are taken into consideration, which were acquired by an object-detection device and are supplied to the apparatus by the data-exchange device.

4. An apparatus for the exchange of signals between a first device, that has at least one object-detection unit and at least one device for the target-object selection, and a second device having at least one speed and distance controller, wherein data with respect to two detected objects is transmitted from the first device to the second device by the apparatus for the exchange of signals.

10. A method for the exchange of signals between a first device, that has at least one object-detection device for the detection of objects and at least one device for the target-object selection, and a second device having at least one speed and distance controller, wherein data of two detected objects is transmitted.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the transmitted data represents at least one of the variables:

distances of the objects to the object-detection device,

relative velocities of the objects with respect to the object-detection device,

absolute velocities of the objects,

relative accelerations of the objects in relation to the object-detection device,

absolute accelerations of the objects,

sway of the objects relative to the vehicle longitudinal axis or relative to the center axis of the object-detection device,

lateral velocities of the objects relative to the vehicle longitudinal axis or the center axis of the object-detection device,

information about whether the object was detected for the first time or was detected repeatedly,

clear-cut object designation,

information about the performance reliability of the transmitting and receiving device, whether it is adjusted, is soiled, is blinded, or whether visibility is poor.