System for influencing the speed of a motor vehicle

• US 20050240335A1
• Filed: 05/19/2005
• Published: 10/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lucas Automotive GmbH (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: Lucas Automotive GmbH (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Schroder, Marko
• Granted Patent: US 7,774,123 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/96
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/08 Lane monitoring; Lane Keeping Systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/081 using distance control
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/14 Yaw
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/05 Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/10 Number of lanes
• 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 2552/30 Road curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4041 Position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18145 Cornering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18159 Traversing an intersection

Abstract

System for evaluating the driving environment of a motor vehicle and for influencing the speed of the motor vehicle, with an electronic control unit (ECU) which is connected to a signal transmitter generating a signal characteristic of the desired speed of the motor vehicle, a signal transmitter generating a signal characteristic of the rate of revolutions of the motor vehicle about its vertical axis, a signal transmitter which generates a signal characteristic of objects located in the area in front of the motor vehicle in the direction of travel of the motor vehicle in respect of their distance from and orientation to the motor vehicle, which is the speed relative to the speed of one'"'"'s own motor vehicle and/or the distance relative to one'"'"'s own motor vehicle and/or the angle offset or the lateral drift relative to the vehicle longitudinal axis of one'"'"'s own motor vehicle, and a signal transmitter generating a signal characteristic of the speed of at least one wheel of the motor vehicle and which electronic control unit (ECU) is connected to at least one control device having an influence on the driving behaviour of the motor vehicle, in order to feed to it output signals derived from the driving behaviour of the target motor vehicle located in front of one'"'"'s own motor vehicle, in which, if a target motor vehicle leaves the detection area in front of one'"'"'s own motor vehicle, in the electronic control unit a trigger signal is generated which limits the momentary speed or momentarily the acceleration of one'"'"'s own motor vehicle at least for a stretch to a value substantially corresponding to a maximum of the distance X between one'"'"'s own motor vehicle and the target motor vehicle at the time of leaving the detection area.

Claims

1. System for evaluating the driving environment of a motor vehicle and for influencing the speed of the motor vehicle, with

an electronic control unit (ECU) which is connected to

a signal transmitter generating a signal characteristic of the desired speed of the motor vehicle,

a signal transmitter generating a signal characteristic of the rate of revolutions of the motor vehicle about its vertical axis,

a signal transmitter which generates a signal characteristic of objects located in the area in front of the motor vehicle in the direction of travel of the motor vehicle in respect of their distance from and orientation to the motor vehicle, which is at least one of

the speed relative to the speed of one'"'"'s own motor vehicle,

the distance relative to one'"'"'s own motor vehicle and

the angle offset or the lateral drift relative to the vehicle longitudinal axis of one'"'"'s own vehicle and

a signal transmitter generating a signal characteristic of the speed of at least one wheel of the motor vehicle

and which electronic control unit (ECU) is connected to

at least one control device having an influence on the driving behaviour of the motor vehicle, in order to feed to it output signals derived from the driving behaviour of the target motor vehicle located in front of one'"'"'s own motor vehicle, in which, if a target motor vehicle leaves the detection area in front of one'"'"'s own motor vehicle, in the electronic control unit (ECU) a trigger signal is generated which limits the momentary speed or momentarily the acceleration of one'"'"'s own motor vehicle at least for a stretch to a value substantially corresponding to a maximum of the distance X between one'"'"'s own motor vehicle and the target motor vehicle at the time of its leaving the detection area, the distance X between one'"'"'s own motor vehicle and the target motor vehicle at the time of leaving the detection area being reduced by a shortening stretch DX to an effective distance Xeff which is dependent on at least one of the environment (motorway, country road, town traffic), the speed of the target motor vehicle at the time of leaving the detection area, the momentary speed of one'"'"'s own motor vehicle and the bend radii of bends already driven through in the past within a predetermined period of time.

3. System according to claim 1, wherein in the ECU the shortening stretch DX is determined from the average of the bend radii of bends already driven through in the past within a predetermined period of time.

4. System according to claim 1, wherein the trigger signal is characteristic of a maximum length of time resulting from the momentary speed of one'"'"'s own motor vehicle and the distance X between one'"'"'s own motor vehicle and the target motor vehicle at the time of its leaving the detection area or the effective distance Xeff.

5. System according to claim 1, wherein in the ECU the trigger signal is characteristic of a maximum length of time resulting from the momentary speed of one'"'"'s own motor vehicle and the distance between one'"'"'s own motor vehicle and the target motor vehicle at the time of leaving the detection area or the effective distance Xeff.

6. System according to claim 1, wherein in the ECU an object which is located in the detection area in front of one'"'"'s own motor vehicle, goes below a predetermined distance and is not located in the lane of one'"'"'s own motor vehicle is excluded from selection as a priority object.

7. System according to claim 1, wherein in the ECU an object which is located outside a predetermined angle to the central longitudinal axis of one'"'"'s own motor vehicle or exceeds a predetermined angle is excluded from selection as a priority object.

8. System according to claim 1, wherein in the ECU such an object is excluded from the selection as a priority object which has not been a target motor vehicle for a predetermined period of time-in the past.

9. System according to claim 1, wherein objects that have not been target motor vehicles for a predetermined period of time in the past are excluded from selection as a priority object by the ECU.

2. (canceled)