Method and device for limiting the speed of a vehicle

• US 20050246089A1
• Filed: 04/13/2005
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Muehlbauer, Christian
• Application Number:
  US11/105,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20050246089A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/93
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/00 Safety devices for propulsion-unit control, specially adapted for, or arranged in, vehicles, e.g. preventing fuel supply or ignition in the event of potentially dangerous conditions for electrically-propelled vehicles B60L3/00; road vehicle drive control systems for purposes not related to the control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/00; drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/04 and means for comparing one electrical quantity, e.g. voltage, pulse, waveform, flux, or the like, with another quantity of a like kind, which comparison means is involved in the development of an electrical signal which is fed into the controlling means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/146 Speed limiting

Abstract

A method and a device for limiting the speed of a vehicle increase driving safety under poor visibility or wet roadway conditions in a particularly simple manner. The vehicle speed is limited as a function of the visibility or the roadway condition.

Claims

1. A method for limiting a speed of a vehicle, comprising:

limiting the vehicle speed as a function of at least one of a visibility and a roadway condition.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining a variable which is characteristic for one of the visibility and the roadway condition, and wherein the vehicle speed is limited as a further function of the variable.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the characteristic variable is a speed of a windshield wiper.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising setting the speed of the windshield wiper as a function of a signal of a precipitation sensor.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the vehicle speed is limited as a further function of the signal of the precipitation sensor.

6. The method according to claim 3, further comprising presetting the speed of the windshield wiper on a control element.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the vehicle speed is limited as a further function of a position of the control element.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle speed is more sharply limited as at least one of (a) the visibility decreases and (b) the roadway condition deteriorates.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the vehicle speed is increasingly limited as a speed of a windshield wiper increases.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle speed is limited as a function of the visibility.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle speed is limited as a function of the roadway condition.

12. A device for limiting a speed of a vehicle, comprising:

means for limiting the vehicle speed as a function of at least one of a visibility and a roadway condition.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein the vehicle speed is limited as a function of the visibility.

14. The device according to claim 12, wherein the vehicle speed is limited as a function of the roadway condition.