Cooperative speed control system

• US 20060224294A1
• Filed: 03/31/2005
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Technical Center North America Incorporated (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tsuda, Hiroshi, Kawazoe, Hiroshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,426,432 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/93
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/00 Input parameters relating to infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/40 Coefficient of friction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/53 Road markings, e.g. lane marker or crosswalk
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• 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: B60W 30/18159 Traversing an intersection

Abstract

A device for automatically controlling vehicle speed, including a processor adapted to receive at least a first signal indicative of a first local required speed, a second signal indicative of a second local required speed received after the first signal, and a third signal indicative of a value of a current set vehicle speed, wherein the processor includes logic to (i) automatically determine a new set vehicle speed based at least on the first local required speed, the second local required speed, and the current set vehicle speed; and (ii) automatically initiate output of a signal to a vehicle speed controller to change the vehicle speed to a new set vehicle speed.

Claims

1. A device adapted to automatically control vehicle speed, comprising:

a processor adapted to receive at least a first signal indicative of a first local required speed, a second signal indicative of a second local required speed received after the first signal, and a third signal indicative of a value of a current set vehicle speed;

wherein the processor includes logic to;

automatically determine a new set vehicle speed based at least on the first local required speed, the second local required speed, and the current set vehicle speed; and

automatically initiate output of a signal to a vehicle speed controller to change vehicle speed to a new set vehicle speed.

2. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a speed control system adapted to receive input from a driver indicative of a desired vehicle speed, wherein the value of the current set vehicle speed is based on the desired vehicle speed.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the current set vehicle speed is a speed set by a driver.

4. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a speed control system, wherein the value of the current set vehicle speed is based on output of the speed control system, and wherein the speed control system is at least one of an ACC or a cruise control system.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the logic to automatically determine the new set vehicle speed includes logic to:

determine a differentiation in speed between the second local required speed and the first local required speed; and

determine the new set vehicle speed based on an adjustment to the value indicative of the current set vehicle speed by the determined differentiation.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the differentiation in speed is a value equivalent to a value determined by subtracting the first local required speed from the second local required speed, and wherein the new set vehicle speed determined by the logic is a value equivalent to a value determined by adding the differentiation in speed to the current set vehicle speed.

7. The device according to claim 5, wherein the differentiation in speed is a value equivalent to a value determined by dividing the second local required speed by the first local required speed, and wherein the new set vehicle speed determined by the logic is a value equivalent to a value determined by multiplying the differentiation in speed by the current set vehicle speed.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the processor includes logic to:

determine a value indicative of a differentiation in speed between the current set vehicle speed and the first local required speed, wherein the value indicative of a differentiation in speed between the current set vehicle speed and the first local required speed is a value equivalent to a value determined by dividing the current set vehicle speed by the first local required speed;

wherein

the new set vehicle speed determined by the logic is a value equivalent to a value determined by multiplying the value indicative of a differentiation in speed by the second local required speed.

9. The device according to claim 8, further comprising a memory adapted to record the value indicative of a differentiation in speed;

wherein the processor includes logic such that after the processor receives the second signal, the processor reads the value indicative of a differentiation in speed from the memory and multiplies the value read from the memory by the second local required speed.

14. A vehicle comprising:

the device according to claim 1.

10. A device adapted to automatically control vehicle speed, comprising:

a processor adapted to receive information indicative of average speed of other vehicles around the vehicle, wherein the processor includes logic to;

automatically determine a new set vehicle speed based at least on the average speed of the other vehicles; and

automatically initiate output of a signal to a vehicle speed controller to change vehicle speed to the new set vehicle speed.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the processor includes logic to only initiate output of the signal to the vehicle speed controller to change the vehicle speed to the advisory set vehicle speed if the advisory set vehicle speed is (i) lower than or (ii) lower than or the same as a current speed of the vehicle.

12. A device adapted to automatically control vehicle speed, comprising:

a processor adapted to receive at least first information indicative of a first average speed of vehicles proximate to the vehicle, second information indicative of a second average speed of vehicles proximate to the vehicle received after the first information, and third information indicative of a value of a current set vehicle speed;

wherein the processor includes logic to;

automatically determine a new set vehicle speed based at least on the first average speed, the second average speed, and the current set vehicle speed; and

automatically initiate output of a signal to a vehicle speed controller to change vehicle speed to the new set vehicle speed.

13. A vehicle comprising:

the device according to claim 12.

15. The device according to claim 12, further comprising a speed control system, wherein the value of the current set vehicle speed is based on output of the speed control system, and wherein the speed control system is at least one of an ACC or a cruise control system.

16. The device according to claim 12, wherein the logic to automatically determine the new set vehicle speed includes logic to:

determine a differentiation in speed between the second average speed of vehicles proximate to the vehicle and the first average speed of vehicles proximate to the vehicle; and

determine the new set vehicle speed based on an adjustment to the value indicative of the current set vehicle speed by the determined differentiation.

17. The device according to claim 16, wherein the differentiation in speed is a value equivalent to a value determined by subtracting the first average speed of vehicles proximate to the vehicle from the second average speed of vehicles proximate to the vehicle, and wherein the new set vehicle speed determined by the logic is a value equivalent to a value determined by adding the differentiation in speed to the current set vehicle speed.

18. The device according to claim 16, wherein the differentiation in speed is a value equivalent to a value determined by dividing the second average speed of vehicles proximate to the vehicle by the first average speed of vehicles proximate to the vehicle, and wherein the new set vehicle speed determined by the logic is a value equivalent to a value determined by multiplying the differentiation in speed by the current set vehicle speed.

19. The device according to claim 12, wherein the processor includes logic to:

determine a value indicative of a differentiation in speed between the current set vehicle speed and the first average speed of vehicles proximate to the vehicle, wherein the value indicative of a differentiation in speed between the current set vehicle speed and the first average speed of vehicles proximate to the vehicle is a value equivalent to a value determined by dividing the current set vehicle speed by the first average speed;

wherein

the new set vehicle speed determined by the logic is a value equivalent to a value determined by multiplying the value indicative of a differentiation in speed by the second average speed of vehicles proximate to the vehicle.

20. The device according to claim 19, further comprising a memory adapted to record the value indicative of a differentiation in speed, wherein the processor includes logic to:

read the value indicative of a differentiation in speed from the memory after the processor receives the second information, and multiply the value read from the memory by the second average speed of vehicles proximate to the vehicle to determine the new set vehicle speed.

21. A device adapted to automatically control vehicle speed, comprising:

a processor adapted to receive a plurality of first signals indicative of set vehicle speeds and a plurality of second signals indicative of respective required speeds; and

a memory adapted to record the set vehicle speeds and the required speeds from at least some of the signals received by the processor such that at least some of the vehicle speeds are linked to respective required speeds;

wherein the processor includes logic to;

automatically determine that a signal received by the processor is indicative of a current required speed and initiate output of a signal to a vehicle speed controller to set a vehicle speed based on the respective set speed linked to the required speed stored in the memory if the required speed stored in the memory is substantially the same as the current required speed.

22. A device adapted to automatically control vehicle speed, comprising:

a processor adapted to;

receive a plurality of first signals indicative of set vehicle speeds and a plurality of second signals indicative of respective required speeds; and

obtain a value indicative of a ratio of the set vehicle speed and the respective required speed from at least some of the signals received by the processor; and

a memory adapted to record the value of at least some of the ratios obtained by the processor such that at least some of the ratios are linked to respective required speeds;

wherein the processor includes-logic to;

automatically determine that a signal received by the processor is indicative of a current required speed and initiate output of a signal to a vehicle speed controller to set a vehicle speed based on the respective ratio linked to the required speed stored in the memory if the required speed stored in the memory is substantially the same as the current required speed.

23. The device according to claim 22, wherein the set vehicle speed is based on a value that is equivalent to a value obtained by multiplication of the ratio by the current required speed.

24. A device adapted to automatically control vehicle speed, comprising:

a processor adapted to receive a plurality of first signals indicative of set vehicle speeds and a plurality of second signals indicative of respective required speeds and adapted to obtain a plurality of values indicative of respective differentiations between at least some of the set vehicle speeds and respective required speeds from at least some of the signals received by the processor; and

a memory adapted to record at least some of the plurality of values indicative of respective differentiations between set vehicle speeds and respective required speeds such that at least some of the differentiations are linked to respective required speeds;

wherein the processor includes logic to;

automatically determine that a signal received by the processor is indicative of a current required speed and initiate output of a signal to a vehicle speed controller to set a vehicle speed based on the respective differentiation linked to the required speed stored in the memory if the required speed stored in the memory is substantially the same as the current required speed.

25. A method for automatically controlling vehicle speed, comprising:

automatically determining a first local required speed;

automatically determining a second local required speed;

automatically determining a current set vehicle speed;

automatically determining a new set vehicle speed based at least on the first local required speed, the second local required speed, and the current set vehicle speed; and

automatically changing vehicle speed to the new set vehicle speed.

26. The method according to claim 25, further comprising activating a speed control system to set the current set vehicle speed.

27. The method according to claim 25, further comprising automatically determining a differentiation in speed between the second local required speed and the first local required speed;

and

automatically determining the new set vehicle speed based on an adjustment to the value indicative of the current set vehicle speed by the determined differentiation.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein automatically determining the differentiation in speed is accomplished by determining a value equivalent to a value determined by subtracting the first local required speed from the second local required speed, and wherein automatically determining the new set vehicle speed is accomplished by determining a value equivalent to a value determined by adding the differentiation in speed to the current set vehicle speed.

29. The method according to claim 27, wherein automatically determining the differentiation in speed is accomplished by determining a value equivalent to a value determined by dividing the second local required speed by the first local required speed, and wherein automatically determining the new set vehicle speed is accomplished by determining a value equivalent to a value determined by multiplying the differentiation in speed by the current set vehicle speed.

30. A method for automatically controlling vehicle speed in a vehicle, comprising:

automatically determining an average speed of other vehicles around the vehicle, automatically determining a new set vehicle speed based at least on the average speed of other vehicles; and

automatically changing vehicle speed to the new set vehicle speed.

31. A method for automatically controlling vehicle speed in a vehicle, comprising:

automatically determining a first average speed of vehicles proximate to the vehicle;

automatically determining a second average speed of vehicles proximate to the vehicle after determining the first average speed;

automatically determining a current set vehicle speed;

automatically determining a new set vehicle speed based at least on the first average speed, the second average speed, and the current set vehicle speed; and

automatically changing vehicle speed to the new set vehicle speed.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein automatically determining the new set vehicle speed includes:

automatically determining a differentiation in speed between the second average speed of vehicles proximate to the vehicle and the first average speed of vehicles proximate to the vehicle; and

automatically determining the new set vehicle speed based on an adjustment to the value indicative of the current set vehicle speed by the determined differentiation.

33. A method for automatically controlling vehicle speed, comprising:

automatically determining a plurality of set vehicle speeds and a plurality of respective required speeds;

automatically recording at least some of the set vehicle speeds and the respective current required speeds such that at least some of the vehicle speeds are linked to respective required speeds;

automatically determining that a current required speed is a speed indicative of a required speed recorded in the memory; and

automatically changing vehicle speed to the set vehicle speed linked to the required speed stored in the memory if the required speed stored in the memory is substantially the same as the current required speed.

34. A method for automatically controlling vehicle speed, comprising:

automatically determining a plurality of set vehicle speeds and a plurality of respective required speeds;

automatically determining a plurality of values indicative of respective differentiations between set vehicle speeds and respective required speeds and storing the differentiations in a memory such that at least some of the differentiations are linked to respective required speeds;

automatically determining that a current required speed is a speed indicative of a required speed recorded in the memory; and

automatically changing the vehicle speed based on the respective differentiation linked to the required speed stored in the memory if the required speed stored in the memory is substantially the same as the current required speed.