Vehicle and method for speed control based on position information of other vehicles

• US 20060224295A1
• 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: Tengler, Steve, Heft, Ron
• Granted Patent: US 7,437,232 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/96
• 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: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication

Abstract

An apparatus and method for controlling a speed of a vehicle includes detecting whether a cruise control setting of a first vehicle is active and receiving, at the first vehicle, position information of a second vehicle, the position information of the second vehicle including an elevation of the second vehicle. A value is determined that is representative of a difference in elevation between the first vehicle and the second vehicle based on the received position information of the second vehicle and an elevation of the first vehicle. A speed setting of the first vehicle is adjusted based on the determined value if the detected cruise control setting of the first vehicle is active.

Claims

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

detecting whether a cruise control setting of a first vehicle is active;

receiving, at the first vehicle, position information of a second vehicle, the position information of the second vehicle including an elevation of the second vehicle;

determining a value representative of a difference in elevation between the first vehicle and the second vehicle based on the received position information of the second vehicle and an elevation of the first vehicle; and

adjusting a speed setting of the first vehicle based on the determined value if the detected cruise control setting of the first vehicle is active.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining a distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle based on the position information of the second vehicle and a location of the first vehicle,

wherein the speed setting of the first vehicle is adjusted in accordance with the determined distance.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the speed setting of the first vehicle is adjusted in accordance with the equation:

SS^t2=SS^t1+C(E₂−

E₁)/D,

where SS^t2 is an adjusted speed setting, SS^t1 is a current speed setting, C is a calibration constant, E₁ is the elevation of the first vehicle, E₂ is the elevation of the second vehicle, and D is the distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the first vehicle and the second vehicle are located on the same roadway,

wherein the speed setting of the first vehicle is adjusted only if the first vehicle and the second vehicle are determined to be on the same roadway.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the first vehicle is positioned above or below the second vehicle based on the determined value;

reducing the speed setting of the first vehicle if the first vehicle is determined to be above the second vehicle; and

increasing the speed setting of the first vehicle if the first vehicle is determined to be below the second vehicle.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the first vehicle, position information of a plurality of vehicles including the second vehicle, the position information of each of the plurality of vehicles including an elevation of the respective vehicle;

determining a value representative of a difference in elevation between the first vehicle and each of the plurality of vehicles based on the received position information of the plurality of vehicles and the elevation of the first vehicle; and

adjusting the speed setting of the first vehicle based on each of the determined values.

7. A method according to claim 6, further comprising:

determining a distance between the first vehicle and each of the plurality of vehicles based on the position information of the plurality of vehicles and a location of the first vehicle,

wherein the speed setting of the first vehicle is adjusted in accordance with the determined distances.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the speed setting of the first vehicle is adjusted in accordance with the equation:

SS^t2=SS^t1+(C/n){Σ

(E_n−

E₁)/D_n²},

where SS^t2 is an adjusted speed setting, SS^t1 is a current speed setting, C is a calibration constant, n is a count of the number of plurality of vehicles, E₁ is the elevation of the first vehicle, E_n is the elevation of a respective one of the plurality of vehicles, and D_n is the distance between the first vehicle and a respective one of the plurality of vehicles.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the position information is received wirelessly by the first vehicle from the second vehicle.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the position information is received in conformance with a Dedicated Short Range Communications standard.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the position information is received in a format operating at a frequency between approximately 5 and 6 GHz.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein the second vehicle is located ahead of the first vehicle on the same roadway.

13. A vehicle, comprising:

a cruise control unit that controls at least a throttle setting of the vehicle in accordance with a speed setting;

a receiver that receives position information from a different vehicle, the position information including an elevation of the different vehicle;

a cruise control adjustment circuit configured to determine a value representative of a difference in elevation between the vehicle and the different vehicle based on the received position information of the different vehicle and an elevation of the vehicle, and to adjust a speed setting of the vehicle based on the determined value if the cruise control unit is active.

14. A vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the cruise control adjustment circuit is further configured to determine a distance between the vehicle and the different vehicle based on the position information of the different vehicle and a location of the vehicle and to adjust the speed setting of the vehicle in accordance with the determined distance.

15. A vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the cruise control adjustment circuit is configured to adjust the speed setting of the vehicle in accordance with the equation:

SS^t2=SS^t1+C(E₂−

E₁)/D,

where SS^t2 is an adjusted speed setting, SS^t1 is a current speed setting, C is a calibration constant, E₁ is the elevation of the vehicle, E₂ is the elevation of the different vehicle, and D is the distance between the vehicle and the different vehicle.

16. A vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the cruise control adjustment circuit is further configured to determine whether the vehicle and the different vehicle are located on the same roadway and to adjust the speed setting of the vehicle only if the vehicle and the different vehicle are determined to be on the same roadway.

17. A vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the cruise control adjustment circuit is further configured to:

determine whether the vehicle is positioned above or below the different vehicle based on the determined value;

reduce the speed setting of the vehicle if the vehicle is determined to be above the different vehicle; and

increase the speed setting of the vehicle if the vehicle is determined to be below the different vehicle.

18. A vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the receiver receives position information from a plurality of vehicles including the different vehicle, the position information of each of the plurality of vehicles including an elevation of the respective vehicle, and

wherein the cruise control adjustment circuit is further configured to determine a value representative of a difference in elevation between the vehicle and each of the plurality of vehicles based on the received position information of the plurality of vehicles and the elevation of the vehicle and to adjust the speed setting of the vehicle based on each of the determined values.

19. A vehicle according to claim 18, wherein the cruise control adjustment circuit is further configured to determine a distance between the vehicle and each of the plurality of vehicles based on the position information of the plurality of vehicles and a location of the vehicle and to adjust the speed setting of the vehicle in accordance with the determined distances.

20. A vehicle according to claim 19, wherein the cruise control adjustment circuit is configured to adjust the speed setting of the vehicle in accordance with the equation:

SS^t2=SS^t1+(C/n){Σ

(E_n−

E₁)/D_n²},

where SS^t2 is an adjusted speed setting, SS^t1 is a current speed setting, C is a calibration constant, n is a count of the number of plurality of vehicles, E₁ is the elevation of the vehicle, E_n is the elevation of a respective one of the plurality of vehicles, and D_n is the distance between the vehicle and a respective one of the plurality of vehicles.

21. A vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the receiver receives the position information wirelessly from the different vehicle.

22. A vehicle according to claim 21, wherein the receiver receives the position information in conformance with a Dedicated Short Range Communications standard.

23. A vehicle according to claim 22, wherein the receiver receives the position information in a format operating at frequency between approximately 5 and 6 GHz.

24. A vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the different vehicle is located ahead of the vehicle on the same roadway.