Adaptive cruise control using vehicle-to-vehicle wireless communication

• US 20070083318A1
• Filed: 10/07/2005
• Published: 04/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Parikh, Jayendra
• Application Number:
  US11/245,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20070083318A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/96
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/02 Active or adaptive cruise control system; Distance control
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/65 Data transmitted between vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/106 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/165 Automatically following the path of a preceding lead vehicle, e.g. "electronic tow-bar"
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/162 event-triggered
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

A method and system to control forward movement of a vehicle having adaptive control system and a localized communications system, including establishing communications with a target vehicle, identifying the target vehicle to the operator, verifying operator intent, and, executing an automatic following routine. The automatic following routine operates based upon operating parameters of the target vehicle and host vehicle, and, predetermined parameters for following. The operating parameters include vehicle heading, speed, acceleration, operator input to a brake pedal, and, difference in acceleration between the host vehicle and the target vehicle. Disengaging the automatic following routine occurs when one of the target vehicle operating parameters changes by a predetermined amount, e.g., based upon a braking event, interference from third vehicle, operator input, when the target vehicle exceeds a predetermined speed, upon interruption of communications between the host vehicle and the target vehicle, or, upon operator command.

Claims

1. Method for controlling forward movement of a host vehicle, the host vehicle having an adaptive control system operable to control forward movement and a localized communications system, comprising:

a) establishing communications with a target vehicle;

b) identifying the target vehicle to an operator of the host vehicle;

c) verifying an intent by the operator to follow the target vehicle; and

,

d) executing an automatic following routine.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the automatic following routine further comprises executing the automatic following routine based upon:

target vehicle operating parameters, host vehicle operating parameters, and, predetermined parameters for following.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the predetermined parameters for following comprise host vehicle forward speed and acceleration, and a difference in acceleration between the host vehicle and the target vehicle.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the target vehicle operating parameters comprise:

target vehicle heading, speed, acceleration, and brake pedal input.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

disengaging the automatic following routine when at least one of the target vehicle operating parameters changes by a predetermined amount.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

disengaging the automatic following routine based upon a target vehicle braking event.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

disengaging the automatic following routine based upon detection of an intervening object.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

disengaging the automatic following routine based upon an operator input.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising disengaging the automatic following routine when the target vehicle speed exceeds a predetermined speed.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising disengaging the automatic following routine when the target vehicle acceleration exceeds a predetermined acceleration.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing communications with a target vehicle comprises communicating with the target vehicle using a dedicated short-range communications system.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the target vehicle to an operator of the host vehicle comprises communicating vehicle attribute data with an in-vehicle communications center.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the automatic following routine comprises:

a) verifying a communications link with the target vehicle;

b) communicating with the target vehicle to determine target vehicle operating parameters;

c) verifying the target vehicle operating parameters are each within a respective predetermined range; and

,

d) providing output signals to control host vehicle forward speed and acceleration based upon the target vehicle operating parameters.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein providing output signals to control the host vehicle forward speed and acceleration based upon the target vehicle operating parameters comprises controlling at least one of an engine throttle position and host vehicle braking.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising controlling a host vehicle transmission.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein host vehicle braking comprises engine braking.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein providing output signals to control host vehicle forward speed and acceleration based upon the target vehicle operating parameters comprises controlling magnitude of electrical energy delivered to a wheel motor.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein providing output signals to control host vehicle forward speed and acceleration based upon the target vehicle operating parameters comprises controlling magnitude of electrical energy delivered to an electric motor propulsion system.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

disengaging the automatic following routine upon interruption of communications between the host vehicle and the target vehicle.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

disengaging the automatic following routine upon detection of an intervening object.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

disengaging the automatic following routine upon an operator input.

22. Article of manufacture comprising:

a storage medium having a computer program encoded therein for effecting a method to control forward movement of a host vehicle, the host vehicle having an adaptive control system operable to control forward movement of the host vehicle and a localized communications system;

the computer program comprising;

code for establishing communications with a target vehicle;

code for identifying the target vehicle to an operator of the host vehicle;

code for verifying an intent by the operator to follow the target vehicle; and

,

code for executing an automatic following routine based upon target vehicle operating parameters and host vehicle and predetermined parameters for following.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 22 wherein the computer program further comprises code for determining the target vehicle operating parameters, said operating parameters comprising target vehicle heading, speed, acceleration and brake pedal input.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 23 wherein the computer program further comprises code for controlling input signals to an electronic throttle control device and a braking system based upon the determined target vehicle operating parameters.