CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEMS AND METHODS WITH ADAPTIVE SPEED ADJUSTMENT RATES

• US 20100204896A1
• Filed: 02/06/2009
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: BIONDO, WILLIAM A., PROEFKE, DAVID T., McCALL, CLARK E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,315,775 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/93
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• 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 2720/103 Speed profile
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/143 Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions

Abstract

Embodiments include methods and apparatus for performing cruise control in a motor vehicle. Signals are received (e.g., by a positioning system interface) from at least one external infrastructure component, and a geographical location of the motor vehicle is determined (e.g., by a processing and control subsystem) based on the signals. A determination is made whether a difference between a target speed and an actual vehicle speed exceeds a threshold and, when the difference exceeds the threshold, a cruise control procedure is performed to maintain a target speed of the motor vehicle. Performing the cruise control procedure includes determining, based on the geographical location, whether the motor vehicle should adjust its speed toward the target speed.

Claims

1. A method for performing cruise control in a motor vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving signals from at least one external infrastructure component;

determining a geographical location of the motor vehicle based on the signals;

determining whether a difference between a target speed and an actual vehicle speed exceeds a threshold; and

when the difference exceeds the threshold, performing a cruise control procedure to maintain a target speed of the motor vehicle, wherein performing the cruise control procedure includes determining, based on the geographical location, whether the motor vehicle should adjust its speed toward the target speed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one external infrastructure component includes at least one global positioning system satellite, and wherein determining the geographical location comprises:

determining the geographical location of the motor vehicle based on the signals using a geometric trilateration technique.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, when a determination is made that the motor vehicle should adjust its speed toward the target speed by accelerating, the method further comprises:

providing a transmission control signal that causes the transmission to downshift to a lower gear; and

providing a throttle control signal that causes the throttle to increase airflow to the engine.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, when a determination is made that the motor vehicle should adjust its speed toward the target speed by decelerating, the method further comprises:

providing a throttle control signal that causes the throttle to decrease airflow to the engine.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the cruise control procedure comprises:

determining, based on the geographical location and information relating to features of a route which the motor vehicle is following, whether the motor vehicle is approaching a declining portion of a road;

when the actual speed is less than the target speed, and when the motor vehicle is not approaching the declining portion of the road, providing control signals to cause the motor vehicle to accelerate; and

when the motor vehicle is approaching the declining portion of the road, bypassing providing the control signals.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the cruise control procedure comprises:

determining, based on the geographical location and information relating to features of a route which the motor vehicle is following, whether the motor vehicle is approaching a portion of a road over which the motor vehicle should travel at a slower speed than the target speed or within which the motor vehicle should stop;

when the actual speed is less than the target speed, and when the motor vehicle is not approaching the portion of the road over which the motor vehicle should travel at the slower speed, providing control signals to cause the motor vehicle to accelerate; and

when the motor vehicle is approaching the portion of the road over which the motor vehicle should travel at the slower speed, bypassing providing the control signals.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the cruise control procedure comprises:

determining, based on the geographical location and information relating to features of a route which the motor vehicle is following, whether the motor vehicle is approaching an inclining portion of a road;

when the actual speed is greater than the target speed, and when the motor vehicle is not approaching the inclining portion of the road, providing control signals to cause the motor vehicle to decelerate; and

when the motor vehicle is approaching the inclining portion of the road, bypassing providing the control signals.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the cruise control procedure comprises:

receiving information relating to features of a route which the motor vehicle is following from a position/navigation system; and

performing the cruise control procedure based on the geographical location, the difference between the target speed and the actual vehicle speed, and the information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the cruise control procedure comprises:

receiving information relating to features of a route which the motor vehicle is following from a vehicle-to-infrastructure communication system interface; and

performing the cruise control procedure based on the geographical location, the difference between the target speed and actual vehicle speed, and the information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the cruise control procedure comprises:

receiving information relating to one or more other motor vehicles proximate to the motor vehicle from a vehicle-to-vehicle communication system interface; and

performing the cruise control procedure based on the geographical location, the difference between the target speed and actual vehicle speed, and the information.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the cruise control procedure comprises:

determining a speed adjustment plan that includes a target speed adjustment rate; and

performing the cruise control procedure by providing control signals that correspond to the target speed adjustment rate.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein determining the speed adjustment plan further comprises:

determining a set of vehicle subsystems that will be controlled in order to implement the target speed adjustment rate; and

wherein performing the cruise control procedure comprises providing control signals that correspond to the target speed adjustment rate to the set of vehicle subsystems.

13. A method for performing cruise control in a motor vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

performing a first cruise control procedure to maintain a target speed for the motor vehicle based on differences between the target speed and actual vehicle speeds of the motor vehicle;

receiving information that indicates a feature of an environment external to the motor vehicle; and

performing a second cruise control procedure to maintain the target speed based on the information and the differences between the target speed and the actual vehicle speeds, wherein performing the second cruise control procedure includes determining, based on a geographical location of the motor vehicle and the information, whether the motor vehicle should adjust its speed toward the target speed.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the information includes information relating to another vehicle located behind the motor vehicle, and wherein performing the second cruise control procedure comprises:

determining whether the other vehicle is located within a pre-determined distance from the motor vehicle;

when the actual speed is greater than the target speed, and when the other vehicle is not located within the predetermined distance of the motor vehicle, providing control signals to cause the motor vehicle to decelerate; and

when the other vehicle is located within the predetermined distance of the motor vehicle, bypassing providing the control signals.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the information includes information relating to another vehicle located in front of the motor vehicle, and wherein performing the second cruise control procedure comprises:

determining whether the other vehicle is located within a pre-determined distance from the motor vehicle;

when the actual speed is less than the target speed, and when the other vehicle is not located within the predetermined distance of the motor vehicle, providing control signals to cause the motor vehicle to accelerate; and

when the other vehicle is located within the predetermined distance of the motor vehicle, bypassing providing the control signals.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a first signal from a user interface indicating that a driver of the motor vehicle has selected a first option of performing the first cruise control procedure;

performing the first cruise control procedure in response to receiving the first signal;

receiving a second signal from the user interface indicating that the driver has selected a second option of performing the second cruise control procedure; and

performing the second cruise control procedure in response to receiving the second signal.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the information includes at least one type of information selected from a group comprising information relating to features of a route received over a wireless interface, information received over a vehicle-to-infrastructure communication link between the motor vehicle and an external infrastructure, information relating to another motor vehicle received over a vehicle-to-vehicle communication, information relating to another motor vehicle produced by a rearward-looking obstacle detection sensor, information relating to another motor vehicle produced by a forward-looking obstacle detection sensor, information relating to ambient light conditions outside the vehicle received from an ambient light sensor, and information indicating a presence of another motor vehicle behind the motor vehicle received from an electrochromic light sensor.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving information that indicates characteristics of one or more devices or systems of the motor vehicle, wherein the information includes at least one type of information selected from a group comprising information indicating a windshield wiper activation state, information indicating air pressure of one or more tires of the motor vehicle received from an air pressure sensor, information indicating angular rotation of a steering wheel of the motor vehicle, information indicating angular rotation of one or more wheels of the motor vehicle, information indicating a yaw angle of the motor vehicle received from a yaw rate sensor, information indicating a fuel level from a fuel level sensor, information indicating activation of a traction control system of the motor vehicle, and information indicating an ambient temperature from a temperature sensor.

19. An apparatus for performing cruise control in a motor vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a positioning system interface adapted to receive signals from at least one external infrastructure component; and

a processing and control subsystem adapted to determine a geographical location of the motor vehicle based on the signals, to determine whether a difference between a target speed and an actual vehicle speed exceeds a threshold, and when the difference exceeds the threshold, to perform a cruise control procedure to maintain a target speed of the motor vehicle based on the geographical location.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

at least one wireless interface adapted to receive information relating to features of a route which the motor vehicle is following; and

wherein the processing and control subsystem is further adapted to perform the cruise control procedure based on the geographical location and the information relating to the features of the route.