HOST VEHICLE WITH EXTERNALLY PERCEIVABLE CRUISE CONTROL INDICATING DEVICE

• US 20120306634A1
• Filed: 06/01/2011
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan North America Incorporated (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: TSUDA, Hiroshi, HEFT, Ronald
• Granted Patent: US 8,643,505 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/425.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2611 Indicating devices mounted on the roof of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/508 specific to vehicles driving in fleets or convoys
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/543 for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle indicating taxis' state of hire or fare G07B13/045
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/143 Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence

Abstract

A host vehicle includes a cruise control system and an externally perceivable indicating device. The cruise control system is configured to selectively synchronize speed control of the host vehicle with at least one other vehicle. The cruise control system includes a relative position detecting device configured to determine position of the at least one second vehicle relative to the host vehicle, a vehicle speed control device, and a vehicle-to-vehicle communication device. The externally perceivable indicating device is configured to provide an indication of the operating status of the cruise control system.

Claims

1. A host vehicle comprising:

a cruise control system configured to selectively synchronize speed control of the host vehicle with at least one other vehicle, the cruise control system including;

a relative position detecting device configured to determine position of the

at least one other vehicle relative to the host vehicle, and

a vehicle speed control device; and

an externally perceivable indicating device configured to provide an indication of an operating mode of the cruise control system.

2. The host vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the externally perceivable indicating device is visually perceivable from the at least one other vehicle.

3. The host vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the externally perceivable indicating device is configured to indicate the following operating modes of the cruise control system of the host vehicle:

an unlinked mode in which the externally perceivable indicating device is not operated, a stand-by mode in which the externally perceivable indicating device is operated to indicate a desire to group the host vehicle with the at least one other vehicle, and a linked mode in which the externally perceivable indicating device is operated to indicate the host vehicle is grouped with the at least one other vehicle.

4. The host vehicle according to claim 3, wherein

the externally perceivable indicating device is configured to indicate a desired position of the host vehicle relative to the at least one other vehicle when the host vehicle and the at least one other vehicle are unaligned, and the externally perceivable indicating device is configured to indicate an actual position of the host vehicle relative to the at least one other vehicle when the host vehicle and the at least one other vehicle are aligned.

5. The host vehicle according to claim 3, wherein

the externally perceivable indicating device is configured to indicate the following operating modes of the cruise control system of the host vehicle in the linked mode:

a frontward vehicle linked mode in which the externally perceivable indicating device is operated to indicate the position of the host vehicle is forward of the at least one other vehicle, a following vehicle linked mode in which the externally perceivable indicating device is operated to indicate the position of the host vehicle is rearward a first vehicle of the at least one other vehicle and is forward of a second vehicle of the at least one other vehicle, and a rearward vehicle linked mode in which the externally perceivable indicating device is operated to indicate the position of the host vehicle is rearward of the at least one other vehicle.

6. The host vehicle according to claim 5, wherein

the externally perceivable indicating device includes a front indicating portion and a rear indicating portion, such that

in the unlinked mode the externally perceivable indicating device is not operated,

in the stand-by mode one or both of the front indicating portion and the rear indicating portion is operated to indicate a desired position of the host vehicle relative to the at least one other vehicle,

in the linked mode one or both of the front indicating portion and the rear indicating portion is operated to indicate an actual position of the host vehicle relative to the at least one other vehicle by indicating the following operating modes of the cruise control system of the host vehicle:

in the frontward vehicle linked mode only the rear indicating portion of the externally perceivable indicating device is operated,

in following vehicle linked mode both the front and rear indicating portions of the externally perceivable indicating device are operated, and

in the rearward vehicle linked mode only the front indicating portion of the externally perceivable indicating device is operated.

7. The host vehicle according to claim 6, wherein

the front indicating portion is separated and spaced apart from the rear indicating portion.

8. The host vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the externally perceivable indicating device is fixed to an external surface of the host vehicle.

9. The host vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the externally perceivable indicating device is fixed to an internal surface of the host vehicle.

10. The host vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the externally perceivable indicating device includes at least one of an audio indicating device and a visual indicating device.

11. The host vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the relative position detecting device of the cruise control system comprises an emitter and a receiver for receiving reflected emissions such that in response to receiving prescribed reflected emissions reflected from the at least one other vehicle, the cruise control system of the host vehicle adjusts speed of the host vehicle to maintain a predetermined distance from the at least one other vehicle thereby synchronizing speed control.

12. The host vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the relative position detecting device of the cruise control system comprises a satellite communication device configured to detect location and trajectory information of the host vehicle.

13. The host vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the host vehicle further comprises a vehicle-to-vehicle communication device configured to transmit messages containing location and trajectory information of the host vehicle and receives location and trajectory information from the at least one other vehicle.

14. The host vehicle according to claim 13, wherein

the relative position detecting device of the cruise control system comprises a satellite communication device configured to detect the location and trajectory information of the host vehicle and provide the location and trajectory information to the vehicle-to-vehicle communication device.

15. The host vehicle according to claim 13, wherein

the operating mode indicated by the externally perceivable indicating device includes a stand-by mode, where the stand-by mode is indicated by the externally perceivable indicating device in response to the host vehicle being located within a predetermined distance from the at least one other vehicle.

16. The host vehicle according to claim 13, wherein

the cruise control system is configured such that in response to vehicle-to-vehicle communications with the at least one other vehicle to synchronize speed control, the externally perceivable indicating device provides a visual indication of the operating mode of the host vehicle in concert with visual indications from a second externally perceivable indicating device of the at least one other vehicle.

17. The host vehicle according to claim 13, wherein

the cruise control system includes an internally perceivable indicator configured such that in response to vehicle-to-vehicle communications with the at least one other vehicle, the internally perceivable indicating device provides indications in concert with visual indications of a second externally perceivable indicating device of the at least one other vehicle.

18. A method of forming a caravan of vehicles, comprising:

detecting by a host vehicle whether or not at least one other vehicle is located within a prescribed distance from the host vehicle, the host vehicle having a cruise control system and an externally perceivable indicating device;

operating the externally perceivable indicating device to indicate an operating mode of the cruise control system of the host vehicle.

aligning the host vehicle with the at least one other vehicle such that one of the host vehicle and the at least one other vehicle is a frontward vehicle and the other of the host vehicle and the at least one other vehicle is a following vehicle of the caravan of vehicles; and

synchronizing speed control of the host vehicle with speed of the at least one other vehicle maintaining a prescribed distance therebetween using the cruise control system of the host vehicle.

19. The method of forming a caravan of vehicles according to claim 18, wherein

the operating of the externally perceivable indicating device to indicate the operating mode of the cruise control system of the host vehicle includes displaying an indication of a stand-by mode in which a desired position of the host vehicle relative to the at least one other vehicle is indicated, the desired position including a frontward position or a rearward position relative to the at least one other vehicle in the caravan, the stand-by mode being indicated before the aligning of the host vehicle with the at least one other vehicle.

20. The method of forming a caravan of vehicles according to claim 18, wherein

the operating of the externally perceivable indicating device to indicate the operating mode of the cruise control system of the host vehicle includes displaying an indication of a linked mode in which a relative position of the host vehicle relative to the at least one other vehicle is indicated, the relative position including a frontward position or a rearward position of the host vehicle relative to the at least one other vehicle in the caravan.

21. The method of forming a caravan of vehicles according to claim 18, wherein

the operating of the externally perceivable indicating device to indicate the operating mode of the cruise control system of the host vehicle includes operating one or both of a front indicating portion and a rear indicating portion of the externally perceivable indicating device in one of a plurality of operating modes, including:

an unlinked mode, a stand-by mode, a frontward vehicle linked mode, a following vehicle linked mode and a rearward vehicle linked mode, such that

in the unlinked mode the externally perceivable indicating device is not operated,

in the stand-by mode one or both of the front indicating portion and the rear indicating portion is operated to indicate a desired position of the host vehicle relative to the at least one other vehicle,

in the frontward vehicle linked mode only the rear indicating portion of the externally perceivable indicating device is operated,

in following vehicle linked mode both the front and rear indicating portions of the externally perceivable indicating device are operated, and

in the rearward vehicle linked mode only the front indicating portion of the externally perceivable indicating device is operated.

22. A host vehicle comprising:

a cruise control system configured to selectively synchronize speed control of the host vehicle with at least one other vehicle, the cruise control system including;

a relative position detecting device configured to determine position of the at least one other vehicle relative to the host vehicle,

a vehicle speed control device, and

a vehicle-to-vehicle communication device, and an externally perceivable indicating device configured to provide an indication of the operating status of the cruise control system.

23. The host vehicle according to claim 22, wherein

the externally perceivable indicating device is visually perceivable from the at least one other vehicle.

24. The host vehicle according to claim 22, wherein

the operating mode indicated by the externally perceivable indicating device includes an indication of position of the host vehicle relative to the at least one other vehicle.

25. The host vehicle according to claim 24, wherein

the externally perceivable indicating device is configured to indicate the following operating modes of the cruise control system of the host vehicle:

an unlinked mode, a stand-by mode, a frontward vehicle linked mode, a following vehicle linked mode and a rearward vehicle linked mode such that

in the unlinked mode the externally perceivable indicating device is not operated,

in the stand-by mode one or both of the front indicating portion and the rear indicating portion is operated to indicate a desired position of the host vehicle relative to the at least one other vehicle,

in the frontward vehicle linked mode only the rear indicating portion of the externally perceivable indicating device is operated,

in following vehicle linked mode both the front and rear indicating portions of the externally perceivable indicating device are operated, and

in the rearward vehicle linked mode only the front indicating portion of the externally perceivable indicating device is operated.

26. The host vehicle according to claim 22, wherein

the operating mode indicated by the externally perceivable indicating device includes a stand-by mode, where the stand-by mode is indicated by the externally perceivable indicating device in response to the host vehicle being located within a predetermined distance from the at least one other vehicle.