ANTICIPATORY CRUISE CONTROL

• US 20140067226A1
• Filed: 08/31/2012
• Published: 03/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: LEE, JIN-WOO, PRABHUSWAMY, SHILPA
• Granted Patent: US 8,996,273 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/96
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/05 Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/30 Road curve radius
• 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: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/49 whereby the further system is an inertial position system, e.g. loosely-coupled

Abstract

An anticipatory cruise control configured to automatically adjust travel speed responsively to upcoming changes in road conditions in a safe and comfortable manner.

Claims

1. A method of vehicular cruise control, the method comprising:

providing a vehicle configured to travel at a speed set automatically at least partially from digital map data associated with a road on which the vehicle travels;

obtaining speed data of an upcoming road segment from map data associated with the upcoming road segment;

calculating an auto-set speed based at least partially based on the speed data of the upcoming road segment; and

supplying at least one transition speed as a speed command to an ACC, the transition speed at least partially derived from the auto-set speed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the speed data of an upcoming road segment includes a speed limit of the upcoming road segment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the speed data of an upcoming road segment includes curve data.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting the auto-set speed with an offset speed derived from a user-selected speed received through a human-machine interface (HMI).

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the transition speed is selected from the auto-set speed and the user-selected speed having a minimum value.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the transition speed generates less than about 0.15 g-force during speed changes.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising employing dead-reckoning responsively to a loss of GPS service or loss of the map data associated with the upcoming road section.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising issuing a warning signal responsively to a loss of GPS service or the map data associated with the upcoming road section.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the cruise speed is implemented as a signal compatible with most ACC units.

10. An anticipatory cruise control comprising:

a speed-command-generator associated with a vehicle, the speed-command-generator including a processor configured to;

retrieve speed data of a road from a data base of map data, the speed data being associated with an upcoming road segment,

calculate at least one auto-set speed from the map data, and

supply a transition speed as command speed to an ACC, the transition speed at least partially based on the auto-set speed.

11. The anticipatory cruise control of claim 10 wherein the speed data includes a speed limit of the upcoming road segment.

12. The anticipatory cruise control of claim 10 wherein the speed data includes a curve data of the upcoming road segment.

13. The anticipatory cruise control of claim 10, further comprising a human-machine interface configured to receive a user-selected speed.

14. The anticipatory cruise control of claim 13 wherein the processor is further configured to identify the lesser of the auto-set speed and the user-selected speed.

15. The anticipatory cruise control of claim 10, wherein cruise speed generates less than about 0.15 g-force during speed changes.

16. The anticipatory cruise control of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to employing dead-reckoning responsively to a loss of GPS service or loss of the map data associated with the upcoming road section.

17. The anticipatory cruise control of claim 16, further comprising an output device configured to issue a warning responsively to a loss of GPS signal or inadequate map data.

18. The anticipatory cruise control of claim 10, wherein the cruise speed is implemented as signal compatible with most ACC units.

20. The anticipatory cruise control of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to employing dead-reckoning responsively to a loss of GPS service or loss of the map data associated with the upcoming road section.

19. An anticipatory cruise control unit comprising:

an adaptive cruise control (ACC) associated with a vehicle;

a speed-command generator in communication with the ACC, the ACC including a processor configured to;

retrieve speed data from a data base of map data associated with an upcoming road segment;

calculate at least one auto-select speed from the map data, and

supply a transition speed as a command speed to an ACC, the transition speed at least partially based on the auto-select speed.