VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL APPARATUS, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL SYSTEM COMPRISING THE SAME AND VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL METHOD

• US 20140088849A1
• Filed: 12/06/2012
• Published: 03/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Jun H.O. Ham
• Inventors: Ham, Jun Ho
• Granted Patent: US 8,996,269 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• 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 2720/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/106 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/143 Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/146 Speed limiting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00

Abstract

Disclosed is a vehicle speed control apparatus including: a speed limit information recognition unit recognizing a location and a speed limit of a speed limit point located in front of a vehicle; a storage unit stored with deceleration characteristic values including at least one driving characteristic; a deceleration characteristic select unit selecting the deceleration characteristic values corresponding to the location and the speed limit of the recognized speed limit point among the deceleration characteristic values stored in the storage unit; and a targeted acceleration calculation unit calculating a targeted acceleration necessary for a vehicle speed control up to the speed limit point based on the selected deceleration characteristic values. By this configuration, it is possible to precisely control the vehicle speed up to the speed limit point at an optimal speed.

Claims

1. A vehicle speed control apparatus, comprising:

a speed limit information recognition unit recognizing a location and a speed limit of a speed limit point located in front of a vehicle;

a storage unit stored with deceleration characteristic values including at least one driving characteristic;

a deceleration characteristic select unit selecting the deceleration characteristic values corresponding to the location and the speed limit of the recognized speed limit point among the deceleration characteristic values stored in the storage unit; and

a targeted acceleration calculation unit calculating a targeted acceleration necessary for a vehicle speed control up to the speed limit point based on the selected deceleration characteristic values.

2. The vehicle speed control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the speed limit information recognition unit receives information on the vehicle from a global positioning system (GPS) and includes a navigation unit in which road information including the speed limit point is stored.

3. The vehicle speed control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the deceleration characteristic select unit sequentially reflects the deceleration characteristic values to calculate a deceleration distance necessary for deceleration from a current vehicle speed to the speed limit and compares a residual distance up to the speed limit point with the calculated deceleration distance to select the corresponding deceleration characteristic values if it is determined that the deceleration distance is longer than the residual distance.

4. The vehicle speed control apparatus of claim 3, wherein the deceleration characteristic select unit calculates a first deceleration distance that is included in the deceleration distance and is in a section in which deceleration is increased, based on the current acceleration of a vehicle.

5. The vehicle speed control apparatus of claim 4, wherein the deceleration characteristic select unit calculates a second deceleration distance that is included in the deceleration distance and is in a section in which deceleration is constant.

6. The vehicle speed control apparatus of claim 5, wherein the deceleration characteristic select unit calculates a third deceleration distance that is included in the deceleration distance and is in a section in which deceleration is reduced.

7. The vehicle speed control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the driving characteristics are at least any one of a maximum allowable acceleration of the targeted acceleration, a maximum jerk of the targeted acceleration, a speed control gain, and an extra speed that is a difference between the speed limit and a targeted control speed.

8. A vehicle speed control method, comprising:

recognizing a location and a speed limit of a speed limit point located in front of a vehicle;

selecting deceleration characteristic values corresponding to the location and the speed limit of the speed limit point among deceleration characteristic values including at least one driving characteristic; and

calculating a targeted acceleration necessary for a vehicle speed control up to the speed limit point based on the selected deceleration characteristic values.

9. The vehicle speed control method of claim 8, wherein the selecting includes:

calculating a deceleration distance necessary for deceleration from a current vehicle speed to the speed limit by reflecting the deceleration characteristic values;

comparing a residual distance up to the speed limit point with the calculated deceleration distance; and

if it is determined that the deceleration distance is longer than the residual distance, selecting the corresponding deceleration characteristic values.

10. The vehicle speed control method of claim 8, wherein the driving characteristics are at least any one of a maximum allowable acceleration of the targeted acceleration, a maximum jerk of the targeted acceleration, a speed control gain, and an extra speed that is a difference between the speed limit and a targeted control speed.

11. A vehicle speed control system, comprising:

a first vehicle speed control apparatus recognizing a speed limit of a speed limit point located in front of a vehicle, selecting deceleration characteristic values corresponding to a location and a speed limit of the speed limit point among deceleration characteristic values including at least one driving characteristic and calculating a first targeted acceleration necessary for a vehicle speed control up to the speed limit point based on the selected deceleration characteristic values;

a second vehicle speed control apparatus calculating a second targeted acceleration necessary for a vehicle speed control set by a user or a vehicle speed control so as to maintain an inter-vehicular distance for a preceding vehicle; and

a targeted acceleration determining unit determining a final targeted acceleration based on the calculated first targeted acceleration and second targeted acceleration.

12. The vehicle speed control system of claim 11, wherein the first speed limit recognition unit receives information on the vehicle from a global positioning system (GPS) and includes a navigation unit in which road information including the speed limit point is stored.

13. The vehicle speed control system of claim 11, further comprising:

an activation determining unit controlling whether the first vehicle speed control apparatus is activated, based on activation information received by the first vehicle speed control apparatus and the second vehicle speed control apparatus.

14. The vehicle speed control system of claim 13, wherein the activation information is at least any one of the number of global positioning system (GPS) satellites received by the navigation unit, validity of information of the navigation unit, whether the first vehicle speed control apparatus set by a driver is activated, and whether the current second vehicle speed control apparatus is activated.

15. The vehicle speed control system of claim 11, wherein the sequentially reflecting the deceleration characteristic values to calculate a deceleration distance necessary for deceleration from a current vehicle speed to the speed limit and compares a residual distance up to the speed limit point with the calculated deceleration distance to select the corresponding deceleration characteristic values if it is determined that the deceleration distance is longer than the residual distance.

16. The vehicle speed control system of claim 11, wherein the driving characteristics are at least any one of a maximum allowable acceleration of the targeted acceleration, a maximum jerk of the targeted acceleration, a speed control gain, and an extra speed that is a difference between the speed limit and a targeted control speed.

17. The vehicle speed control system of claim 11, wherein determining one having a smaller value of the calculated first targeted acceleration and second targeted acceleration as a final targeted acceleration.