VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20170274878A1
• Filed: 06/06/2017
• Published: 09/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Original Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Inventors: Fairgrieve, Andrew, Woolliscroft, Daniel, Kelly, James, Southgate, Adam
• Granted Patent: US 10,730,492 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/16 responsive to, or preventing, skidding of wheels brake control systems for vehicle drive stability B60T8/1755; arrangements responsive to a speed condition for adjusting wheel braking force B60T8/32; control of vehicle driving stability otherwise than by controlling the propulsion unit only B60W30/02; preventing wheel slippage by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/02 including electrically actuated servomechanism including an electric control system or a servomechanism in which the vehicle velocity affecting element is actuated electrically
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/04 and means for comparing one electrical quantity, e.g. voltage, pulse, waveform, flux, or the like, with another quantity of a like kind, which comparison means is involved in the development of an electrical signal which is fed into the controlling means
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/04 Hill descent control
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/14 Rough roads, bad roads, gravel roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/16 Off-road driving conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2220/04 Pedal travel sensor, stroke sensor; Sensing brake request
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2260/06 Active Suspension System
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/175 Brake regulation specially adapted to prevent excessive wheel spin during vehicle acceleration, e.g. for traction control safety devices for propulsion unit control responsive to, or preventing, skidding of wheels B60K28/16
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/32 responsive to a speed condition, e.g. acceleration or deceleration using electrical circuitry or regulation means B60T8/17 ; B60T8/28 takes precedence; electric devices on electrically propelled vehicles indicating the wheel slip B60L3/10; measuring linear or angular speed per se G01P3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/05 Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/143 Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/20 Off-Road Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/0234 Adapting the ratios to special vehicle conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/66 Road conditions, e.g. slope, slippery
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/0213 characterised by the method for generating shift signals

Abstract

A speed control system operable to control a motor vehicle to operate in accordance with a set-speed value, the control means being operable to allow a user to adjust the set-speed value by user actuation of a vehicle brake control or a vehicle accelerator control.

Claims

1. A speed control system operable to control a motor vehicle to operate in accordance with a set-speed value, the control system being operable to allow a user to reduce the set-speed value by actuation of a vehicle brake control member comprising a brake pedal when a brake actuation value that is within a prescribed range of brake actuation values from a first non-zero brake actuation value to a second brake actuation value greater than the first is applied to the brake pedal,

and wherein a braking system of the vehicle does not apply the brakes of the vehicle in response to actuation of the vehicle brake pedal unless the brake actuation value exceeds the second brake actuation value.

2. A system according to claim 1 operable to reduce the set-speed value when a force that is within a prescribed range of values of force from a first non-zero brake control force value to a second brake control force value greater than the first is applied to the brake pedal, wherein the second brake control force value is less than a value required for application of maximum braking by a braking system of the vehicle.

3. A system according to claim 2 wherein the second brake control force value is less than or substantially equal to 20% of the force required to achieve maximum braking torque from the braking system.

4. A system according to claim 1 operable to allow the user to reduce the set-speed value by user actuation of the brake pedal by translating the control of the brake pedal by an amount that is within a prescribed range of travel.

5. A system according to claim 4 wherein the prescribed range is a range from a first non-zero brake actuation value which corresponds to a value of travel of the brake pedal above substantially zero travel to the second brake actuation value corresponding to a value of travel of the brake pedal greater than the first value, the second value being less than a maximum allowable value of travel.

6. A system according to claim 1 configured not to reduce the set-speed value in response to user actuation of the brake pedal unless the user actuates the pedal for a period exceeding a first prescribed period.

7. A system according to claims 6 configured wherein, if the user actuates the brake pedal so as to reduce the set-speed value for longer than a second prescribed period greater than the first, the system reduces the set-speed progressively over time during a remaining period for which the user continues to actuate the brake pedal in such a manner as to reduce the set-speed.

8. A system according to claim 1 operable to provide haptic feedback to the user to indicate an amount of actuation of a brake pedal beyond which the system will no longer cause a reduction of set-speed.

9. A system according to claim 8 operable to cause one selected from amongst:

vibration of the brake pedal that has been actuated and an audible alert, when the brake pedal has been actuated by an amount of actuation beyond which the system will no longer cause a reduction of set-speed; and

an increase in a resistance of the brake pedal to actuation by a user followed by a decrease in resistance to actuation as the user continues to increase the amount of actuation beyond the amount below which the system will no longer cause a reduction of set-speed.

10. A speed control system operable to control a motor vehicle to operate in accordance with a set-speed value, the control system being operable to allow a user to increase the set-speed value by actuation of a vehicle acceleration control member comprising an accelerator pedal when an accelerator pedal actuation value that is within a prescribed range of accelerator actuation values from a first non-zero accelerator actuation value to a second accelerator actuation value greater than the first is applied to the accelerator pedal,

and wherein a powertrain of the vehicle does not accelerate the vehicle in response to actuation of the vehicle accelerator pedal unless the accelerator actuation value exceeds the second accelerator actuation value.

11. A system according to claim 10 operable to increase the set-speed value when a force that is within a prescribed range of values of force from a first accelerator control force value to a second accelerator control force value greater than the first is applied to the accelerator pedal, wherein the second accelerator control force value is less than a value required for development of maximum available powertrain torque by the powertrain of the vehicle in response to actuation of the accelerator pedal.

12. A system according to claim 11 wherein the second accelerator control force value is less than or substantially equal to 20% of the force required to achieve maximum powertrain torque.

13. A system according to claim 10 operable to allow the user to increase the set-speed value by user actuation of the accelerator pedal by translating the control by an amount that is within a prescribed range of travel.

14. A system according to claim 13 wherein the prescribed range is a range from the first non-zero accelerator actuation value which corresponds to a value of travel of the accelerator pedal above substantially zero travel to the second brake accelerator value corresponding to a value of travel of the accelerator pedal greater than the first value, the second value being less than a maximum allowable value of travel.

15. A system according to claim 10 configured not to increase the set-speed value in response to user actuation of the accelerator pedal unless the user actuates accelerator pedal for a period exceeding a first prescribed period.

16. A system according to claim 15 configured wherein, if the user actuates the accelerator pedal so as to increase the set-speed value for longer than a second prescribed period greater than the first, the system increases the set-speed progressively over time during a remaining period for which the user continues to actuate the accelerator pedal in such a manner as to increase set-speed.

17. A system according to claim 10 operable to provide haptic feedback to the user to indicate an amount of actuation of the accelerator pedal beyond which the system will no longer cause an increase of set-speed.

18. A system according to claim 17 operable to cause one selected from amongst:

vibration of the accelerator pedal and an audible alert, when the accelerator pedal has been actuated by an amount of actuation beyond which the system will no longer cause an increase of set-speed; and

an increase in a resistance of the accelerator pedal to actuation by a user followed by a decrease in resistance to actuation as the user continues to increase the amount of actuation beyond the amount below which the system will no longer cause an increase of set-speed.

19. A vehicle comprising a speed control system operable to control said motor vehicle to operate in accordance with a set-speed value, the control system being operable to:

allow a user to reduce the set-speed value by actuation of a vehicle brake control member comprising a vehicle brake pedal when a brake actuation value that is within a prescribed range of brake actuation values from a first non-zero brake actuation value to a second brake actuation value greater than the first is applied to the brake pedal, and wherein a braking system of the vehicle does not apply the brakes of the vehicle in response to actuation of the vehicle brake pedal unless the brake actuation value exceeds the second brake actuation value;

or

allow a user to increase the set-speed value by actuation of a vehicle accelerator control member comprising a vehicle accelerator pedal when an accelerator pedal actuation value that is within a prescribed range of accelerator actuation values from a first non-zero accelerator actuation value to a second accelerator actuation value greater than the first is applied to the accelerator pedal, and wherein a powertrain of the vehicle does not accelerate the vehicle in response to actuation of the vehicle accelerator pedal unless the accelerator actuation value exceeds the second accelerator actuation value.

20. A method of controlling speed of a motor vehicle comprising causing the vehicle to operate in accordance with a set-speed value, the method comprising:

allowing a user to reduce the set-speed value by actuation of a vehicle brake pedal when a brake actuation value that is within a prescribed range of brake actuation values from a first non-zero brake actuation value to a second brake actuation value greater than the first is applied to the brake pedal, and wherein a braking system of the vehicle does not apply the brakes of the vehicle in response to actuation of the vehicle brake pedal unless the brake actuation value exceeds the second brake actuation value;

or

allowing a user to increase the set-speed value by actuation of a vehicle accelerator pedal when an accelerator pedal actuation value that is within a prescribed range of accelerator actuation values from a first non-zero accelerator actuation value to a second accelerator actuation value greater than the first is applied to the accelerator pedal, and wherein a powertrain of the vehicle does not accelerate the vehicle in response to actuation of the vehicle accelerator pedal unless the accelerator actuation value exceeds the second accelerator actuation value.