Method and apparatus for controlling the speed of a vehicle and its spacing from a preceding vehicle
First Claim
1. A method of controlling the speed of a land vehicle and distance of said land vehicle from a preceding vehicle, comprising the steps of:
- measuring the actual distance between said land vehicle and said preceding vehicle;
measuring the instantaneous vehicle speed of said land vehicle with respect to a road surface;
deriving, from measurements of said actual distance and said instantaneous speed, target values of a desired distance and speed;
automatically controlling vehicle speed and acceleration or deceleration toward said desired distance and speed target values; and
upon a sensing a vehicle operator intervention,interrupting said controlling step, for a predetermined period of time, and after elapse of said predetermined period of time, automatically resuming said controlling step.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An automatic speed and distance control apparatus responsive to detected signals and operator induced signals for automatically controlling the speed of an automotive vehicle and its distance with respect to objects in its path of movement. A flexible control scheme is provided, which permits a driver to intervene in the operation of the system when he or she wishes to accelerate in preparation for a passing maneuver. Upon interruption of the operation by a vehicle driver, the control apparatus is interrupted for a predetermined period of time and thereafter resuming automatic control function.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A method of controlling the speed of a land vehicle and distance of said land vehicle from a preceding vehicle, comprising the steps of:
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measuring the actual distance between said land vehicle and said preceding vehicle; measuring the instantaneous vehicle speed of said land vehicle with respect to a road surface; deriving, from measurements of said actual distance and said instantaneous speed, target values of a desired distance and speed; automatically controlling vehicle speed and acceleration or deceleration toward said desired distance and speed target values; and upon a sensing a vehicle operator intervention, interrupting said controlling step, for a predetermined period of time, and after elapse of said predetermined period of time, automatically resuming said controlling step. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of controlling the speed of a land vehicle and a distance between said land vehicle and a preceding vehicle, comprising the steps of:
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measuring an actual distance between said land vehicle and said preceding vehicle; measuring the instantaneous speed of said land vehicle with respect to a road surface; deriving, from measurements of said actual distance and said instantaneous speed, target values of a desired distance and speed; automatically controlling vehicle speed and acceleration/deceleration toward said desired distance and speed target values; interrupting said controlling step, for a predetermined period of time, each time that a vehicle operator manually intervenes, by actuation of a directional signal, and thereafter resuming said controlling step.
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11. A method of controlling the speed of a land vehicle and a distance between said land vehicle and a preceding vehicle, comprising the steps of:
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measuring an actual distance between said land vehicle and said preceding vehicle; measuring the instantaneous speed of said land vehicle with respect to a road surface; deriving, from measurements of said actual distance and said instantaneous speed, target values of a desired distance and speed; automatically controlling vehicle speed and acceleration/deceleration toward said desired distance and speed target values; interrupting said controlling step, for a respective, different predetermined period of time, each time that a vehicle operator manually intervenes by performing one of the following operations; changing lanes to the right, changing lanes to the left, and a passing operation.
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12. A method of controlling the speed of a land vehicle and a distance between said land vehicle and a preceding vehicle, comprising the steps of:
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measuring an actual distance between said land vehicle and said preceding vehicle; measuring the instantaneous speed of said land vehicle with respect to a road surface; deriving, from measurements of said actual distance and said instantaneous speed, target values of a desired distance and speed; automatically controlling vehicle speed and acceleration/deceleration toward said desired distance and speed target values; interrupting said controlling step, for a predetermined period of time, each time that a vehicle operator manually intervenes to perform a passing operation, and then accelerating the vehicle, along a predetermined speed vs. time curve, to a speed preset by the operator.
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13. A system for controlling, in a land vehicle, speed and distance, or spacing from an object ahead in said vehicle'"'"'s direction of travel,
comprising means (104) for measuring said spacing from said object; -
means (TS) for measuring said vehicle speed; a control apparatus (102), coupled to outputs of said detecting and measuring means, for automatically controlling vehicle speed and acceleration in order to reach and maintain an optimum spacing; and means (B, Br, Bl) for detecting operator actuation by a vehicle operator of vehicle controls, said control apparatus, upon detection of operator actuation, interrupting said automatic control for a limited, predetermined period of time in response to actuation of predetermined ones (106,
108) of said vehicle controls and after elapse of said time period, resuming said automatic control.
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Specification