Adaptive cruise control system for vehicle

• US 6,769,504 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2002
• Issued: 08/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Tange, Satoshi, Kobayashi, Yosuke, Seto, Yoji, Inoue, Hideaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Brian L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Restifo, Jeffrey J.
• Application Number:
  US10/083,499
• Publication Number:
  US 20020134602A1
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 180/169, 180/170, 180/179, 180/167, 180/178, 180/171, 701/96, 701/93, 701/79, 342/104, 342/109, 342/118
• US Class Current: 180/169
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position

Abstract

An adaptive cruise control system for a host vehicle includes a radar device for detecting a distance between the host vehicle and a preceding vehicle, a vehicle speed sensor for detecting a vehicle speed of the host vehicle and a controller for executing a host vehicle speed control based on the distance and the host vehicle speed. The controller cancels the host vehicle speed control when the radar device loses sight of the preceding vehicle.

Claims

1. An adaptive cruise control system for a host vehicle, comprising:

a preceding vehicle detecting device configured to detect a preceding vehicle ahead of the host vehicle and to obtain an inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle on the basis of the detection result of the preceding vehicle detecting device;

a vehicle speed detecting device detecting a host vehicle speed of the host vehicle; and

a controller coupled to the preceding vehicle detecting device and the vehicle speed detecting device, the controller being arranged

to execute a vehicle speed control of the host vehicle on the basis of detection results of the preceding vehicle detecting device and the vehicle speed detecting device, and

to cancel the vehicle speed control when;

a) the preceding vehicle detecting device is incapable of detecting the preceding vehicle; and

b) the inter-vehicle distance obtained at a moment just before the preceding vehicle detecting device becomes incapable of detecting the preceding vehicle is smaller than or equal to a predetermined value.

2. The adaptive cruise control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller cancels the vehicle speed control when the host vehicle speed is smaller than or equal to a predetermined value.

3. The adaptive cruise control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller decreases the braking force according to elapse of time when the controller is executing the vehicle speed control and when the preceding vehicle detecting device is incapable of detecting the preceding vehicle, and the controller cancels the vehicle speed control when a magnitude of the braking force is smaller than a predetermined value.

4. The adaptive cruise control system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an accelerating operation detecting device for detecting a driver'"'"'s accelerating operation, wherein the controller temporally stops the vehicle speed control when the accelerating operation detecting device detects the driver'"'"'s accelerating operation, and the controller maintains a temporal stop state of the vehicle speed control when the controller temporally stops the host vehicle speed control and when the preceding vehicle detecting device is incapable of detecting the preceding vehicle.

5. The adaptive cruise control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller cancels the vehicle speed control when a condition that the preceding vehicle detecting device is incapable of detecting the preceding vehicle is continued for a predetermined time period.

6. The adaptive cruise control system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the controller determines the predetermined time period on the basis of the host vehicle speed detected at a moment when the preceding vehicle detecting device is incapable of detecting the preceding vehicle.

7. The adaptive cruise control system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the controller obtains an inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle on the basis of the detection result of the preceding vehicle detecting device, and the controller determines the predetermined time period on the basis of the inter-vehicle distance obtained at a moment when the preceding vehicle detecting device is incapable of detecting the preceding vehicle.

8. The adaptive cruise control system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the controller determines the predetermined time period on the basis of the braking force controlled by the controller.

9. The adaptive cruise control system as claimed in claim 5, further comprising an accelerating operation detecting device for detecting a driver'"'"'s accelerating operation,

wherein the controller temporally stops the vehicle speed control when the accelerating operation detecting device detects the driver'"'"'s accelerating operation, and the controller maintains a temporal stop state of the vehicle speed control when the controller temporally stops the host vehicle speed control and when the preceding vehicle detecting device is incapable of detecting the preceding vehicle.

10. The adaptive cruise control system as claimed in claim 5, further comprising an accelerating operation detecting device for detecting a driver'"'"'s accelerating operation, the controller detecting a vehicle starting operation on the basis of the detection result of the accelerating operation detecting device, wherein the controller temporally stops the host vehicle control when the accelerating operation detecting device detects the driver'"'"'s accelerating operation, the controller increasing the predetermined time period when the preceding vehicle detecting device is incapable of detecting the preceding vehicle under a condition that the host vehicle speed control is restarted.

11. The adaptive cruise control system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the controller calculates a relative speed between the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle on the basis of the detection results of the preceding vehicle detecting device and the vehicle speed detecting device, and the controller determines the predetermined time period on the basis of the relative speed obtained at a moment when the preceding vehicle detecting detector is incapable of detecting the preceding vehicle.

12. A method of controlling an adaptive cruise of a host vehicle, comprising:

detecting a preceding vehicle ahead of the host vehicle;

obtaining an inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle on the basis of said detecting;

detecting a host vehicle speed of the host vehicle;

executing a vehicle speed control for controlling the host vehicle speed on the basis of a detected state of the preceding vehicle and the detected host vehicle speed; and

canceling the vehicle speed control when;

a) the preceding vehicle is incapable of being detected; and

b) the inter-vehicle distance obtained at a moment just before the preceding vehicle is incapable of being detected is smaller than or equal to a predetermined value.

13. An adaptive cruise control system for a host vehicle, comprising:

preceding vehicle detecting means for detecting a preceding vehicle ahead of the host vehicle and for obtaining an inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle on the basis of the detection result of the preceding vehicle detecting means;

host vehicle speed detecting means for detecting a vehicle speed of the host vehicle;

host vehicle speed controlling means for controlling the vehicle speed of the host vehicle on the basis of detection results of the preceding vehicle detecting means and the host vehicle speed detecting means; and

speed control canceling means for canceling the speed control of the host vehicle speed controlling means when;

a) the preceding vehicle detecting means is incapable of detecting the preceding vehicle; and

b) the inter-vehicle distance obtained at a moment just before the preceding vehicle detecting means is incapable of detecting the preceding vehicle is smaller than or equal to a predetermined value.

14. An adaptive cruise control system for a host vehicle, comprising:

a preceding vehicle detecting device configured to detect a preceding vehicle ahead of the host vehicle and to obtain an inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle on the basis of the detection result of the preceding vehicle detecting device;

a vehicle speed detecting device detecting a host vehicle speed of the host vehicle; and

a controller coupled to the preceding vehicle detecting device and the vehicle speed detecting device, the controller being arranged

to execute a vehicle speed control of the host vehicle on the basis of detection results of the preceding vehicle detecting device and the vehicle speed detecting device, and

to cancel the vehicle speed control when;

a) the preceding vehicle detecting device is incapable of detecting the preceding vehicle; and

b) the inter-vehicle distance obtained at a moment just before the preceding vehicle detecting device becomes incapable of detecting the preceding vehicle is smaller than or equal to a predetermined value; and

c) the controller is not controlling a braking force of the host vehicle to execute the vehicle speed control.