Driver alert for vehicle with adaptive cruise control system
First Claim
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1. A method of detecting a driver alert situation for an operating host vehicle that precedes a preceding vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:
- determining a difference in speed between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle;
determining a difference in a rate of acceleration between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle;
determining a range between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle;
detecting if an adaptive cruise control system is on or off;
determining an alert need, based upon the difference in speed and the difference in acceleration, if an adaptive cruise control deceleration is sufficient for the host vehicle to avoid the preceding vehicle if the adaptive cruise control system is on, and if a possible situation exists where the host vehicle will not avoid the preceding vehicle due to predicted inputs from a vehicle operator if the adaptive cruise control system is off; and
providing a driver alert when the adaptive cruise control is detected as on and the adaptive cruise control deceleration is not sufficient for the host vehicle to avoid the preceding vehicle, and when the adaptive cruise control is detected as off and the possible situation exists that the host vehicle will not avoid the preceding vehicle.
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Abstract
A drive alert system and method for a host vehicle having an adaptive cruise control system. The driver alert system determines if the adaptive cruise control system is on or off and adjusts the factors for determining braking capability and delay, when determining driver alert situations. The system and method also evaluates a vehicle situation relative to a phase plane, having axes of relative speed and relative acceleration of the host vehicle relative to a preceding vehicle, and compares the vehicle situation to a threshold for a particular region of the phase plane.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of detecting a driver alert situation for an operating host vehicle that precedes a preceding vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:
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determining a difference in speed between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle;
determining a difference in a rate of acceleration between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle;
determining a range between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle;
detecting if an adaptive cruise control system is on or off;
determining an alert need, based upon the difference in speed and the difference in acceleration, if an adaptive cruise control deceleration is sufficient for the host vehicle to avoid the preceding vehicle if the adaptive cruise control system is on, and if a possible situation exists where the host vehicle will not avoid the preceding vehicle due to predicted inputs from a vehicle operator if the adaptive cruise control system is off; and
providing a driver alert when the adaptive cruise control is detected as on and the adaptive cruise control deceleration is not sufficient for the host vehicle to avoid the preceding vehicle, and when the adaptive cruise control is detected as off and the possible situation exists that the host vehicle will not avoid the preceding vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A driver alert system for alerting a host vehicle operator relative to a preceding vehicle, with the host vehicle having an adaptive cruise control system, the driver alert system comprising:
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a plurality of inputs that receive a vehicle speed for the host vehicle, a relative speed between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle, and a range between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle;
a requested braking determiner that calculates a first braking factor if the adaptive cruise control system is on and calculates a second braking factor if the adaptive cruise control system is off;
a delay determiner that calculates a first delay time to braking if the adaptive cruise control system is on and calculates a second delay time to braking if the adaptive cruise control system is off;
a host vehicle deceleration predictor that has inputs in communication with the requested braking determiner and the delay determiner;
a preceding vehicle deceleration determiner;
a range predictor that has inputs in communication with the host vehicle deceleration predictor, the preceding vehicle deceleration determiner, the relative speed between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle, and the range between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle;
an alert threshold generator; and
an alert decision determiner that is in communication with the alert threshold generator and the range predictor. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A driver alert system for alerting a host vehicle operator relative to a preceding vehicle, with the host vehicle having an adaptive cruise control system, the driver alert system comprising:
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a plurality of inputs that receive a vehicle speed for the host vehicle, a relative speed between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle, and a range between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle;
a host vehicle deceleration predictor;
a preceding vehicle deceleration determiner;
a range predictor that has inputs in communication with the host vehicle deceleration predictor, the preceding vehicle deceleration determiner, the relative speed between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle, and the range between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle;
an alert threshold generator; and
an alert decision determiner that is in communication with the alert threshold generator and the range predictor, and with the alert decision determiner including a relative acceleration determiner and a mapper that maps the relative speed and the relative acceleration into a phase space division, and a comparer that compares the mapped relative speed and the relative acceleration to an output of the alert threshold generator. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification