Adaptive cruise control system using shared vehicle network data

• US 6,882,923 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2002
• Issued: 04/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Throop, Medville Jay, Miller, Ronald Hugh, Basch, Rena Hecht
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US10/065,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20040078133A1
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: 701/96, 701/301, 701/93, 701/70, 701/98, 701/1, 701/97, 342/70, 342/71, 342/72, 342/130, 342/107, 342/109, 342/128, 342/27, 342/28, 342/69, 342/45, 180/169, 180/170, 180/179, 180/167, 180/168, 123/352, 340/436, 340/903, 340/435, 340/933, 340/935, 340/907, 340/438, 318/3
• US Class Current: 701/96
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/06 responsive to incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0058 responsive to externally generated signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/10 Weight
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/20 Tyre data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/229 Attention level, e.g. attentive to driving, reading or sleeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/05 Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/10 Number of lanes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/30 Road curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/40 Coefficient of friction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/802 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2754/30 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking

Abstract

A method of adaptively controlling the speed of a reference vehicle having a controller is provided. The method includes detecting a target vehicle, setting a reference vehicle headway distance indicative of a desired separation between the reference vehicle and the target vehicle, receiving at the reference vehicle, target vehicle data from the target vehicle, and modifying the reference vehicle headway distance as a function of the target vehicle data. The target vehicle data includes a braking capability value (BC_T) of the target vehicle. A braking capability value (BC_R) for the reference vehicle is also determined. If the BC_R or BC_T indicates a less than optimum braking capability for the reference or target vehicles, the reference vehicle headway distance is increased. In this way, the relative braking capability of the two vehicles is used to modify the reference vehicle headway distance during adaptive cruise control operation.

Claims

1. A method of adaptively controlling the speed of a reference vehicle having a controller comprising:

detecting a target vehicle;

setting a reference vehicle headway distance indicative of a desired separation between said reference vehicle and said target vehicle;

receiving at said reference vehicle, by way of an inter-vehicle communication network, target vehicle data communicated from said target vehicle; and

modifying said reference vehicle headway distance as a function of said target vehicle data.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said target vehicle data includes a braking capability value (BC_T) for said target vehicle, and wherein the step of modifying includes modifying said reference vehicle headway distance as a function of said BC_T.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein modifying said reference vehicle headway distance includes increasing said reference vehicle headway distance if said BC_T indicates lees than an optimum braking capability.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein said target vehicle data includes data comprising at least one of:

a tire pressure value;

a tire size value;

a tread wear value;

a tire temperature value;

a vehicle weight value;

target vehicle speed;

or a road condition value.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein said target vehicle data includes a target vehicle operator attention value indicative of a level of potential target vehicle operator distraction.

6. A method according to claim 1 comprising:

determining a braking capability value (BC_R) for said reference vehicle, and wherein said step of modifying includes modifying said reference vehicle headway distance as a function of said BC_T and said BC_R.

7. A method according to claim 6 wherein determining said BC_R comprises analyzing reference vehicle data comprising at least one of:

a tire pressure value;

a tire size value;

a tread wear value;

a tire temperature value;

a vehicle weight value;

reference vehicle speed;

or a road condition value.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein said reference vehicle data includes a reference vehicle operator attention value indicative of a level of potential reference vehicle operator distraction.

9. A method according to claim 6 wherein modifying said reference vehicle headway distance includes increasing said reference vehicle headway distance if said BC_R indicates less than an optimum braking capability.

10. A method of adaptively controlling the speed of a reference vehicle having a controller comprising:

detecting a target vehicle;

setting a reference vehicle headway distance indicative of a desired separation between said reference vehicle and said target vehicle;

receiving at said reference vehicle, a braking capability value (BC_T) for said target vehicle, by way of an inter-vehicle communication network;

generating a braking capability value (BC_R) for said reference vehicle; and

modifying said reference vehicle headway distance as a function of said BC_T and said BC_R.

11. A method according to claim 10 wherein determining said BC_R comprises analyzing reference vehicle data comprising at least one of:

a tire pressure value;

a tire size value;

a tread wear value;

a tire temperature value;

a vehicle weight value;

reference vehicle speed;

or a road condition value.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein said BC_T is generated at said target vehicle as a function of target vehicle data comprising at least one of:

a tire pressure value;

a tire size value;

a tread wear value;

a tire temperature value;

a vehicle weight value;

reference vehicle speed;

or a road condition value.

13. A method according to claim 10 wherein said BC_T includes a target vehicle operator attention value indicative of a level of potential target vehicle operator distraction.

14. A method according to claim 10 wherein said BC_R includes a target vehicle operator attention value indicative of a level of potential target vehicle operator distraction.

15. A method according to claim 10 wherein modifying includes increasing said reference vehicle headway distance if said BC_R indicates less than an optimum braking capability.

16. A method according to claim 10 wherein modifying includes decreasing said reference vehicle headway distance if said BC_T indicates less than an optimum braking capability.

17. An adaptive cruise control system for a reference vehicle comprising:

a memory for storing reference vehicle data;

a detection system for detecting a target vehicle;

a receiver receiving target vehicle data from said detected target vehicle by way of an inter-vehicle communication network; and

a controller coupled to said memory for adaptively controlling a speed of said reference vehicle to maintain a reference vehicle headway distance indicative of a desired separation between said reference vehicle and said target vehicle, wherein said reference vehicle headway distance is generated as a function of said reference vehicle data and said target vehicle data.

18. A system according to claim 17 wherein said reference vehicle data includes a braking capability value (BC_R) for said reference vehicle.

19. A system according to claim 18 wherein said target vehicle data includes a braking capability value (BC_T) for said target vehicle.

20. A system according to claim 17 wherein said reference vehicle data includes data comprising at least one of:

a tire pressure value;

a tire size value;

a tread wear value;

a tire temperature value;

a vehicle weight value;

target vehicle speed;

or a road condition value.