Congestion-friendly adaptive cruise control

• US 9,272,711 B1
• Filed: 12/31/2014
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG), Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG), Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Sivaraman, Sayanan
• Primary Examiner(s): Frejd, Russell
• Application Number:
  US14/587,315
• Time in Patent Office: 426 Days
• Field of Search: 701/96, 701/119
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/406 Traffic density
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/802 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/804 Relative longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/10 Longitudinal speed
• 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: B60W 40/04 Traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93185 Controlling the brakes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9319 Controlling the accelerator
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9322 using additional data, e.g. driver condition, road state or weather data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93272 in the back of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93274 on the side of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 : involving continuous checking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 : for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/22 : Platooning, i.e. convoy of communicating vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 : Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

A congestion-based adaptive cruise control (ACC) system for a vehicle. A processor may provide control signals for the vehicle to modify at least one of acceleration, deceleration and braking in the vehicle. A radar sensor arrangement, operatively coupled to the processor, is configured to determine (i) a distance value for a front vehicle based on a front vehicle velocity, and (ii) a distance value for a rear vehicle based on a rear vehicle velocity. The processor may be configured to process (i) and (ii) from the radar sensor arrangement to determine a velocity value for the vehicle, and generate at least one control signal based on the velocity value to alter the velocity of the vehicle using at least one of acceleration, deceleration and braking to position the vehicle substantially at a mid-point between the front vehicle and rear vehicle.

Claims

1. A congestion-based adaptive cruise control (ACC) system for a vehicle, comprising:

a processor means for providing control signals for the vehicle to modify at least one of acceleration, deceleration and braking in the vehicle; and

a radar sensor arrangement, operatively coupled to the processor, the sensor arrangement being configured to determine (i) a distance value for a front vehicle based on a front vehicle velocity, and (ii) a distance value for a rear vehicle based on a rear vehicle velocity,

wherein the processor means is configured to process (i) and (ii) from the radar sensor arrangement to determine a velocity value for the vehicle, and wherein the processor means is configured to generate at least one control signal based on the velocity value to alter the velocity of the vehicle using at least one of acceleration, deceleration and braking to position the vehicle substantially at a mid-point between the front vehicle and rear vehicle.

2. The congestion-based ACC system of claim 1, wherein (i) is determined from

d_f(Δ

t)=d_f+v_fΔ

t−

x_tar(Δ

t)

wherein d_f (Δ

t) represents an absolute distance of the front vehicle over a time period Δ

t, d_f represents the front vehicle distance, v_fΔ

t represents an absolute velocity of the front vehicle, and x_tar(Δ

t) represents an absolute position of the vehicle, and wherein (ii) is determined from

d_r(Δ

t)=d_r+x_tar(Δ

t)−

v_rΔ

t

wherein d_r(Δ

t) represents an absolute distance of the rear vehicle over the time period Δ

t, d_r represents the rear vehicle distance, v_rΔ

t represents an absolute velocity of the rear vehicle, and x_tar(Δ

t) represents the absolute position of the vehicle.

3. The congestion-based ACC system of claim 2, wherein the velocity value for the vehicle v_tar(Δ

t) is determined from

4. The congestion-based ACC system of claim 1, wherein the processor means is configured to process (i) and (ii) from the sensor arrangement to determine the velocity value if the processor means determines a congestion status is active.

5. A congestion-based adaptive cruise control (ACC) method for a vehicle, comprising:

determining, by a sensor arrangement coupled to a processor, (i) a distance value for a front vehicle based on a front vehicle velocity, and (ii) a distance value for a rear vehicle based on a rear vehicle velocity;

processing (i) and (ii) by the processor to determine a velocity value for the vehicle; and

generating, by the processor, at least one control signal based on the velocity value to modify at least one of acceleration, deceleration and braking in the vehicle to position the vehicle between the front vehicle and rear vehicle.

6. The congestion-based ACC method of claim 5, wherein generating the at least one control signal comprises generating the at least one control signal to position the vehicle substantially at a mid-point between the front vehicle and rear vehicle.

7. The congestion-based ACC method of claim 5, wherein (i) is determined from

d_f(Δ

t)=d_f+v_fΔ

t−

x_tar(Δ

t)

wherein d_f(Δ

t) represents an absolute distance of the front vehicle over a time period Δ

t, d_f represents the front vehicle distance, v_fΔ

t represents an absolute velocity of the front vehicle, and x_tar(Δ

t) represents an absolute position of the vehicle, and wherein (ii) is determined from

d_r(Δ

t)=d_r+x_tar(Δ

t)−

v_rΔ

t

wherein d_r(Δ

t) represents an absolute distance of the rear vehicle over the time period Δ

t, d_r represents the rear vehicle distance, v_rΔ

t represents an absolute velocity of the rear vehicle, and x_tar(Δ

t) represents the absolute position of the vehicle.

8. The congestion-based ACC method of claim 7, wherein the velocity value for the vehicle v_tar(Δ

t) is determined from

9. The congestion-based ACC method of claim 7, wherein processing (i) and (ii) to determine the velocity value for the vehicle occurs when a congestion status is determined to be active.

10. The congestion-based ACC method of claim 9, further comprising receiving, by vehicle sensors, vehicle use characteristic data, wherein the congestion status is determined to be active using the vehicle use characteristics.

11. The congestion-based ACC method of claim 9, further comprising receiving traffic information in a navigation system from a network, wherein the congestion status is determined to be active using the traffic information.

12. The congestion-based ACC method of claim 5, wherein the sensor arrangement comprises radar sensors.

13. A congestion-based adaptive cruise control (ACC) system for a vehicle, comprising:

a processor for providing control signals for the vehicle to modify at least one of acceleration, deceleration and braking in the vehicle; and

a sensor arrangement, operatively coupled to the processor, the sensor arrangement being configured to determine (i) a distance value for a front vehicle based on a front vehicle velocity, and (ii) a distance value for a rear vehicle based on a rear vehicle velocity,

wherein the processor is configured to process (i) and (ii) from the sensor arrangement to determine a velocity value, and wherein the processor is configured to generate at least one control signal based on the velocity value to position the vehicle between the front vehicle and rear vehicle.

14. The congestion-based ACC system of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to generate the at least one control signal to position the vehicle substantially at a mid-point between the front vehicle and rear vehicle.

15. The congestion-based ACC system of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to generate at least one weight value for the at least one control signal to position the vehicle substantially at a relative mid-point between the front vehicle and rear vehicle.

16. The congestion-based ACC system of claim 13, further comprising a lane camera operatively coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is configured to generate a further control signal to control lateral movement of the vehicle based on the lane camera data.

17. The congestion-based ACC system of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to process (i) and (ii) from the sensor arrangement to determine the velocity value if the processor determines a congestion status is active.

18. The congestion-based ACC system of claim 17, further comprising vehicle sensors for receiving vehicle use characteristic data, wherein the processor is configured to determine the congestion status is active using the vehicle use characteristics.

19. The congestion-based ACC system of claim 17, further comprising a navigation system for receiving traffic information from a network, wherein the processor is configured to determine the congestion status is active using the traffic information.

20. The congestion-based ACC system of claim 13, wherein the sensor arrangement comprises radar sensors.