Velocity-regulating system having a touch-sensitive control element

• US 9,499,050 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2014
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Spannheimer, Helmut
• Primary Examiner(s): Restifo, Jeffrey J
• Application Number:
  US14/500,598
• Publication Number:
  US 20150014075A1
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 180/178, 180/179, 180/170, 180/171
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2310/20 Operator actuated switches or levers for cruise control or speed limiting systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2310/24 Speed setting methods
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2310/246 releasing speed control, e.g. inhibiting speed control if a brake pedal is depressed
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2310/248 resuming speed control, e.g. returning to old target speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2310/26 Distance setting methods, e.g. determining target distance to target vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/143 Touch sensitive instrument input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1446 Touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/143 Touch sensitive input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/1446 Touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/00 Vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator fittings acting on two or more sub-units B60W30/14; speedometers G01P; systems or devices for controlling speed in general G05D13/00 ; in traffic anti-collision system for road vehicles G08G1/16
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/042 where at least one electrical quantity is set by the vehicle operator
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2030/1809 Without torque flow between driveshaft and engine, e.g. with clutch disengaged or transmission in neutral
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/14 Adaptive cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18072 Coasting
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/085 Changing the parameters of the control units, e.g. changing limit values, working points by control input

Abstract

A velocity-regulating system for motor vehicles has an electronic control device that produces control signals for regulating the velocity of the motor vehicle at a pre-specified target velocity and/or at a pre-specified distance from a preceding target object. The velocity-regulating system has an operating element whose actuation causes an intervention that influences the velocity regulation. The operating element is embodied as a touch-sensitive button that, when the button is pressed, produces a first intervention that influences the velocity regulation, and that, when the button is only touched, for the period during which button is touched, produces a second intervention that influences the active velocity regulation. Once the touching has ended, the original velocity regulation is continued.

Claims

1. A velocity-regulating system for motor vehicles comprising:

an electronic control device that produces control signals for regulating the velocity of the motor vehicle at a pre-specified target velocity and/or at a pre-specified distance from a preceding target object; and

an operating element whose actuation causes an intervention that influences the velocity regulation,

wherein the operating element is embodied as a touch-sensitive button that, when the button is pressed, is configured to produce a first intervention that influences the velocity regulation, and that, when the button is touched, for the period during which button is touched, is further configured to produce a second intervention that influences the active velocity regulation, and

wherein once the touching has ended, the original velocity regulation is continued.

2. The velocity-regulating system in accordance with claim 1,

wherein the operating element is a first operating element for turning on and/or turning off and/or interrupting the velocity regulation, and that, when the button is pressed, interrupts the active velocity regulation and/or deactivates the interrupted velocity regulation and/or activates the deactivated velocity regulation, and

wherein, when the button is touched, for the period during which the button is touched, the active velocity regulation is interrupted such that no drive torque is produced.

3. The velocity-regulating system in accordance with claim 2,

wherein in that the operating element is a second operating element for specifying a current velocity as a new target velocity, such that, when the button is pressed and the velocity regulation is active, a current target velocity is specified as a new target velocity and/or, if the velocity regulation is interrupted, activates the velocity regulation at the current velocity as the target velocity, and

wherein, when the button is touched, for the period during which the button is touched, the active velocity regulation is interrupted such that no drive torque is produced.

4. The velocity-regulating system in accordance with claim 2,

wherein the operating element is a third operating element for reactivating the interrupted velocity regulation at a stored target velocity and/or a stored distance, and that, when the button is pressed, reactivates the interrupted regulation of the velocity at the stored target velocity and/or the stored distance, and

wherein, when the button is touched, for the period during which the button is touched, the velocity regulation is interrupted such that no drive torque is produced.

5. The velocity-regulating system for a motor vehicle having automatic transmission or automated transmission in accordance with claim 3, wherein when the button is touched, for the period during which the button is touched, velocity regulation is interrupted and the transmission is switched to neutral.

6. The velocity-regulating system for a motor vehicle having automatic transmission or automated transmission in accordance with claim 2, wherein when the button is touched, for the period during which the button is touched, velocity regulation is interrupted and the transmission is switched to neutral.

7. The velocity-regulating system in accordance with claim 2,

wherein the operating element is a second operating element for pre-specifying a current velocity as a new target velocity, such that, when the button is pressed and the velocity regulation is active, pre-specifies a current target velocity as a new target velocity and/or when the velocity regulation is interrupted activates the velocity regulation at the current velocity as the target velocity, and

wherein the button is touched, for the period during which button is touched, the current velocity regulation is over-controlled such that the vehicle is accelerated at a pre-specified acceleration.

8. The velocity-regulating system in accordance with claim 2,

wherein the operating element is a third operating element for reactivating the interrupted velocity regulation at a stored target velocity and/or a stored distance that, when the button is pressed, reactivates the interrupted regulation of the velocity at the stored target velocity and/or the stored distance, and

wherein, when the button is touched, for the period during which the button is touched, the current velocity regulation is over-controlled such that the vehicle is accelerated at a pre-specified acceleration.

9. The velocity-regulating system in accordance with claim 1,

wherein in that the operating element is a second operating element for specifying a current velocity as a new target velocity, such that, when the button is pressed and the velocity regulation is active, a current target velocity is specified as a new target velocity and/or, if the velocity regulation is interrupted, activates the velocity regulation at the current velocity as the target velocity, and

wherein, when the button is touched, for the period during which the button is touched, the active velocity regulation is interrupted such that no drive torque is produced.

10. The velocity-regulating system in accordance with claim 9,

wherein the operating element is a third operating element for reactivating the interrupted velocity regulation at a stored target velocity and/or a stored distance, and that, when the button is pressed, reactivates the interrupted regulation of the velocity at the stored target velocity and/or the stored distance, and

wherein, when the button is touched, for the period during which the button is touched, the velocity regulation is interrupted such that no drive torque is produced.

11. The velocity-regulating system for a motor vehicle having automatic transmission or automated transmission in accordance with claim 9, wherein when the button is touched, for the period during which the button is touched, velocity regulation is interrupted and the transmission is switched to neutral.

12. The velocity-regulating system in accordance with claim 1,

wherein the operating element is a third operating element for reactivating the interrupted velocity regulation at a stored target velocity and/or a stored distance, and that, when the button is pressed, reactivates the interrupted regulation of the velocity at the stored target velocity and/or the stored distance, and

wherein, when the button is touched, for the period during which the button is touched, the velocity regulation is interrupted such that no drive torque is produced.

13. The velocity-regulating system in accordance with claim 1, wherein, when the button is touched, for the period during which the button is touched, velocity regulation is completely interrupted.

14. The velocity-regulating system in accordance with claim 1,

wherein the operating element is a first operating element for turning on and/or turning off and/or interrupting the velocity regulation, such that, when the button is pressed, interrupts the active velocity regulation and/or deactivates the interrupted velocity regulation and/or activates the deactivated velocity regulation, and

wherein, when the button is touched, for the period during which the button is touched, the current velocity regulation is over-controlled such that the vehicle is accelerated with a pre-specified acceleration.

15. The velocity-regulating system in accordance with claim 1,

wherein the operating element is a second operating element for pre-specifying a current velocity as a new target velocity, such that, when the button is pressed and the velocity regulation is active, pre-specifies a current target velocity as a new target velocity and/or when the velocity regulation is interrupted activates the velocity regulation at the current velocity as the target velocity, and

wherein the button is touched, for the period during which button is touched, the current velocity regulation is over-controlled such that the vehicle is accelerated at a pre-specified acceleration.

16. The velocity-regulating system in accordance with claim 1,

wherein the operating element is a third operating element for reactivating the interrupted velocity regulation at a stored target velocity and/or a stored distance that, when the button is pressed, reactivates the interrupted regulation of the velocity at the stored target velocity and/or the stored distance, and

wherein, when the button is touched, for the period during which the button is touched, the current velocity regulation is over-controlled such that the vehicle is accelerated at a pre-specified acceleration.

17. A velocity-regulating system comprising:

at least two operating elements configured to cause an intervention that influences the velocity regulation,

wherein the at least two operating elements are embodied as touch-sensitive buttons that each, when the button is pressed, is configured to produce an intervention that influences the velocity regulation, and

wherein when the one touch-sensitive button is touched, for the period during which the button is touched, there is intervention in the velocity regulation such that no drive torque is produced, and, when the other touch-sensitive button is touched, for the period during which the button is touched, there is intervention in the velocity regulation such that the vehicle is accelerated at a pre-specified acceleration.