Vehicle speed control

• US 9,533,684 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2013
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Original Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Inventors: Kelly, James, Zuberi, Saleem, Fairgrieve, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUD, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US14/421,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20150217771A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 701/34.4, 701/93
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/16 responsive to, or preventing, skidding of wheels brake control systems for vehicle drive stability B60T8/1755; arrangements responsive to a speed condition for adjusting wheel braking force B60T8/32; control of vehicle driving stability otherwise than by controlling the propulsion unit only B60W30/02; preventing wheel slippage by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/02 including electrically actuated servomechanism including an electric control system or a servomechanism in which the vehicle velocity affecting element is actuated electrically
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/04 and means for comparing one electrical quantity, e.g. voltage, pulse, waveform, flux, or the like, with another quantity of a like kind, which comparison means is involved in the development of an electrical signal which is fed into the controlling means
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/04 Hill descent control
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/14 Rough roads, bad roads, gravel roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/16 Off-road driving conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2220/04 Pedal travel sensor, stroke sensor; Sensing brake request
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2260/06 Active Suspension System
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/175 Brake regulation specially adapted to prevent excessive wheel spin during vehicle acceleration, e.g. for traction control safety devices for propulsion unit control responsive to, or preventing, skidding of wheels B60K28/16
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/05 Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/30 Wheel torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/025 related to comfort of drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/143 Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/20 Off-Road Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/0234 Adapting the ratios to special vehicle conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/66 : Road conditions, e.g. slope, slippery
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/0213 : characterised by the method for generating shift signals

Abstract

A speed control system for a vehicle, comprising an electronic controller configured to automatically cause a vehicle to operate in accordance with a target speed value. The electronic controller is further configured to receive information relating to movement of at least a portion of a vehicle body or at least a portion of a body of an occupant relative to a vehicle, and to automatically adjust the value of the target speed value in dependence on the received information.

Claims

1. A speed control system for a vehicle, comprising an electronic controller, wherein the electronic controller is configured to:

automatically cause the a vehicle to operate in accordance with a target speed value,

receive information relating to movement of at least a portion of a vehicle body, said information comprising;

a measured value of vehicle body pitch angular acceleration, a measured value of vehicle body roll angular acceleration, and a measured value of vehicle body heave acceleration,

apply a gain to each of said measured value of vehicle body pitch angular acceleration, measured value of vehicle body roll angular acceleration, and measured value of vehicle body heave acceleration, and determining a signal indicative of comfort level therefrom; and

output a signal to automatically adjust the value of the target speed value in dependence on said signal indicative of comfort level.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to determine an amount by which the target speed should be adjusted from the current value in dependence at least in part on the signal indicative of comfort level.

3. A system according to claim 2 wherein the controller is configured to determine the target speed value in further dependence on at least one parameter associated with movement of the vehicle over terrain selected from amongst:

steering angle, vehicle speed, steering angle as a function of vehicle speed, a value of driving surface side slope, a driving surface gradient, and an amount of vehicle suspension articulation or suspension warp.

4. A system according to claim 2 wherein the controller is configured to determine a comfort derived maximum speed value dependent upon the signal indicative of comfort level and at least one further maximum speed value, the system being operable to cause the value of target speed to be set to the lower of the comfort derived maximum speed value and the at least one further maximum speed value.

5. A system according to claim 4 wherein the at least one further maximum speed value includes a user defined speed value corresponding to a maximum speed at which the user wishes to travel.

6. A system according to claim 4 wherein the at least one further maximum speed value includes a speed value being a maximum speed appropriate to an instant value of at least one further parameter associated with movement of the vehicle over terrain.

7. A system according to claim 2 wherein the controller is configured to iteratively adjust the target speed value to reduce a difference between the signal indicative of comfort level and a prescribed value or a prescribed range of values.

8. A system according to claim 7 wherein the controller is configured to calculate a value of desired vehicle acceleration or speed change in dependence on the value of the signal indicative of measured comfort level thereby to adjust the target speed value to reduce the difference between the signal indicative of measured comfort level and prescribed value or a prescribed range of values.

9. A system according to claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to receive a user input electrical signal and based on said user input electrical signal the controller is further configured to manipulate the amount by which the target speed value is adjusted.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to receive a user input electrical signal and based on said user input electrical signal the controller is further configured to manipulate the amount by which the target speed value is adjusted and wherein based on the user input electrical signal the controller is configured to manipulate the value of the signal indicative of measured comfort level thereby to control the amount by which the target speed value is adjusted.

11. A system according to claim 10 wherein based on the user input electrical signal the controller is configured to manipulate a value of a reference signal, the controller being further configured to compare the reference signal to the signal indicative of measured comfort thereby to control the amount by which the target speed value is adjusted.

12. A system according to claim 11 wherein the controller is configured to control the amount by which the target speed value is adjusted in dependence upon the difference between the manipulated value of the reference signal and the signal indicative of measured comfort.

13. A system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the target speed value in dependence on data in respect of seat occupancy.

14. A system according to claim 1 further comprising an imaging device that, in use, monitors movement of the at least a portion of the body of an occupant.

15. A vehicle comprising a system according to claim 1.

16. A method of operating a speed control system of a vehicle, said method comprising:

automatically causing a vehicle to operate in accordance with a target speed value;

receiving information relating to movement of at least a portion of a vehicle body, said information comprising;

a measured value of vehicle body pitch angular acceleration, a measured value of vehicle body roll angular acceleration, and a measured value of vehicle body heave acceleration;

applying a gain to each of said measured value of vehicle body pitch angular acceleration, measured value of vehicle body roll angular acceleration, and measured value of vehicle body heave acceleration, to determine a signal indicative of measured comfort level; and

adjusting automatically the value of the target speed value in dependence on said signal indicative of measured comfort level.

17. A non-transitory carrier medium carrying a computer readable code for controlling a vehicle to carry out the method of claim 16.