Vehicle speed control system and method

• US 9,758,165 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2014
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Original Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Inventors: Kelly, James, Fairgrieve, Andrew, Woolliscroft, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): MOTT, GENNA M
• Application Number:
  US14/776,820
• Publication Number:
  US 20160023658A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,324 Days
• Field of Search: 701 50, 701 93
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2310/20 Operator actuated switches or levers for cruise control or speed limiting systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2310/244 changing target speed or setting a new target speed, e.g. changing algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/782 on the steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/782 on the steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/35 Road bumpiness, e.g. potholes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/143 Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/085 Changing the parameters of the control units, e.g. changing limit values, working points by control input
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/20 Off-Road Vehicles

Abstract

A system for controlling the speed of a vehicle, the system being operable to cause the vehicle to operate in accordance with a value of vehicle set-speed, the system being operable to allow a user to change the current value of vehicle set-speed in discrete steps by means of user input means, a magnitude of the discrete steps being determined by the system in dependence on a vehicle operational state.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a speed of a vehicle, the system comprising a vehicle control unit, a low-speed progress control system and a cruise control system, wherein the low-speed progress control system and the cruise control system are configured differently, the system being operable to cause the vehicle to operate in accordance with a value of vehicle set-speed, the system being operable to allow a user to change a current value of vehicle set-speed in discrete steps by means of a user interface in the vehicle, a magnitude of the discrete steps being determined by the low-speed progress control system in dependence on a vehicle operational state, wherein the vehicle control unit of the system is configured to receive information indicative of the terrain over which the vehicle is driving, the low-speed progress control system being operable to determine the magnitude of the discrete steps in dependence at least in part on the information indicative of the terrain over which the vehicle is driving, wherein the magnitude of the discrete steps is different for a plurality of terrain operating modes or a plurality of terrain types including one or more off-road terrain types.

2. The system according to claim 1 configured to receive the information indicative of the terrain over which the vehicle is driving by receiving a signal indicative of an identity of a terrain operating mode in which the vehicle is operating.

3. The system according to claim 1 configured to determine from signals indicative of the terrain over which the vehicle is driving, which of the plurality of terrain operating modes the vehicle should operate in, the system being operable to determine the magnitude of the discrete steps in dependence at least in part on the determined terrain operating mode.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein determining the magnitude of the discrete steps in dependence at least in part on the information indicative of the terrain over which the vehicle is driving comprises determining the magnitude of the discrete steps in dependence at least in part on a state of a manual terrain operating mode selector dial.

5. The system according to claim 1 wherein the system is operable to determine the magnitude of the discrete steps in dependence at least in part on one or more parameters indicative of terrain type.

6. The system according to claim 5 wherein determining the magnitude of the discrete steps in dependence at least in part on the information indicative of the terrain over which the vehicle is driving comprises determining which of the plurality of terrain operating modes has been selected automatically by an automatically operating mode selector.

7. The system according to claim 1 wherein the magnitude of the discrete steps in a first one or more terrain operating modes is greater than the magnitude of the discrete steps in a second one or more terrain operating modes.

8. The system according to claim 7 wherein the first one or more terrain operating modes includes one or more of a sand mode of operation and a standard on-road mode of operation.

9. The system according to claim 7 wherein the second one or more terrain operating modes includes one or more of a grass/gravel/snow mode of operation which is intended for use on grass, gravel, and/or snow and a mud and ruts mode of operation.

10. The system according to claim 7 wherein the second one or more terrain operating modes includes a rock crawl mode of operation.

11. The system according to claim 1 wherein the vehicle operational state is further characterised at least in part by a vehicle speed, the system being configured to determine the magnitude of the discrete steps in dependence at least in part on vehicle speed.

12. The system according to claim 11 operable to increase the magnitude of the discrete steps as a function of increasing vehicle speed.

13. The system according to claim 11 operable to increase the magnitude of the discrete steps as a function of increasing vehicle speed at each of one or more prescribed speeds.

14. The system according to claim 13 wherein consecutive prescribed speeds differ from one another by more than two discrete steps.

15. The system according to claim 1 wherein the magnitude of the discrete steps is determined in further dependence on whether set-speed is being increased or decreased.

16. The vehicle comprising the system according to claim 1.

17. A method of controlling a speed of a vehicle, the vehicle comprising a vehicle control unit, low-speed progress control system, and a cruise control system, wherein the low-speed progress control system and the cruise control system are configured differently, the method comprising:

causing the vehicle to operate in accordance with a value of vehicle set-speed;

allowing a user to change a current value of vehicle set-speed in discrete steps by means of a user input device in the vehicle;

determining a magnitude of the discrete steps with the low-speed progress control system in dependence on a vehicle operational state;

receiving information at the vehicle control unit indicative of the terrain over which the vehicle is driving, and

wherein the magnitude of the discrete steps is determined by the low-speed progress control system in dependence at least in part on the received information, wherein the magnitude of the discrete steps is different for a plurality of terrain operating modes or a plurality of terrain types including one or more off-road terrain types.

18. A non transient computer readable medium loaded with a computer program product executable on a processor in the vehicle so as to implement the method of claim 17.