Vehicle cruise control with multiple set points

• US 9,884,554 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2016
• Issued: 02/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kemnitz, Erich
• Primary Examiner(s): FREJD, RUSSELL WARREN
• Application Number:
  US14/989,443
• Publication Number:
  US 20170190253A1
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/045 in a memory, e.g. a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/185 connected to the speedometer display, e.g. by sensors or switches responsive to the position of the indicator needle arrangement of pointers in automobile speedometers for indicating predetermined speeds by the detection of the position of the indicator needle G01P1/11
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/043 Identity of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 Historical data
• 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 30/143 Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/146 Speed limiting
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/085 Changing the parameters of the control units, e.g. changing limit values, working points by control input

Abstract

In various embodiments, the present disclosure includes a cruise control system with (a) a vehicle having a steering system, an accelerator system, a braking system, a battery, a display, a processor, and memory; and (b) a cruise control program, operatively coupled to the accelerator system and configured to display a most recent cruising setpoint and a menu of user-adjustable cruising setpoints.

Claims

1. A cruise control system comprising:

a vehicle having a steering system, an accelerator system, a braking system, a battery, a display, a processor, and memory;

a cruise control program, operatively coupled to the accelerator system, configured to display;

a most recent cruising setpoint,

a menu of user-adjustable cruising setpoints,

and configured to update the menu based on a received driver identity.

2. The cruise control system of claim 1, wherein the cruise control program is configured to display the most recent cruising setpoint and the menu when the vehicle is in a park gear.

3. The cruise control system of claim 1, wherein the cruise control program is configured to compare a present speed of the vehicle with a user-applied setpoint.

4. The cruise control system of claim 3, wherein the cruise control program is configured to decline the user-applied setpoint when a difference between the present speed and the user-applied setpoint exceeds a predetermined value.

5. The cruise control system of claim 4, wherein the predetermined value is hard-coded into the cruise control program.

6. The cruise control system of claim 4, wherein the cruise control program is configured to display a visual cue when a user selection is declined.

7. The cruise control system of claim 1, wherein the cruise control program is configured to update the menu based on a received location.

8. The cruise control system of claim 7, wherein the cruise control program is configured to update the menu based on a received time.

9. The cruise control system of claim 1, wherein the cruise control program is configured to display a user-adjustable quantity of most recent cruising speeds.

10. The cruise control system of claim 9, wherein the cruise control program is configured to only display the most recent cruising speeds of a particular driver.

11. The cruise control system of claim 9, wherein the cruise control program is configured to only display the most recent cruising speeds for a current key cycle.

12. The cruise control system of claim 1, wherein the cruise control program is configured to associate each of the user-adjustable cruising setpoints with a user-adjustable storage term.

13. The cruise control system of claim 12, wherein the storage terms include an indefinite storage term and a key cycle storage term.

14. A method of setting a cruise control speed on a vehicle having a steering system, an accelerator system, a braking system, a battery, a display, a processor, and memory, comprising:

displaying, on a cruise control program operatively coupled to the accelerator system;

a most recent cruising setpoint,

a menu of user-adjustable cruising setpoints, and

only the most recent cruising setpoint in a current key cycle.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the displaying occurs when the vehicle is in a park gear.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

declining to adopt a user-applied setpoint when a difference between a present speed and the user-applied setpoint exceeds a predetermined value.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

associating and storing each of the user-adjustable cruising setpoints with a user-adjustable storage term.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the user-adjustable storage term is a key cycle storage term.