Vehicle Speed Control Method and Arrangement

• US 20080154629A1
• Filed: 02/18/2008
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1997
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: American Vehicular Sciences LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intelligent Technologies International, Inc.
• Inventors: Breed, David S., Johnson, Wendell C., DuVall, Wilbur E.
• Application Number:
  US12/032,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20080154629A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2863 backward facing
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• 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 2050/0071 Controller overrides driver automatically
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0073 Driver overrides controller
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/02 Control of vehicle driving stability
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/04 related to roll-over prevention
• 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 30/18154 Approaching an intersection
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18159 Traversing an intersection
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18172 Preventing, or responsive to skidding of wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/06 Road conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/072 Curvature of the road
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/076 Slope angle of the road
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/00 Details of control systems for road vehicle drive control not related to the control of a particular sub-unit , e.g. process diagnostic or vehicle driver interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/28 : with correlation of data from several navigational instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 : of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 : Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 : for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/17 : Emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/41 : Differential correction, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 : Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/50 : whereby the position solution is constrained to lie upon a particular curve or surface, e.g. for locomotives on railway tracks
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2007/4975 : of sensor obstruction by, e.g. dirt- or ice-coating, e.g. by reflection measurement on front-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9315 : Monitoring blind spots
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9316 : combined with communication equipment with other vehicles or with base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9318 : Controlling the steering
• 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 2013/9321 : Velocity regulation, e.g. cruise control
• 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 2013/93273 : on the top of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9329 : cooperating with reflectors or transponders
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/00 : Meteorology
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0221 : involving a learning process
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 : involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 : using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0257 : using a radar radar systems designed for anti-collision purposes between land vehicles or between land vehicle and fixed obstacles G01S13/931
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 : comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 : using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 : using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• 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 1/164 : Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 : for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 : for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 : Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

Method and arrangement for setting a speed limit for vehicle travelling on a road includes monitoring conditions of the road, determining a speed limit for travel of vehicles on the road based on the monitored conditions, and transmitting the determined speed limit to the vehicles to thereby notify operators of the vehicles of the determined speed limit. Monitoring conditions of the road may entail monitoring weather conditions around the road, monitoring visibility for operators of the vehicles on the roads, monitoring traffic on the road, monitoring accidents on the road or emergency situations of vehicles on the road and/or monitoring the speed of vehicles travelling on the road and a distance between adjacent vehicles.

Claims

1. A method for setting a speed limit for vehicle travelling on a road, comprising:

monitoring conditions of the road;

determining a speed limit for travel of vehicles on the road based on the monitored conditions; and

transmitting the determined speed limit to the vehicles to thereby notify operators of the vehicles of the determined speed limit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of monitoring conditions comprises monitoring weather conditions around the road.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of monitoring conditions comprises monitoring visibility for operators of the vehicles on the road.

4. The method of claim 1, whether the step of monitoring conditions comprises monitoring traffic on the road.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of monitoring conditions comprises monitoring accidents on the road or emergency situations of vehicles on the road.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of monitoring conditions comprises monitoring the speed of vehicles travelling on the road and a distance between adjacent vehicles.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting a predetermined speed limit for the road under normal travel conditions, the step of determining the speed limit comprising changing the predetermined speed limit based on the monitored conditions.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising providing a plurality of different predetermined speed limits which vary as a function of weather conditions and/or a time of day.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying the operator of the vehicle via an in-vehicle display of the determined speed limit.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising arranging an automatic control system in the vehicle to limit the speed of the vehicle to the transmitted determined speed limit.

11. An arrangement for controlling vehicles travelling on a road, comprising:

a monitoring system for monitoring conditions of the road;

a control system coupled to said monitoring system for determining a speed limit for travel of vehicles on the road based on the monitored conditions;

a transmission system coupled to said control system for transmitting the speed limit determined by said control system; and

a receiver system arranged on each vehicle to receive the transmitted speed limit and thereby enable notification to operators of the vehicles of the determined speed limit.

12. The arrangement of claim 11, wherein said monitoring system is arranged to monitor weather conditions around the road.

13. The arrangement of claim 11, wherein said monitoring system is arranged to monitor visibility for operators of the vehicles on the road.

14. The arrangement of claim 11, whether said monitoring system is arranged to monitor traffic on the road.

15. The arrangement of claim 11, wherein said monitoring system is arranged to monitor accidents on the road or emergency situations of vehicles on the road.

16. The arrangement of claim 11, wherein said monitoring system is arranged to monitor the speed of vehicles travelling on the road and a distance between adjacent vehicles.

17. The arrangement of claim 11, further comprising a map database containing a predetermined speed limit for the road under normal travel conditions, said control system being arranged to change the predetermined speed limit based on the monitored conditions.

18. The arrangement of claim 11, further comprising a display in each vehicle coupled to said receiver system for displaying the determined speed limit received bys aid receiver system.

19. The arrangement of claim 11, further comprising an automatic control system in each vehicle for limiting the speed of the vehicle to the determined speed limit received by said receiver system.

20. The arrangement of claim 11, further comprising an indicating system in each vehicle to enable an operator of the vehicle to cause a signal to be transmitted to said monitoring system of a problem with the vehicle resulting in a change in the speed of the vehicle.