Airspeed Adaptive Cruise Control for Ground Vehicles

• US 20160297434A1
• Filed: 04/13/2015
• Published: 10/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matthew Gage Merzig
• Original Assignee: Matthew Gage Merzig
• Inventors: Merzig, Matthew Gage
• Granted Patent: US 10,071,735 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0605 Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0666 Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0677 Engine power
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/143 Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/1882 characterised by the working point of the engine, e.g. by using engine output chart

Abstract

A system and method for implementing an airspeed adaptive cruise control system on ground vehicles that automatically slows vehicle groundspeed during headwinds and increases groundspeed during tailwinds. This behavior acts to reduce the energy cost associated with headwinds and capture the energy benefit obtained with tailwinds. In the method, multiple operating modes are presented that can be user selected to optimize on minimum energy consumption, fastest average speed while still harvesting energy from tailwinds, and a balance in between the two methods. The system utilizes multiple sensors, such as airspeed, groundspeed, and vehicle proximity detectors to provide reliable system functionality in a wide range of operating conditions. In some implementations, a combined speedometer with groundspeed and airspeed indicator dials is used to quickly communicate the condition and magnitude of headwinds or tailwinds.

Claims

1. A computerized airspeed adaptive cruise control system for ground vehicles with an airspeed sensor, useful in driving conditions with headwind, tailwind and calm wind conditions, the control system comprising:

at least one computerized controller configured to monitor vehicle ground speed, vehicle airspeed, to monitor and control a throttle position actuator and monitor a vehicle proximity detector;

a user interface configured to receive an input from the at least one computerized controller and to provide vehicular data to a driver or autonomous driving computer;

an airspeed sensor for measuring airspeed and providing such measured airspeed to the computerized controller;

a groundspeed sensor for measuring groundspeed and providing such measured groundspeed to the computerized controller;

a throttle position actuator for controlling the rate of energy flow into the propulsion unit and responsive to the computerized controller; and

a vehicle proximity sensor to detect a distance between the vehicle possessing airspeed adaptive cruise control and potential vehicle ahead and detect the relative speed between the vehicle possessing airspeed adaptive cruise control and the potential vehicle ahead, and to provide such distance and relative speed to the at least one computerized controller.

2. The airspeed adaptive cruise control system of claim 1 further comprising a vehicular positioning sensor such as a global positioning system (GPS) that can also provide a calculated vehicle groundspeed to the computerized controller.

3. The airspeed adaptive cruise control system of claim 1 wherein the magnitude of vehicle tailwind is calculated, when vehicle airspeed is less than vehicle groundspeed, as airspeed subtracted from vehicle groundspeed and when vehicle airspeed is greater than vehicle groundspeed, the magnitude of vehicle headwind calculated as vehicle groundspeed subtracted from vehicle airspeed.

4. The airspeed adaptive cruise control system of claim 1 wherein the airspeed sensor comprises an adjustable input tuning parameter of an airspeed trigger threshold parameter where the magnitude of velocity of headwind or tailwind that triggers airspeed adaptive action is configurable by either the vehicle operator or automatically by the autonomous driving computer or automatically by the at least one computerized controller.

5. The airspeed adaptive cruise control system of claim 1 wherein the airspeed sensor comprises an adjustable input tuning parameter of a wind gust ignore time parameter where the number of seconds to ignore an airspeed velocity change signal that triggers airspeed adaptive action that is input to the at least one computerized controller and is configurable by either the vehicle operator or automatically by the autonomous driving computer or automatically by the at least one computerized controller.

6. The airspeed adaptive cruise control system of claim 1 wherein the airspeed sensor comprises an adjustable input tuning parameter of the number of seconds to perform a running average of the current measured airspeed parameter where the configured average measured airspeed based upon the parameter settings is input to the at least one computerized controller and is configurable by either the vehicle operator or automatically by the autonomous driving computer or automatically by the at least one computerized controller.

7. The airspeed adaptive cruise control system of claim 1 wherein the airspeed sensor is coupled to and further configured to operate a rear brake light for safety purposes when the vehicle ground speed is decreasing.

8. The airspeed adaptive cruise control system of claim 1 wherein the airspeed sensor is either a physical sensor or the airspeed sensor is virtual and is derived from other sensors that are on the vehicle.

9. The airspeed adaptive cruise control system of claim 1 wherein the airspeed sensor is virtual and is derived from other sensors that are off the vehicle.

10. The airspeed adaptive cruise control system of claim 1 wherein the throttle position actuator comprises adjustable tuning parameter of an acceleration and deceleration rate parameter where the magnitude of acceleration or deceleration rate is configurable by either the vehicle operator or automatically by the autonomous driving computer or automatically by the at least one computerized controller.

11. The airspeed adaptive cruise control system of claim 1 wherein a display unit comprising a combination instrument dial with airspeed and groundspeed indicators and a graphical method to visualize the proportion of airspeed that is either headwind or tailwind, and color to visualize the airspeed that is either headwind or tailwind.

12. The airspeed adaptive cruise control system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle proximity sensor comprises an adjustable tuning parameter of a distance to the vehicle in front of the vehicle possessing airspeed adaptive cruise control where the distance ahead parameter is configurable by either the vehicle operator or automatically by the autonomous driving computer or automatically by the at least one computerized controller and the distance ahead parameter is used to estimate when a safe resumption of speed can occur when a headwind ceases to exist, and the airspeed adaptive cruise control computerized controller output requests a command to resume to initial vehicle airspeed setpoint.

13. The airspeed adaptive cruise control system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle proximity sensor comprises an adjustable tuning parameter of a distance to the vehicle in front of the vehicle possessing airspeed adaptive cruise control where the distance ahead parameter is configurable by either the vehicle operator or automatically by the autonomous driving computer or automatically by the at least one computerized controller and the distance ahead parameter is used to estimate when a safe increase in groudspeed can occur when a tailwind exists, and the airspeed adaptive cruise control computerized controller output requests a command to increase groundspeed above initial vehicle airspeed setpoint.

14. In a computerized airspeed adaptive cruise control system for ground vehicles with an airspeed sensor, useful in driving conditions with headwind, tailwind and calm wind conditions, the airspeed adaptive cruise control system method comprising:

in a computerized controller, monitoring and controlling an airspeed set point goal chosen by either the vehicle operator or automatically by the autonomous driving computer or automatically by the at least one computerized controller, where the vehicle groundspeed is increased when tailwind is detected, and groundspeed is decreased when headwind is detected in order to maintain the airspeed set point goal;

using adjustable parameters to tune the operation of the system to the requirements, such as energy efficiency, arrival time or comfort, of the vehicle operator;

providing vehicular data to a driver or autonomous driving computer or at least one computerized controller;

detecting a distance to the vehicle in front of the vehicle possessing airspeed adaptive cruise control to prevent increasing groundspeed when dangerously close to a vehicle in front of the vehicle possessing airspeed adaptive cruise control;

detecting vehicle airspeed using an airspeed sensor; and

a throttle position actuator for controlling the rate of energy flow into the vehicle propulsion unit and responsive to the computerized controller.