Vehicle Control in Traffic Conditions

• US 20160304091A1
• Filed: 04/14/2015
• Published: 10/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: REMES, Enrique
• Granted Patent: US 9,643,606 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/782 on the steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• 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: B60T 2201/022 Collision avoidance systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/12 for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger limiting speed of vehicles other than rail vehicles B60K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• 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 10/184 with wheel brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/54 Audio sensitive means, e.g. ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/215 Selection or confirmation of options
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/802 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2754/30 : Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/14 : Adaptive cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/146 : Speed limiting
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/17 : with provision for special action when the preceding vehicle comes to a halt, e.g. stop and go
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18018 : Start-stop drive, e.g. in a traffic jam
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18063 : Creeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/04 : Traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0098 : Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/08 : Interaction between the driver and the control system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/12 : Limiting control by the driver depending on vehicle state, e.g. interlocking means for the control input for preventing unsafe operation
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 : Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention

Abstract

A vehicle may include a steering wheel assembly, a powertrain, and a controller. The steering wheel assembly may include an interface. The controller may be programmed to, in response to a vehicle speed being less than a threshold, enable the interface to receive a driver input, and in response to a driver input received while the vehicle speed is less than the threshold, operate a powertrain to increase/decrease the vehicle speed subject to a range of authority.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a steering wheel assembly including an interface; and

a controller programmed to

in response to a speed of the vehicle falling below a threshold, enable the interface and,

in response to a first driver input via the interface while enabled, apply a vehicle speed limit based on a first range of authority associated with the first driver input, and operate a powertrain to increase the speed.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a brake assembly in communication with the controller, wherein the controller is further programmed to, in response to a second driver input via the interface while enabled, operate the brake assembly to decrease the speed subject to a second range of authority.

3. The vehicle of claim 2 wherein the controller is further programmed to, in response to the speed exceeding the threshold, disable the interface.

4. The vehicle of claim 2 wherein the controller is further programmed to output for display a first indicator indicative of the first range of authority and a second indicator indicative of the second range of authority.

5. The vehicle of claim 2 wherein the controller is further programmed to, in response to an actuation of at least one of an accelerator pedal and a brake pedal, disable the interface and remove the vehicle speed limit.

6. The vehicle of claim 2 wherein the interface includes a first interface portion disposed on a steering wheel radially spaced apart from a second interface portion disposed on the steering wheel.

7. The vehicle of claim 6 wherein the first interface portion is configured to receive the first driver input and the second interface portion is configured to receive the second driver input.

8. The vehicle of claim 4 wherein the first range of authority is based on a creep vehicle speed and the vehicle speed limit.

9. A vehicle comprising:

a proximity sensor configured to provide a signal indicative of a presence of another vehicle proximate the vehicle;

a controller; and

a first interface portion disposed on a grip portion of a steering wheel,

wherein in response to an input via the first interface portion, while another vehicle is proximate the vehicle and a speed of the vehicle is less than a threshold, the first interface portion provides a signal indicative of an adjusted accelerator pedal position to the controller and the controller is programmed to operate a powertrain such that the speed increases.

10. The vehicle of claim 9 further comprising a second interface portion disposed on a grip portion of the steering wheel spaced apart from the first interface portion, wherein in response to an input via the second interface portion, while another vehicle is proximate the vehicle and the speed is less than the threshold, the second interface portion provides a signal indicative of an adjusted brake pedal position to the controller and the controller is further programmed to operate a brake assembly such that the speed decreases.

11. The vehicle of claim 9 further comprising a second interface portion disposed on the grip portion of the steering wheel spaced apart from the first interface portion, wherein in response to an input via the second interface portion, the second interface portion provides a signal indicative of an adjusted accelerator pedal position to the controller and the controller is further programmed to operate the powertrain such that the speed decreases.

12. The vehicle of claim 10 wherein in response to actuation of at least one of the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal, the controller is further programmed to deactivate the first interface portion and the second interface portion.

13. The vehicle of claim 10 wherein in response to an input pressure applied to the first interface portion greater than a threshold input pressure, the first interface portion provides a signal indicative of an adjusted accelerator pedal position up to a range of authority of the first interface portion.

14. The vehicle of claim 10 wherein in response to an input pressure applied to the second interface portion greater than a threshold input pressure, the controller is further programmed to provide a signal indicative of an adjusted brake pedal position up to at least a range of authority of the first interface portion.

15. The vehicle of claim 9 wherein the vehicle further comprises a proximity sensor configured to provide a signal indicative of a presence of another vehicle proximate the vehicle.

16. A method of controlling a vehicle comprising:

in response to another vehicle being within a predetermined distance from the vehicle and a speed of the vehicle being less than a threshold, entering a traffic mode defining a speed limit and a first rate of speed increase; and

in response to an input at a first interface portion while in the traffic mode, increasing the speed according to the first rate up to the speed limit.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising, in response to an input at a second interface portion while in the traffic mode, decreasing the speed at a second rate defined by the traffic mode.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein decreasing the speed at the second rate includes activating a brake assembly.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein decreasing the speed at the second rate includes reducing a powertrain output torque.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising, in response to another vehicle not being within the predetermined distance or the speed of the vehicle being greater than the threshold, exiting the traffic mode, disabling the first interface portion and the second interface portion, and removing the speed limit.