System for influencing the speed of a motor vehicle

• US 7,212,907 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2005
• Issued: 05/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lucas Automotive GmbH (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: Lucas Automotive GmbH (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Heinrichs-Bartscher, Sascha
• Primary Examiner(s): Black; Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Broadhead; Brian J.
• Application Number:
  US11/132,790
• Publication Number:
  US 20050251313A1
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 701/93, 701/96, 701/97, 701/300, 701/301, 180/172
• US Class Current: 701/96
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/08 Lane monitoring; Lane Keeping Systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/081 using distance control
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4043 Lateral speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/803 Relative lateral speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/723 by using numerical data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9321 Velocity regulation, e.g. cruise control

Abstract

System for the evaluation of the driving environment of a vehicle and for influencing the speed of the vehicle in its own lane, with an electronic control unit that is connected to a signal generator generating a signal characteristic of the desired speed of the vehicle, to a signal generator generating a signal characteristic of the turning rate of the vehicle about its vertical axis, to a signal generator that generates for objects located in the space in front of the vehicle and in the direction of travel of the vehicle a characteristic signal with respect to their distance and orientation relative to the vehicle, said signal being the speed relative to the speed of the driver'"'"'s vehicle and/or the distance relative to the driver'"'"'s vehicle and/or the angular displacement or the lateral deviation relative to the longitudinal axis of the driver'"'"'s vehicle, and to a signal generator that generates a signal characteristic of the speed of at least one wheel of the vehicle, and that is connected to at least one control device having an influence on the driving behaviour of the vehicle, in order to feed to said control device output signals that are derived from the driving behaviour of the vehicle located in front of the driver'"'"'s vehicle, in which in order to define the mid line of the driver'"'"'s lane in the space detected in front of the driver'"'"'s vehicle the radius of curvature R of the path curve of the centre of gravity of the driver'"'"'s vehicle is modified in the electronic control unit on the basis of the change of angular bearing of the objects driving in front, and/or on the absolute position of the objects driving in front relative to an instantaneously predicted lane.

Claims

1. System for the evaluation of the driving environment of a driver'"'"'s vehicle and for influencing the speed of the driver'"'"'s vehicle in its own lane, comprising:

an electronic control unit (ECU) that is connected to

a signal generator that generates a signal characteristic of a desired speed of the driver'"'"'s vehicle,

a signal generator that generates a signal characteristic of a turning rate of the driver'"'"'s vehicle about its vertical axis,

a signal generator that generates for objects located in the space in front of the driver'"'"'s vehicle in a direction of travel of the driver'"'"'s vehicle, a characteristic signal with respect to their distance and orientation relative to the driver'"'"'s vehicle, which signal is at least one of

a speed relative to a speed of the driver'"'"'s vehicle,

a distance relative to the driver'"'"'s vehicle, and

an angular displacement or a lateral deviation relative to a longitudinal axis of the driver'"'"'s vehicle, and that is connected to

a signal generator that generates a signal characteristic of a speed of at least one wheel of the driver'"'"'s vehicle, and which

is connected to at least one control device having an influence on a driving behaviour of the driver'"'"'s vehicle, in order to feed output signals to the control device that are derived from a driving behaviour of a target vehicle located in front of the driver'"'"'s vehicle, in which in order to define the mid line of the driver'"'"'s vehicle'"'"'s lane, in the space detected in front of the driver'"'"'s vehicle the radius of curvature R of the path curve of the centre of gravity of the driver'"'"'s vehicle is modified in the electronic control unit (ECU) on the basis of the change in bearing angle of objects travelling in front, and the absolute position of the objects travelling in front relative to an instantaneously predicted lane, characterised in that the extent to which changes in the radius of curvature are permissible also depends on the curve radius itself, wherein in the case of a very small curve radius a relatively high rate of change is permitted.

2. System according to claim 1, wherein the radius of curvature R of the path curve of the centre of gravity of the driver'"'"'s vehicle is modified in the electronic control unit (ECU) by lateral speeds depending on objects moving in the space detected in front of the driver'"'"'s vehicle.

3. System according to claim 1, wherein the radius of curvature R is modified in the electronic control unit (ECU) depending on a residence time of objects moving in the space detected in front of the driver'"'"'s vehicle.

4. System according to claim 1, wherein the radius of curvature R is modified in the electronic control unit (ECU) depending on the speed of objects moving in the space detected in front of the driver'"'"'s vehicle in the direction of travel of the driver'"'"'s vehicle.

5. System according to claim 1, wherein the radius of curvature R is modified in the electronic control unit (ECU) depending on the distance of objects moving in the space detected in front of the driver'"'"'s vehicle from the driver'"'"'s vehicle.