Adaptive cruise control device for a motor vehicle

• US 7,753,153 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2002
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Irion, Albrecht, John, Dirk, Swoboda, Hans-Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Restifo; Jeffrey J
• Application Number:
  US10/475,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20040149504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,846 Days
• Field of Search: 180/167, 180/169, 180/170, 180/178, 180/179, 701/93, 701/96
• US Class Current: 180/170
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/065 by reducing the computational load on the digital processor of the control computer
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4041 Position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4043 Lateral speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• 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 13/726 Multiple target tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• 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 2013/9325 for inter-vehicle distance regulation, e.g. navigating in platoons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• 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

A method and an apparatus are provided for the adaptive cruise control of a motor vehicle along the lines of a distance-constant control and a speed-constant control, respectively, which apparatus includes at least two devices interconnected by a data-exchange device. The first device includes at least one transmitting and receiving unit for detecting objects, which operates according to the radar principle and/or lidar principle, as well as at least one target-object-selection device. The second device includes at least one speed and distance controller, and is connected to the first device by a data-exchange system through which data with respect to two detected objects is transmitted.

Claims

1. An apparatus for an adaptive cruise control of a motor vehicle, comprising:

a first device including at least one object-detection arrangement and at least one target-object selection arrangement,

wherein the object-detection arrangement detects and measures a kinematic variable of more than two objects, and the at least one target-object selection arrangement selects exactly two of the more than two detected objects, the exactly two objects respectively denoting a target object and a potential future target object;

a second device including at least one speed and distance controller; and

a data-exchange device that connects the first device and the second device;

wherein the data-exchange device transmits the measured kinematic variable of the exactly two selected objects from the first device to the second device at which the kinematic variable of the target object is used to control the at least one speed and distance controller and the kinematic variable of the potential future target object is kept standing by as a substitute for the target object, and wherein the adaptive cruise control includes at least one of a constant-distance control and a constant-speed control.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one object-detection unit includes at least one of a transmitting-and-receiving unit for radar radiation, a transmitting-and-receiving unit for lidar radiation, and a receiving unit for an image sensing system.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data transmitted by the data-exchange device represents at least one of kinetic variables including distances of objects to the at least one object-detection arrangement, relative velocities of objects with respect to the at least one object-detection arrangement, absolute velocities of objects, relative accelerations of objects in relation to the at least one object-detection arrangement, absolute accelerations of objects, sway of objects relative to one of a vehicle longitudinal axis and a center axis of the at least one object-detection arrangement, lateral velocities of objects relative to the vehicle longitudinal axis and the center axis of the at least one object-detection arrangement, information about whether an object was detected one of for a first time and detected repeatedly, a clear-cut object designation, and information about a performance reliability of the at least one object-detection arrangement including whether the at least one object-detection arrangement is one of adjusted, soiled, and blinded, and information regarding whether visibility is poor.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first device and the second device are arranged in a shared housing.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first device and the second device are arranged in two separate housings.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second device including the at least one speed-and-distance controller is configured to generate output signals to control at least one of:

a power-regulating control element of an internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle, or an actuator of a deceleration device of the motor vehicle.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data exchange device includes a data bus.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second device including the at least one speed-and-distance controller is configured to generate output signals to control at least one of a power-regulating control element of an internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle and an actuator of a deceleration device of the motor vehicle, and wherein the data exchange device includes a data bus.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first device and the second device are arranged in a shared housing.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first device and the second device are arranged in two separate housings.

11. An apparatus for detecting objects, comprising:

a detection device for detection of objects;

a selection device for target-object selection; and

a transmission device for transmitting data;

wherein the detection device detects and measures a kinematic variable of more than two objects, the selection device selects exactly two of the more than two detected objects, the exactly two objects respectively denoting a target object and a potential future target object, and the transmission device transmits the measured kinematic variable of the exactly two selected objects to a speed-and-distance control device at which the kinematic variable of the target object is used to control the speed-and-distance controller and the kinematic variable of the potential future target object is kept standing by as a substitute for the target object.

12. An apparatus for regulating vehicle velocity, comprising:

at least one distance and speed controller;

a first output device for outputting a power-regulating signal for an internal combustion engine;

a second output device for outputting a control signal for a deceleration arrangement;

a data-exchange device;

an object-detection device; and

a target-object selection device;

wherein the object-detection device detects and measures a kinematic variable of more than two objects, and the target-object selection device selects exactly two of the more than two detected objects, the exactly two objects respectively denoting a target object and a potential future target object,

wherein the data-exchange device transmits the measured kinematic variable of the exactly two selected objects to the at least one distance and speed controller,

wherein the power-regulating signal and the control signal for the deceleration arrangement are formed by the at least one distance and speed controller by using the transmitted kinematic variable of the two selected objects, and

wherein the kinematic variable of the target object is used to control the at least one speed and distance controller and the kinematic variable of the potential future target object is kept standing by as a substitute for the target object.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the data-exchange device includes a CAN bus.

14. A system for exchanging signals, comprising:

a first device having at least one object-detection unit and at least one device for target-object selection;

wherein the at least one object-detection unit detects and measures a kinematic variable of more than two objects, and the at least one target-object selection device selects exactly two of the more than two detected objects, the exactly two objects respectively denoting a target object and a potential future target object;

a second device having at least one speed and distance control arrangement; and

an apparatus for exchanging signals, wherein the measured kinematic variable of the exactly two selected objects is transmitted from the first device to the second device at which the kinematic variable of the target object is used to control the at least one speed and distance controller and the kinematic variable of the potential future target object is kept standing by as a substitute for the target object.

15. A method for exchange of signals, comprising:

using a first device, that includes at least one object-detection device and at least one device for the target-object selection, for;

detecting and measuring a kinematic variable of more than two objects; and

selecting exactly two of the more than two detected objects, the exactly two objects respectively denoting a target object and a potential future target object; and

transmitting the measured kinematic variable of the exactly two selected objects from the first device to a second device including at least one speed and distance control arrangement at which the kinematic variable of the target object is used to control the at least one speed and distance controller and the kinematic variable of the potential future target object is kept standing by as a substitute for the target object.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the data represents at least one of distances of objects to the at least one object-detection device, relative velocities of objects with respect to the at least one object-detection device, absolute velocities of objects, relative accelerations of objects in relation to the at least one object-detection device, absolute accelerations of objects, sway of objects relative to one of a vehicle longitudinal axis and a center axis of the at least one object-detection device, lateral velocities of objects relative to one of the vehicle longitudinal axis and the center axis of the at least one object-detection device, information about whether one of an object was detected for a first time and detected repeatedly, a clear-cut object designation, and information about a performance reliability of a transmitting and receiving device including whether the transmitting and receiving device is one of adjusted, soiled, and blinded, and information regarding whether visibility is poor.