Smart adaptive cruise control
First Claim
1. A method for controlling a cruise control system of a vehicle, the method carried out by an electronic control system on the vehicle, the electronic control system associated with the cruise control system and having a set of instructions readable by at least one data processing device configured to carry out instructions for controlling the cruise control system, the method comprising the steps of:
- assessing information, received by the electronic control system, representative of road surface conditions of a road over which the vehicle is travelling, ambient climate conditions at a current geographical position of the vehicle, a driving style of a current driver of the vehicle, the driving style being identified in real time while the current driver is driving, as cautious, normal, expert, reckless, or impatient, a geometry of a road over which the vehicle is travelling, a type of road over which the vehicle is travelling, and fuel economy requirements of the vehicle to define current operation condition characterizing information of the vehicle;
determining a first dynamic control target in a real-time manner as a function of current operating condition characterizing information of the vehicle such that the first dynamic control target is adaptive to the current operating condition characterizing information;
andcontrolling the cruise control system of the vehicle as a function of the first dynamic control target.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A cruise control system of a vehicle comprises a target generator, a speed controller, and a distance controller. The speed controller and the distance controller are each coupled to the target generator. The target generator is configured for generating a dynamic speed target and a dynamic distance target through real-time assessment of information characterizing current operating condition characterizing information. The speed controller is configured for utilizing the dynamic speed target for issuing commands to cause the vehicle to be operated at a road speed that is adaptive to the current operating condition characterizing information. The distance controller is configured for utilizing the dynamic distance target for issuing commands to cause the vehicle to be operated such that a distance between the vehicle and a leading vehicle is adaptive to the current operating condition characterizing information.
73 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method for controlling a cruise control system of a vehicle, the method carried out by an electronic control system on the vehicle, the electronic control system associated with the cruise control system and having a set of instructions readable by at least one data processing device configured to carry out instructions for controlling the cruise control system, the method comprising the steps of:
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assessing information, received by the electronic control system, representative of road surface conditions of a road over which the vehicle is travelling, ambient climate conditions at a current geographical position of the vehicle, a driving style of a current driver of the vehicle, the driving style being identified in real time while the current driver is driving, as cautious, normal, expert, reckless, or impatient, a geometry of a road over which the vehicle is travelling, a type of road over which the vehicle is travelling, and fuel economy requirements of the vehicle to define current operation condition characterizing information of the vehicle; determining a first dynamic control target in a real-time manner as a function of current operating condition characterizing information of the vehicle such that the first dynamic control target is adaptive to the current operating condition characterizing information; and controlling the cruise control system of the vehicle as a function of the first dynamic control target. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An electronic control system having a set of instructions configured to carry out operations for:
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at least one data processing device accessing, from memory coupled to the at least one data processing device, instructions causing the at least one data processing device to assess information characterizing a road surface condition of a road over which the vehicle is travelling, ambient climate conditions at a current geographical position of the vehicle, a driving style of a current driver of the vehicle identified in real time while the current driver is driving as cautious, normal, expert, reckless, or impatient, a geometry of a road over which the vehicle is travelling, a type of road over which the vehicle is travelling, and fuel economy requirements of the vehicle; the at least one data processing device accessing, from memory coupled to the at least one data processing device, instructions causing the at least one data processing device to determine a dynamic speed target for the vehicle, wherein the dynamic speed target is determined in a real-time manner as a function of current operating condition characterizing information; the at least one data processing device accessing, from the memory, instructions causing the at least one data processing device to determine a dynamic distance target for the vehicle relative to a leading vehicle that the vehicle is following, wherein the dynamic distance target is determined in a real-time manner as a function of current operating condition characterizing information; the at least one data processing device accessing from memory, instruction causing the at least one data processing device to asses information characterizing at least one of a road surface condition of a road over which the vehicle is travelling, ambient climate conditions at a current geographical position of the vehicle, a driving style of a current driver of the vehicle, a geometry of a road over which the vehicle is travelling, a type of road over which the vehicle is travelling, and fuel economy requirements of the vehicle; the at least one data processing device accessing, from the memory, instructions causing the at least one data processing device to selectively detect a vehicle operating condition during which a cruise control system of the vehicle is to be controlled using the dynamic speed target and a vehicle operating condition during which the cruise control system is to be controlled using the dynamic distance target; and the at least one data processing device accessing, from the memory, instructions causing the at least one data processing device to activate dynamic speed control functionality of the cruise control system in response to detecting the vehicle operating condition during which the cruise control system of the vehicle is to be controlled using the dynamic speed target and to activate dynamic distance control functionality of the cruise control system in response to detecting the vehicle operating condition during which the cruise control system of the vehicle is to be controlled using the dynamic distance target. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. A cruise control system of a vehicle, comprising:
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a target generator generating a dynamic speed target and a dynamic distance target through real-time assessment of information characterizing current operating condition of a road surface condition of a road over which the vehicle is travelling, ambient climate conditions at a current geographical position of the vehicle, a driving style of a current driver of the vehicle identified in real time while the current driver is driving as cautious, normal, expert, reckless, or impatient, a type of road over which the vehicle is travelling, and fuel economy requirements of a vehicle; a speed controller coupled to the target generator, wherein the speed controller utilizes the dynamic speed target to issue commands to cause the vehicle to be operated at a road speed that is adaptive to the current operating condition characterizing information; and a distance controller coupled to the target generator, wherein the distance controller utilizes the dynamic distance target to issue commands to cause the vehicle to be operated such that a distance between the vehicle and a leading vehicle is adaptive to the current operating condition characterizing information. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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Specification