Driver interaction pertaining to economical cruise control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10131227-B2
Application number	US-201214116435-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2012
Priority date	May 16, 2011
Publication date	Nov 20, 2018
Grant date	Nov 20, 2018

Abstract

A method for an economical cruise control and an economical cruise control which demands from a vehicle engine system a reference speed v ref , which may differ from a chosen set speed v set . Adjustment of at least the set speed v set is allowed when the reference speed v ref differs from the set speed v set . The adjustment is based at least partly on input from a user of the economical cruise control. A user of the economical cruise control is thus provided with an increased feeling of control over the vehicle's speed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method performed by a cruise control of a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:
the cruise control controlling an engine system of the vehicle by demanding from the engine system a reference speed v ref which may differ from a set speed v set chosen by a user of the cruise control, and;
the cruise control controlling the engine system of the vehicle by adjusting at least the reference speed v ref , when the reference speed v ref differs from the set speed v set , to a second value which is not equal to a first value of v ref chosen by the cruise control before the adjustment, the first value of v ref being based on v set , the adjusting being based, at least partly, on input from a user of the cruise control,
wherein
the input changes the reference speed v ref ,
the input causes the reference speed v ref to be set to a selected one of a plurality of speeds to which the reference speed v ref may be set, and
the selected one of the plurality of speeds is a current speed v pres so that v ref =v pres .

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the selected one of the plurality of speeds is the set speed v set so that v ref =v set .

3. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising the cruise control setting the set speed v set to an upwardly adjusted value v set, old +v adj before the adjusting of the reference speed v ref , the selected one of the plurality of speeds being v set =v set, old +v adj so that v ref =v set =v set, old +v adj .

4. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising the cruise control setting the set speed v set to a downwardly adjusted value v set, old −v adj before the adjusting of the reference speed v ref , the selected one of the plurality of speeds being v set =v set, old −v adj so that v ref =v set =v set, old −v adj .

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the current speed v pres is a temporary lowest speed v min temp so that v ref =v min temp .

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the current speed v pres is a temporary highest speed v max temp so that v ref −v max temp .

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the selected one of plurality of speeds is an upwardly adjusted value v ref old +v adj and the adjusting causes the reference speed v ref to be set to the upwardly adjusted value v ref old +v adj .

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the selected one of the plurality of speeds is a downwardly adjusted value v ref old +v adj and the adjusting causes the reference speed v ref to be set to the downwardly adjusted value v ref, old −v adj .

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the adjusting of the reference speed v ref is applicable for a distance S.

10. The method according to claim 9 , in which at least one particular driving situation continues for the distance S.

11. The method according to claim 9 , in which an end of the distance S is reached when a deactivation condition is fulfilled.

12. The method according to claim 11 , in which the deactivation condition is related to any of events selected from:
a gear change,
a braking,
a clutch operation,
a change in engine torque demanded,
a new input by the user, and
reaching a predetermined part of the distance S.

13. The method according to claim 10 wherein the particular driving situation comprises at least one driving situation selected from:
an uphill run,
a downhill run,
an overtaking,
an acceleration, and
a tunnel.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the adjusting causes the cruise control to apply a reference speed v ref which according to the cruise control is suboptimised.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the adjusting imposes upon a control of the reference speed v ref a limitation which is applied by the cruise control.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the input is effected by means of at least one input device selected from:
a button,
a lever,
a knob,
a pedal,
a touchscreen,
a voice input device, and
a menu choice.

17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the cruise control is configured to use knowledge about sections of road ahead.

18. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium which contains a computer program which comprises program code and which causes a computer to control a cruise control of a vehicle to perform a method, the method comprising the steps of:
the cruise control controlling an engine system of the vehicle by demanding from the engine system a reference speed v ref which may differ from a set speed v set chosen by a user of the cruise control, and;
the cruise control controlling the engine system of the vehicle by adjusting at least the reference speed v ref , when the reference speed v ref differs from the set speed v set , to a second value which is not equal to a first value of v ref chosen by the cruise control before the adjusting by the cruise control, the first value of v ref being based on v set , the adjusting being based, at least partly, on input from a user of the cruise control,
wherein
the input changes the reference speed v ref ,
the input causes the reference speed v ref to be set to a selected one of a plurality of speeds to which the reference speed v ref may be set, and
the selected one of the plurality of speeds is a current speed v pres so that v ref =v pres .

19. A cruise control configured to:
demand from an engine system of a vehicle a reference speed v ref which may differ from a set speed v set chosen by a user of the cruise control,
allow adjustment of at least the reference speed v ref , when it differs from the set speed v set , to a second value which is not equal to a first value of v ref chosen by the cruise control before the adjustment, the first value of v ref being based on v set , and
base the adjustment, at least partly, on input from a user of the cruise control,
wherein
the input is configured to change the reference speed v ref ,
the input causes the reference speed v ref to be set to a selected one of a plurality of speeds to which the reference speed v ref may be set, and
the selected one of the plurality of speeds is a current speed v pres so that v ref =v pres .

Assignees

• Johansson Oskar
• Soedergren Maria
• Roos Fredrik
• Scania Cv Ab

Inventors

• Johansson Oskar
• Södergren Maria
• Roos Fredrik

Classifications

• Y02T10/84

  Data processing systems or methods, management, administration · CPC title

• B60K2310/244

  changing target speed or setting a new target speed, e.g. changing algorithms · CPC title

• B60W50/0097

  Predicting future conditions · CPC title

• B60W2720/103

  Speed profile · CPC title

• B60K31/00 Primary

  Vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator · CPC title