Method and apparatus for controlling a vehicle including an adaptive cruise control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11167759-B2
Application number	US-201916380275-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2019
Priority date	Apr 10, 2019
Publication date	Nov 9, 2021
Grant date	Nov 9, 2021

Abstract

Operating a subject vehicle equipped with an adaptive cruise control system includes setting initial states for control parameters, including setting a desired vehicle speed and determining a desired following gap range, wherein the desired following gap range is associated with a lead vehicle. Operation is controlled via the adaptive cruise control system based upon the initial states for the control parameters. Operation also includes monitoring for presence of the lead vehicle. Upon detecting presence of the lead vehicle, an actual following gap is determined between the subject vehicle and the lead vehicle, and the initial states of the control parameters associated with the adaptive cruise control system are adjusted based upon the actual following gap between the subject vehicle and the lead vehicle, and the desired following gap range. Operation is controlled via the adaptive cruise control system based upon the adjusted initial states of the control parameters.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for operating a subject vehicle equipped with an adaptive cruise control system, the method comprising:
setting initial states for control parameters associated with the adaptive cruise control system, including setting a desired vehicle speed;
determining a desired following gap range, wherein the desired following gap range is relative to a lead vehicle, wherein determining the desired following gap range includes determining a minimum permissible following gap and a maximum permissible following gap relative to the lead vehicle;
controlling, via the adaptive cruise control system, operation of the subject vehicle based upon the initial states for the control parameters;
monitoring for presence of the lead vehicle; and
upon detecting presence of the lead vehicle:
dynamically determining an actual following gap between the subject vehicle and the lead vehicle;
adjusting the initial states of the control parameters associated with the adaptive cruise control system based upon the actual following gap between the subject vehicle and the lead vehicle and the desired following gap range; and
controlling, via the adaptive cruise control system, operation of the subject vehicle based upon the adjusted initial states of the control parameters.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subject vehicle includes a propulsion system and a braking system that are operably connected to the adaptive cruise control system, and wherein controlling, via the adaptive cruise control system, operation of the subject vehicle based upon the adjusted initial states of the control parameters comprises controlling, via the adaptive cruise control system, operation of the propulsion system and the braking system based upon the adjusted initial states of the control parameters.

3. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein controlling, via the adaptive cruise control system, operation of the subject vehicle based upon the adjusted initial states of the control parameters comprises controlling, via the adaptive cruise control system, operation of the subject vehicle such that the actual following gap between the subject vehicle and the lead vehicle is greater than the minimum permissible following gap and is less than the maximum permissible following gap.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subject vehicle includes a spatial monitoring system, and wherein monitoring for the presence of the lead vehicle comprises monitoring, via the spatial monitoring system, for the presence of the lead vehicle.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising determining, via the spatial monitoring system, the actual following gap between the subject vehicle and the lead vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the vehicle further includes a telematics device arranged to effect extra-vehicle communication with a second controller, the method further comprising:
assessing, via the extra-vehicle communication with the second controller and the spatial monitoring system, traffic conditions proximal to the subject vehicle;
determining, via the vehicle spatial monitoring system, a speed of the lead vehicle; and
determining the desired following gap range based upon the speed of the lead vehicle and the traffic proximal to the subject vehicle.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the subject vehicle includes a GPS sensor and a vehicle navigation system, the method further comprising:
assessing, via the GPS sensor and the vehicle navigation system, impending road conditions; and
controlling, via the adaptive cruise control system, operation of the subject vehicle based upon the adjusted initial states of the control parameters and the impending road conditions.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
monitoring speed of the lead vehicle over a period of time;
developing a driver model of the lead vehicle based upon the speed of the lead vehicle over the period of time;
predicting operation of the lead vehicle based upon the driver model of the lead vehicle; and
adjusting the initial states of the control parameters associated with the adaptive cruise control system based upon the actual following gap between the subject vehicle and the lead vehicle, the desired following gap range and the predicted operation of the lead vehicle based upon the driver model of the lead vehicle; and
controlling, via the adaptive cruise control system, operation of the subject vehicle based upon the adjusted initial states of the control parameters.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
converting the predicted operation of the lead vehicle into a time-distance domain; and
adjusting the desired vehicle speed for the subject vehicle based upon the speed of the lead vehicle and the predicted operation of the lead vehicle in the time-distance domain.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the desired following gap range comprises a desired minimum following distance relative to the lead vehicle and a desired maximum following distance relative to the lead vehicle; and
wherein adjusting the desired vehicle speed for the subject vehicle based upon the speed of the lead vehicle and the predicted operation of the lead vehicle in the time-distance domain comprises adjusting the desired vehicle speed for the subject vehicle such that the subject vehicle remains within the following gap range relative to the lead vehicle.

11. A method for operating a subject vehicle equipped with an adaptive cruise control system, a GPS sensor and a vehicle navigation system, the method comprising:
setting initial states for control parameters associated with the adaptive cruise control system, including setting a desired vehicle speed;
determining a desired following gap range, wherein the desired following gap range is relative to a lead vehicle, wherein determining the desired following gap range includes determining a minimum permissible following gap and a maximum permissible following gap relative to the lead vehicle;
controlling, via the adaptive cruise control system, operation of the subject vehicle based upon the initial states for the control parameters and the desired following gap range;
assessing, via the GPS sensor and the vehicle navigation system, impending road conditions;
adjusting the initial states of the control parameters associated with the adaptive cruise control system based upon the impending road conditions; and
controlling, via the adaptive cruise control system, operation of the subject vehicle based upon the adjusted initial states of the control parameters.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the subject vehicle includes a propulsion system and a braking system that are operably connected to the adaptive cruise control system, and wherein controlling, via the adaptive cruise control system, operation of the subject vehicle based upon the adjusted initial states of the control parameters comprises controlling, via the adaptive cruise control system, operations of the propulsion system and the braking system based upon the adjusted initial states of the control parameters.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein assessing the impending road conditions comprises detecting, via the GPS sensor and the vehicle navigation system, an approaching grade in the road, the method further comprising:
adjusting the initial states of the control parameters associated with the adaptive cruise control system based upon the approaching grade in the road.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein detecting the approaching grade in the road comprises detecting an approaching uphill grade associated with a hill, and
wherein adjusting the initial states of the c

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Zhao Junfeng
• Hu Yiran
• Li Dongxu
• Muldoon Steven E
• Chang Chen-Fang

Classifications

• B60W2720/10

  Longitudinal speed · CPC title

• B60W30/16 Primary

  Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle · CPC title

• B60W50/0097

  Predicting future conditions · CPC title

• B60W2556/50

  of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data · CPC title

• B60W2554/801

  Lateral distance · CPC title