Driver interaction pertaining to reference-speed-regulating cruise control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9315104-B2
Application number	US-201214116446-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2012
Priority date	May 16, 2011
Publication date	Apr 19, 2016
Grant date	Apr 19, 2016

Abstract

A method for operation of a reference-speed-regulating cruise control and a reference-speed-regulating 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 if the reference speed v ref differs from the set speed v set , which adjustment is based at least partly on a current speed v pres of the vehicle and on input from a user of the reference-speed-regulating cruise control. Quick and simple user-controlled adjustment of the set speed v set is thus achieved.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for a reference-speed-regulating cruise control which outputs a reference speed v ref to an engine of a vehicle to control said engine of said vehicle, said reference speed v ref being such that it will not always be equal to a set speed v set input to said reference-speed-regulating cruise control, said reference speed v ref being such it may be set by the reference-speed-regulating cruise control without any input from a user of said reference-speed-regulating cruise control, the method comprising adjusting at least said set speed v set when said reference speed v ref differs from said set speed v set , and basing said adjustment at least partly on a current speed v pres of said vehicle and on input from a user of said reference-speed-regulating cruise control, said input from said user of said reference-speed-regulating cruise control causing said adjustment of said set speed v set to occur, without switching off said reference-speed-regulating cruise control, said input from said user of said reference-speed-regulating cruise control causing a first adjustment of said set speed v set when said reference speed v ref is lower than said set speed v set , said first adjustment of said set speed v set being different than a second adjustment of said set speed v set , said input from said user of said reference-speed-regulating cruise control causing said second adjustment of said set speed v set when said reference speed v ref is higher than said set speed v set .

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said adjusting is for causing said set speed v set to be set to said current speed v pres so that v set =v pres .

3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said adjusting is for causing said set speed v set to be set to an upwardly adjusted value v pres +v adj of said current speed so that v set =v pres +v adj .

4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said adjusting is for causing said set speed v set to be set to a downwardly adjusted value v pres −v adj of said current speed so that v set =v pres −v adj , wherein v adj is not equal to zero.

5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said adjusting is for causing said set speed v set to be set to a value corresponding to whichever is greater of said current speed v pres and an overall lowest permissible speed v min glob .

6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said adjusting is for causing said set speed v set to be set to a value corresponding to whichever is smaller of said current speed v pres and an overall highest permissible speed v max glob .

7. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said adjusting of said set speed v set is applicable until a new value is input for said set speed v set .

8. A method according to claim 1 ,
further comprising effecting said input by means of at least one of
input devices selected from:
a button,
a lever,
a knob,
a pedal,
a touchscreen,
a voice input device and
a menu choice.

9. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising said reference-speed-regulating cruise control is
either an adaptive cruise control (ACC)
or a cruise control which uses knowledge about road sections ahead.

10. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium which contains a computer program which comprises program code and which, when said program code is executed in a computer, causes said computer to apply the method according to claim 1 .

11. A reference-speed-regulating cruise control configured to output a reference speed v ref to an engine of a vehicle to control said engine of said vehicle, said reference speed v ref being such that it will not always be equal to a set speed v set input to said reference-speed-regulating cruise control, said reference speed v ref being such that it may be set by the reference-speed-regulating cruise control without any input from a user of said reference-speed-regulating cruise control, said reference-speed-regulating cruise control comprising an adjusting unit configured to adjust at least said set speed v set when said reference speed V ref differs from said set speed v set , and to base said adjustment at least partly on a current speed v pres of said vehicle and on input from a user of said reference-speed-regulating cruise control, said input from said user of said reference-speed-regulating cruise control causing said adjustment of said set speed v set to occur, without switching off said reference-speed-regulating cruise control, said input from said user of said reference-speed-regulating cruise control causing a first adjustment of said set speed v set when said reference speed v ref is lower than said set speed v set , said first adjustment of said set speed v set being different than a second adjustment of said set speed v set , said input from said user of said reference-speed-regulating cruise control causing said second adjustment of said set speed v set when said reference speed v ref is higher than said set speed v set .

Assignees

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

Inventors

• Johansson Oskar
• Södergren Maria
• Roos Fredrik

Classifications

• B60W50/085

  Changing the parameters of the control units, e.g. changing limit values, working points by control input · CPC title

• B60W30/16 Primary

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

• B60W2556/50

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

• B60W2552/20

  Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments · CPC title

• B60W30/143 Primary

  Speed control (B60W30/16 takes precedence) · CPC title