Vehicle control in traffic conditions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9643606-B2
Application number	US-201514686268-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 14, 2015
Priority date	Apr 14, 2015
Publication date	May 9, 2017
Grant date	May 9, 2017

Abstract

A vehicle may include a steering wheel assembly, a powertrain, and a controller. The steering wheel assembly may include an interface. The controller may be programmed to, in response to a vehicle speed being less than a threshold, enable the interface to receive a driver input, and in response to a driver input received while the vehicle speed is less than the threshold, operate a powertrain to increase/decrease the vehicle speed subject to a range of authority.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
a steering wheel assembly including an interface; and
a controller programmed to
in response to a speed of the vehicle falling below a threshold, enable the interface and,
in response to a first driver input via the interface while enabled, apply a vehicle speed limit based on a first range of authority associated with the first driver input, and operate a powertrain to increase the speed.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a brake assembly in communication with the controller, wherein the controller is further programmed to, in response to a second driver input via the interface while enabled, operate the brake assembly to decrease the speed subject to a second range of authority.

3. The vehicle of claim 2 wherein the controller is further programmed to, in response to the speed exceeding the threshold, disable the interface.

4. The vehicle of claim 2 wherein the controller is further programmed to output for display a first indicator indicative of the first range of authority and a second indicator indicative of the second range of authority.

5. The vehicle of claim 4 wherein the first range of authority is based on a creep vehicle speed and the vehicle speed limit.

6. The vehicle of claim 2 wherein the controller is further programmed to, in response to an actuation of at least one of an accelerator pedal and a brake pedal, disable the interface and remove the vehicle speed limit.

7. The vehicle of claim 2 wherein the interface includes a first interface portion disposed on a steering wheel radially spaced apart from a second interface portion disposed on the steering wheel.

8. The vehicle of claim 7 wherein the first interface portion is configured to receive the first driver input and the second interface portion is configured to receive the second driver input.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Remes Enrique

Classifications

• B60T7/22 Primary

  initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle {, or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle} · CPC title

• B60W2554/801

  Lateral distance · CPC title

• B60W2554/80

  Spatial relation or speed relative to objects · CPC title

• B60W2540/12

  Brake pedal position · CPC title

• B60W2540/215

  Selection or confirmation of options · CPC title