US5969640A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method for spacing control for a motor vehicle
Assignee: Volkswagen AG
•
Filing: 1997-05-20
•
Granted: 1999-10-19
•
Expires: 2017-05-20
Abstract
Abstract The specification discloses a method for spacing control for a motor vehicle, in which the current driving speed of the motor vehicle and the current spacing of the vehicle from an object in front of the vehicle are determined by sensor devices, and a spacing-dependent required acceleration is produced from the detected variables. For this purpose, a speed-dependent required acceleration is determined from a desired speed which is manually predetermined by the vehicle driver, and is compared with the spacing-dependent required acceleration. A manipulated variable for the driving engine and/or the braking system of the motor vehicle is then generated as a function of the required acceleration.
Inventors
- 👤 Klaus Timm
- 👤 Hubert Weisser
- 👤 Ralf Bergholz
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 21:55
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60K; B60K31/00; B60K31/0008; B60W; B60W10/00; B60W10/04; B60W10/18; B60W30/00; B60W30/14; B60W30/16; B60W30/18; B60W30/18009; B60W30/18145; B60W30/1819; B60T; B60T2220/00; B60T2220/02; B60W50/00; B60W2050/0001; B60W2050/0043; B60W2050/0057; B60W2520/00; B60W2520/10; B60W2540/00; B60W2540/20; B60W2540/30; B60W2552/00; B60W2552/40; B60W2554/00; B60W2554/80; B60W2554/802; B60W2720/00; B60W2720/10; B60W2720/106; B60W40/00; B60W40/08; B60W40/09
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 45
Claim 1
Independent Claim
89 words
A method for spacing control for a motor vehicle comprising the steps of: determining current vehicle speed of the motor vehicle and current spacing from an object in front of the motor vehicle by sensor devices; determining a spacing-dependent required acceleration to maintain a required spacing to the object; comparing a spacing-dependent required acceleration and a speed-dependent required acceleration determined from at least a predetermined desired speed; and generating a manipulated variable for controlling a driving engine and/or a braking system as a function of a required acceleration value.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
89 words
A method for spacing control for a motor vehicle comprising the steps of: determining current vehicle speed of the motor vehicle and current spacing from an object in front of the motor vehicle by sensor devices; determining a spacing-dependent required acceleration to maintain a required spacing to the object; comparing a spacing-dependent required acceleration and a speed-dependent required acceleration determined from at least a predetermined desired speed; and generating a manipulated variable for controlling a driving engine and/or a braking system as a function of a required acceleration value.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the spacing-dependent required acceleration and the speed-dependent required acceleration are compared as a function of a driving situation.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
104 words
A method according to claim 1 including the steps of: supplying a first controller with the current vehicle speed as an input variable; generating in the first controller a required spacing from the object in front of the motor vehicle; comparing the current spacing from the object in front of the motor vehicle with the required spacing to determine a spacing ratio; supplying the spacing ratio and a difference between the current speed of the motor vehicle and a speed of the object in front of the motor vehicle to a second controller; and determining the spacing dependent required acceleration in the second controller.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method according to claim 1 including the steps of: supplying the current vehicle speed and a difference between the desired speed and the current vehicle speed to a third controller; and determining the speed-dependent required acceleration in the third controller.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
51 words
A method according to claim 1 including the steps of: supplying the required acceleration value to a fourth controller and to a fifth controller; generating a manipulated variable for a vehicle driving engine in the fourth controller; and generating a manipulated variable for a vehicle braking system in the fifth controller.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method according to claim 1 including the step of: supplying a first controller with a road friction coefficient and/or a variable for a prevailing visibility condition as a further input variable.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method according to claim 1 including the steps of: comparing the required spacing with a driving situation-related required spacing; and comparing the current spacing from the object with a selected one of the required spacing and the driving situation-related required spacing.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method according to claim 1 including the step of: adapting the required spacing to a driving characteristic of an individual driver.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method according to claim 1 including the step of: adapting a first controller and/or a second controller in a manner specific to an individual driver.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method according to claim 1 including the step of: supplying the current vehicle speed to a second controller as a further input variable.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 1 including the step of: modifying a manually predetermined desired speed value as a function of a curve-dependent required speed.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method according to claim 11 including the step of: generating the curve-dependent required speed as a function of the current driving speed.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method according to claim 1 including the steps of: supplying a sixth controller with a detected transverse slip and with a current road friction coefficient; and determining in the sixth controller a curve-dependent required speed.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method according to claim 13 including the step of: generating the curve-dependent required speed as a function of the current vehicle speed.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method according to claim 1 including the steps of: generating a virtual desired speed as a function of predefined driving conditions; and modifying the predetermined desired speed as a function of the virtual desired speed.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
58 words
A method according to claim 1 including the steps of: supplying a seventh controller with the current vehicle speed and with a detected actuating time of a device indicating an overtaking procedure of the motor vehicle; and generating in the seventh controller an acceleration factor by which the required acceleration value is modified to produce the manipulated variable.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method according to claim 1 including the step of: supplying the fourth controller with the required acceleration, the current vehicle speed, and the difference between the required acceleration and the present acceleration of the motor vehicle in order to produce the manipulated variable.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to claim 1 including the step of: supplying a fourth controller with the current road friction coefficient.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
49 words
A method according to claim 1 including the step of: supplying a fifth controller with the required acceleration, the current vehicle speed and the difference between the required acceleration and a detected current acceleration of the motor vehicle in order to form a manipulated variable for the braking system.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to claim 19 including the step of: supplying the fifth controller with a current road friction coefficient.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
128 words
An arrangement for controlling spacing of a motor vehicle from an object in front of the motor vehicle comprising a plurality of interlinked fuzzy controllers responsive to signals representing current speed of the motor vehicle, current spacing of the motor vehicle from an object in front of the motor vehicle, a required spacing of the motor vehicle from an object in front of the motor vehicle, a desired speed of the motor vehicle, and the speed of the object in front of the motor vehicle, to produce an output signal for controlling a driving engine and/or a braking system for the motor vehicle so as to produce a required acceleration of the motor vehicle to maintain the required spacing from the object in front of the motor vehicle.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
128 words
An arrangement for controlling spacing of a motor vehicle from an object in front of the motor vehicle comprising a plurality of interlinked fuzzy controllers responsive to signals representing current speed of the motor vehicle, current spacing of the motor vehicle from an object in front of the motor vehicle, a required spacing of the motor vehicle from an object in front of the motor vehicle, a desired speed of the motor vehicle, and the speed of the object in front of the motor vehicle, to produce an output signal for controlling a driving engine and/or a braking system for the motor vehicle so as to produce a required acceleration of the motor vehicle to maintain the required spacing from the object in front of the motor vehicle.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
20 words
An arrangement according to claim 21, wherein the fuzzy controllers are capable of being adapted in membership functions and rules.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
44 words
An arrangement according to claim 21 wherein the speed control means comprises a means providing a virtual desired speed as a function of preassigned driving conditions, and the predetermined desired speed is varied as a function of the virtual desired speed in an operator.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
66 words
An arrangement according to claim 21 wherein the vehicle driving and braking control means comprises a seventh controller to which the instantaneous road speed and a sensed actuation time of a means for indicating an overtaking process of the motor vehicle are supplied, and the seventh controller supplies an acceleration factor to an operator that alters the required acceleration as a function of the acceleration factor.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
161 words
An arrangement for controlling the spacing of a motor vehicle from an object in front of the motor vehicle comprising: speed sensor means for sensing instantaneous road speed of the motor vehicle; spacing sensor means for sensing an instantaneous spacing of the motor vehicle from an object located in front of the motor vehicle; spacing control means receiving signals supplied from the speed sensor means and the spacing sensor means and receiving a signal representing a predetermined desired speed and providing a spacing-dependent required acceleration based upon the received signals; speed control means receiving signals representing a manually selected desired speed and the instantaneous road speed of the vehicle and providing a speed-dependent required acceleration; an operator responsive to a spacing-dependent required acceleration and a speed-dependent required acceleration to provide an output signal representing a required acceleration; and vehicle driving and braking control means for controlling a vehicle engine and/or a vehicle brake system as a function of the required acceleration.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
161 words
An arrangement for controlling the spacing of a motor vehicle from an object in front of the motor vehicle comprising: speed sensor means for sensing instantaneous road speed of the motor vehicle; spacing sensor means for sensing an instantaneous spacing of the motor vehicle from an object located in front of the motor vehicle; spacing control means receiving signals supplied from the speed sensor means and the spacing sensor means and receiving a signal representing a predetermined desired speed and providing a spacing-dependent required acceleration based upon the received signals; speed control means receiving signals representing a manually selected desired speed and the instantaneous road speed of the vehicle and providing a speed-dependent required acceleration; an operator responsive to a spacing-dependent required acceleration and a speed-dependent required acceleration to provide an output signal representing a required acceleration; and vehicle driving and braking control means for controlling a vehicle engine and/or a vehicle brake system as a function of the required acceleration.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
26 words
An arrangement according to claim 25 wherein the operator interrelates the spacing-dependent required acceleration and the speed-dependent required acceleration in terms of a vehicle driving condition.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
118 words
An arrangement according to claim 25 wherein the spacing control means comprises: at least one first controller to which at least the instantaneous road speed is applied as an input quantity and which produces a required spacing from the object in front of the motor vehicle; an operator relating the sensed instantaneous spacing from the object located in front of the motor vehicle to the required spacing in order to determine a difference value; and a second controller to which at least the difference value and a predetermined relative speed between the motor vehicle and the object located in front of the motor vehicle are supplied and which determines a required acceleration as a function of the spacing.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
28 words
An arrangement according to claim 23 wherein the first controller receives signals representing a coefficient of road friction and/or a quantity representing prevailing visibility conditions as input signals.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
27 words
An arrangement according to claim 23 wherein the first controller and the second controller in the spacing control means are arranged to respond to specific driver requirements.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
23 words
An arrangement according to claim 23 wherein the second controller of the spacing control means receives a signal representing the instantaneous vehicle speed.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
55 words
An arrangement according to claim 25 wherein the speed control means includes at least a third controller to which at least the instantaneous road speed and a quantity relating a predetermined desired road speed to the instantaneous road speed are supplied and which determines a required acceleration as a function of the road speed values.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
48 words
An arrangement according to claim 25 wherein the vehicle driving and braking control means comprises at least a fourth controller to provide control signals for the vehicle engine and a fifth controller to provide control signals for the vehicle brake system in response to signals representing required acceleration.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
33 words
An arrangement according to claim 32 wherein the fourth controller also receives signals representing the instantaneous road speed and the difference between the required acceleration and the actual acceleration of the motor vehicle.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
20 words
An arrangement according to claim 32 wherein the fourth controller also receives signals representing the prevailing coefficient of road friction.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
34 words
An arrangement according to claim 32 wherein the fifth controller also receives signals representing the instantaneous road speed and the difference between the required acceleration and a sensed actual acceleration of the motor vehicle.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
20 words
An arrangement according to claim 32 wherein the fifth controller also receives signals representing the prevailing coefficient of road friction.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
64 words
An arrangement according to claim 25 wherein the spacing control means comprises an operator for determining the required spacing from a required spacing dependent on a function of a driving situation and from the instantaneous spacing from the object located in front of the motor vehicle based on a value of the required spacing as generated in the operator for determining the required spacing.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
20 words
An arrangement according to claim 25 wherein the predetermined desired speed is a variable dependent upon a curve-dependent required speed.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
40 words
An arrangement according to claim 38 wherein the speed control means includes a sixth controller to which at least a determined cross slip and a prevailing coefficient of road friction are supplied and which produces a curve-dependent required acceleration value.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
30 words
An arrangement according to claim 38 wherein the speed control means includes a controller which produces a curve-dependent speed value from the instantaneous vehicle speed and the curve-dependent required speed.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
15 words
An arrangement according to claim 25 wherein each of the controllers is a fuzzy controller.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
20 words
An arrangement according to claim 41 wherein the fuzzy controllers are capable of being adapted in membership functions and rules.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4621705A
Cited
US4809183A
Cited
US5189619A
Cited
DE4100993A1
Cited
US5166881A
Cited
DE4201970A1
Cited
US5545960A
Cited
US5400864A
Cited
US5375060A
Cited
US5396426A
Cited
US5629851A
Cited
EP0612641A1
Cited
US5594645A
Cited
US5629669A
Cited
WO1995010053A1
Cited
EP0661188A1
Cited
DE19502954A1
Cited
US5670953A
Cited
US5689422A
Cited
GB2295698A
Cited
FR2732651A1
Cited
DE19711819A1
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-10-18 | 2003-04-19 | 2003-10-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-10-18 | 2007-04-19 | 2007-10-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-10-18 | 2011-04-19 | 2011-10-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |