Adaptive vehicle cruise control system and methodology

Claim 2

An automotive vehicle comprising: a powertrain comprising an engine having a throttle that is selectively operated to apply an acceleration force to the vehicle via wheels on which the vehicle is supported and propelled along an underlying surface; a vehicle speed control for selectively throttling the engine via the throttle to null discrepancy between actual vehicle speed and a reference vehicle speed; range and range rate apparatus for providing a range signal and a range rate signal corresponding respectively to range and range rate to an immediately preceding lead vehicle; and a headway controller that acts via the vehicle speed control for nulling discrepancy between said range to the immediately preceding lead vehicle obtained by the range and range rate apparatus and a reference range that varies with timed headway; wherein the range and range rate signals and a vehicle speed signal corresponding to said actual vehicle speed provide closed loop feedback to the headway controller; wherein the headway controller develops a speed reference signal which corresponds to the reference vehicle speed and provides a speed command input to the vehicle speed control, and the speed reference signal comprises an algebraic summation of a term that is proportional to the vehicle's own speed as measured by the vehicle speed sensor, of a term that is proportional to the difference between the reference range and the range to the immediately preceding lead vehicle as measured by the range signal, and of a term that is proportional to said range rate to the immediately preceding lead vehicle as measured by the range rate signal.

Claim 3

An automotive vehicle as set forth in claim 1 in which the vehicle further comprises a brake control system that is selectively operated to apply a deceleration force to the vehicle wheels, and the speed reference signal also provides a command signal input to the brake control system.

Claim 4

An automotive vehicle comprising: a powertrain comprising an engine having a throttle that is selectively operated to apply an acceleration force to the vehicle via wheels on which the vehicle is supported and propelled along an underlying surface; a vehicle speed control for selectively throttling the engine via the throttle to null discrepancy between actual vehicle speed and a reference vehicle speed; range and range rate apparatus for providing a range signal and a range rate signal corresponding respectively to range and range rate to an immediately preceding lead vehicle; and a headway controller that acts via the vehicle speed control for nulling discrepancy between said range to the immediately preceding lead vehicle obtained by the range and range rate apparatus and a reference range that varies with timed headway; wherein the range and range rate signals and a vehicle speed signal corresponding to said actual vehicle speed provide closed loop feedback to the headway controller; and wherein the headway controller develops a speed reference signal which corresponds to the reference vehicle speed and provides a speed command input to the vehicle speed control, and the headway controller executes a function for accelerating and decelerating the vehicle that is mathematically defined by a piecewise continuous surface wherein change in the speed reference signal per unit of time measurement ΔV ƒ is defined as a function of both range error R e and range rate {dot over (R)} by the maximum function: Δ   V f = max  [ k p , s  R e + k d , s  R . k p , c  R e + k d , c  R . ] where the values of k p,s , k d,s , k p,c , and k d,c are selected to provide relatively less rigid feel for some sets of values of said range error and said range rate and relatively more rigid feel for other sets of values of said range error and said range rate.

Claim 5

An automotive vehicle comprising: a powertrain comprising an engine having a throttle that is selectively operated to apply an acceleration force to the vehicle via wheels on which the vehicle is supported and propelled along an underlying surface; a vehicle speed control for selectively throttling the engine via the throttle to null discrepancy between actual vehicle speed and a reference vehicle speed; range and range rate apparatus for providing a range signal and a range rate signal corresponding respectively to range and range rate to an immediately preceding lead vehicle; and a headway controller that acts via the vehicle speed control for nulling discrepancy between said range to the immediately preceding lead vehicle obtained by the range and range rate apparatus and a reference range that varies with timed headway; wherein the range and range rate signals and a vehicle speed signal corresponding to said actual vehicle speed provide closed loop feedback to the headway controller; and wherein the headway controller develops a speed reference signal which corresponds to the reference vehicle speed and provides a speed command input to the vehicle speed control, and the headway controller executes a function for accelerating and decelerating the vehicle that is mathematically defined by a piecewise continuous surface wherein change in the speed reference signal per unit of time measurement ΔV ƒ is defined as a function of both range error R e and range rate {dot over (R)} by the maximum function: Δ   V f = max  [ k p , s  R e + k d , s  R . k p , c  R e + k d , c  R . ] where the values of k p,s , k d,s , k p,c , and k d,c are selected to provide relatively less rigid feel for some sets of values of said range error and said range rate and relatively more rigid feel for other sets of values of said range error and said range rate.

Claim 6

An automotive vehicle as set forth in claim 3 in which the vehicle further comprises a brake control system that is selectively operated to apply a deceleration force to the vehicle wheels, and the speed reference signal also provides a command signal input to the brake control system.

Claim 7

An automotive vehicle as set forth in claim 4 in which for a first further set of values of said range error and said range rate, the maximum function is limited to a predetermined maximum acceleration, and for a second further set of values of said range error and said range rates the maximum function is limited to a predetermined maximum deceleration.

Claim 8

An automotive vehicle comprising: a powertrain comprising an engine having a throttle that is selectively operated to apply an acceleration force to the vehicle via wheels on which the vehicle is supported and propelled along an underlying surface; a vehicle speed control for selectively throttling the engine via the throttle to null discrepancy between actual vehicle speed and a reference vehicle speed; a headway controller that is operable to different modes including an adaptive cruise control mode; range and range rate apparatus for providing a range signal and a range rate signal corresponding respectively to range and range rate to an immediately preceding lead vehicle; wherein the range and range rate signals and a vehicle speed signal corresponding to said actual vehicle speed provide closed loop feedback to the headway controller, and the headway controller develops a speed reference signal which corresponds to the reference vehicle speed and provides a command signal input to the vehicle speed control for causing the vehicle speed control to null discrepancy between said range to the immediately preceding lead vehicle as measured by the range signal and a reference range that varies with timed headway when the adaptive cruise control mode assumes a follow state; and upon losing the track of the immediately preceding lead vehicle while said actual vehicle speed is less than the reference vehicle speed, the headway controller is operable to transition from the follow state of the adaptive cruise control mode to a resume state of the adaptive cruise control mode to return vehicle speed toward the reference vehicle speed as a function of lateral acceleration of the vehicle; and wherein said function of lateral acceleration of the vehicle comprises attenuating gain of the resume function in an inverse relation to the magnitude of the lateral acceleration once the lateral acceleration has exceeded a predetermined minimum magnitude.

Claim 9

An automotive vehicle comprising: a powertrain comprising an engine having a throttle that is selectively operated to apply an acceleration force to the vehicle via wheels on which the vehicle is supported and propelled along an underlying surface; a vehicle speed control for selectively throttling the engine via the throttle to null discrepancy between actual vehicle speed and a reference vehicle speed; a headway controller that is operable to different modes including an adaptive cruise control mode; range and range rate apparatus for providing a range signal and a range rate signal corresponding respectively to range and range rate to an immediately preceding lead vehicle; wherein the range and range rate signals and a vehicle speed signal corresponding to said actual vehicle speed provide closed loop feedback to the headway controller, and the headway controller develops a speed reference signal which corresponds to the reference vehicle speed and provides a command signal input to the vehicle speed control for causing the vehicle speed control to null discrepancy between said range to the immediately preceding lead vehicle as measured by the range signal and a reference range that varies with timed headway when the adaptive cruise control mode assumes a follow state; and upon losing the track of the immediately preceding lead vehicle while said actual vehicle speed is less than the reference vehicle speed, the headway controller is operable to transition from the follow state of the adaptive cruise control mode to a resume state of the adaptive cruise control mode to return vehicle speed toward the reference vehicle speed as a function of lateral acceleration of the vehicle; and wherein said function of lateral acceleration of the vehicle comprises attenuating gain of the resume function in an inverse relation to the magnitude of the lateral acceleration once the lateral acceleration has exceeded a predetermined minimum magnitude.

Claim 10

An automotive vehicle as set forth in claim 6 in which said function of lateral acceleration of the vehicle further comprises completely inhibiting return of the vehicle speed toward the reference vehicle speed for said lateral acceleration exceeding a predetermined maximum magnitude.

Claim 11

An automotive vehicle comprising: a powertrain comprising an engine having a throttle that is selectively operated to apply an acceleration force to the vehicle via wheels on which the vehicle is supported and propelled along an underlying surface; a vehicle speed control for selectively throttling the engine via the throttle to null discrepancy between actual vehicle speed and a reference vehicle speed; a headway controller that is operable to different modes including an adaptive cruise control mode; range and range rate apparatus for providing a range signal and a range rate signal corresponding respectively to range and range rate to an immediately preceding lead vehicle; wherein the range and range rate signals and a vehicle speed signal corresponding to said actual vehicle speed provide closed loop feedback to the headway controller, and the headway controller develops a speed reference signal which corresponds to the reference vehicle speed and provides a command signal input to the vehicle speed control for causing the vehicle speed control to null discrepancy between said range to the immediately preceding lead vehicle as measured by the range signal and a reference range that varies with timed headway when the adaptive cruise control mode assumes a follow state; and upon losing the track of the immediately preceding lead vehicle while said actual vehicle speed is less than the reference vehicle speed, the headway controller is operable to transition from the follow state of the adaptive cruise control mode to a resume state of the adaptive cruise control mode to return vehicle speed toward the reference vehicle speed as a function of lateral acceleration of the vehicle; and wherein the speed reference signal comprises an algebraic summation of a term that is proportional to the vehicle's own speed as measured by the vehicle speed sensor, of a term that is proportional to the difference between the reference range and the range to the immediately preceding lead vehicle as measured by the range signal, and of a term that is proportional to range rate to the immediately preceding lead vehicle as measured by the range rate signal.

Claim 12

An automotive vehicle comprising: a powertrain comprising an engine having a throttle that is selectively operated to apply an acceleration force to the vehicle via wheels on which the vehicle is supported and propelled along an underlying surface; a vehicle speed control for selectively throttling the engine via the throttle to null discrepancy between actual vehicle speed and a reference vehicle speed; a headway controller that is operable to different modes including an adaptive cruise control mode; range and range rate apparatus for providing a range signal and a range rate signal corresponding respectively to range and range rate to an immediately preceding lead vehicle; wherein the range and range rate signals and a vehicle speed signal corresponding to said actual vehicle speed provide closed loop feedback to the headway controller, and the headway controller develops a speed reference signal which corresponds to the reference vehicle speed and provides a command signal input to the vehicle speed control for causing the vehicle speed control to null discrepancy between said range to the immediately preceding lead vehicle as measured by the range signal and a reference range that varies with timed headway when the adaptive cruise control mode assumes a follow state; and upon losing the track of the immediately preceding lead vehicle while said actual vehicle speed is less than the reference vehicle speed, the headway controller is operable to transition from the follow state of the adaptive cruise control mode to a resume state of the adaptive cruise control mode to return vehicle speed toward the reference vehicle speed as a function of lateral acceleration of the vehicle; and wherein the speed reference signal comprises an algebraic summation of a term that is proportional to the vehicle's own speed as measured by the vehicle speed sensor, of a term that is proportional to the difference between the reference range and the range to the immediately preceding lead vehicle as measured by the range signal, and of a term that is proportional to range rate to the immediately preceding lead vehicle as measured by the range rate signal.

Claim 13

An automotive vehicle comprising; a powertrain comprising an engine having a throttle that is selectively operated to apply an acceleration force to the vehicle via wheels on which the vehicle is supported and propelled along an underlying surface; a vehicle speed control for selectively throttling the engine via the throttle to null discrepancy between actual vehicle speed and a reference vehicle speed; a brake control system that is selectively operated to apply a deceleration force to the vehicle wheels; range and range rate apparatus for providing a range signal and a range rate signal corresponding respectively to range and range rate to an immediately preceding lead vehicle; and a headway controller that acts via the vehicle speed control for nulling discrepancy between said range to the immediately preceding lead vehicle obtained by the range and range rate apparatus and a reference range that varies with timed headway; wherein the range and range rate signals and a vehicle speed signal corresponding to said actual vehicle speed provide closed loop feedback to the headway controller; wherein the headway controller develops a reference speed signal which corresponds to the reference vehicle speed and provides a command input to both the vehicle speed control and the brake control system; and the headway controller prevents the reference speed signal from causing the brake control system to apply deceleration force to the vehicle wheels whenever the range rate is positive.

Claim 14

An automotive vehicle comprising; a powertrain comprising an engine having a throttle that is selectively operated to apply an acceleration force to the vehicle via wheels on which the vehicle is supported and propelled along an underlying surface; a vehicle speed control for selectively throttling the engine via the throttle to null discrepancy between actual vehicle speed and a reference vehicle speed; a brake control system that is selectively operated to apply a deceleration force to the vehicle wheels; range and range rate apparatus for providing a range signal and a range rate signal corresponding respectively to range and range rate to an immediately preceding lead vehicle; and a headway controller that acts via the vehicle speed control for nulling discrepancy between said range to the immediately preceding lead vehicle obtained by the range and range rate apparatus and a reference range that varies with timed headway; wherein the range and range rate signals and a vehicle speed signal corresponding to said actual vehicle speed provide closed loop feedback to the headway controller; wherein the headway controller develops a reference speed signal which corresponds to the reference vehicle speed and provides a command input to both the vehicle speed control and the brake control system; and the headway controller prevents the reference speed signal from causing the brake control system to apply deceleration force to the vehicle wheels whenever the range rate is positive.