WO2009030532A1

WO2009030532A1 - Speed control for a motor vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2009030532A1
Application number: PCT/EP2008/057901
Authority: WO
Inventors: Thomas Grotendorst; Ulrich STÄHLIN
Original assignee: Continental Teves Ag & Co. Ohg
Priority date: 2007-08-29
Filing date: 2008-06-20
Publication date: 2009-03-12
Also published as: DE102008029112A1

Abstract

According to one exemplary embodiment of the invention, the speed of a vehicle is controlled on the basis of external information. For this purpose, a cruise control arrangement is provided which receives items of control information from a vehicle-internal communication unit, which items of control information have been transmitted to the communication unit by means of vehicle-to-vehicle or vehicle-to-infrastructure communication. A vehicle-internal surroundings sensor system is not required.

Description

Speed control for a vehicle

Field of the invention

The invention relates to the assistance technology for vehicles. In particular, the invention relates to a speed control device for controlling a speed of a vehicle, a speed control system, the

Use of a speed control device in a vehicle, a method, a computer program product, and a computer readable medium.

Technological background

The speed of the vehicle can be set with the help of a vehicle driver. This speed is then maintained by the cruise control without the driver having to operate the accelerator pedal. The cruise control keeps the speed until the driver engages.

Furthermore, Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) are known, which in addition to a cruise control have a radar. For example, a distance to the next vehicle can be specified. If this distance is undershot, the vehicle speed is automatically reduced. For the ACC to be able to control the speed, an environmental sensor (radar) is required.

Summary of the invention

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved speed control for a vehicle.

There are provided a speed control device for controlling a speed of a vehicle, a speed control system for controlling a speed of a vehicle, a use of a speed control device in a vehicle, a method for controlling a speed of a vehicle, a computer program product, and a computer readable medium according to the features of the independent claims , Further developments of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims.

The described embodiments equally relate to the speed control device, the speed control system, the use, the method, the computer program product and the computer readable medium.

According to an embodiment of the invention, there is provided a speed control device for controlling and / or controlling a speed of a vehicle having a communication unit in the vehicle for receiving external information and a speed control unit for controlling a speed of the vehicle based on the received external information. In other words, no environment sensor system within the vehicle is required for the control or regulation of the speed.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the speed control unit is designed as cruise control.

For example, a conventional cruise control without environment sensor technology by means of vehicle-to-vehicle (FzF) or vehicle-to-infrastructure (FzI) communication is extended. The extensions are designed so that the basic cruise control function is not affected, d. H. that the cruise control works as usual, if the FzF or the FzI communication is not possible.

The vehicle is, for example, a motor vehicle, such as a car, bus or truck, or else a rail vehicle, a ship, an aircraft, such as a helicopter or airplane, or, for example, a bicycle.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, the speed control device is designed to control the vehicle speed on the basis of external information transmitted by an infrastructure.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the speed control means for controlling the vehicle speed is executed on the basis of external information transmitted from an adjacent vehicle.

So it is possible that a preceding vehicle z. B. detects that a traffic light is currently switching to red. This information can be transmitted from the preceding vehicle to the other vehicle whose - A -

Speed control unit then adjusts the speed accordingly, so that the gas mileage can be optimized. Alternatively, the information relating to the traffic light circuit can be transmitted directly from the traffic light (infrastructure) to the vehicle, which then optimally sets its speed.

In this way it is possible to optimize the traffic flow and reduce the fuel consumption of each individual vehicle.

The external information can also be transmitted from a central server to the individual vehicles. This may be, for example, recommended straightening speeds of a traffic control system.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, the communication unit is designed to receive external information based on DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communications).

Also, the communication unit may be configured to receive information about other short-range communication systems.

It is also possible that the wireless transmission or the wireless reception of the information via GSM, UMTS, WLAN (eg 802.1 Ip) or via WiMax. It is also possible to use other transmission protocols. The mentioned protocols offer the advantage of already existing standardization.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the speed control unit is selected to use the external information for at least one of the following functions: adapting a set speed to a traffic sign; Decrease the speed due to a red traffic light; Adjusting the speed such that the vehicle moves at an optimum speed with respect to a plurality of traffic lights; Preventing a minimum distance to a preceding vehicle is fallen below; and adjusting the set speed to a recommended value.

In this way it is possible to optimize the traffic flow and the gas mileage of the individual vehicles. Furthermore, the functions mentioned can increase road safety.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the speed control device maintains its cruise control function when no external information is received.

In other words, the cruise control function remains when there is no external input. If external information is received, the cruise control can be controlled accordingly.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, the speed control device furthermore has an environment sensor system for detecting measured values, wherein the speed control unit for controlling a speed of the vehicle is also designed on the basis of the detected measured values.

The speed control device thus receives on the one hand information from an external unit, via which the speed is adjustable. Furthermore, the vehicle still makes its own measurements, in order to optimize the speed setting in this way. These measured values are, for example, distance measurements to a vehicle in front by means of a radar. However, these may also be measured values of an ESP sensor system (ESP: electronic stability program), an ASR sensor (ASR: traction control system) or the ABS system. If, for example, black ice is detected, the speed can be reduced accordingly. The same is true for the detection of other hazards, such as an oil spill on the

Roadway. This danger warning can be transmitted, for example, from a vehicle in front.

In addition, the speed control device can cooperate with a digital map, for example in conjunction with a vehicle navigation system or a driver assistance system. Warnings may be stored on the digital map, which together with the external information will result in an optimal speed setting.

The term "digital maps" are also maps for advanced ones

Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) without navigation.

Furthermore, it should be noted that in the context of the present invention GPS is representative of all global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) such. GPS, Galileo, GLONASS (Russia), Compass (China), IRNSS (India), ...

According to another embodiment of the invention, there is provided a speed control system for controlling a speed of a vehicle having a speed control device as described above disposed in the vehicle. Furthermore, the system also has an external communication unit for transmitting the external information to the speed control device. The external communication unit can be designed, for example, centrally and stationarily in the form of a control center. However, this may also be a communication unit which is attached, for example, to a traffic light or to a sign and transmits local information to neighboring vehicles by means of a short-range communication link. It may also be a communication unit which is mounted in an adjacent vehicle.

In particular, the communication unit may be part of a speed control device according to the invention of an adjacent vehicle.

The speed control device according to the invention can thus be designed, on the one hand, to control the vehicle speed and, on the other hand, to transmit control information to adjacent vehicles or else to a control center. The control center can then pass this information on to other vehicles.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the use of a speed control device described above in a vehicle is indicated.

According to another embodiment of the invention, there is provided a method of controlling a speed of a vehicle, wherein external information is received in the vehicle and the speed of the vehicle is adjusted based on the received external information.

Vehicle-internal sensor (environment sensor) is not required. According to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, the speed is controlled such that an adaptation of the set speed to a traffic sign takes place. Also, or alternatively, the speed may be reduced due to a red light, or the speed may be adjusted such that the vehicle is moving at an optimum speed with respect to multiple traffic lights. Furthermore, it can be prevented by the transmitted external information that a minimum distance to a vehicle ahead is not reached. This is done, for example, via the transmission of position information of the vehicle ahead to the vehicle behind it, whose speed is to be set. Furthermore, the speed control can be used to adapt the set speed to a recommended standard value. This happens, for example, with the help of a traffic control center.

According to a further embodiment of the invention is a

Computer program product which, when executed on a processor, instructs the processor to perform the method steps described above.

According to another embodiment of the invention, there is provided a computer readable medium having stored thereon a computer program product which, when executed on a processor, instructs the processor to perform the method steps described above.

In the following, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the figures. Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of a

Speed control device according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic representation of a speed control system according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

3 shows a flowchart of a method according to an embodiment of the invention.

The illustration in the figures is schematic and not to scale.

In the following description of the figures, the same reference numerals are used for the same or similar elements.

1 shows a schematic representation of components of a speed control device 100. The speed control device 100 is installed, for example, in a vehicle and serves to control, regulate and set the vehicle speed on the basis of externally transmitted information and possibly additional internally acquired measured values.

The speed control device 100 has a detection unit 119 (optional), a speed control unit 102 and a communication unit 115 with an antenna 116.

The data to be sent (this is information for other vehicles or for a control center), which is transmitted from the control unit 102, which is embodied for example in the form of a CPU, to the communication unit 115, can be encrypted via an encryption device 114 become. Likewise, the received data transmitted from the communication unit 115 to the control unit 102 may be decrypted by the encryption unit 114.

In this way, the risk of abuse can be reduced.

An input unit 112 is connected to the control unit 102. Through the input unit 112, various settings of the speed control device and (if provided) a related navigation unit can be made. However, a navigation unit is not required for the invention.

Furthermore, an optical output unit in the form of a monitor 110 is provided on which, for example, route guidance information can be output. In addition, the route guidance information can also be output via an acoustic output unit 111. The output of route guidance information and possibly also of warnings via the acoustic output unit 111 has the advantage that the driver is less distracted from the current traffic situation.

In a memory element 113, which is connected to the control unit 102 or integrated in the control unit 102, the digital map data are stored in the form of data records. For example, additional information about traffic restrictions and the like are also stored in the memory element 113 and associated with the data records.

Furthermore, a driver assistance system 117 is provided, which is supplied with the digital map data. To determine the current vehicle position, the

Speed control device 100 comprises a positioning unit having a satellite navigation receiver 106 adapted to receive position signals from, for example, Galileo satellites or GPS satellites. Of course, the positioning unit with the satellite navigation receiver 106 may be implemented for other satellite navigation systems.

Since the positioning unit is not always receivable, for example, in the inner city area, the speed control device also has a direction sensor 107, for performing dead reckoning

Wegstreckensensor 108, a steering wheel angle sensor 109, a spring travel sensor 118 and an ESP sensor 104 and optionally an optical detector 105 or a beam sensor 120 (for example, radar) on.

The signals of the GPS receiver and the remaining sensors are processed and analyzed in the control unit 102. This data can then be used in combination with the externally received information for optimal speed control. The vehicle position determined from these signals is compared to the road maps via map matching. The route guidance information thus obtained is finally output via the monitor 110.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a speed control system which has a first vehicle 201, a second vehicle 208, an infrastructure 205 and a center 200.

The central unit comprises a communication unit 202 with an antenna 203. The communication unit 202 is connected to a central server 204. Furthermore, a loudspeaker 212 is provided, via which received voice information can be played. For playing video files, a monitor 213 is provided.

It should be noted at this point that the data and information transmitted by the vehicles can be converted by the in-vehicle control units 102 prior to transmission and then transmitted, for example, as voice information in the form of a voice file or as video information in the form of a video file.

The center is a traffic center of a traffic control system, which can perform the traffic control fully automatically.

The infrastructure 205 is, for example, a traffic light to which a communication unit 206 with an antenna 207 is connected in order to transmit the information to the individual vehicles.

The information transmission between the infrastructure 205 and the center 200 takes place via the communication links 209, 210. The information transmission between the vehicle 201, 208 takes place via the communication link 211, which is, for example, a short-range communication path.

Each of the vehicles 201, 208 has a speed control device 100 according to the invention.

The following functions can be added to a cruise control system by means of vehicle-to-vehicle communication or vehicle-to-infrastructure communication or to improve cruise control: - By FzI the set speed (setspeed) can be adapted to the traffic signs. Thus, speed restrictions can be considered directly.

- At red traffic lights, the vehicle can be braked down by FzI to give the driver an indication of the necessary stop.

- At traffic lights, the speed of the vehicle can be set by FzI so that the vehicle moves with respect to the traffic light circuit with a green wave.

- If the distance to the vehicle ahead is too small, this can be detected by FzF and the speed can be reduced. This allows a function similar to an ACC, but not to the same extent.

- By FzI, the speed can be adjusted to a recommended value. This speed is set by a traffic control center with the aim of ensuring traffic even in high traffic density and thus avoid congestion.

Some of these extensions are also useful and helpful with ACC or Füll Speed Range ACC. However, the extensions according to the invention do not require ACC.

FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of a method in which external information is received in the vehicle in step 301. In step 302, the vehicle speed is controlled based on this received external information, and in step 303, the driver is visually, acoustically, or haptically notified that, and for what reason, the speed of the vehicle has been changed. The speed changes may be a speed reduction or an increase in speed. In addition, it should be noted that "comprising" and "having" does not exclude other elements or steps, and "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. It should also be appreciated that features or steps described with reference to any of the above embodiments may also be used in combination with other features or steps of other embodiments described above. Reference signs in the claims are not to be considered as limitations.

Claims

claims

A speed control device for controlling a speed of a vehicle, the speed control device comprising: a communication unit (115, 116) in the vehicle for receiving external information; and a speed control unit (102) for controlling a speed of the vehicle based on the received external information.

2. Speed control device according to claim 1, wherein the speed control unit (102) is designed as cruise control.

3. Speed control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the external information is transmitted from an infrastructure.

4. Speed control device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the external information is transmitted from an adjacent vehicle.

5. Speed control device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the communication unit (115, 116) for receiving external

Information based on Dedicated Short Range Communication is executed.

A speed control device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the speed control unit (102) is adapted to use the external information for at least one function selected from the group consisting of:

Adapting a set speed to a traffic sign; Reducing the speed due to a red traffic light; Adjusting the speed such that the vehicle moves at an optimum speed with respect to a plurality of traffic lights; Preventing a minimum distance to a preceding vehicle is fallen below; and adjusting the set speed to a recommended value.

A speed control device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the speed control means maintains a cruise control function when no external information is received.

8. A speed control device according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising: an environment sensor system, such as a camera 105 and / or a beam sensor 120 for acquiring measured values; wherein the speed control unit (102) for controlling a speed of the vehicle is also executed on the basis of the detected measured values.

A speed control system for controlling a speed of a vehicle, the speed control system comprising: a speed control device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims arranged in the vehicle; an external communication unit (100, 202, 206) for communicating the external information to the speed control device (100).

10. Use of a speed control device according to one of claims 1 to 8 in a vehicle.

11. A method of controlling a speed of a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

Receiving external information; and controlling a speed of the vehicle based on the received external information.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising controlling speed for at least one of: adjusting a set speed to a traffic sign;

Reducing the speed due to a red traffic light;

Adjusting the speed such that the vehicle moves at an optimum speed with respect to a plurality of traffic lights;

Preventing a minimum distance to a preceding vehicle is fallen below; and

Adjusting the set speed to a recommended value.

A computer program product that, when executed on a processor, instructs the processor to perform the steps of: receiving external information; and controlling a speed of the vehicle based on the received external information.

14. A computer-readable medium storing a computer program product that, when executed on a processor, directs the processor to perform the following steps:

Receiving external information; and

Controlling a speed of the vehicle based on the received external information.