Personalized management of an adaptive and predictive cruise control system in a motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for managing the operation of an adaptive and predictive cruise control system (2) of a motor vehicle (1) based on the driver's driving behavior. The invention also relates to a computer device (100) implementing such a method, as well as a motor vehicle (1) comprising such a device. Figure for the abstract: 1

Description

Title of the invention: Personalized management of an adaptive and predictive cruise control of a motor vehicle Technical field of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of motor vehicle cruise controls. The invention relates in particular to a method for managing, by a computer device on board a motor vehicle, the operation of an adaptive and predictive cruise control of the vehicle. The invention also relates to a device implementing such a method, as well as a motor vehicle comprising such a device. The invention applies to motor vehicles such as land motor vehicles, in particular cars. State of the prior art

[0002] Some modern motor vehicles are equipped with an adaptive and predictive cruise control, commonly identified by the acronym P-ACC from the English term "Predictive Adaptive Cruise Control". In addition to managing the inter-vehicle distance, such a regulator can manage the speed of the vehicle in particular by taking into account the topography and attributes of the road, which are determined using a map, generally that which is used by the vehicle's navigation system, or by means of on-board detection devices (e.g. camera). For example, when the vehicle approaches a bend, the regulator uses acceleration laws which, in connection with road types, establish acceleration values ​​to manage the speed of the vehicle throughout the bend. Until now, these acceleration values ​​have been set by the manufacturer at the time of vehicle design.Thus, an adaptive and predictive cruise control will always manage the vehicle's speed in a bend in the same way depending on the type of road and the generic values ​​of its acceleration laws without taking into account the usual driving behaviour of the vehicle driver. However, this lack of personalisation can result in frustration for some drivers who do not find in the operation of the cruise control the driving behaviour that is specific to them. Summary of the invention

[0003] The invention aims to overcome this drawback. In particular, it aims to provide a solution that allows an adaptive and predictive cruise control of a motor vehicle to reproduce the usual driving behavior of the driver of the vehicle. In other words, the invention aims to provide a solution to allow customization of the operation of an adaptive cruise control and predictive of a motor vehicle. In this way, the invention aims to contribute to an improvement in the ergonomics of adaptive and predictive cruise controls so as to encourage drivers to use them and thus promote driving safety.

[0004] In order to achieve these aims, the invention relates, according to a first aspect, to a method of managing, by a computer device on board a motor vehicle, the operation of an adaptive and predictive cruise control of the vehicle, said method comprising the steps of: i. determine data characterizing at least one parameter of the vehicle dynamics in relation to a type of road when the cruise control is deactivated; ii. determining data characterizing at least one average acceleration value based on the data determined during step i); and iii. managing the operation of the cruise control based on the data determined during step ii).

[0005] According to a variant, step i) may comprise the steps of: • determine whether the vehicle is going to approach a turn; • determine a type of road that the vehicle takes; and • obtain data characterizing the acceleration and speed of the vehicle at the entrance to the bend, the lateral acceleration of the vehicle at the point of the bend where its curvature is maximum and the acceleration at the exit of the bend.

[0006] According to another variant, step i) may comprise a step consisting of verifying that a learning mode of the regulator has been activated.

[0007] According to yet another variant, step iii) may comprise a step consisting of verifying that a setting of the operation of the cruise control according to a generic operating mode is not specified.

[0008] According to yet another variant, step iii) may comprise a step consisting of verifying the reliability of said average value.

[0009] According to yet another variant, step iii) may comprise a step consisting of examining said average value with respect to a pre-established range of values.

[0010] According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a device for managing the operation of an adaptive and predictive cruise control of a motor vehicle, the device comprising an information processing unit, with one or more processors, and a data storage medium, which are configured to implement a method as described above.

[0011] According to a third aspect, the invention relates to a computer program comprising program code instructions for executing the steps of a method as described above when said program is executed by at least one processor.

[0012] According to a fourth aspect, the invention relates to a computer-readable medium, on which a program as described above is recorded.

[0013] According to a fifth aspect, the invention relates to a motor vehicle which has a device as described above. Brief description of the figures

[0014] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on examining the detailed description below, and the appended figures, in which:

[0015] [Fig-1] is a schematic illustration of a motor vehicle according to the invention;

[0016] [Fig.2] is a functional diagram of a device according to the invention; and

[0017] [Fig.3] is a flowchart of the steps of a method according to the invention. Detailed description of the invention

[0018] [Fig.l] shows a schematic illustration of a motor vehicle 1 according to the invention. This comprises an adaptive and predictive cruise control 2 which cooperates with a navigation system 3, the latter interacting in an ordinary manner with a satellite positioning system (e.g. GPS) to determine the location of the vehicle 1 and calculate routes for journeys based on integrated mapping. Preferably, the navigation system 3 interacts with a radiofrequency signal communication system 4 of the vehicle 1 to communicate with remote communicating entities by means of conventional mobile communication networks in order to provide connected navigation functionalities (e.g. real-time traffic, weather on the route, news broadcasting, etc.).

[0019] The vehicle 1 according to the invention also comprises a human-machine interface 5, which allows the broadcasting of sound and visual content in the passenger compartment of the vehicle 1 and the making of entries, for example by means of a touch screen and a loudspeaker.

[0020] The vehicle 1 according to the invention also comprises an accelerometer 6, which makes it possible to measure the longitudinal and lateral acceleration of the vehicle 1. This accelerometer 6 is possibly part of a driving assistance system for the vehicle 1.

[0021] The vehicle 1 according to the invention also carries a device 100 for managing the operation of an adaptive and predictive cruise control of a motor vehicle within the meaning of the present invention, as described below, which implements a method for managing the operation of an adaptive and predictive cruise control of a motor vehicle within the meaning of the present invention, as briefly summarized below and described in detail below.

[0022] When implementing the method, the device 100 according to the invention monitors certain driving behaviors of the driver when the cruise control 2 is deactivated. It interacts in particular with the accelerometer 6, with the navigation system vigation 3 and / or with a vehicle speedometer to obtain speed and acceleration values ​​when passing through bends. These observed values ​​are then used to determine average acceleration values ​​at certain points of a bend depending on the types of roads taken (e.g. main road, secondary road, motorway, etc.). The device 100 according to the invention then manages the operation of the cruise control 2 according to the average values ​​determined when the vehicle is traveling around a bend. This allows the cruise control 2 of the vehicle 1 according to the invention to reproduce the driving behavior of the driver of the vehicle when cornering.

[0023] In [Fig. 2] is illustrated in more detail the device 100 for managing the operation of an adaptive and predictive cruise control of a motor vehicle according to the invention. It is essentially a computer device, which comprises at least one information processing unit 101, comprising one or more processors, a data storage medium 102, on which is recorded in particular a program which comprises program code instructions for the execution of the steps of the method according to the invention described below, and an input and output interface 103 allowing the reception and transmission of data.

[0024] Preferably, the device 100 according to the invention is integrated into an independent computer and it interacts via its input and output interface 103 and by means of a wired communication network of the vehicle (e.g. CAN, Ethernet, MOST) - shown in [Fig.l] by the arrows - with the cruise control 2, with the navigation system 3 to exploit its mapping, with the human-machine interface 5 in order to cause the broadcasting of sound and / or visual content and with the accelerometer 6 in order to obtain measurements of the longitudinal and / or lateral acceleration of the vehicle 1. Alternatively, the device 100 according to the invention is partially or fully part of the cruise control 2. As a result, it can, in particular, determine at least one parameter of the dynamics of the vehicle when the cruise control 2 is deactivated and it can determine a type of road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling.

[0025] According to the invention, all the elements described above contribute to enabling the implementation of a method for managing the operation of an adaptive and predictive cruise control of a motor vehicle, as described below in connection with [Fig.3],

[0026] [Fig. 3] illustrates by means of a flowchart the steps of the method according to the invention.

[0027] According to a first step 201, the device 100 according to the invention determines data characterizing at least one parameter of the dynamics of the vehicle in relation to a type of road when the regulator is deactivated.

[0028] Indeed, the device 100 according to the invention determines in particular certain pa parameters of the vehicle dynamics when the vehicle 1 is traveling around bends. To do this, it preferably first checks that a learning mode of the cruise control 2 has been activated. Indeed, it is preferably the driver who activates a learning mode of the cruise control 2 by specifying a corresponding setting by means of the human-machine interface 3. Alternatively, if it is decided that the learning takes place automatically from the first use of the vehicle, the device 100 according to the invention proceeds directly in the following manner.

[0029] It first uses the mapping of the navigation system 3 to determine when the vehicle 1 is approaching a bend. And when it establishes that this is the case, it then determines, still using the mapping, the type of road that the vehicle is taking. It then interacts with the accelerometer 6, the navigation system 3 and / or a speedometer of the vehicle in order to obtain data characterizing the speed of the vehicle at the entrance to the bend, the lateral acceleration of the vehicle at the point of the bend where its curvature is maximum and the longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle 1 at the exit of the bend. Preferably, these measured values ​​are stored on the data storage medium 102.Thus, over the course of the journeys, the device 100 according to the invention progressively stores speed and acceleration measurements which provide information on the driver's behavior when taking bends depending on different types of roads taken, how the driver slows down the vehicle when entering bends, the lateral acceleration that the driver maintains along the bends and how the driver reaccelerates when exiting the bend.

[0030] Then, according to a second step 202, the device 100 according to the invention determines data characterizing at least one average acceleration value as a function of the data characterizing at least one parameter of the dynamics of the vehicle in relation to a type of road which were determined during the first step 201.

[0031] Indeed, the device 100 according to the invention determines an average value for each measured value and for each type of road. In other words, for each type of road, the device 100 according to the invention determines an average longitudinal acceleration value at the entrance to the bend, an average lateral acceleration value at the point of the bend where its curvature is maximum and an average longitudinal acceleration value at the exit of the bend. These average values ​​advantageously summarize the behavior of the driver in bends for different types of roads considered.

[0032] Preferably, this second step of the method is carried out each time a new measured value is obtained. Alternatively, it is carried out when a certain number of values ​​corresponding to the same measurement and the same type of road have been obtained, a threshold value for triggering the determination of the average value being established for each measured value and / or each type of road considered.

[0033] Finally, according to a third step 203 of the method according to the invention, the device 100 according to the invention manages the operation of the speed regulator as a function of the data characterizing at least one average acceleration value which were determined during the second step 202.

[0034] Preferably, at this stage, it forces the cruise control 2 to use the average values ​​previously determined in the acceleration laws that it applies in bends instead of the generic values ​​specified by the manufacturer when designing the vehicle. The cruise control 2 thus faithfully reproduces the driver's behavior in bends. To implement this third step, the device 100 according to the invention transmits, for example, a command to use the average values ​​to the cruise control 2, and the latter executes the command upon receipt.

[0035] According to an alternative, before forcing the cruise control 2 to use the average values, the device 100 according to the invention first checks that a generic operating mode of the cruise control 2 is not specified. Indeed, it may be desired to offer the driver the possibility of making an entry by means of the human-machine interface 3 to specify his refusal to personalize the operation of the cruise control 2 in bends. In this case, when such a setting is specified, the device 100 according to the invention terminates the implementation of the method.

[0036] According to another alternative, the device 100 according to the invention also first verifies the reliability of the average values ​​before constraining their use by the cruise control 2. To do this, it determines for example a number of terms used to determine a considered average value, which it compares to a pre-established threshold value for a type of road concerned. By setting a higher or lower threshold value, different or identical from one type of road to another, it is thus possible for the customization of the operation of the cruise control 2 to only occur after a more or less long observation time of the driver's behavior. This is how the cruise control 2 is allowed to reliably reproduce the behavior of the driver of the vehicle 1 when cornering on different types of roads considered.

[0037] According to yet another alternative, the device 100 according to the invention also examines beforehand the average values ​​with regard to pre-established ranges of values ​​before constraining their use by the cruise control 2. Indeed, in order to prevent the cruise control 2 from carrying out anxiety-inducing driving, the device 100 according to the invention can verify that an average value does indeed belong to a range of values pre-established. If it establishes that an average value is not part of a pre-established range of values ​​for a type of road considered, the device can then force the cruise control 2 to use one of the extremes of the range of values ​​instead of the previously determined average value. Alternatively, the device 100 according to the invention instructs the cruise control 2 to use the generic values ​​established by the manufacturer. Optionally, the device 100 according to the invention causes the broadcasting of an indication of a generic operating mode by interacting with the human-machine interface 3.

[0038] Consequently, thanks to the method and the device according to the invention described above, an adaptive and predictive cruise control of a motor vehicle is enabled to reproduce the usual driving behavior of the driver of the vehicle. This provides an improvement in the ergonomics of adaptive and predictive cruise control systems so as to encourage drivers to use them and thus promote driving safety.

Claims

Claims

1. Method for managing, by a computer device (100) on board a motor vehicle (1), the operation of an adaptive and predictive cruise control (2) of the vehicle, characterized in that the method comprises the steps of: i. determining data characterizing at least one parameter of the dynamics of the vehicle in relation to a type of road when the cruise control (2) is deactivated; ii. determining data characterizing at least one average acceleration value as a function of the data determined during step i); and iii. managing the operation of the cruise control as a function of the data determined during step ii).

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that step i) comprises the steps of: • determining whether the vehicle is going to approach a bend; • determining a type of road that the vehicle is taking; and • obtaining data characterizing the acceleration and speed of the vehicle at the entrance to the bend, the lateral acceleration of the vehicle at the point of the bend where its curvature is maximum and the acceleration at the exit of the bend.

3. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that step i) comprises a step consisting of verifying that a learning mode has been activated.

4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that step iii) comprises a step consisting of verifying that a setting of the operation of the cruise control according to a generic operating mode is not specified.

5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that step iii) comprises a step consisting of verifying the reliability of said average value.

6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that step iii) comprises a step consisting of examining said average value with regard to a pre-established range of values.

7. Device (100) for managing the operation of an adaptive and predictive cruise control (2) of a motor vehicle (1), characterized in that said device comprises an information processing unit (101), with one or more processors, and a data storage medium (102), which are configured to implement a method according to any one of the preceding claims.

8. A computer program comprising program code instructions for executing the steps of a method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 when said program is executed by at least one processor.

9. Computer-readable medium, characterized in that a program according to claim 8 is recorded therein.

10. Motor vehicle (1), characterized in that said vehicle carries a device (100) according to claim 7.

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