Method and device for controlling a speed regulation system embedded in a vehicle via an accelerator pedal.

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and device for controlling a vehicle-mounted cruise control system, referred to as a VCR system. Specifically, the method comprises receiving initial data representing the activation state of the VCR system and a set speed, and determining a set torque (C0) for the vehicle's powertrain based on this initial data. Secondary data representing the travel (X) of the vehicle's accelerator pedal are received, and this travel is compared to threshold values ​​to determine a target torque (C). The target torque is lower than the set torque when the travel is between the first threshold value (x1) and a second threshold value (x2), and higher than the set torque when the travel exceeds the second threshold value. The VCR system is then controlled according to the target torque. (See Figure 4 for an abbreviation.)

Description

Title of the invention: Method and device for controlling a speed regulation system embedded in a vehicle via an accelerator pedal. technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to methods and devices for controlling a speed regulation system embedded in a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle. Technological background

[0002] Some contemporary vehicles are equipped with functions or system(s) or driving assistance, called AD AS (from the English "Advanced Driver-Assistance System" or in French "Système d'aide à la conduite avancé").

[0003] Among these systems, the adaptive cruise control system, or ACC, has as its primary function the automatic and adaptive regulation of the speed of the vehicles equipped with it, according to their environment. Such an ACC system determines one or more acceleration and / or braking commands based on a speed command and information relating to the vehicle's environment, the acceleration and / or braking command(s) being specific to regulating the vehicle's speed adaptively, that is to say, by taking into account the vehicle's environment.

[0004] Such an ACC system requires receiving this information from sensors installed in the vehicle equipped with this system. The vehicle thus carries: - one or more millimeter-wave radars arranged on the vehicle, for example at the front, at the rear, on each front / rear corner of the vehicle; each radar is adapted to emit electromagnetic waves and to receive the echoes of these waves reflected by one or more objects, in order to detect obstacles and their distances from the vehicle; and / or - one or more LIDAR(s) (Light Detection and Ranging), a LIDAR sensor corresponding to an optoelectronic system composed of a laser emitter, a receiver including a light collector (to collect the portion of the light emitted by the emitter and reflected by any object located in the path of the light rays emitted by the emitter) and a photodetector that transforms the collected light into an electrical signal; a LIDAR sensor thus makes it possible to detect the presence of objects located in the emitted light beam and to measure the distance between the sensor and each detected object; and / or - one or more cameras (with or without a depth sensor) for acquiring one or more images of the environment around the vehicle within the field of vision of the camera(s).

[0005] Such sensors are, however, expensive and require connection to a computer capable of extracting from the received data the information necessary for the proper functioning of the adaptive cruise control. Furthermore, the data obtained from this or these sensors varies depending on the type of sensor. When it is a radar or a LiDAR, the data corresponds, for example, to distance data between points on the detected object and the sensor. Each detected object is thus represented by a point cloud (each point corresponding to a point on the object receiving the radiation emitted by the sensor and reflecting at least part of this radiation), the point cloud representing the envelope (or a part of the envelope) of the detected object as seen by the sensor and ultimately by the vehicle carrying the sensor.When dealing with a video camera, the data corresponds to information associated with each pixel of the acquired image(s), for example, grayscale values ​​encoded using, say, 8, 10, 12, or more bits for each color channel, such as RGB (Red, Green, Blue). This data allows, for example, the determination of the successive positions of an object moving within the vehicle's environment and the deduction of one or more dynamic parameters of the moving object, such as position, speed, and / or acceleration. The resources required for the operation of an ACC system are therefore significant, and the sophisticated operation of such a system necessitates substantial development to provide efficient and reliable algorithms.

[0006] In the absence of an ACC system, a vehicle may, for example, be equipped with a "simple" cruise control system, called the vehicle's speed regulation system, or RW system. Such an RW system allows a target speed to be set, enabling the vehicle to maintain a constant speed equal to this target speed. However, this RW system does not have a means of measuring the distance between the vehicle and another vehicle, the other vehicle being, for example, positioned in the same lane and ahead of the vehicle equipped with the speed regulation system.Thus, when a vehicle precedes the vehicle equipped with the RW system and is traveling at a lower speed, the driver of that vehicle increments or decrements the speed setting, with the major constraint being the resolution of these increments / decrements. They also perform a series of "Pause" / "Resume" actions to deactivate and then reactivate the RW system, or deactivate the RW system temporarily, for example, to overtake the vehicle in front. The driver performs these various operations via different interfaces, exiting via [the appropriate interface]. For example, the road of the eyes. Such management of the RW system is therefore not ideal in the presence of other users, for example when traffic is heavy. Summary of the present invention

[0007] One object of the present invention is to solve at least one of the problems of the technological background described above.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to improve the control and ergonomics of a vehicle speed regulation system.

[0009] According to a first aspect, the present invention relates to a method for controlling a speed regulation system embedded in a vehicle, referred to as the RW system, the method comprising the following steps: - reception of initial data representative of an activation state of the RW system and a set speed; - determination of a setpoint torque for a powertrain, known as GMP, of the vehicle based on initial data; - reception of second data representing a pedal stroke of the vehicle; - determination of a target torque based on the setpoint torque and results of comparing the stroke to first and second threshold values, the first threshold value being lower than the second threshold value, the target torque being: • equal to the setpoint torque when the stroke is less than the first threshold value, • less than the setpoint torque when the stroke is between the first threshold value and the second threshold value; - control of the RW system according to the target torque.

[0010] Such a method makes it possible to modify the vehicle's target torque or speed based on the pedal travel. Thus, when another vehicle is present ahead of the vehicle equipped with this RW system, the driver can reduce the torque demanded from the vehicle's powertrain, or engine torque, and thereby reduce its speed in order to increase the distance between the other vehicle and the vehicle equipped with this RW system, all without taking their eyes off the road, simply by pressing the pedal. By adjusting the pedal travel, the driver can therefore adapt the torque demanded and thus the vehicle's speed without any further action.

[0011] According to one variant of the method, the first data are received from a first human-machine interface, the human-machine interface being configured to define the set speed and activate the RW system.

[0012] According to yet another variant of the method, a third threshold value is included between the first threshold value and the second threshold value, the difference between the setpoint torque and the target torque being maximum when the stroke is equal to the third threshold value.

[0013] According to a further embodiment of the method, the difference between the setpoint torque and the target torque is defined by the following function: AC = Co - C, with 'AC' being the difference between the setpoint torque 'Co' and the target torque 'C', said function being: • strictly increasing as the range evolves from the first threshold value to the third threshold value, • strictly decreasing when the range is increasing and greater than the third threshold value.

[0014] According to another variant of the method, the function is configurable in a second human-machine interface.

[0015] According to a further variant of the method, the second human-machine interface includes a touch screen.

[0016] According to a second aspect, the present invention relates to a control device for a vehicle speed regulation system, the device comprising a memory associated with a processor configured for the implementation of the steps of the process according to the first aspect of the present invention.

[0017] According to a third aspect, the present invention relates to a vehicle, for example of the automobile type, comprising a device as described above according to the second aspect of the present invention.

[0018] According to a fourth aspect, the present invention relates to a computer program which includes instructions adapted for carrying out the steps of the process according to the first aspect of the present invention, in particular when the computer program is executed by at least one processor.

[0019] Such a computer program may use any programming language, and be in the form of source code, object code, or an intermediate form between source code and object code, such as in a partially compiled form, or in any other desirable form.

[0020] According to a fifth aspect, the present invention relates to a computer-readable recording medium on which is recorded a computer program comprising instructions for carrying out the steps of the process according to the first aspect of the present invention.

[0021] On the one hand, the recording medium can be any entity or device capable of storing the program. For example, the medium can include a storage means, such as a ROM, a CD-ROM or a microelectronic circuit-type ROM, or a magnetic recording means or a hard disk drive.

[0022] On the other hand, this recording medium can also be a transmissible medium such as an electrical or optical signal, such a signal being able to be transmitted via an electrical or optical cable, by conventional or radio frequency, by self-directing laser beam, or by other means. The computer program according to the present invention can, in particular, be downloaded from an Internet-type network.

[0023] Alternatively, the recording medium may be an integrated circuit in which the computer program is incorporated, the integrated circuit being adapted to execute or to be used in the execution of the process in question. Brief description of the figures

[0024] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the description of the particular and non-limiting embodiments of the present invention below, with reference to the attached Figures 1 to 6, in which:

[0025] [Fig-1] schematically illustrates a vehicle environment, according to an example of particular and non-limiting implementation of the present invention;

[0026] [Fig.2] schematically illustrates a passenger compartment of the vehicle in [Fig.1], according to a a particular and non-limiting example of a realization of the present invention;

[0027] [Fig.3] schematically illustrates a pedal of the vehicle of [Fig.1] according to a plane normal to its axis of rotation, according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] [Fig.4] illustrates a curve representing a target torque as a function of a stroke of the pedal of [Fig.3], according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] [Fig. 5] schematically illustrates a device configured to control a system of on-board speed regulation in the vehicle of [Fig.1], according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] [Fig.6] illustrates a flowchart of the different stages of a control process of a speed control system embedded in the vehicle of [Fig. 1], according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. Description of embodiment examples

[0031] A method and a control device for a vehicle-mounted speed regulation system will now be described in the following with joint reference to Figures 1 to 6. The same elements are identified with the same reference signs throughout the following description.

[0032] The terms "first(s)", "second(s)" (or "first(s)", "second(s)"), etc. are used in this document by arbitrary convention to allow identification and distinction of different elements (such as operations, means, etc.) put into work in the embodiments described below. Such elements may be distinct or correspond to a single element, depending on the embodiment.

[0033] According to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, a method for controlling a speed regulation system on board a vehicle, referred to as the RW system, includes receiving initial data representative of an activation state of the RW system and a set speed and determining a set torque of a powertrain of the vehicle as a function of the initial data.

[0034] Second data representing a stroke of a pedal of the vehicle are received and this stroke is compared to threshold values ​​to determine a target torque, the target torque being in particular lower than the set torque when the stroke is between the first threshold value and a second threshold value and higher than the set torque when the stroke is greater than the second threshold value.

[0035] The RW system is then controlled according to the target torque.

[0036] Figure 1 illustrates a vehicle 10, for example a motor vehicle, travelling on a portion of road 1001 of environment 1. According to other examples, vehicle 10 corresponds to a coach, a bus, a truck, a utility vehicle or a motorcycle, that is to say a vehicle of the motorized land vehicle type.

[0037] Vehicle 10 corresponds for example to a vehicle with a thermal engine, with electric motor(s) or even a hybrid vehicle with a thermal engine and one or more electric motors.

[0038] According to the example in [Fig. 1], vehicle 10 is travelling on a section of road with two lanes of traffic. Vehicle 10 is travelling, for example, in the right-hand lane 1001.

[0039] The concepts of right and left are defined according to the direction of travel of the vehicle 10. The example in [Fig. 1] corresponds to an example in which vehicles travel on the right, as in France. However, the invention is not limited to such an example and extends to all road configurations, including those where vehicles travel on the left.

[0040] The vehicle 10 includes one or more driver assistance systems, known as ADAS (Advanced Driver-Assistance System), including a speed control system, known as the RW system. Such an ADAS system is configured to assist, or even replace, the driver of the vehicle 10 in controlling the vehicle 10 along its route. Such an RW system does not require receiving information from environmental sensors such as radar, LiDAR®, or cameras. Indeed, the purpose of the RW system is to control the powertrain, particularly the engine of the vehicle 10, so that the vehicle 10 travels at a speed equal to a speed instruction, which is for example configured from a human-machine interface, known as HMI, embedded in the vehicle 10.

[0041] Figure 2 schematically illustrates the passenger compartment of the vehicle 10, according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. The HMI for setting the target speed includes, for example, an instrument cluster enabling the driver of the vehicle 10 to know the instantaneous speed of the vehicle 10 by means of a speedometer 17, analog or digital, located, for example, behind the steering wheel 11. The HMI also includes buttons 16 or a touchscreen interface for activating the RW system and setting the target speed, for example, by successive increments from the current speed of the vehicle 10, the target speed being, for example, displayed on or near the speedometer 17. It should be noted that the usual operation of an RW system is known to those skilled in the art, as is its setting using buttons or touchscreen interfaces.

[0042] The driver of the vehicle 10, seated in the driver's seat 14, has pedals at their disposal, for example an accelerator pedal 15a which allows them to control the engine torque or the vehicle's speed depending on its travel or the pressure applied to it. The driver also has a brake pedal 15b, which allows them to operate the vehicle 10's braking system in order to slow it down by applying pressure to the brake pedal 15b.

[0043] Optionally, a third pedal (not shown here), called the clutch pedal, is present next to the accelerator pedal 15a and brake pedal 15b when the vehicle has a manual gearbox, for example.

[0044] Figure 3 schematically illustrates a pedal of the vehicle 10, for example the accelerator pedal 15a, along a plane normal to its axis of rotation. Indeed, each pedal 15a, 15b is, for example, mounted to rotate freely about its own axis, the accelerator pedal being mounted to rotate about the axis of rotation 'R'. The accelerator pedal 15a is in its rest position when its axis is positioned at an angle 'a0' with respect to the horizontal plane 'P'. When it is in motion, that is, when the driver applies pressure to the accelerator pedal 15a, the axis of the accelerator pedal 15a forms an angle 'a' with the plane 'P', this angle having a maximum value 'amax' at the end of the accelerator pedal 15a's travel.The travel of the accelerator pedal 15a is then an angular travel equal to the difference between the current angle of the accelerator pedal 15a and the angle of the accelerator pedal 15a when it is at rest, i.e., the travel is equal to the difference between 'a' and 'a0', and the maximum travel of the accelerator pedal 15a is equal to the difference between 'amax' and 'a0'. Thus, the travel of the accelerator pedal 15a is, for example, . expressed in radians (rad) or degrees (°). Note that in other specific embodiments, the travel of the accelerator pedal 15a is a length, the pedal moving along a translational axis or the angle of rotation being projected onto a plane using a trigonometric function, for example; the travel of the accelerator pedal 15a is then expressed in meters (m) or centimeters (cm), for example. The travel of the accelerator pedal 15a can also be expressed relatively, for example as a percentage (%) by calculating the ratio between the maximum travel and the current travel of the accelerator pedal 15a; that is, the travel is equal to the ratio between 'a' and 'amax', this value being between 0 and 1.

[0045] A sensor is associated with the accelerator pedal 15a. Thus, a movement of the accelerator pedal 15a generates a transmission of data from this sensor, for example to a computer, via one or more communication buses of the vehicle's embedded system 10, for example a communication bus of the type CAN data bus (from the English "Controller Area Network" or in French "Réseau de contrôlers"), CAN FD (from the English "Controller Area Network Flexible Data-Rate" or in French "Réseau de contrôlers à débit de données flexible"), FlexRay (according to the ISO 17458 standard), Ethernet (according to the ISO / IEC 802-3 standard) or LIN (from the English "Local Interconnect Network" or in French "Réseau interconnecté local").In another example, the position of the accelerator pedal 15a is transmitted to the control unit via one or two wires for redundancy and therefore safety reasons. The voltage of this wire represents the pedal travel and is, for example, between 0 and 5V. This data, received via a bus or a wire, then represents the position of the accelerator pedal 15a, and the control unit receiving this data, for example, a control unit responsible for controlling the RW system, is able to know this position.

[0046] A control process for a regulation system of the RW system is advantageously implemented by the vehicle 10, i.e. by one or more processors of a computer or a combination of computers of the vehicle 10's on-board system, for example by the computer or computers in charge of controlling the vehicle 10's RW system.

[0047] In a first operation, initial data representing an activation state of the RW system and a set speed are received, for example from the first HMI presented previously and comprising buttons 16 or a touch interface, this HMI being configured to define the set speed and activate the RW system.

[0048] In a second operation, a setpoint torque for a powertrain, referred to as a powertrain, of the vehicle 10 is determined based on the initial data. The setpoint torque is, for example, the engine torque or a set of engine torques. When the vehicle has one or more motors, the torque depends, for example, on the vehicle's current speed, the set speed, and a load on the powertrain. This load can be caused, for instance, by the aerodynamic effects of the moving vehicle or the incline on which the vehicle is traveling. Indeed, for the same set speed, the determined torque differs depending on whether the vehicle is going uphill or downhill, for example, as the torque generated by the powertrain has a direct effect on the vehicle's acceleration.

[0049] The setpoint torque thus allows the vehicle 10 to maintain its constant or almost constant speed when the RW system is activated, this speed being the setpoint speed.

[0050] In the event that vehicle 10 approaches another vehicle 11 ahead of it, as illustrated in [Fig. 1], in order to avoid getting too close to this other vehicle 11, it is necessary to slow down vehicle 10, that is to say, to reduce its speed. To do this, it is necessary to reduce the torque requested from the powertrain, also called the target torque. Indeed, if the set torque allows the speed of vehicle 10 to remain constant, then a target torque lower than the set torque will have the effect of decreasing the speed of vehicle 10.

[0051] To this end, the accelerator pedal 15a of the vehicle 10 is configured, according to the present invention, to interact with the RW system when the latter is activated. Thus, the driver of the vehicle 10 presses the accelerator pedal 15a so that the accelerator pedal 15a moves. The sensor associated with the accelerator pedal 15a then generates secondary data representing the travel of the accelerator pedal 15a.

[0052] In a third operation, these second data are received by the computer in charge of the process.

[0053] In a fourth operation, the travel of the accelerator pedal 15a is compared to a first threshold value and a second threshold value, the first threshold value being lower than the second threshold value. The first threshold value corresponds to the value at which a command associated with the movement of the accelerator pedal 15a is taken into account. Indeed, when the travel of the accelerator pedal 15a is less than the first threshold value, then the RW system does not deviate from its default operating mode, that is to say, the target torque corresponds to the setpoint torque. Conversely, if the travel of the accelerator pedal 15a is greater than this first threshold value, then the RW system deviates from its default operating mode to take into account the need expressed by the driver, here the need to reduce the speed of the vehicle 10.

[0054] The first threshold value is, for example, a constant non-parameterable value, this value then being a factory parameter and defined for any vehicle equipped with this RW system.

[0055] The second threshold value, for its part, determines whether the request for a deviation corresponds to a decrease in the target torque, as in the present case where a slower vehicle precedes vehicle 10, or to an increase in the target torque, for example in order to overtake the other vehicle IL

[0056] The second threshold value is, for example, determined by the computer implementing this process as a function of the setpoint torque and / or the current speed of the vehicle 10.

[0057] In a fifth operation, the target torque is determined based on the setpoint torque and the results of the comparisons of the race to the first and second threshold values, the target torque being: • equal to the setpoint torque when the stroke is less than the first threshold value, • less than the setpoint torque when the stroke is between the first and second threshold values, and • greater than the setpoint torque when the stroke is greater than the second threshold value.

[0058] According to a particular embodiment, a third threshold value is included between the first threshold value and the second threshold value, the difference between the setpoint torque and the target torque being maximum when the stroke is equal to the third threshold value.

[0059] Figure 4 illustrates a curve representing a target torque 'C' as a function of a travel 'X' of the accelerator pedal 15a. The difference between the setpoint torque and the target torque is defined by the following function, hereafter referred to as the main function: AC = Co - C, with 'AC' being the difference between the setpoint torque 'Co' and the target torque 'C', the main function being: • constant and zero in a first part 41, when the accelerator pedal travel 15a is less than the first threshold value 'xf, then • strictly increasing in a second part 42, when the accelerator pedal travel 15a is between the first threshold value 'xf' and the third threshold value 'x3', then • strictly decreasing in a third part 43 and in a fourth part 44, when the accelerator pedal travel 15a is increasing and greater than the third threshold value 'x3', the target torque 'C' being less than the setpoint torque 'Co' ' in the third part 43 corresponding to an accelerator pedal stroke 15a between the third threshold value 'x3' and the second threshold value 'x2' and greater than the setpoint torque 'Co' in the fourth part 44 corresponding to an accelerator pedal stroke 15a greater than the second threshold value 'x2'.

[0060] The first, second and third threshold values ​​'xf, 'x2' and 'x3' are for example defined by means of a pedal mapping based on threshold torques, and are for example representative of an expected torque based on a position or stroke of the accelerator pedal defined by the driver of the vehicle 10 when he manipulates the accelerator pedal 15a and the RW system is not active.

[0061] The minimum target torque 'Cmin' is reached, in particular, when the accelerator pedal travel 15a is equal to the third threshold value 'x3', while the maximum target torque 'Cmax' is reached when the accelerator pedal travel 15a is at its maximum, i.e., when the driver presses the accelerator pedal 15a to its maximum. It should be noted that the minimum target torque 'Cmin' does not correspond to the minimum torque that the engine or the powertrain can deliver, but to a torque lower than the target torque. The difference between these two torques is, for example, defined in such a way as to prevent excessively abrupt deceleration of the vehicle 10 when the accelerator pedal travel approaches the threshold value 'x3'.

[0062] According to a particular embodiment, an alternative function is represented by a fifth part 45 in dashed lines of the curve representing the target torque 'C' as a function of the accelerator pedal travel 'X' 15a. This allows the main function described previously, represented among other parts by the second and third parts 42, 43 of the curve, to be bypassed, and is, for example, activated when the pedal travel varies at a certain rate. For example, the main function is activated when the accelerator pedal travel varies slowly, while the alternative function is activated when the accelerator pedal travel varies rapidly. The time variation of the accelerator pedal travel is the linear or angular velocity of the accelerator pedal, calculated, for example, as the gradient of the pedal travel as a function of time.Thus, by moving the accelerator pedal 15a quickly, the driver requests an increase in the target torque of the powertrain according to the alternative function, while by moving the accelerator pedal 15a gently, the driver seeks to adjust the target torque both downwards and upwards, the target torque then following the main function.

[0063] It should be noted that the primary and secondary functions are continuous, thus allowing the driver to intuitively control the RW system, as the variation of the target torque as a function of the variation in the accelerator pedal travel is easily correlated by the driver. The RW system therefore does not react to jerky and uncomfortable accelerator pedal movements, on the contrary making the RW system's reaction smooth and predictable.

[0064] According to a particular embodiment, the main function and, where applicable, the secondary function, are configurable in a second human-machine interface, referred to as a second HMI. Thus, according to a particular embodiment, the first and second threshold values ​​and, where applicable, the third threshold value, are configurable from the second HMI. For this purpose, the vehicle 10 is equipped with a screen 13, corresponding, for example, to an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), a TFT (Thin-Film Transistor), or an OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode). The screen 13 is, for example, arranged in the center of the dashboard 12, for example above a central panel.Of course, the position of screen 13 is not limited to this example, screen 13 can be arranged in any position, for example on the central front panel or behind the steering wheel 21.

[0065] Note that such a second HMI corresponds, for example, to a human-machine interface allowing the selection of a driving mode from among a plurality of driving modes of the vehicle 10, thus allowing the modification of a pedal mapping, the first, second and third threshold values ​​and / or the minimum target torque 'Cmin'.

[0066] According to another particular embodiment, the main function and, where applicable, the secondary function, are defined according to a dynamic law as a function of the current speed of the vehicle 10 and the setpoint torque 'Co'.

[0067] The screen 13 allows content to be displayed for the driver and passengers of the vehicle. According to one embodiment, the screen 13 is also configured to allow the driver and / or passengers of the vehicle 10 to interact with one or more systems embedded in the vehicle via the second HMI displayed on the screen 13. For example, the screen 13 allows control of the vehicle's infotainment system, also called the IVI (In-Vehicle Infotainment) system, as well as the configuration of the RW system.

[0068] The driver is then able to modify the reactions of the RW system to the movement of the accelerator pedal and, for example, to adjust the sensitivity of the accelerator pedal, or even to activate or deactivate the main and / or secondary functions.

[0069] In a sixth operation, the RW system is controlled according to the target torque. The target torque is then transmitted to the powertrain, for example to an engine control unit which manages the engine power or torque in order to obtain the target torque at the powertrain output.

[0070] The driver of vehicle 10 is thus able to modulate the vehicle's speed by modulating the torque demanded from the powertrain, both downwards and upwards when the cruise control system is activated, simply by pressing the accelerator pedal. The driver of vehicle 10 therefore has an intuitive and ergonomic means of adjusting the target torque determined by the vehicle's onboard cruise control system. They can thus modify the powertrain torque and therefore the vehicle's speed using the accelerator pedal without taking their eyes off the road or letting go of the steering wheel 11, making the use of the cruise control system simple and safe.

[0071] Figure 5 schematically illustrates a device 5 configured to control a cruise control system installed in a vehicle, for example the vehicle 10 of Figure 1, according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. The device 5 corresponds, for example, to a device installed in the first vehicle 10, for example the computer of the RW system.

[0072] The device 5 is, for example, configured to carry out the operations described opposite Figures 1 to 4 and / or the steps of the process 6 described opposite [Fig. 6]. Examples of such a device 5 include, but are not limited to, embedded electronic equipment such as a vehicle's on-board computer, an electronic control unit such as an ECU (Electronic Control Unit), a smartphone, a tablet, or a laptop computer. The elements of the device 5, individually or in combination, can be integrated into a single integrated circuit, into several integrated circuits, and / or into discrete components. The device 5 can be implemented in the form of electronic circuits or software (or computer) modules, or a combination of electronic circuits and software modules.

[0073] The device 5 comprises one (or more) processor(s) 50 configured to execute instructions for carrying out the steps of the process and / or for executing instructions from the software embedded in the device 5. The processor 50 may include integrated memory, an input / output interface, and various circuits known to those skilled in the art. The device 5 further comprises at least one memory 51, corresponding, for example, to volatile and / or non-volatile memory, and / or includes a memory storage device that may include volatile and / or non-volatile memory, such as EEPROM, ROM, PROM, RAM, DRAM, SRAM, flash, magnetic disk, or optical disk.

[0074] The computer code of the embedded software(s) including the instructions to be loaded and executed by the processor is for example stored on memory 51.

[0075] According to various particular and non-limiting embodiments, the device 5 is coupled in communication with other similar devices or systems and / or with communication devices, for example a TCU (Telematic Control Unit), for example via a communication bus or through dedicated input / output ports.

[0076] According to a particular and non-limiting embodiment, the device 5 includes a block 52 of interface elements for communicating with external devices, for example a remote server or the "cloud", or the vehicle 10 when the device 5 corresponds to a smartphone or a tablet for example. The interface elements of block 52 include one or more of the following interfaces: - radio frequency (RF) interface, for example of the Wi-Fi® type (according to IEEE 802.11), for example in the 2.4 or 5 GHz frequency bands, or of the Bluetooth® type (according to IEEE 802.15.1), in the 2.4 GHz frequency band, or of the Sigfox type using UBN (Ultra Narrow Band) radio technology, or LoRa in the 868 MHz frequency band, LTE (Long-Term Evolution), LTE-Advanced; - USB interface (from the English "Universal Serial Bus" or "Universal Serial Bus" in French); - HDMI interface (from the English "High Definition Multimedia Interface", or "High Definition Multimedia Interface" in French).

[0077] According to another particular and non-limiting embodiment, the device 5 includes a communication interface 53 which enables communication with other devices (such as other computers in the embedded system or embedded sensors) via a communication channel 530. The communication interface 53 corresponds, for example, to a transmitter configured to transmit and receive information and / or data via the communication channel 530.Communication interface 53 corresponds, for example, to a wired network of the type CAN (Controller Area Network), CAN FD (Controller Area Network Flexible Data-Rate), FlexRay (standardized by ISO 17458), Ethernet (standardized by ISO / IEC 802-3) or LIN (Local Interconnect Network).

[0078] According to a particular and non-limiting embodiment, the device 5 can provide output signals to one or more external devices, such as a display screen 13, touch or non-touch, and / or other peripherals via output interfaces respective. According to one variant, one or the other of the external devices is integrated into device 5.

[0079] Figure 6 illustrates a flowchart of the different steps of a method 6 for controlling a speed regulation system, referred to as the RW system, for example of the vehicle 10, according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. The method 6 is implemented, for example, by a device embedded in the vehicle 10 or by the device 5 of Figure 5.

[0080] In a first step 61, initial data representing an activation state of the RW system and a set speed are received.

[0081] In a second step 62, a setpoint torque of a powertrain, referred to as GMP, of the vehicle 10 is determined according to the first data.

[0082] In a third step 63, second data representing a stroke of an accelerator pedal of the vehicle 10 are received.

[0083] In a fourth step 64, a target torque is determined as a function of the setpoint torque and results of comparing the accelerator pedal travel to first and second threshold values, the first threshold value being lower than the second threshold value, the target torque being: • equal to the setpoint torque when the stroke is less than the first threshold value, • less than the setpoint torque when the stroke is between the first threshold value and the second threshold value.

[0084] In a fifth step 65, the RW system is controlled according to the target torque.

[0085] According to one variant, the variants and examples of the operations described in relation to Figures 1 to 4 apply to the steps of process 6 of [Fig.6].

[0086] The present invention also relates to a vehicle, for example a motor vehicle or more generally a land motor vehicle, comprising the device 5 of [Fig.5].

Claims

Demands

1. Method for controlling a speed regulation system on board a vehicle (10), referred to as system RW, said method comprising the following steps: - receiving (61) first data representing an activation state of said system RW and a set speed; - determining (62) a set torque of a powertrain, referred to as GMP, of the vehicle (10) as a function of the first data; - receiving (63) second data representing a travel of an accelerator pedal (15a) of the vehicle (10);- determination (64) of a target torque as a function of said setpoint torque and of results of comparison of the stroke to first and second threshold values, the first threshold value being less than the second threshold value, the target torque being: • equal to the setpoint torque when the stroke is less than the first threshold value, • less than the setpoint torque when the stroke is between the first threshold value and the second threshold value, and • greater than the setpoint torque when the stroke is greater than the second threshold value; - control (65) of the RW system as a function of said target torque.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first data are received from a first human-machine interface, said human-machine interface being configured to define said setpoint speed and activate the RW system.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a third threshold value is included between the first threshold value and the second threshold value, the difference between the set torque and the target torque being maximum when said stroke is equal to the third threshold value.

4. Method according to claim 3, wherein said difference between the set torque and the target torque is defined by the following function: AC = Co - C, with 'AC' the difference between the set torque 'Co' and the target torque 'C',

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10. said function being: • strictly increasing as the range evolves from the first threshold value to the third threshold value, • strictly decreasing when the range is increasing and greater than the third threshold value. Method according to claim 4, wherein said function is configurable in a second human-machine interface. Method according to claim 5, wherein the second human-machine interface comprises a touch screen. A computer-readable recording medium on which is stored a computer program comprising instructions for carrying out the steps of the process according to claims 1 to 6. A computer program comprising instructions for carrying out the process according to any one of claims 1 to 6, where such instructions are executed by at least one processor. A device (5) for controlling a vehicle-mounted speed control system, said device (5) comprising a memory (51) associated with at least one processor (50) configured for carrying out the steps of the process according to any one of claims 1 to 6. Vehicle comprising the device (5) according to claim 9.