Adaptive Speed Controller Standstill State Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current adaptive cruise control systems frequently enter a confirmation standstill state after a short period of vehicle standstill, requiring driver confirmation for automatic restart, which reduces comfort and may pose hazards to unaware road users, especially in dense traffic.
Innovation Solution
Introducing an intermediate standstill state with measures like visual, audible, and haptic starting instructions, reduced acceleration, and crawling phases to maintain driver awareness and safety without additional sensing arrangements, allowing automatic restarts until driver confirmation is required.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the confirmation standstill state is entered after a short period of vehicle standstill, then driver awareness is maintained, but driving comfort is reduced and road user safety is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the standstill state into multiple phases: an initial standstill phase where automatic restart is permitted, and a subsequent confirmation standstill phase where driver confirmation is required. This segmentation allows the system to maintain safety by requiring confirmation only when necessary (after extended standstill periods) while preserving comfort during shorter standstills where the driver is likely still aware.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary assessment of standstill duration before transitioning to the confirmation state. By monitoring how long the vehicle has been stationary and evaluating surrounding traffic conditions in advance, the system determines whether driver confirmation is necessary, thereby avoiding unnecessary interruptions to automatic restart functionality.
2Reliability
If additional sensing arrangements are installed to detect unprotected road users, then road user safety is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the existing adaptive cruise control sensors (radar, lidar, or cameras already present for distance and speed measurement) to perform dual functions: both controlling the vehicle's speed and detecting unprotected road users during standstill phases. This self-service approach eliminates the need for additional dedicated sensing arrangements while maintaining safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the existing sensing arrangements multi-functional by using them for both their primary purpose (distance and relative speed measurement for adaptive cruise control) and a secondary purpose (detection of unprotected road users during standstill). This universality reduces device complexity by avoiding redundant sensors.
3Ease of operation
If automatic restart is always permitted, then driving comfort is improved, but safety risks increase to unprotected road users
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the restart permission based on real-time conditions. During the initial standstill phase, automatic restart is permitted for comfort. However, if the standstill extends beyond a threshold duration or if unprotected road users are detected, the system dynamically transitions to requiring driver confirmation, thereby adapting to changing safety requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors standstill duration and surrounding environment, using this feedback to determine whether to permit automatic restart or require driver confirmation. This feedback mechanism ensures that safety risks to unprotected road users are mitigated while maintaining comfort during safe automatic restart scenarios.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention concerns an adaptive speed controller for a motor vehicle, with a stop-and-go system for an automatic or driver-confirmed restart following a standstill of the motor vehicle because of a vehicle ahead coming to a standstill and starting again, wherein if the motor vehicle comes to a standstill the stop-and-go system then enters a dynamic standstill state (t0 to t1) from which an automatic dynamic restart is possible, and wherein a preset period of time after the motor vehicle has come to a standstill and remains therein, the stop-and-go system enters a confirmation standstill state (>t4) from which an automatic restart is only possible after a driver's confirmation. According to the invention, the confirmation standstill state (>t4) does not immediately follow the first standstill state (t0 to t1), but with the temporal interposition of an intermediate standstill state (t1 to t4), in which an automatic restart is possible, which differs from the dynamic standstill state by different measures such as additional driver instructions, limited acceleration or the insertion of crawling phases. As a result of this, the driver is made aware of the automatic restart even after a long time at a standstill.