Adaptive Cruise Control Reset Timing for Stop-and-Go Traffic
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional adaptive cruise control systems face safety issues when resuming speed regulation after a lead vehicle stops, particularly at traffic lights or roundabouts, leading to potential dangers and unnecessary driver intervention in non-hazardous situations.
Innovation Solution
An adaptive cruise regulator that includes a module to detect the environment and reset the stored setpoint based on a stopwatch duration, with different time limits set for various environments to minimize risks while avoiding unnecessary reactivation in safe conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the stored cruise control setpoint is reset when the leading vehicle stops for a duration exceeding a fixed limit, then the safety risk at traffic lights and roundabouts is reduced, but the driver is forced to reactivate control in non-hazardous situations such as stop-and-go motorway traffic
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the reset threshold dynamic rather than fixed. The threshold adapts based on detected environment type (urban, rural, motorway) and stop-and-go traffic conditions. This allows the system to be more sensitive to reset in dangerous situations while being more tolerant in safe situations, resolving the contradiction between safety and ease of operation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of reset threshold from a fixed time value to a variable that depends on environment type and traffic conditions. By adjusting the threshold parameter based on contextual factors, the system achieves both improved safety (by resetting in dangerous situations) and improved ease of operation (by not resetting in safe situations)
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the stored instruction is reset when the leading vehicle stops for a short duration, then dangerous situations at traffic lights are avoided, but unnecessary reactivation occurs in stop-and-go mode on motorways
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by implementing different reset behaviors for different environments. Urban environments with potential hazards use a lower reset threshold, while motorway environments with stop-and-go traffic use a higher threshold. This localized adaptation reduces harmful factors in dangerous situations while minimizing unnecessary reactivations in safe situations
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the reset threshold based on the detected environment type and traffic patterns. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to differentiate between hazardous stops (where reset is appropriate) and normal stop-and-go traffic (where reset is inappropriate), thereby reducing both dangerous situations and unnecessary reactivations
Data Source
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AI summary
This adaptive cruise control (26) for a motor vehicle (2) comprises a detection module (28) for detecting a vehicle ahead, a production module (30) capable of producing a setpoint, a storage module (32) configured to store a value corresponding to the setpoint, a chronometer (34) configured to be initialized and activated at a moment when the vehicle stops, and a reinitialization module (72) for reinitializing the storage module (32). This cruise control (26) comprises a setup module (36) capable of determining a limit according to the environment of the vehicle (2), the reinitialization module (72) being configured to reinitialize the value stored by the storage module (32) if the chronometer (34) provides a duration greater than the limit.