Vehicle Speed Control System for Congested Traffic and Off-Road Use
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle speed control systems, such as cruise control, are ineffective in congested traffic conditions and off-road environments due to minimum speed requirements and susceptibility to wheel slip events, leading to increased driver workload and reduced vehicle composure.
Innovation Solution
A speed control system that automatically controls vehicle speed by adjusting torque applied to the wheels and determining optimal transmission gear ratios, providing user indications and managing clutch actuation to maintain consistent speed, even when the torque drive source is partially or fully disconnected from the transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cruise control systems impose a minimum speed requirement to reduce low-speed collision risk, then safety is improved, but the system becomes ineffective in congested traffic conditions and off-road environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic speed threshold adjustment where the minimum speed threshold is not fixed but adapts based on detected driving conditions. The system uses sensors to detect wheel slip events and adjusts the speed threshold accordingly - raising it during wheel slip conditions and lowering or disabling it during normal conditions, allowing the system to operate safely across diverse driving environments including congested traffic and off-road terrain
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of minimum speed threshold based on detected conditions. When wheel slip is detected, the system modifies the speed threshold parameter to accommodate the current driving situation, enabling the cruise control to function in conditions where traditional fixed-threshold systems would fail
2Reliability
If cruise control systems cancel operation when wheel slip events are detected to maintain safety, then collision risk is reduced, but driver workload increases and vehicle progress is hindered in off-road conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts its response to wheel slip events based on the severity and context of the slip. Rather than always cancelling operation, the system raises the speed threshold during wheel slip conditions, allowing cruise control to continue operating and reducing driver workload while still managing safety risks in off-road environments
3Device complexity
If traditional cruise control systems require user intervention for gear changes and speed adjustments, then system complexity is reduced, but driver workload increases and driving experience is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The control system performs multiple functions through a single integrated controller. The system manages both torque drive source speed control and transmission gear ratio selection, providing comprehensive speed and gear management capabilities that reduce driver workload while maintaining manageable system complexity through consolidation of control functions
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides self-service by automatically determining optimal transmission gear ratios based on current vehicle speed and driving conditions. The controller autonomously selects appropriate gear ratios without requiring driver input, thereby reducing driver workload while maintaining system simplicity through automated decision-making algorithms
4Adaptability or versatility
If cruise control systems are integrated with engine management and radar-based adaptive functionality, then speed control capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the cruise control functionality with the existing engine management system by integrating the controller with the engine control unit. This consolidation allows the system to leverage existing sensors and control infrastructure, improving speed control capability while minimizing the increase in device complexity through shared system resources
Data Source
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AI summary
Some embodiments of the present invention provide a speed control system for automatically controlling the speed of a vehicle in accordance with a target speed value, the system comprising: means for causing automatically a vehicle to travel at a predetermined speed value at least in part by controlling an amount of torque applied to one or more wheels of a vehicle by a powertrain; means for determining a recommended transmission gear ratio for a transmission of the powertrain at a given moment in time; means for providing an indication of the recommended transmission gear ratio to a user; and means for receiving a clutch actuation signal indicative of an actuation state of clutch means that is configured to connect the transmission to a torque drive source of the powertrain, wherein the system is configured automatically to control a speed of the torque drive source to achieve a speed determined in dependence at least in part on at least one predetermined parameter when a predetermined one or more conditions are met, the predetermined one or more conditions including the condition that the clutch actuation signal indicates that the actuation state of the clutch means is such that the torque drive source is at least partially disconnected from the transmission.