Patent ID: 6081762
Filing Date: 2000-06-27
Classification: B60K,B60W

Abstract:
A cruise control system for a motor vehicle comprises: means for monitoring a target vehicle moving in front of the equipped vehicle; means for monitoring the speed of the equipped vehicle; and means for monitoring the lateral acceleration rate that reflects steering maneuvers of the equipped vehicle, wherein the cruise control system controls the throttle and brake systems of the vehicle to control the speed of the vehicle; the cruise control system being switchable between a cruise mode in which it maintains a set cruising speed when the path in front of the vehicle is clear and a follow mode in which it maintains a preset headway with a target vehicle in front of the equipped vehicle; the system being switched from the cruise mode to the follow mode when the target vehicle moves inside the preset headway; the system switching from the follow mode to the cruise mode when the target vehicle is lost or moves outside the preset headway, the cruise control system applying a resume acceleration to accelerate the equipped vehicle back to the set cruising speed, the resume acceleration rate being adjusted as a function of the lateral acceleration rate of the equipped vehicle.