Patent ID: 8078382

Claim:
An adaptive cruise control system for a vehicle, comprising: cruise control means for automatically following a preceding vehicle, the cruise control means including at least three states while the vehicle is on and the at least three states including a cruise control system off state, a cruise control system activated state wherein the cruise control means is on and initiated and a cruise control system stand-by state wherein the cruise control means is on and not initiated; first brakes configured to slow down the vehicle; and stop-maintenance control means having second brakes operated using a different method than the first brakes for causing the vehicle to remain at a halt, the stop-maintenance control means automatically initiating the second brakes when the preceding vehicle has halted while the cruise control means is in the cruise control system activated state; wherein the stop-maintenance control means is configured to keep the second brakes on once initiated even though the cruise control means transitions from the cruise control system activated state to the cruise control system stand-by state or the cruise control system off state in response to one of a plurality of first user-actuated vehicle conditions; wherein the stop-maintenance control means is configured to activate the second brakes by a second user-actuated vehicle condition when the cruise control means is in cruise control system off state and to deactivate the second brakes by one of a plurality of third user-actuated vehicle conditions when the cruise control means is in cruise control system off state; wherein the stop-maintenance control means is configured to activate the second brakes by the second user-actuated vehicle condition when the cruise control means is in cruise control system stand-by state and to deactivate the second brakes by one of the plurality of third user-actuated vehicle conditions when the cruise control means is in cruise control system stand-by state; and wherein the stop-maintenance control means deactivates the second brakes in response to one of a plurality of fourth user-actuated vehicle conditions when the cruise control means is in the activated state and whether or not the preceding vehicle begins moving.