Patent ID: 8744718

Claim:
A method for controlling a vehicle's speed, performed by a control unit on a vehicle, the method comprises: adopting a desired speed v set for the vehicle; determining by means of map data and location data a horizon for an intended itinerary which is made up of route segments with at least one characteristic for each segment; effecting the following during each of a number of simulation cycles (s) each comprising a number N of simulation steps conducted at a predetermined frequency f: making a first prediction of the vehicle's speed v pred — cc along the horizon with conventional cruise control when v set is presented as reference speed, which prediction depends on the characteristics of said segment; comparing the first predicted vehicle speed v pred — cc with v min and v max , which demarcate an intended range for the vehicle's speed; making a second prediction of the vehicle's speed v pred — Tnew along the horizon when the vehicle's engine torque T is a value which depends on the result of the comparison in a latest preceding simulation cycle (s−1); making in each simulation cycle a third prediction of the vehicle's speed v pred — Tk+new along the horizon with ordinary cruise control and thereafter when the vehicle's engine torque T is replaced by a maximum torque or a minimum torque depending on said comparison; determining at least one reference value which indicates how the vehicle's speed is to be influenced on the basis of at least one of the comparisons in that simulation cycle (s) and the predicted vehicle speed v pred — Tnew ; and sending to a control system in the vehicle the at least one reference value with respect to which the vehicle is thereupon regulated.