Patent ID: 8515644

Claim:
A device for controlling a speed of a motor vehicle in terms of one of (a) a constant distance control in the case that at least one preceding vehicle is detected by a radar sensor and (b) a constant speed control in the case that no preceding vehicle is detected by a radar sensor, the device comprising: an arrangement for allowing a distance to a preceding vehicle to be set by a driver of the vehicle in the form of a time gap; an arrangement for changing longitudinal dynamics of the speed control when the time gap changes; an arrangement for increasing, given a decrease in the time gap, at least one of a maximum possible vehicle acceleration and a maximum possible vehicle deceleration implementable by a speed control system so that the vehicle is capable of at least one of accelerating and decelerating more quickly given the decrease in the time gap; and an arrangement for first activating, given the decrease in the time gap, deceleration devices of the vehicle at a shorter distance from the preceding vehicle.