Patent ID: 7945369

Claim:
An adaptive cruise control system for use in a host motor vehicle, said adaptive cruise control system comprising: object detecting apparatus operable for detecting a target object travelling in a predicted path of the host vehicle and for establishing a distance value (d) representing the prevailing distance between the host vehicle and a detected target object and a target velocity value (v t ) representing the prevailing velocity of the target object or the prevailing relative velocity of the target object in relation to the host vehicle; and a processor which uses information as to a set vehicle velocity (v s ), information as to the prevailing velocity (v h ) of the host vehicle and information from the object detecting apparatus as to the distance value (d) and target velocity value (v t ) for a detected target object, for repeatedly generating a control order for influencing engine control apparatus and brake control apparatus of the host vehicle to keep the velocity of the host vehicle essentially equal to the set vehicle velocity (v s ) when no target object having a velocity lower than the set vehicle velocity (v s ) is detected and, to keep the host vehicle at a set distance (d s ) from the target object, when a target object having a velocity lower than the set vehicle velocity (v s ) is detected, the object detecting apparatus is operable to simultaneously detect several target objects and is operable to establish a distance value (d) and a target velocity value (v t ) for each individual target object among several simultaneously detected target objects; the processor is operable to generate a separate control order for each individual target object among several simultaneously detected target objects; the processor is also operable to compare the control orders generated for several simultaneously detected target objects and to select the control order among these that is estimated to give the slowest velocity of the host vehicle, and the adaptive cruise control system is operable to send a control signal to at least one of the engine control apparatus and the brake control apparatus of the host vehicle based on the selected control order so as to thereby control the velocity of the host vehicle in accordance with the selected control order.