Method and device for controlling the distance from a vehicle to a preceding vehicle

US6618000B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Robert Bosch GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Hermann Winner · Bietigheim, DE
• Albrecht Irion · Stuttgart, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 18, 2002
• Grant date: Sep 9, 2003
• Expiry date: Apr 18, 2022

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B60W2754/30
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

In a method and apparatus for controlling the distance of a vehicle to a vehicle traveling ahead, in which the distance and the relative velocity of the vehicle traveling ahead are measured and the distance, in a distance control mode, is controlled by accelerating or decelerating the vehicle to a preestablished setpoint distance, wherein the deceleration permitted by the distance control process is limited and, in situations in which the setpoint distance cannot be maintained at this limited deceleration, the transition is made from the distance control process to a process limiting the distance to a minimum distance which is smaller than the setpoint distance, and the vehicle, after reaching the minimum distance, is further decelerated, so that the distance once again increases to the setpoint distance.