Adaptive_Cruise_Control_Sys_Overview.pdfVIP

5th Meeting of the U.S. Software System Safety Working Group April 12th-14th 2005 @ Anaheim, California USA Adaptive Cruise Control System Overview 1 Introduction Adaptive Cruise Control ACC is an automotive feature that allows a vehicles cruise control system to adapt the vehicles speed to the traffic environment. A radar system attached to the front of the vehicle is used to detect whether slower moving vehicles are in the ACC vehicles path. If a slower moving vehicle is detected, the ACC system will slow the vehicle down and control the clearance, or time gap, between the ACC vehicle and the forward vehicle. If the system detects that the forward vehicle is no longer in the ACC vehicles path, the ACC system will accelerate the vehicle back to its set cruise control speed. This operation allows the ACC vehicle to autonomously slow down and speed up with traffic without intervention from the driver. The method by which the ACC vehicles speed is controlled is via engine throttle control and limited brake operation. 2 Definitions and Physical Overview clearance ACC Vehicle time gap clearance / vehicle sp eed Target Vehicle Forward Vehicle Figure 1 – ACC Vehicle Relationships 1 2. 1 Definitions Adaptive Cruise Control ACC – An enhancement to a conventional cruise control system which allows the ACC vehicle to follow a forward vehicle at an appropriate distance. ACC vehicle – the subject vehicle equipped with the ACC system. active brake control – a function which causes application of the brakes without driver application of the brake pedal. clearance – distance from the forward vehicles trailing surface to the ACC vehicles leading surface. forward vehicle – any one of the vehicles in front of and moving in the same direction and traveling on the same roadway as the ACC vehicle. set speed – the desired cruise control travel speed set by the driver and is the m