VEHICLE ADAPTIVE CONTROL
A method of controlling a vehicle includes the steps of identifying a lead vehicle with at least one sensor on the vehicle, tracking the lead vehicle with the at least one sensor, and maintaining the vehicle at a predetermined following position from the lead vehicle based on a position of the lead vehicle and a terrain adjacent at least one of the vehicle or the lead vehicle.
1 . A method of controlling a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
identifying a lead vehicle with at least one sensor on the vehicle;
tracking the lead vehicle with the at least one sensor; and
maintaining the vehicle at a predetermined following position from the lead vehicle based on a position of the lead vehicle and a terrain adjacent at least one of the vehicle or the lead vehicle.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein tracking the lead vehicle includes distinguishing the lead vehicle from at least one other vehicle.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein distinguishing the lead vehicle from the at least one other vehicle includes generating a predicted location of the lead vehicle and comparing the predicted location of the lead vehicle with a location of an unidentified vehicle.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the unidentified vehicle is eliminated as the lead vehicle when the unidentified vehicle is not located within a predetermined range of the predicted location of the lead vehicle.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the unidentified vehicle is identified as the lead vehicle when the unidentified vehicle is located within a predetermined range of the predicted location of the lead vehicle.
6 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the predicted location is based on a last know speed and direction of the first lead vehicle.
7 . The method of claim 3 , including delaying a change in speed of the vehicle based on a predetermined time from a last tracking of the lead vehicle.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein maintaining the vehicle at the predetermined following position includes monitoring a characteristic of the terrain adjacent at least one the vehicle and the lead vehicle and varying a speed of the vehicle based on the characteristic of terrain.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein monitoring the characteristic of the terrain includes monitoring at least one of a slope of the terrain or a surface property of the terrain.
10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the terrain adjacent the vehicle and the lead vehicle includes a terrain between the vehicle and the lead vehicle.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein maintaining the vehicle at the predetermined following position includes delaying movement of the vehicle until the first lead vehicle traversed a predetermined piece of terrain.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor includes at least one camera.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the at least one sensor includes at least one radar sensor.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the at least one sensor includes at least one lidar sensor.
15 . The method of claim 1 , including generating a virtual bumper for the vehicle with at least one parking sensor and varying a speed of the vehicle if an object appears within an area defined by the virtual bumper.
16 . A control system for a vehicle comprising:
at least one sensor;
a controller associated with the at least one sensor and configured to perform the following steps:
identifying a first lead vehicle with a least one sensor on the vehicle;
tracking the first lead vehicle with the at least one sensor; and
maintaining the vehicle at a predetermined following distance from the first lead vehicle based on a position of the first lead vehicle and a terrain adjacent the vehicle and the first lead vehicle.
17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein tracking the lead vehicle includes distinguishing the first lead vehicle from at least one second vehicle by generating a predicted location of the first vehicle and comparing the predicted location of the first vehicle with the at least one second vehicle.
18 . The system of claim 16 , wherein maintaining the vehicle at the predetermined following position includes monitoring a characteristic of the terrain adjacent at least one the vehicle and the lead vehicle and varying a speed of the vehicle based on the characteristic of terrain.
19 . The system of claim 16 , wherein monitoring the characteristic of the terrain includes monitoring at least one of a slope of the terrain or a surface property of the terrain.
20 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the at least one sensor includes at least one of a camera, radar, or lidar.