IP Library Granted Patent US 12,552,378
Granted Patent B2
US 12,552,378 · App. 17/782,017 · Granted Feb 17, 2026

Method for determining a speed profile of a motor vehicle with non-predetermined acceleration

Inventors: Francois Bordelais (Nanterre, FR); Vakanga Fadiga (St Cloud, FR); Maud Peyret (Paris, FR)
Assignees: Ampere s.a.s.; NISSAN Motor Co., Ltd.
B60W30/146B60W2520/00B60W2552/00B60W2555/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,552,378
App. No.
17/782,017
Granted
Feb 17, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for determining a speed profile to be followed by a vehicle, including acquiring event data including a distance from an event and a target speed at this event for the vehicle, and determining a speed profile to be followed as a function of time, between an initial speed and the target speed in three successive distinct phases, respectively a first phase in which the jerk is set constant at a predetermined maximum jerk value to reach an optimal target acceleration value, a second phase in which the optimal target acceleration value is kept constant, and a third phase in which the jerk is again set constant to reach a zero acceleration value at the end of the third phase. The optimal target acceleration value is such that the distance required to carry out the three phases of the profile is equal to the distance from the event.

Claims (35)

1 . A method for determining a speed profile to be followed by a motor vehicle, the method comprising:

acquiring contextual information on a road environment of the vehicle via a multi-sensor system of the vehicle;

extracting event data from the acquired contextual information, comprising at least one distance from an event in relation to said vehicle and a target speed for said vehicle at the event;

providing a measured initial speed of said vehicle;

determining the speed profile to be followed as a function of time, between said measured initial speed and said target speed in three successive distinct phases, the three successive distinct phases including a first phase in which a jerk is set constant at a predetermined maximum jerk value in order to reach an optimal target acceleration value at an end of the first phase, a second phase in which said optimal target acceleration value is kept constant throughout a duration of the second phase, and a third phase in which the jerk is again set constant in order to reach a zero acceleration value at an end of the third phase;

determining said optimal target acceleration value during the second phase such that the distance required to carry out the three successive distinct phases of said speed profile by applying said determined optimal target acceleration value is equal to said distance from the event, the determining of said optimal target acceleration value during the second phase is carried out through iteration and bisection from a predetermined range bounded by a minimum acceleration value and a maximum acceleration value, the minimum acceleration value being calculated from an initial acceleration value; and

transmitting the speed profile as an instruction to an adaptive speed control system fitted to the vehicle, the adaptive speed control system controlling the vehicle based on the speed profile.

2 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the distance required to carry out the three successive distinct phases of said speed profile is calculated from a set of equations implemented for the calculation of the speed profile, a calculation of which comprises, for a set of fixed parameters comprising the initial speed and an initial acceleration of the vehicle when starting the speed profile, the target speed at the event and the predetermined maximum jerk value, and for an unfixed parameter comprising the optimal target acceleration to be reached in the second phase of the speed profile:

calculating the duration of the phases and start and end times delimiting the phases,

calculating passage speeds at the start and end times delimiting the second phase,

calculating the speed as a function of time for each of the phases, and

calculating the distances traveled at the start and end times delimiting the phases.

3 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, at each iteration, the distance required to produce the speed profile is calculated with an intermediate acceleration value, which is a center of gravity of the minimum and maximum acceleration values.

4 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, in said third phase, the jerk is set constant at said predetermined maximum jerk value of the first phase.

5 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, in said third phase, the jerk is set constant at a predetermined maximum jerk value different from said predetermined maximum jerk value of the first phase.

6 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said predetermined maximum jerk value is different depending on whether the speed profile relates to a positive acceleration or to a negative acceleration of the vehicle.

7 . A device configured to be installed on board a motor vehicle, the device comprising:

circuitry configured to

acquire contextual information on a road environment of the vehicle via a multi-sensor system of the vehicle,

extract event data from the acquired contextual information, comprising at least one distance from an event in relation to the vehicle and a target speed for the vehicle at the event,

provide a measured initial speed of the vehicle,

determine a speed profile to be followed as a function of time, between the measured initial speed and the target speed in three successive distinct phases, the three successive distinct phases including a first phase in which a jerk is set constant at a predetermined maximum jerk value in order to reach an optimal target acceleration value at an end of the first phase, a second phase in which the optimal target acceleration value is kept constant throughout a duration of the second phase, and a third phase in which the jerk is again set constant in order to reach a zero acceleration value at an end of the third phase,

determine the optimal target acceleration value during the second phase such that the distance required to carry out the three successive distinct phases of the speed profile by applying the determined optimal target acceleration value is equal to the distance from the event, determining the optimal target acceleration value during the second phase being carried out through iteration and bisection from a predetermined range bounded by a minimum acceleration value and a maximum acceleration value, the minimum acceleration value being calculated from an initial acceleration value, and

transmit the speed profile as an instruction to an adaptive speed control system fitted to the vehicle, the adaptive speed control system controlling the vehicle based on the speed profile.

8 . A motor vehicle, comprising:

the device as claimed in claim 7 .

9 . The device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the distance required to carry out the three successive distinct phases of the speed profile is calculated from a set of equations implemented for the calculation of the speed profile, a calculation of which comprises, for a set of fixed parameters comprising the initial speed and an initial acceleration of the vehicle when starting the speed profile, the target speed at the event and the predetermined maximum jerk value, and for an unfixed parameter comprising the optimal target acceleration to be reached in the second phase of the speed profile:

calculating the duration of the phases and start and end times delimiting the phases,

calculating passage speeds at the start and end times delimiting the second phase,

calculating the speed as a function of time for each of the phases, and

calculating the distances traveled at the start and end times delimiting the phases.

10 . The device as claimed in claim 9 , wherein, at each iteration, the distance required to produce the speed profile is calculated with an intermediate acceleration value, which is a center of gravity of the minimum and maximum acceleration values.

11 . The device as claimed in claim 10 , wherein, in the third phase, the jerk is set constant at the predetermined maximum jerk value of the first phase.

12 . The device as claimed in claim 10 , wherein, in the third phase, the jerk is set constant at a predetermined maximum jerk value different from the predetermined maximum jerk value of the first phase.

13 . The device as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the predetermined maximum jerk value is different depending on whether the speed profile relates to a positive acceleration or to a negative acceleration of the vehicle.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 23, 2024
From: RENAULT S.A.S.
To: AMPERE S.A.S.
Reel/Frame 067526/0311 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 6, 2023
From: BORDELAIS, FRANCOIS; FADIGA, VAKANGA; PEYRET, MAUD
To: RENAULT S.A.S.; NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 062297/0021 →
Priority Claims (1)
FR 1914455 · Dec 16, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230018073A1 · Jan 19, 2023
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