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The Cruise Control as it is known has the drawback of an
important restriction of use, even with the latest equipments : cruise control or even ACC
are suited indeed to clear highways. Traffic becoming heavier, the driver no longer feels
safe and comfortable, on account of the obligation to release the accelerator pedal.
The interest of such an equipment is therefore greatly diminished. For even if he
appreciates its use, the driver faces the evidence that he can actually use it for only
limited periods of time.
Fast but denser traffic for which the cruise control is not adapted exists far outside
towns and that is an important part of the time spent every day in driving. An increased
versatility of the " speed control function" would greatly improve the comfort
and safety of driving.
Proposal : combination in parallel of the Sensitive
Accelerator and the Cruise Control
Operation
- The cruise control mode : on
highways, the driver may normally use the cruise control (or ACC), with his right foot
free. When he wishes to, he may also put his foot down on the accelerator pedal again, in
the normal vicinity of the brake pedal, because the Feel Forces Accelerator controls a
sufficient return force under the pedal. Experience has confirmed that the driver feels no
discomfort when he decides to accelerate, since the Feel Forces Accelerator
instantaneously detects his intention and release quickly the force for a moment.
- The "Sensitive Accelerator mode" :
when the traffic circumstances or the driver's choice are ill-suited to the cruise
control, the driver is helped by the Sensitive Accelerator. This mode is also
automatically activated from the previous mode if conditions of cruise control
disconnection occur (braking, heavy traffic, etc.). Both modes have the same selected
speed and the driver remains as serene towards speed : he will never be taken unawares in
a moment's inattention. In the case where an ACC is used, the radar can keep the alarm
function for the "safe headway" while acting on the force feedback pedal.
Experiments have demonstrated that the Feel Forces Accelerator is also very efficient to
help the driver driving at very low speed in urban area, for example 30 Km/h or minus.
This combination is easy to manage from the same user interface. In driving situations,
the transition from one mode to the other will be for the driver more natural and
continuous than in the description.
The additional cost would concern the sole actuator (perhaps less than 25 $) with the
advantageous consequence that it can be common to three levels of equipments :
 | the Feel Forces Accelerator alone in basic equipment,
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| associated with a standard cruise control,
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| with an ACC for high-class OEM equipment. |
The ECU (engine control, automatic gearbox..., for instance) in which the function
would be integrated will have the corresponding software option.
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