Concepts of driver assistance in longitudinal vehicle guidance have been a major focal point of automotive research in the past decade. Companies like BMW have already marketed first products of support systems such as Active Cruise Control (ACC), others are close to market introduction. Longitudinal guidance systems are characterised by a moderately low level of throttle and brake authority. They are mainly designed for highway applications characterised by rather homogeneous traffic flow with some substantial geometry constraints and a low level of dynamic interaction between driver and vehicle. Currently, 2nd generation systems for longitudinal support are under development, which can handle a wider range of driving situations. An integrated approach of those functions is described in this paper.
Abstract