Adaptive Cruise Control

The adaptive cruise control system is an enhanced cruise control system with the ability to sense and react to forward traffic. Compared to the common cruise control system found on many vehicles, the main functional enhancement of the adaptive cruise control system is the ability to detect the presence of a vehicle in the path of the adaptive cruise control vehicle. Adaptive cruise control retains the existing cruise control feature that controls the vehicle speed to the driver selected speed. However, adaptive cruise control allows a driver to set and maintain a following distance to the preceding nearest vehicle in the path ahead. The active safety control module controller calculates a follow speed limit to ensure an acceptable distance is maintained to the preceding vehicle in front, should one be present. The adaptive cruise control system automatically adjusts the speed when the vehicle comes up behind a slower travelling vehicle in front. The system applies limited automatic braking and throttle control without driver input when necessary to maintain the set following distance. The preceding vehicle's speed and acceleration along with the active cruise control vehicle speed and acceleration and the distance between the two vehicles are factors used by the active safety control module controller to determine the follow speed limit. The vehicle speeds up to the original driver selected set speed when the pathway becomes clear without driver input.