Adaptive speed controller for motor vehicles and method for adaptive speed control

Abstract

The invention concerns an adaptive speed controller for a motor vehicle, with a stop-and-go system for an automatic or driver-confirmed restart following a standstill of the motor vehicle because of a vehicle ahead coming to a standstill and starting again, wherein if the motor vehicle comes to a standstill the stop-and-go system then enters a dynamic standstill state (tto t) from which an automatic dynamic restart is possible, and wherein a preset period of time after the motor vehicle has come to a standstill and remains therein, the stop-and-go system enters a confirmation standstill state (>t) from which an automatic restart is only possible after a driver's confirmation. According to the invention, the confirmation standstill state (>t) does not immediately follow the first standstill state (tto t), but with the temporal interposition of an intermediate standstill state (tto t), in which an automatic restart is possible, which differs from the dynamic standstill state by different measures such as additional driver instructions, limited acceleration or the insertion of crawling phases. As a result of this, the driver is made aware of the automatic restart even after a long time at a standstill.