The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 03, 1997
Filed:
Sep. 01, 1995
Peter Rauznitz, Columbus, IN (US);
Mary L Till, Indianapolis, IN (US);
Jimmie J Trueblood, Columbus, IN (US);
Charles E Goode, Columbus, IN (US);
Cummins Engine Company, Inc., Columbus, IN (US);
Abstract
A cruise control based retarder control. If the vehicle speed exceeds the cruise control set speed, the cruise control system continuously checks the vehicle speed and acceleration order to determine the optimum auxiliary brake level based upon the amount of overspeed and acceleration. The cruise control system allows the vehicle driver to select which auxiliary brakes will be applied to slow down the vehicle to the desired speed by means of the normal cabin brake switches, limited by the determined optimum brake level. The driver can therefore control which auxiliary brakes are applied, however the application of these brakes is controlled by the cruise control system without the need to exit cruise control mode. Operation of the auxiliary brakes by the cruise control system will normally reset in increased fuel economy over prior art systems which require exiting of the cruise control system, manual activation of the auxiliary brakes and resumption of the cruise control system.