A METHOD OF MAKING PREDICTIVE ESTIMATES OF THE SPEED OF A MOVING VEHICLE, CORRESPONDING SYSTEM AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT

A method of making predictive estimates of the speed of a moving vehicle (V) comprises the following steps:i) detecting whether the vehicle (V) is in an eco-roll condition, where the vehicle is moving by inertia with the transmission in neutral, or in a cut-off condition, where the vehicle is moving by inertia with an engaged gear and the accelerator pedal fully released;ii) if the vehicle (V) is in an eco-roll or cut-off condition, starting an observation time window and sensing the real initial speed (vreal(n-1)) of the vehicle at an initial instant of the observation time window;iii) when the vehicle (V) exits the eco-roll or cut-off condition, or when the observation time window reaches a predefined maximum duration, stopping the observation time window and sensing the real final speed (vreal(n)) of the vehicle at a final instant of the observation time window;iv) computing an estimate of the final speed (vsim(n)) of the vehicle at the final instant of the observation time window, as a function of the initial speed (vreal(n-1)) of the vehicle, a stored value of an estimated resulting force that acts on the vehicle (V) during the observation time window, the mass of the vehicle (V) and the duration of the observation time window;v) computing a second value of the estimated resulting force that acts on the vehicle (V) during the observation time window, where the second value of the resulting force minimizes the error between the estimate of the final speed (vsim(n)) of the vehicle and the real final speed (vreal(n)) of the vehicle; andvi) updating the stored value of the estimated resulting force that acts on the vehicle (V) as a function of the second value of the resulting force, or storing a corrective factor of the estimated resulting force that acts on the vehicle as a function of the second value of the resulting force.