Electronic throttle control

• US 10,086,698 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2014
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polaris Industries Incorporated (Polaris Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Polaris Industries Incorporated (Polaris Inc.)
• Inventors: Grajkowski, Karl J., Malone, Amber P., Nault, Eric P., Erickson, Steven C., Gillingham, Brian R., Carlson, Ryan D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rocca, Joseph M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Williams, Maurice L
• Application Number:
  US14/571,847
• Publication Number:
  US 20150096819A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,386 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2031/0091 Speed limiters or speed cutters
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 26/04 of means connecting initiating means or elements to propulsion unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/10 responsive to conditions relating to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/00 Vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator fittings acting on two or more sub-units B60W30/14; speedometers G01P; systems or devices for controlling speed in general G05D13/00 ; in traffic anti-collision system for road vehicles G08G1/16
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/101 Infinitely variable gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/01 Occupants other than the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/124 Buggies, Quads
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 3/10 characterised by having pitch control conjoint with propulsion plant control
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 11/105 characterised by the function converting demand to actuation, e.g. a map indicating relations between an accelerator pedal position and throttle valve opening or target engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/604 Engine control mode selected by driver, e.g. to manually start particle filter regeneration or to select driving style
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/021 Introducing corrections for particular conditions exterior to the engine conjoint control of vehicle sub-units for propelling the vehicle B60W30/18
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/102 Switching from sequential injection to simultaneous injection
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/2422 Selective use of one or more tables
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence

Abstract

A recreational vehicle includes a seatbelt sensor configured to detect when a seatbelt is in an engaged position or a disengaged position and an engine control module in communication with the seatbelt sensor to automatically limit a maximum speed of the vehicle to a reduced maximum speed limit upon detection of the seatbelt is in the disengaged position.

Claims

1. A recreational vehicle comprising:

a chassis;

a plurality of wheels;

a suspension coupled between the plurality of wheels and the chassis to support the chassis;

an engine supported by the chassis;

a seat supported by the chassis;

a seatbelt to secure a driver within the seat;

a seatbelt sensor configured to detect when the seatbelt is in an engaged position or a disengaged position;

a vehicle speed sensor configured to detect a speed of the vehicle;

a throttle valve configured to regulate engine power;

a throttle input device configured to control the throttle valve;

a user input to permit a user to set a maximum speed limit for the vehicle;

an engine control module in communication with the throttle valve, the seatbelt sensor, and the vehicle speed sensor, the engine control module automatically limiting the maximum speed limit to a reduced maximum speed limit upon detection of the seatbelt in the disengaged position, the engine control module automatically maintains a speed of the vehicle below the reduced maximum speed limit based on a detected engine speed and detecting an error in the vehicle speed sensor; and

a GPS device coupled to the engine control module for tracking a location of vehicle and communicating the tracked location to the engine control module.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein if the vehicle speed is greater than the reduced maximum speed limit when the seatbelt is disengaged, the engine control module reduces a torque of the engine such that a speed of the vehicle is reduced at a predetermined deceleration rate until the speed of the vehicle is at or below the reduced maximum speed limit.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a safety net and a switch configured to detect an engagement of the safety net, the switch providing a signal to the engine control module representative of the detected engagement of the safety net, and wherein the engine control module automatically limits the maximum speed of the vehicle to the reduced maximum speed limit when the safety net is disengaged.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the engine control module controls a torque of the engine based on a position of the throttle input device upon the seatbelt being in the engaged position or upon a detected speed of the vehicle being below the reduced maximum speed limit.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the engine control module automatically reduces a torque of the engine upon detection of the seatbelt in the disengaged position and upon a detected speed of the vehicle being above the reduced maximum speed limit.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the user input includes a speed key received in an ignition of vehicle, the speed key including a transmitter to send maximum vehicle speed limit information, and further comprising a receiver located on the vehicle and configured to receive the maximum speed limit information from the speed key.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the user input includes a selectable input permitting the user to manually enter the maximum speed limit.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

the throttle valve configured to regulate air intake into the engine, the engine control module being configured to control the throttle valve;

a drive mode selection device in communication with the engine control module for selecting one of a plurality of drive modes, the plurality of drive modes providing variable movement of the throttle valve in response to actuation of the user input device.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the plurality of drive modes include a plurality of a normal mode, a sport mode, a work mode, and a plow mode, each of the plurality of modes having a different throttle response map in response to actuation of the user input device.

10. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a suspension sensor in communication with the engine control module, the suspension sensor being configured to detect at least one of a height of a component of the suspension, a load on the vehicle, and when the vehicle is airborne.

11. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a yaw rate sensor coupled to the engine control module, the yaw rate sensor being configured to detect and communicate an angular velocity of the vehicle to the engine control module.

12. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a brake mechanism for the plurality of wheels, and an anti-lock braking system (ABS) configured to provide automatic control of brake mechanism.

13. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a traction control system (TCS) for reducing traction loss of the plurality of wheels.

14. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the seat includes a driver seat portion and a passenger seat portion and further comprising a passenger seatbelt to secure a passenger within the passenger seat portion, and wherein the seatbelt sensor detects when the driver seatbelt and the passenger seatbelt are in an engaged position or a disengaged position, and the engine control module automatically limits the maximum speed of the vehicle to the reduced maximum speed limit upon detection of either the driver seatbelt or the passenger seatbelt in the disengaged position.

15. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the engine control unit is operable to limit the maximum speed limit to a reduced maximum speed limit responsive to the communicated tracked location from the GPS module.

16. A recreational vehicle comprising:

a chassis;

a plurality of wheels;

a suspension coupled between the plurality of wheels and the chassis to support the chassis;

an engine supported by the chassis;

a seat supported by the chassis;

a seatbelt to secure a driver within the seat;

a seatbelt sensor configured to detect when the seatbelt is in an engaged position or a disengaged position;

a vehicle speed sensor configured to detect a speed of the vehicle;

a throttle valve configured to regulate engine power;

a throttle input device configured to control the throttle valve;

an engine control module in communication with the throttle valve, the seatbelt sensor, and the vehicle speed sensor, the engine control module automatically limiting a maximum speed of the vehicle to a reduced maximum speed limit upon detection of the seatbelt in the disengaged position, the engine control module automatically maintains a speed of the vehicle below the reduced maximum speed limit based on a detected engine speed and detecting an error in the vehicle speed sensor;

the throttle valve configured to regulate engine power and air intake into the engine, the engine control module being configured to control the throttle valve;

a user input device in communication with the engine control module for controlling a position of the throttle valve; and

a drive mode selection device in communication with the engine control module for selecting one of a plurality of drive modes, the plurality of drive modes each providing differing variable movement of the throttle valve in response to actuation of the user input device.

17. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the plurality of drive modes include a plurality of a normal mode, a sport mode, a work mode, and a plow mode, each of the plurality of modes having a different throttle response map in response to actuation of the user input device.

18. The vehicle of claim 16, further comprising a user input to permit a user to set a maximum speed limit for the vehicle, the user input including at least one of a speed key to automatically set the maximum speed limit and a selectable input permitting the user to manually enter the maximum speed limit.