Big air electronic control module

• US 10,328,939 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2017
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vanderhall Motor Works Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hall Labs, LLC
• Inventors: Hall, David R., Hall, Stephen R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Boomer, Jeffrey C
• Application Number:
  US15/491,156
• Publication Number:
  US 20180304893A1
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/02 Retarders, delaying means, dead zones, threshold values, cut-off frequency, timer interruption
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/01 Attitude or posture control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/92 ABS - Brake Control
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2250/03 Vehicle yaw rate
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2260/06 Active Suspension System
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2270/10 ABS control systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/12 for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger limiting speed of vehicles other than rail vehicles B60K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/17 Using electrical or electronic regulation means to control braking detecting or indicating faulty operation B60T8/885
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1701 Braking or traction control means specially adapted for particular types of vehicles for vehicles having more than one drive axle B60T8/1769
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/172 Determining control parameters used in the regulation, e.g. by calculations involving measured or detected parameters B60T8/17551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1755 Brake regulation specially adapted to control the stability of the vehicle, e.g. taking into account yaw rate or transverse acceleration in a curve road vehicle drive control systems for control of driving stability otherwise than by controlling a particular sub-unit B60W30/02
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/176 Brake regulation specially adapted to prevent excessive wheel slip during vehicle deceleration, e.g. ABS B60T8/1755 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/362 Buggies; Quads
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0604 Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0638 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/18 Braking system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/22 Suspension systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/14 : Yaw
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/28 : Wheel speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0605 : Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0644 : Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/18 : Braking system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/14 : Yaw
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18009 : related to particular drive situations
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/182 : Selecting between different operative modes, e.g. comfort and performance modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0098 : Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for

Abstract

One of the most popular and exhilarating stunts in off-road vehicle driving is catching air off a jump. Unfortunately, once the vehicle is in the air, the driver loses significant control of the vehicle. An electronic vehicle control system is described herein that addresses this problem. The system may include an ABS module, a shock position sensor, and an ABS override module. The ABS override module may be coupled to the shock position sensor and the ABS module. The ABS override module may receive a shock-extended signal from the shock position sensor indicating one or more of the shocks are fully extended. The ABS override module may send a stop-ABS signal that may prevent the ABS module from operating. The ABS override module may additionally be connected to a yaw rate sensor, the brakes, and the throttle, and may automatically control the pitch, roll and yaw of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle electronic control system, comprising:

an Antilock Brake System (ABS) module electrically coupled to a brake actuator, wherein the ABS module comprises one or more of an electronic controller, programming stored on the electronic controller, a brake line, one or more valves, and one or more pumps;

a shock position sensor that detects a percentage a corresponding shock is compressed; and

an ABS override module electrically coupled to the shock position sensor and the ABS module, wherein the ABS override module comprises one or more of an electronic controller and programming stored on the electronic controller, wherein the ABS override module;

receives a shock-extended signal from the shock position sensor indicating the shock is compressed from 0% to 10%;

in response to receiving the shock-extended signal, sends a stop-ABS signal that prevents the ABS module from communicating with the brake actuator.

2. The vehicle electronic control system of claim 1, wherein the ABS override module further receives a shock-compressed signal from the shock position sensor indicating the shock is compressed from greater than 10% to 100%.

3. The vehicle electronic control system of claim 2, wherein the ABS override module further, in response to receiving the shock-compressed signal, allows the ABS module to communicate with the brake actuator.

4. The vehicle electronic control system of claim 1, further comprising a wheel speed sensor electrically coupled to one or more of the ABS module and the ABS override module.

5. The vehicle electronic control system of claim 4, wherein preventing the ABS module from communicating with the brake actuator comprises preventing the wheel speed sensor from communicating with the ABS module.

6. The vehicle electronic control system of claim 5, wherein preventing the ABS module from communicating with the brake actuator comprises sending a dummy wheel speed to the ABS module.

7. The vehicle electronic control system of claim 1, further comprising at least one switch electrically disposed between one or more of the ABS module, the ABS override module, and the brake actuator.

8. The vehicle electronic control system of claim 7, wherein preventing the ABS module from communicating with the brake actuator comprises opening the switch.

9. The vehicle electronic control system of claim 7, the vehicle further comprising a CAN bus and an ABS override bus, one or more of the switch, the ABS module, the brake actuator, and the ABS override module electrically coupled via one or more of the CAN bus and the ABS override bus.

10. The vehicle electronic control system of claim 1, comprising four shock position sensors corresponding to four shocks, wherein the ABS override module receives the shock-extended signal from one of the four shock position sensors, from two of the four shock position sensors, from three of the four shock position sensors, or from all four of the shock position sensors.

11. The vehicle electronic control system of claim 1, further comprising one or more of a visual and an audio indicator electrically coupled to the ABS override module, wherein the indicator indicates to a user the ABS override module is preventing the ABS module from communicating with the brake actuator.

12. The vehicle electronic control system of claim 1, further comprising an in-air rev limiter electrically coupled to the ABS override module, wherein the ABS override module further sends an in-air rev limit signal to the in-air rev limiter that activates the in-air rev limiter.

13. The vehicle electronic control system of claim 12, wherein the ABS override module sends the in-air rev limit signal in response to preventing the ABS module from communicating with the brake actuator.

14. The vehicle electronic control system of claim 12, further comprising an on-ground rev limiter that sets an on-ground rev limit, wherein the on-ground rev limiter limits rotation of the motor to a range from 4000 rpm to 5000 rpm.

15. The vehicle electronic control system of claim 14, wherein the in-air rev limit is lower than the on-ground rev limit by a range from 1000 rpm to 2000 rpm.

16. The vehicle electronic control system of claim 1, further comprising one or more of a multi-axis yaw sensor electrically coupled to the ABS override module, and a throttle electrically coupled to the ABS override module.

17. The vehicle electronic control system of claim 16, wherein the ABS override module receives a yaw signal from the yaw sensor indicating a current yaw of the vehicle about one or more perpendicular axes.

18. The vehicle electronic control system of claim 17, wherein the ABS override module, in response to receiving the yaw signal from the yaw sensor, compares the current yaw of the vehicle to a desired yaw of the vehicle.

19. The vehicle electronic control system of claim 18, wherein the ABS override module, in response to comparing the current yaw of the vehicle to a desired yaw of the vehicle, determines the current yaw is not equal to the desired yaw.

20. The vehicle electronic control system of claim 19, wherein the ABS override module, in response to determining the current yaw is not equal to the desired yaw, sends a signal that actuates the throttle, the brake actuator, or both.