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System and method for controlling a vehicle

  • US 10,384,546 B2
  • Filed: 05/09/2016
  • Issued: 08/20/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2014
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A braking system, comprising:

  • a drive system having a traction motor coupled in driving relationship to a wheel of a vehicle, the motor being configured to provide both motive power for the vehicle in a propel mode of operation and retarding effort to brake the vehicle;

    a braking device configured to provide braking effort to brake the vehicle;

    a brake pedal of the vehicle operably connected to the braking device for manual control of the braking device, wherein manual actuation of the brake pedal initiates braking effort by the braking device;

    a retard pedal that is a portion of the brake pedal, wherein manual actuation of the retard pedal independent of the brake pedal provides a retard command that is a request for the retarding effort by the traction motor, the retard pedal including a sensor to register the retard command based on the manual actuation of the retard pedal; and

    a control unit configured to determine a total retarding effort required to brake the vehicle in a braking mode of operation and an amount of traction motor retarding effort available from the traction motor;

    wherein the control unit is further configured to control the traction motor and the braking device so that at least one of the traction motor and the braking device brake the vehicle in the braking mode of operation;

    wherein, in response to receiving the retard command upon actuation of the retard pedal independent of actuation of the brake pedal, if the amount of traction motor retarding effort available from the traction motor is less than the total retarding effort required to brake the vehicle, the control unit is configured to control the traction motor to provide the available traction motor retarding effort andto automatically control the braking device to provide the braking effort to supplement the available traction motor retarding effort.

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