Inclement weather vehicle system

• US 10,640,125 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2017
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Mansour, Robert Emad
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nga X
• Application Number:
  US15/710,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20190084583A1
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/00 Input parameters relating to infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/146 Speed limiting
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/182 Selecting between different operative modes, e.g. comfort and performance modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/06 Road conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention

Abstract

A vehicle includes a traction control system. The vehicle includes a controller configured to indicate, on a display, a recommended speed based on a precipitous deposit, a temperature, and a speed limit, and activate the traction control system before the vehicle crosses the vector. The indication and activation may be responsive to an expected route of the vehicle crossing the expected precipitous deposit of a weather prediction vector received from a source offboard the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a traction control system;

a display; and

a controller configured to, responsive to an expected route of the vehicle crossing an expected precipitous deposit of a weather prediction vector received from a source offboard the vehicle, indicate on the display a recommended speed based on the deposit and a temperature associated with the deposit, and a speed limit associated with the route, and activate the traction control system before the vehicle crosses the vector, wherein the expected precipitous deposit is below a predetermined temperature.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the expected precipitous deposit is an accumulation of snow above a predetermined snow threshold.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the expected precipitous deposit is an accumulation of ice above a predetermined ice threshold.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the expected precipitous deposit is an accumulation of ice and snow above a predetermined ice, snow threshold.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the expected route is defined by an algorithmically determined route based on a selected destination.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vector includes a visibility distance.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the speed is further based on the visibility distance.

8. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to, responsive to visibility falling blow a visibility threshold and the expected precipitous deposit being snow, activate stability controls.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the speed has a local minimum when the temperature is within 10% of freezing.

10. A method comprising:

indicating on a display a recommended speed in response to receiving an expected precipitous deposit of a weather prediction vector from a source offboard the vehicle, the deposit including a temperature falling below a predetermined temperature, and an expected vehicle route crossing the deposit; and

activating a traction control system before the vehicle crosses the vector.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the expected precipitous deposit includes an accumulation of snow above a predetermined snow threshold.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the expected precipitous deposit includes an accumulation of ice above a predetermined ice threshold.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the expected precipitous deposit includes an accumulation of ice and snow above a predetermined ice, snow threshold.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the expected route is determined based on a selected destination.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the vector includes a visibility distance.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the speed is further based on the visibility distance.