Vehicle chassis having programmable operating characteristics and method for using same

• US 20030037982A1
• Filed: 07/25/2002
• Published: 02/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Shabana, Mohsen D., Chernoff, Adrian B., Borroni-Bird, Christopher E., Vitale, Robert Louis
• Application Number:
  US10/205,480
• Publication Number:
  US 20030037982A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/291
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 13/14 having dampers accumulating utilisable energy, e.g. compressing air fluid springs with an accumulator B60G11/30
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/015 the regulating means comprising electric or electronic elements B60G17/002, B60G17/005 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0195 characterised by the regulation being combined with other vehicle control systems conjoint control of vehicle sub-units including control of suspension systems B60W10/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/10 Independent suspensions
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/144 with two lateral arms forming a parallelogram
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/18 Multilink suspensions, e.g. elastokinematic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/44 steerable
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/46 camber angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/462 Toe-in/out
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/40 Type of actuator
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/42 Electric actuator
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/10 Mounting of suspension elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/11 Mounting of sensors thereon
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/14 Mounting of suspension arms
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/16 Mounting of vehicle body on chassis
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/20 Mounting of accessories, e.g. pump, compressor
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/202 of cables
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/011 Modular constructions
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/0114 Independent suspensions on subframes
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/50 Constructional features of wheel supports or knuckles, e.g. steering knuckles, spindle attachments
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/99 : Suspension element selection procedure depending on loading or performance requirements, e.g. selection of damper, spring or bush
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/45 : Rolling frame vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/50 : Electric vehicles; Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/60 : Vehicles using regenerative power
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/21 : Traction, slip, skid or slide control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/802 : Diagnostics
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/90 : System Controller type
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/91 : Suspension Control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/92 : ABS - Brake Control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/963 : Steer-by-wire
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 3/18 : with two or more pivoted arms, e.g. parallelogram
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 7/003 : of adjustable length
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/004 : for vehicles having a combustion engine and electric drive means, e.g. hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/00 : Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00; electric transmission arrangements B60K17/12; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles per se B60L; current-collectors for power supply lines of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/04 : of the electric storage means for propulsion exchanging batteries for electric propulsion of vehicles B60L53/80; for auxiliary purposes only B60R16/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/07 : of gas tanks
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/001 : one motor mounted on a propulsion axle for rotating right and left wheels of this axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/005 : the electric storage means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 7/0007 : the motor being electric
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/14 : rotatable, e.g. to permit easy access B60N2/10 , B60N2/2869 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/90 : Details or parts not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 1/065 : employing disc B60T1/062 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 1/10 : by utilising wheel movement for accumulating energy, e.g. driving air compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/66 : Electrical control in fluid-pressure brake systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/662 : characterised by specified functions of the control system components
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/74 : with electrical assistance or drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2270/82 : Brake-by-Wire, EHB
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/00 : Brake-action initiating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/042 : by electrical means, e.g. using travel or force sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/00 : Arrangements for adjusting wheel-braking force to meet varying vehicular or ground-surface conditions, e.g. limiting or varying distribution of braking force by changing number of effective brake cylinders in power brake systems B60T17/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 : including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 : including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/28 : including control of fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 : Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/105 : Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/125 : Lateral acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/28 : Wheel speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18 : Propelling the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/105 : for motor cars
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/00 : Power-assisted or power-driven steering for non-deflectable wheels B62D11/00; fluid-pressure servomotors in general F15B
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 7/18 : Steering knuckles; King pins
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 : Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 : Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

A vehicle includes a steering system, suspension system, braking system, and energy conversion system, wherein at least one of these systems is reprogrammable such that the vehicle'"'"'s ride, response, or handling is selectively variable. The systems may be programmed automatically when a body is mated to a chassis to provide the desired performance characteristics. A method is provided for determining a customer'"'"'s desired system characteristics and programming systems accordingly.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a structural frame;

a suspension system mounted with respect to the structural frame;

at least three wheels rotatably mounted with respect to the suspension system;

a steering system mounted with respect to the structural frame and operably connected to at least one wheel;

a braking system mounted with respect to the structural frame and operably connected to at least one wheel;

an energy conversion system mounted with respect to the structural frame and operably connected to at least one wheel; and

at least one sensor operably connected to a wheel, the suspension system, the steering system, the braking system, or the energy conversion system and configured to transmit sensor signals;

wherein at least one of the suspension system, steering system, braking system, and energy conversion system is a reprogrammable system, the at least one reprogrammable system including an actuator configured to respond mechanically in a predetermined manner to actuator control signals.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one reprogrammable system includes a control unit operably connected to the actuator and configured to process non-mechanical control signals or sensor signals and generate actuator control signals according to a stored algorithm or stored data.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, further comprising a writable storage unit operably connected to the control unit and configured to store an algorithm or data used by the control unit in processing non-mechanical control signals or sensor signals, and operably connected to an external programming interface configured to transmit software, algorithms, or data to the storage unit, and wherein the storage unit is configured to store the software, algorithms, or data transmitted by the external interface.

4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the external programming interface is an electrical connector.

5. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the external programming interface is an input device.

6. The vehicle of claim 2, further comprising an external programming interface operably connected to the control unit and configured to be releasably engageable with a storage unit, and wherein the control unit is configured to retrieve software, algorithms, or data for processing the non-mechanical control signals or sensor signals, and generating actuator control signals via the external interface.

7. The vehicle of claim 2, further comprising a storage unit operably connected to the control unit, an external programming interface operably connected to the control unit and configured to releasably engage an instructional data source, and wherein the control unit is configured to utilize instructional data from the instructional data source in processing non-mechanical control signals or sensor signals, and generating actuator control signals.

8. The vehicle of claim 2, further comprising a storage unit operably connected to the control unit, an input device operably connected to the control unit and configured to transmit instructional data to the control unit, and wherein the control unit is configured to utilize the instructional data in processing the non-mechanical control signals or sensor signals and generating actuator signals.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising an external interface operably connected to the actuator and configured to releasably engage a control unit, and configured to transmit actuator control signals from an engaged control unit to the actuator.

10. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the control unit is on a vehicle body which is attached to the frame.

11. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the instructional data source is on a vehicle body attached to the frame.

12. A method of conducting a vehicle business transaction, comprising the steps of:

determining a party'"'"'s desired system characteristics for at least one programmable system on a vehicle, wherein the at least one programmable system is a steering system, braking system, suspension system, or energy conversion system; and

programming the at least one programmable system in response to the party'"'"'s desired operating characteristics.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising offering a selection of programmable system characteristics to the party.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising offering to grant possession of the vehicle to the party.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising granting possession of the vehicle to the party.

16. A method of dealing software for programmable vehicle systems, comprising the steps of entering into a contractual agreement with a party, that is not a manufacturer of a vehicle or a programmable system manufacturer, to license or grant possession of software configured to provide a programmable system in a vehicle with new or different system characteristics;

and transmitting the software to the party.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the software is transmitted via satellite.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the software is transmitted via a wireless network.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the software is transmitted via telephone.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the software is transmitted via the Internet.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the software is transmitted in a tangible medium.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the tangible medium is a compact disk.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein said programmable systems include a suspension system, braking system, energy conversion system or steering system.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein said programmable systems include a suspension system, braking system, energy conversion system and steering system.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein said programmable vehicle systems comprise control and handling systems.