METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING AN AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE IN A U-TURN

• US 20050206226A1
• Filed: 03/18/2004
• Published: 09/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Rhode, Douglas S., Lu, Jianbo
• Application Number:
  US10/708,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20050206226A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 303/20
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 11/21 with two pedals operating on respective circuits, pressures therein being equalised when both pedals are operated together, e.g. for steering steering non-deflectable wheels or endless tracks by differentially driving ground-engaging elements on opposite vehicle sides using brakes as main steering effecting means B62D11/08
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/66 Electrical control in fluid-pressure brake systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2230/06 Tractor-trailer swaying
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1706 for single-track vehicles, e.g. motorcycles
• 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 8/246 Change of direction

Abstract

A system and method for controlling an automotive vehicle includes determining the vehicle is in a U-turn and generating a U-turn signal and applying brake-steer in response to the U-turn signal.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an automotive vehicle comprising:

determining a steering wheel characteristic;

determining the vehicle is in a U-turn in response to the steering wheel characteristic;

generating a U-turn in response determining the vehicle is in a U-turn; and

applying brake-steer in response to the U-turn signal.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein applying brake-steer comprises applying at least one brake at a first wheel to reduce a vehicle turning radius.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein applying brake-steer comprises applying an increased drive torque to a second wheel relative to a first wheel.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 applying brake-steer comprises increasing the normal load on a rear wheel.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 applying brake-steer comprises increasing the normal load on a front wheel.

6. A method as recited in claim 37 wherein the steering wheel characteristic comprises a steering wheel direction.

7. A method as recited in claim 6 wherein the steering wheel direction comprises an increasing direction and a decreasing direction wherein varying the amount of brake-steer comprises applying brake-steer using a first boost curve in the first direction, and applying brake-steer using a second boost curve in the second direction, wherein the first boost curve is different than the second boost curve.

8. A method as recited in claim 7 wherein the first boost curve comprises a non-linear-boost curve.

9. A method as recited in claim 7 wherein the first boost curve increases brake-steer at a first rate for a first period of time, increases brake-steer at a second rate for a second period of time wherein the second rate is greater than the first rate, and increases brake-steer at third rate for a third period of time wherein the third rate is less than the second rate.

10. A method as recited in claim 7 wherein the second boost curve comprises a non-linear-boost curve.

11. A method as recited in claim 7 wherein the second boost curve decreases brake-steer at a first rate for a first period of time, and decreases brake-steer at a second rate for a second period of time, wherein the second rate is less than the first rate.

12. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the steering wheel characteristic comprises a steering wheel angle.

13. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein determining the vehicle is in a U-turn comprises determining the vehicle is in a U-turn in response to the steering wheel angle and a vehicle speed.

14. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein brake-steer is applied until the vehicle speed exceeds a U-turn speed threshold.

15. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining the vehicle is in a U-turn comprises determining the vehicle is in a U-turn in response to a yaw rate and the steering wheel characteristic.

16. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining the vehicle is in a U-turn comprises determining the vehicle is in a U-turn in response to a yaw rate, the steering wheel characteristic and a vehicle speed.

17. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining the vehicle is in a U-turn comprises determining the vehicle is in a U-turn in response to a throttle position and the steering wheel characteristic.

18. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein 25 determining the vehicle is in a U-turn comprises determining the vehicle is in a U-turn in response to a steering wheel rate and steering wheel angle.

19. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining the vehicle is in a U-turn comprises determining the vehicle traveled straight followed by a sharp turn with an increasing vehicle speed and high steering wheel angle.

34. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the steering wheel characteristic comprises steering wheel direction.

35. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the steering wheel characteristic comprises steering wheel torque.

36. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the steering wheel characteristic comprises steering wheel angular rate.

37. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein applying brake-steer in response to the U-turn signal comprises varying the amount of brake steer in response to the steering wheel characteristic.

38. A method as recited in claim 37 wherein the steering wheel characteristic comprises steering wheel angle.

39. A method as recited in claim 37 wherein the steering wheel characteristic comprises steering wheel torque.

40. A method as recited in claim 37 wherein the steering wheel characteristic comprises steering wheel angular rate.

20. A system for controlling an automotive vehicle comprising:

means to determine a steering wheel characteristic;

means to generate a U-turn signal when the vehicle is in a U-turn in response to the steering wheel characteristic; and

a controller coupled to said means to generate, said controller programmed to apply brake-steer to the vehicle in response to the U-turn signal.

21. A system as recited in claim 20 wherein means to generate a U-turn signal comprises a vehicle velocity sensor and the means to determine a steering wheel characteristic comprises a steering wheel angle sensor.

22. A system as recited in claim 20 wherein means to generate a U-turn signal comprises a plurality of wheel speed sensors generating a plurality of wheel speeds.

23. A system as recited in claim 20 wherein means to generate a U-turn signal comprises a yaw rate sensor.

24. A system as recited in claim 23 wherein means to generate a U-turn signal further comprises a vehicle velocity sensor.

25. A system as recited in claim 20 wherein means to generate a U-turn signal comprises a throttle position sensor and a yaw rate sensor.

26. A system as recited in claim 20 wherein means to generate a U-turn signal comprises means to determining the vehicle has traveled straight followed by a sharp turn with an increasing vehicle speed and high steering wheel angle.

27. A system as recited in claim 20 wherein said controller is programmed to brake-steer by applying a first brake and a second brake reduce the turning radius of the vehicle.

28. A system as recited in claim 20 wherein said controller is programmed to brake-steer by applying at least one brake at a first wheel to reduce a vehicle turning radius.

29. A system as recited in claim 20 wherein said controller is programmed to brake-steer by applying an increased drive torque to a second wheel relative to the first wheel.

30. A control system as recited in claim 20 wherein the means to determine a steering wheel characteristic comprises a steering wheel angle sensor generating a steering wheel angle signal, said controller programmed to apply brake-steer in response to the U-turn signal and the steering wheel angle signal.

31. A control system as recited in claim 20 further comprising a yaw rate sensor generating a yaw rate signal, said controller programmed to apply brake-steer in response to the U-turn signal and yaw rate signal.

32. A control system as recited in claim 20 wherein the means to determine a steering wheel characteristic comprises a steering wheel torque sensor generating a steering torque signal, said controller programmed to apply brake-steer in response to the U-turn signal and steering torque signal.

33. A control system as recited in claim 20 wherein the means to determine a steering wheel characteristic comprises a steering wheel angle sensor generating a steering wheel angle signal and a vehicle velocity sensor generating a vehicle velocity signal, said controller programmed to apply brake-steer in response to the U-turn signal and steering wheel angle and vehicle velocity signal.

41. A system as recited in claim 20 wherein the means to determine a steering wheel characteristic comprises a steering wheel angle sensor and the characteristic comprises a steering wheel direction.

42. A system as recited in claim 20 wherein the means to determine a steering wheel characteristic comprises a steering wheel angle sensor and the characteristic comprises a steering wheel rate.

43. A system as recited in claim 20 wherein the controller varies the amount of brake steer in response to the steering wheel characteristic.

44. A system as recited in claim 43 wherein the steering wheel characteristic comprises steering wheel angle.

46. A method as recited in claim 43 wherein the steering wheel characteristic comprises steering wheel torque.

47. A method as recited in claim 43 wherein the steering wheel characteristic comprises steering wheel angular rate.