Gear shifting system

• US 20070174001A1
• Filed: 03/01/2005
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Scania CV AB (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Scania CV AB (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Kjell, Anders, Rickman, Johnny
• Application Number:
  US10/588,823
• Publication Number:
  US 20070174001A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/55
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2250/04 Vehicle reference speed; Vehicle body speed
• 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: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/10 related to vehicle motion
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/44 dependent on machine speed of the machine, e.g. the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/92 for velocity measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/52 Determining velocity

Abstract

A method for determining a vehicle speed, e.g. for an automatic gear shifting system. The method comprises the steps of: determining if at least one driven wheel is spinning or shows a tendency to spin and/or if the vehicle is braked under influence of an antilock braking system, and determining the vehicle speed based on a rate of rotation of at least one non-driven wheel, a value of the vehicle speed received from a positioning system and/or a value of the vehicle speed received from a vehicle radar system, if either the at least one driven wheel is spinning or shows a tendency to spin or the vehicle is braked under influence of the antilock braking system. A vehicle, an electronic control unit, a computer program and a computer program product are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for determining a vehicle speed, comprising the steps of:

determining at least one of if at least one driven wheel of the vehicle is spinning or shows a tendency to spin and if the vehicle is being braked under influence of an antilock braking system, and

determining the vehicle speed based on at least one of a rate of rotation of at least one non-driven wheel of the vehicle, a value of the vehicle speed received from a positioning system and a value of the vehicle speed received from a vehicle radar system, if in the event that either the at least one driven wheel is spinning or shows a tendency to spin or the vehicle is being braked under influence of the antilock braking system.

2. A method according to claim 1, comprising the further step of:

calculating the vehicle speed based on at least one of an engine speed of the vehicle, a propeller shaft speed of the vehicle and a crank shaft speed of the vehicle, if the at least one driven wheel is not spinning or shows a tendency to spin or the vehicle is not being braked under the influence of the antilock braking system.

3. An automatic gear shifting system for a vehicle wherein the vehicle includes wheels including one driven wheel, and at least one of an antilock braking system operable on the wheels, a positioning system unit, a vehicle radar system and a traction control system:

the shifting system comprising a determining system for determining at least one of, if at least one driven wheel is spinning or shows a tendency to spin and the antilock braking system of the vehicle is operating, and the determining system comprising;

a calculator operable for calculating a vehicle speed based on a rate of rotation of at least one of the non-driven wheel of the vehicle, the positioning system unit in the vehicle and the vehicle radar system, and

the determining a system being operable for determining the vehicle speed based on at least one of a rate of the rotation of at least one non-driven wheel, a value of the vehicle speed received from the positioning system unit and a value of the vehicle speed received from the vehicle radar system, and the determining system being operable if either the at least one driven wheel is spinning or shows a tendency to spin or the vehicle is braked under influence of the antilock braking system.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein the vehicle further comprises an engine for driving the driven wheel, a propeller shaft and a crank shaft, the system comprising

the calculator being further operable for calculating the vehicle speed based on at least one of an engine speed of the vehicle and a propeller shaft speed, if the at least one driven wheel is not spinning or shows a tendency to spin or the vehicle is not braked under the influence of the antilock braking system.

5. A computer program for determining a vehicle speed comprising computer readable code means, which when run on an electronic control unit in a vehicle, causes the electronic control unit to

determine at least one of if at least one driven wheel of the vehicle is spinning or shows a tendency to spin and if the vehicle is being braked under influence of an antilock braking system, and

determine the vehicle speed based on at least one of a rate of rotation of at least one non-driven wheel of the vehicle, a value of the vehicle speed received from a positioning system and a value of the vehicle speed received from a vehicle radar system, if either the at least one driven wheel (6) is spinning or shows a tendency to spin or the vehicle is being braked under influence of the antilock braking system.

6. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium and a computer program according to claim 5 stored on the computer readable medium.

7. An electronic control unit adapted for connection to a vehicle internal network bus in a vehicle, the control unit comprising a storing means and a computer program according to claim 5 stored on the storing means.

8. An electronic control unit according to claim 7, wherein the electronic control unit is a gearbox electronic control unit.