Method for Identifying a Road Condition During Driving of a Vehicle

• US 20080234905A1
• Filed: 07/07/2006
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Volvo Lastvagnar AB (Volvo AB)
• Original Assignee: Volvo Lastvagnar AB (Volvo AB)
• Inventors: Steen, Marcus, Eriksson, Anders
• Application Number:
  US12/065,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20080234905A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/65
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/0234 Adapting the ratios to special vehicle conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/66 Road conditions, e.g. slope, slippery
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/0213 characterised by the method for generating shift signals

Abstract

A method for identifying a road condition during driving of a vehicle. The vehicle includes an engine with an engine output shaft connected to an automated mechanical transmission via a clutch. A transmission output shaft is connected to at least one driven wheel of the vehicle, and the system further includes a vehicle suspension system with sensors for measuring the vertical movement of wheels of the vehicle relative vehicle bodywork, at least one control unit adapted to receive a variety of input signals and process those signals in accordance with programmed logic rules to issue command output signals to the engine, for torque request, to the transmission for gear shifting and to the clutch. The control unit, when sensing driving conditions, sends signals indicative of a first road condition and is programmed to change gear shifting strategy for the transmission to a gear shifting strategy optimized for the first road condition if present gear shifting strategy is a second gear shifting strategy for a second road condition. One of the road conditions can be off-road.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a road condition during driving of a vehicle, the vehicle comprising an engine connected to drive at least one wheel of the vehicle via a semi or fully automatic transmission,

receiving input signals and processing the signals in accordance with programmed logic rules with at least one control unit to issue command output signals to the transmission for gear shifting,

sensing a signal indicative of a presence of a first road condition,

changing a gear shifting strategy for the transmission to a gear shifting strategy optimized for the first road condition via the control unit, if a present gear shifting strategy is a second gear shifting strategy for a second road condition, which differs from the first road condition,

wherein the control unit is programmed to perform the change when a sensor arranged in the vehicle senses sudden changes over time of at least one of acceleration, frequency, wave length and amplitude for vertical movements of at least parts of the vehicle.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit is programmed to perform the change when registering that a first predetermined pattern of substantially vertical movement of the vehicle is to be similar to movements of the vehicle when the vehicle is in the first road condition.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the road condition signal includes at least a signal generated by a sensor for measuring movement of a cab of the vehicle relative to a body of the vehicle.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the road condition signal includes at least a signal generated by a sensor for measuring vibrations in the vehicle.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the control unit is programmed to perform the change when registering that a predetermined vibration reference value of the vehicle is exceeded.

6. The method as in claim 1, wherein the part of the vehicle is at least one wheel of the vehicle movable at least in a vertical way relative a bodywork of the vehicle.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, the vehicle further comprising at least two pairs of wheels, wherein the substantially vertical movements of different wheels in the different wheel pairs are compared and considered, when assessing if the road condition has been changed.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the first road condition is an off-road condition and the second road condition is a high-way condition.