VEHICLE SUBSYSTEM CONTROL METHOD AND APPARATUS

• US 20090076682A1
• Filed: 03/21/2007
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Ghoneim, Youssef
• Application Number:
  US12/293,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20090076682A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/105 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/125 Lateral acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/043 Identity of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/215 Selection or confirmation of options
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/30 Driving style
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/085 Changing the parameters of the control units, e.g. changing limit values, working points by control input

Abstract

A method is provided for controlling at least one setting parameter in at least one active subsystem in a vehicle chassis. The method includes, but is not limited to the steps of identifying the driver and selecting the decision function associated to the identified driver from a set of predetermined decision functions, determining one or more operating parameters of the vehicle, evaluating the decision function which yields a value of the setting parameter corresponding to the determined operating parameters, and setting the value in said subsystem.

Claims

1. A method for controlling at least one setting parameter in at least one active subsystem in a chassis of a vehicle, comprising the steps of

determining an operating parameters of the vehicle;

evaluating a decision function that yields a value of said at least one setting parameter corresponding to said determined operating parameter; and

setting said value in said at least one active subsystem,

wherein the step of setting said valued comprises the step of identifying a driver and selecting the decision function associated to the driver from a set of predetermined decision functions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the predetermined decision functions yields a plurality of discrete values, and there is a threshold for said operating parameters, the decision function yielding for result a first one of said plurality of discrete values if the first operating parameter is below the threshold and a second one of said plurality of discrete values if the operating parameter is above the threshold, and the threshold is dependent on the driver.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the predetermined decision functions yields for result a plurality of discrete values, and there is a threshold for said operating parameters, the decision function yielding for result a first one of said plurality of discrete values if the first operating parameter is below the threshold and a second one of said plurality of discrete values if the operating parameter is above the threshold, and at least one of said first discrete values and second discrete values is dependent on the driver.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein a number of subsystems is at least two, and wherein the predetermined decision functions associated to each subsystem have at least substantially identical thresholds.

5. The method of any of claim 1, wherein said operating parameters comprise one or more of

vehicle longitudinal speed,

vehicle lateral speed,

vehicle yaw rated,

vehicle pitch rate,

steering wheel rotating speed,

accelerator pedal position,

brake pedal position;

or

time derivatives of any of the above.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one active subsystem is one of the following:

an all-wheel drive controller, at least one state of which corresponds to an all-wheel drive mode being on, and at least one state of which corresponds to the all-wheel drive mode being off.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the driver is identified based on a driver input at a user interface.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining a set of decision functions based on an input from the driver.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one active subsystem is a shock absorber controller, states of which correspond to different degrees of shock damping.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one active subsystem is a power steering controller, states of which differ by a degree of driver assistance.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one active subsystem is a steering controller, states of which have different relations between steering wheel and front wheel turning angles.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one active subsystem is a powertrain controller, states of which have different gear shifting characteristics.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one active subsystem is a load controller for controlling motor load according to an accelerator pedal position, states of which correspond to different pedal position/load characteristics,

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one active subsystem is a brake controller.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the driver is identified based on a driver input with biometric recognition.

9. A motor vehicle comprising:

a chassis having at least one active subsystem;

a controller for controlling at least one setting parameter in said at least one active subsystem, wherein the controller is adapted to;

determine an operating condition parameters of the motor vehicle;

evaluate a decision function which yields a value of said at least one setting parameter corresponding to said operating condition parameters; and

set said value in said at least one active subsystem,

an identifier adapted to identify a driver of the motor vehicle, and

a selector adapted to select the decision function associated to the driver from a set of predetermined decision functions.

10. The motor vehicle of claim 9, further comprising a user interface for assisting the driver in defining said set of predetermined decision functions.

11. A computer readable medium embodying a computer program product comprising:

a program the program configured to;

determine an operating parameter of the vehicle;

determine an operating parameter of the vehicle;

evaluate a decision function that yields a value of said at least one setting parameter corresponding to said operating parameter; and

set said value in said at least one active subsystem.

wherein the step of setting said value comprises the step of identifying a driver and selecting the decision function associated to the driver from a set of predetermined decision functions.

12. (canceled)