ROAD VEHICLE CONTROL METHOD

• US 20090143961A1
• Filed: 10/27/2008
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Magneti Marelli Powertrain S.p.A. (Magneti Marelli S.p.A.)
• Original Assignee: Magneti Marelli Powertrain S.p.A. (Magneti Marelli S.p.A.)
• Inventors: Gaviani, Giovanni Maria, Dalla, Roberto, Nesci, Walter
• Application Number:
  US12/258,820
• Publication Number:
  US 20090143961A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/110
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/544 for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle occupants, e.g. for indicating disabled occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0818 Inactivity or incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/043 Identity of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/00 Input parameters relating to infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/20 Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/30 Road curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour

Abstract

A control method of a road vehicle; the control method includes the steps of: detecting the position of an accelerator control which is displaced along a predetermined stroke; using the position of the accelerator control to control the generation of a torque generated by the engine of the road vehicle so that the torque is generated according to the position of the accelerator control; detecting the current driver'"'"'s ability by means of a driving ability recognition device; and limiting the generation of torque according to the current driver'"'"'s ability.

Claims

1. A control method of a road vehicle;

the control method comprising the steps of;

detecting the position of an accelerator control which is displaced along a predetermined stroke; and

using the position of the accelerator control to control the generation of a torque generated by an engine of the road vehicle so that the torque is generated according to the position of the accelerator control;

the control method is characterized in that it comprises the further steps of;

detecting the current driver'"'"'s ability by means of a driving ability recognition device; and

limiting the generation of torque according to the current driver'"'"'s ability.

2. A control method according to claim 1, and comprising the further steps of:

determining a maximum reachable speed and/or acceleration according to the current driver'"'"'s ability; and

limiting the generation of torque for preventing the real speed and/or acceleration of the road vehicle from exceeding the maximum reachable speed and/or acceleration.

3. A control method according to claim 2 wherein the step of determining the maximum reachable speed and/or acceleration contemplates the further steps of:

determining a first maximum reachable speed and/or acceleration on straights; and

determining a second maximum reachable speed and/or acceleration on corners lower than the first maximum reachable speed and/or acceleration.

4. A control method according to claim 3 wherein the second maximum reachable speed and/or acceleration is as lower as the curving radius of the corner covered by the road vehicle is higher.

5. A control method according to claim 1 and comprising the further steps of:

determining the weather conditions outside the road vehicle; and

limiting the generation of torque also according to the outside weather conditions.

6. A control method according to claim 1 and comprising the further steps of:

determining the position of the road vehicle by means of a satellite positioning system; and

limiting the generation of torque also according to the position of the road vehicle.

7. A control method according to claim 6, and comprising the further steps of:

determining the maximum speed allowed by law in the area where the road vehicle is located; and

limiting the generation of torque also according to the maximum speed allowed by law in the area where the road vehicle is located.

8. A control method according to claim 6, and comprising the further steps of:

determining a maximum recommended speed in the area where the road vehicle is located; and

limiting the generation of torque also according to the maximum recommended speed in the area where the road vehicle is located.

9. A control method according to claim 1 and comprising the further step of determining the operational parameters of active systems of the road vehicle according to the current driver'"'"'s ability.

10. A control method according to claim 9, wherein the active systems of the road vehicle comprise the electronic control of a servo controlled transmission, the electronic control of the locking percentage of a self-locking differential, the electronic control of the suspension response, the electronic control of the stability of the road vehicle, the electronic control of the traction of the driving wheels, and/or the electronic control of the response of a power steering.

11. A control method according to claim 1, wherein the step of detecting the current driver'"'"'s ability comprises the further steps of:

associating a corresponding removable personal memory device to each driver;

writing an evaluation code which indicates the corresponding driver'"'"'s ability in each removable personal memory device; and

reading the current driver'"'"'s removable personal memory device by means of a reader carried by the road vehicle.

12. A control method according to claim 11, wherein each removable personal memory device is inserted inside a corresponding ignition key of the road vehicle.

13. A control method according to claim 11, wherein each removable personal memory device is read in radiofrequency by means of a transponder communication system.

14. A control method according to claim 11, wherein each removable personal memory device is inserted inside a USB stick.

15. A control method according to claim 1, wherein the step of detecting the current driver'"'"'s ability comprises the further steps of:

measuring and storing the number of driving hours totally performed by the current driver; and

defining the current driver'"'"'s ability also according to the number of driving hours performed totally by the current driver.

16. A control method according to claim 1 and comprising the further steps of:

detecting an identification code of the current driver; and

storing the current driver'"'"'s identification code associated to the time at which the identification code itself was stored, at a predetermined time frequency in a permanent memory of the road vehicle.

17. A control method according to claim 16, wherein the permanent memory manages the identification codes as a FIFO type queue.

18. A control method according to claim 1 and comprising the further steps of:

verifying whether the current driver'"'"'s ability corresponding to that of a newly licensed driver; and

visually indicating that a newly licensed driver is driving by means of at least one light indicator visible from outside the road vehicle.

19. A road vehicle comprising:

an engine;

an accelerator control which is displaced along a predetermined stroke; and

an electronic control unit adapted to detect the position of the accelerator control and to use the position of the accelerator control to control the generation of a torque generated by the engine so that the generated torque depends on the position of the accelerator control;

the road vehicle is characterized in that it comprises a driving ability recognition device adapted to detect the current driver'"'"'s ability;

the control unit is adapted to limit the generation of torque according to the current driver'"'"'s ability.