SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ADJUSTING CONTROL PARAMETERS OF AN ONBOARD CONTROL DEVICE IN AN AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE

• US 20100204882A1
• Filed: 08/16/2007
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volvo Truck Corporation (Volvo AB)
• Original Assignee: Volvo Truck Corporation (Volvo AB)
• Inventors: Osterberg, Peter, Giovaresco, Florent, Rault, Mathieu
• Granted Patent: US 9,938,916 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18 Propelling the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18172 Preventing, or responsive to skidding of wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/02 related to ambient conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/072 Curvature of the road
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/076 Slope angle of the road
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/045 Monitoring control system parameters
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/606 Driving style, e.g. sporty or economic driving
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/021 Introducing corrections for particular conditions exterior to the engine conjoint control of vehicle sub-units for propelling the vehicle B60W30/18
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/2429 Methods of calibrating or learning
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/266 the computer being backed-up or assisted by another circuit, e.g. analogue
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005

Abstract

This system is used for adjusting the control parameters of an onboard electronic control device of an automotive vehicle in view of a journey or type of journey. This system includes a computation arrangement adapted to generate a set of control parameters to be used by the electronic control device and an input arrangement adapted to allow a user to provide the computation arrangement with data relating to the journey or type of journey and to at least one constraint to be considered as having priority during the journey or type of journey. In the method of the invention, one collects data with respect to the vehicle, to the journey or type of journey and to the constraint to be considered as having priority. These data are provided to the computation arrangement which generate a set of control parameters for the control device.

Claims

1. A system for adjusting the control parameters of an onboard electronic control device of an automotive vehicle in view of a journey or type of journey, wherein the system includes:

computation means adapted to generate a set of control parameters to be used by the electronic control device, and

input means adapted to allow a user to provide the computation means with data relating to the journey or type of journey and to at least one constraint to be considered as having priority during the journey or type of journey.

2. System according to claim 1, wherein it also includes data collection means with respect to the vehicle and means to provide the computation means with the vehicle data.

3. System according to claim 1, wherein the computation means are located remotely from the vehicle and the system also includes communication means between the input means and the computation means.

4. System according to claim 3, wherein the computation means include several models corresponding to several vehicles and are adapted to select one model on the basis of data relating to the vehicle.

5. System according to claim 1, wherein the computation means are located onboard the vehicle and dedicated to the vehicle.

6. System according to claim 1, wherein the computation means include a database storing information used by the computation means to stimulate the journey or type of journey on the basis of the journey/type of journey data received from that input means.

7. System according to claim 1, wherein the input means comprise a personal computer forming a user interface, the computer having communication means with the computation means and/or with the vehicle or including the computation means.

8. System according to claim 1, wherein it includes communication means for direct data exchange between the vehicle and the computing means.

9. A method for adjusting the control parameters of an onboard electronic control device of an automotive vehicle in view of a journey or a type of journey, wherein it comprises at least the following steps of:

a) collecting data with respect to the vehicle,

b) collecting data with respect to the journey or type of journey,

c) collecting data with respect to at least one constraint to be considered as having priority,

d) providing computation means with the collected data,

e) generating with the computation means a set of control parameters for the onboard control device, the parameters being dedicated to the journey or type of journey and giving priority to the constraint, and

f) loading the onboard control device with the set of control parameters.

10. Method according to claim 9, wherein the vehicle data collected in step a) include a vehicle identification number corresponding to a set of data present in a database belonging to the computation means.

11. Method according to claim 9, wherein the vehicle data collected in step a) include data retrieved from the vehicle control device.

12. Method according to claim 9, wherein all the vehicle data collected in step a) are provided to the computation means via an interface computer.

13. Method according to claim 9, wherein at least a part of the vehicle information data collected in step a) is sent directly from the vehicle to the computation means.

14. Method according to claim 9, wherein after step e), the computation means send the set of control parameters to an interface computer and this set of control parameters is loaded into the onboard control device from this interface computer.

15. Method according to claim 9, wherein after step e), the set of control parameters is sent directly by the computation means to the onboard control device.

16. Method according to claim 9, wherein the constraint to be considered as having priority is selected from fuel consumption, journey time, average speed, maximum speed, maximum acceleration, noise levels, emission levels and maintenance interval forecast.

17. Method according to claim 9, wherein during step e), the computation means build a model of the journey or type of journey on the basis of the data collected in step b) and of information contained in at least one database.

18. Method according to claim 9, wherein during step e), the computation means build a model of the vehicle on the basis of the data collected in step a) and of information contained in at least one database.

19. Method according to claim 18, wherein the database includes data collected from a vehicle manufacturer and/or from a vehicle maintenance system.