VEHICLE CONFIGURATION FOR IMPROVING LOW SPEED MANEUVERABILITY

• US 20100324782A1
• Filed: 06/07/2010
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Gupta, Rajiv K., Borroni-Bird, Christopher E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,565,977 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/30 the ultimate propulsive elements, e.g. ground wheels, being steerable
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/03276 Valves with membranes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/28 Wheel speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18009 related to particular drive situations
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18145 Cornering
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 7/1509 with different steering modes, e.g. crab-steering, or steering specially adapted for reversing of the vehicle

Abstract

An apparatus to turn a vehicle in a low speed zero slip turning maneuver includes a vehicle body and a vehicle chassis including a plurality of wheels, wherein every wheel of the chassis is steerable, and an electric propulsion system. The apparatus also includes a low speed turning maneuver module monitoring a desired low speed zero slip turning maneuver, determining a desired instant center of rotation for the vehicle based upon the desired low speed zero slip turning maneuver, determining a wheel orientation for each of the wheels perpendicular to the desired instant center of rotation, and controlling each of the wheels according to the corresponding determined wheel orientation.

Claims

1. Apparatus to turn a vehicle in a low speed zero slip turning maneuver, comprising:

a vehicle body;

a vehicle chassis comprising;

a plurality of wheels, wherein every wheel of the chassis is steerable; and

an electric propulsion system; and

a low speed turning maneuver module;

monitoring a desired low speed zero slip turning maneuver;

determining a desired instant center of rotation for the vehicle based upon the desired low speed zero slip turning maneuver;

determining a wheel orientation for each of the wheels perpendicular to the desired instant center of rotation; and

controlling each of the wheels according to the corresponding determined wheel orientation.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the low speed turning maneuver module monitoring the desired low speed zero slip turning maneuver comprises:

monitoring a road geometry proximate to the vehicle;

determining a projected path of travel based upon the road geometry; and

determining the desired low speed zero slip turning maneuver based upon the projected path of travel.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the low speed zero slip turning maneuver module monitoring the desired low speed zero slip turning maneuver comprises:

monitoring a steering command;

comparing the steering command to a threshold steering command; and

determining the desired low speed zero slip turning maneuver based upon the comparing.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the low speed turning maneuver module monitoring the desired low speed zero slip turning maneuver further comprises:

monitoring a sensed object proximate to the vehicle;

monitoring a lane geometry proximate to the vehicle; and

determining the desired low speed zero slip turning maneuver further based upon the sensed object and the lane geometry.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the chassis and the body form a substantially planar interface, with components of each the chassis and the body substantially not violating the planar interface.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the chassis and the body form a plurality of substantially planar interfaces, with components of each the chassis and the body substantially not violating the planar interfaces.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the low speed turning maneuver module determining the desired instant center of rotation for the vehicle based upon the desired low speed zero slip turning maneuver comprises dynamically determining the desired instant center of rotation for the vehicle throughout the desired low speed zero slip turning maneuver.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the low speed turning maneuver module monitoring the desired low speed zero slip turning maneuver comprises the low speed turning maneuver module monitoring a desired stationary rotation of the vehicle;

and

wherein the low speed turning maneuver module determining the desired instant center of rotation for the vehicle comprises the low speed turning maneuver module determining the desired instant center of rotation to be at the geometric center of the vehicle.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of wheels is attached to an at-wheel motor.

10. Method to turn a vehicle in a low speed zero slip turning maneuver, comprising:

monitoring a road geometry proximate to the vehicle;

determining a projected path of travel based upon the road geometry;

determining a desired instant center of rotation for the vehicle based upon the projected path of travel;

determining a wheel orientation for each of the wheels perpendicular to the desired instant center of rotation; and

controlling each of the wheels according to the corresponding determined wheel orientation.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining a projected path of travel comprises:

monitoring GPS data;

determining an approximate vehicle location within a 3D map database based upon the GPS data;

monitoring localizing features proximate to the vehicle;

localizing a precise vehicle location based upon the localizing features; and

determining the projected path of travel based upon the localized precise vehicle location.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein determining a desired instant center of rotation for the vehicle based upon the projected path of travel comprises:

determining a desired vehicle travel envelope based upon the projected path of travel and a geometry of the vehicle; and

determining for some distance in front of the vehicle the desired instant center of rotation for the vehicle based upon the desired vehicle travel envelope.

13. Method to turn a vehicle in a low speed zero slip turning maneuver, comprising:

monitoring a steering command;

monitoring enablement of a low speed zero slip turning maneuver mode;

comparing the steering command to a threshold steering command;

determining a desired low speed zero slip turning maneuver based upon the comparing and the enablement of the low speed zero slip turning maneuver mode;

determining a desired instant center of rotation for the vehicle based upon the desired low speed zero slip turning maneuver;

determining a wheel orientation for each of the wheels perpendicular to the desired instant center of rotation; and

controlling each of the wheels according to the corresponding determined wheel orientation.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

monitoring a sensed object proximate to the vehicle;

monitoring a lane geometry proximate to the vehicle; and

determining the desired low speed zero slip turning maneuver further based upon the sensed object and the lane geometry.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein monitoring a steering command comprises:

monitoring vehicle to infrastructure communication comprising autonomous instructions from a parking facility.