VEHICLE AND METHOD OF TUNING PERFORMANCE OF SAME

• US 20110106381A1
• Filed: 10/30/2009
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Prakah-Asante, Kwaku O., Lu, Jianbo, Filev, Dimitar Petrov, Tseng, Fling
• Granted Patent: US 8,738,228 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/40
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/08 Interaction between the driver and the control system
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/007 adjustable by the driver, e.g. sport mode

Abstract

A method for tuning a vehicle'"'"'s performance may include measuring a plurality of parameters representing the vehicle'"'"'s current handling condition and the vehicle'"'"'s limit handling condition, determining a margin between the vehicle'"'"'s current handling condition and limit handling condition, characterizing the driver'"'"'s dynamic control of the vehicle based on the margin, and altering at least one tunable vehicle performance parameter based on the characterization.

Claims

1. A method for tuning a vehicle'"'"'s performance comprising:

measuring a plurality of parameters representing the vehicle'"'"'s current handling condition and the vehicle'"'"'s limit handling condition;

determining a margin between the vehicle'"'"'s current handling condition and limit handling condition;

characterizing the driver'"'"'s dynamic control of the vehicle based on the margin; and

altering at least one tunable vehicle performance parameter based on the characterization.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein characterizing the driver'"'"'s dynamic control of the vehicle based on the margin includes determining a duration of time during which the margin falls within a predetermined range.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein determining a duration of time during which the margin falls within a predetermined range includes determining a complement of the margin.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein determining a duration of time during which the margin falls within a predetermined range includes categorizing a value of the complement of the margin.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the value of the complement of the margin is categorized into fuzzy subsets representing types of driver behavior.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the value of the complement of the margin is categorized into crisp subsets representing types of driver behavior.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one tunable vehicle performance parameter is accelerator pedal sensitivity.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one tunable vehicle performance parameter is steering wheel sensitivity.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the parameters has upper and lower deadband thresholds defining a deadband interval within which the measured parameter may fall without initiating electronic stability control, anti-lock braking or traction control.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein determining a margin between the vehicle'"'"'s current handling condition and limit handling condition includes, for each of the measured parameters, determining a normalized difference between the measured parameter and at least one of the measured parameter'"'"'s upper and lower deadband thresholds.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein determining a margin between the vehicle'"'"'s current handling condition and limit handling condition includes identifying a minimum of the normalized differences.

12. A vehicle comprising:

a sensor arrangement disposed within the vehicle and configured to measure a plurality of parameters representing the vehicle'"'"'s current handling condition and the vehicle'"'"'s limit handling condition; and

at least one controller disposed within the vehicle and configured to determine a margin between the vehicle'"'"'s current handling condition and limit handling condition and to characterize a driver'"'"'s dynamic control of the vehicle based on the margin.

13. The vehicle of claim 12 wherein the at least one controller is further configured to alter at least one tunable vehicle performance parameter based on the characterization.

14. The vehicle of claim 13 wherein the at least one tunable vehicle performance parameter includes at least one of accelerator pedal sensitivity and steering wheel sensitivity.

15. The vehicle of claim 12 wherein characterizing a driver'"'"'s dynamic control of the vehicle based on the margin includes determining, for a specified time interval, the period during which the margin falls within a predetermined range.

16. The vehicle of claim 15 wherein the at least one controller is further configured to receive input specifying the time interval.

17. The vehicle of claim 15 wherein determining, for a specified time interval, the period during which the margin falls within a predetermined range includes determining a complement of the margin.

18. The vehicle of claim 17 wherein determining, for a specified time interval, the period during which the margin falls within a predetermined range includes categorizing a value of the complement of the margin.

19. The vehicle of claim 12 further comprising a haptic driver interface, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to activate the haptic driver interface if the characterization is of a particular type.

20. A vehicle comprising at least one controller configured to characterize a driver'"'"'s dynamic control of the vehicle based on a margin between parameters representing the vehicle'"'"'s current handling condition and limit handling condition and to alter at least one of the vehicle'"'"'s accelerator pedal sensitivity and steering wheel sensitivity based on the characterization.