DIRECTION DETERMINATION FOR ACTIVE PARK ASSIST

• US 20110184603A1
• Filed: 04/06/2011
• Published: 07/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Lavoie, Erick Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,290,657 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/081 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/06 Direction of travel
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/28 Wheel speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/06 Automatic manoeuvring for parking
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0285 Parking performed automatically
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility

Abstract

A vehicle has a hybrid electric system and a parking assist system. The hybrid electric system includes at least one motor outputting a direction-indicating speed signal. The parking assist system configured for affecting steering and speed control of the vehicle for maneuvering the vehicle into a target parking location. Affecting the steering and speed control of the vehicle dependent upon parking assist control information derived using the direction-indicating speed signal.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising:

a powertrain system including at least one system component outputting direction-indicating speed signal information, wherein said direction-indicating speed signal information corresponds to a present direction in which the vehicle is moving and a present speed at which the vehicle is moving; and

a parking assist system configured for affecting steering and speed control of the vehicle for maneuvering the vehicle into a target parking location, wherein affecting the steering and speed control of the vehicle dependent upon parking assist control information derived using said direction-indicating speed signal information.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein:

the powertrain system includes a first motor coupled to a first wheel of the vehicle and a second motor coupled to a second wheel of the vehicle;

each one of said motors outputs a respective direction-indicating speed signal; and

said derived parking assist control information is derived using the respective direction-indicating speed signal of at least one of said motors.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein:

said direction-indicating speed signal information includes a forward movement direction indicator for designating when the vehicle is traveling in a forward direction;

said direction-indicating speed signal information includes a reverse movement direction indicator for designating when the vehicle is traveling in a reverse direction; and

affecting the steering and speed control of the vehicle dependent upon said derived parking assist control information includes using said direction-indicating speed signal information for determining if the vehicle is moving in the forward direction or the reverse direction.

4. The vehicle of claim 3 wherein:

the electric powertrain system includes a first motor coupled to a first wheel of the vehicle and a second motor coupled to a second wheel of the vehicle;

each one of said motors outputs a respective direction-indicating speed signal; and

said derived parking assist control information is derived using the respective direction-indicating speed signal of one of said motors.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein said direction-indicating speed signal information provides real-time indication of whether the vehicle is moving in a forward direction or a reverse direction.

6. The vehicle of claim 5 wherein:

the powertrain system includes a first motor coupled to a first wheel of the vehicle and a second motor coupled to a second wheel of the vehicle;

each one of said motors outputs a respective direction-indicating speed signal; and

said derived parking assist control information is derived using the respective direction-indicating speed signal of one of said motors.

7. A parking assist system for a vehicle, comprising:

a signal interface for receiving direction-indicating speed signal information from a hybrid electric system of the vehicle; and

an information processing module for deriving parking assist control information using said direction-indicating speed signal information.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein:

the signal interface is configured for receiving a respective direction-indicating speed signal from each one of a plurality of wheel-driving motors of the hybrid electric system; and

said derived parking assist control information is derived using the respective direction-indicating speed signal of at least one of said motors.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein:

said direction-indicating speed signal information includes a forward movement direction indicator for designating when the vehicle is traveling in a forward direction;

said direction-indicating speed signal information includes a reverse movement direction indicator for designating when the vehicle is traveling in a reverse direction; and

the information processing module being configured for using said direction-indicating speed signal information for determining if the vehicle is moving in the forward direction or the reverse direction.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein:

the signal interface is configured for receiving a respective direction-indicating speed signal from each one of a plurality of wheel-driving motors of the hybrid electric system; and

said derived parking assist control information is derived using the respective direction-indicating speed signal of each one of said motors.

11. The system of claim 7 wherein said direction-indicating speed signal information provides real-time indication of whether the vehicle is moving in a forward direction or a reverse direction.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein:

the signal interface is configured for receiving a respective direction-indicating speed signal from each one of a plurality of wheel-driving motors of the hybrid electric system; and

said derived parking assist control information is derived using the respective direction-indicating speed signal of at least one of said motors.

13. A processor-readable medium having tangibly embodied thereon and accessible therefrom a set of instructions interpretable by at least one data processing device, said processor-readable medium being non-transient, said set of instructions configured for causing said at least one data processing device to carry out operations for:

receiving direction-indicating speed signal information from a hybrid electric system of a vehicle; and

deriving a parking assist control information using said direction-indicating speed signal information.

14. The processor-readable medium of claim 13 wherein:

receiving said direction-indicating speed signal information from the hybrid electric system includes receiving a respective direction-indicating speed signal from each one of a plurality of wheel-driving motors of the hybrid electric system; and

deriving the parking assist control information is derived using the respective direction-indicating speed signal of at least one of said motors.

15. The processor-readable medium of claim 13 wherein:

said direction-indicating speed signal information includes a forward movement direction indicator for designating when the vehicle is traveling in a forward direction;

said direction-indicating speed signal information includes a reverse movement direction indicator for designating when the vehicle is traveling in a reverse direction; and

deriving the parking assist control information includes using said direction-indicating speed signal information for determining if the vehicle is moving in the forward direction or the reverse direction.

16. The processor-readable medium of claim 15 wherein:

receiving said direction-indicating speed signal information from the hybrid electric system includes receiving a respective direction-indicating speed signal from each one of a plurality of wheel-driving motors of the hybrid electric system; and

deriving the parking assist control information is derived using the respective direction-indicating speed signal of each one of said motors.

17. The processor-readable medium of claim 13 wherein said direction-indicating speed signal information provides real-time indication of whether the vehicle is moving in a forward direction or a reverse direction.

18. The processor-readable medium of claim 17 wherein:

receiving said direction-indicating speed signal information from the hybrid electric system includes receiving a respective direction-indicating speed signal from each one of a plurality of wheel-driving motors of the hybrid electric system; and

deriving the parking assist control information is derived using the respective direction-indicating speed signal of at least one of said motors.