LONGITUDINAL G ADJUSTED THROTTLE RESPONSE

• US 20110208402A1
• Filed: 02/23/2010
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Sladek, Thomas J. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 9,255,529 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/102
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/045 in a memory, e.g. a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/107 the memory being digital
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 11/105 characterised by the function converting demand to actuation, e.g. a map indicating relations between an accelerator pedal position and throttle valve opening or target engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2250/18 Control of the engine output torque

Abstract

A system and method for adjusting an engine throttle opening amount includes a slope-determining unit that determines an angle of inclination of a vehicle, a throttle request determining unit that determines a throttle request, and an engine control unit. The slope-determining unit may include a longitudinal g acceleration sensor. The engine control unit calculates a slope gain factor from the angle of inclination and compares the slope gain factor to a predetermined threshold. If the slope gain factor is greater than the predetermined threshold, the engine control unit generates a throttle command to increase the current throttle opening amount based on the throttle request and the slope gain factor. Alternatively, if the slope gain factor is less than or equal to the predetermined threshold, the engine control unit controls the throttle opening amount based on the throttle request and independently of the slope gain factor.

Claims

1. A system for adjusting an engine throttle opening amount, the system comprising:

a slope-determining unit that determines a longitudinal angle of inclination of a vehicle;

a throttle request determining unit that determines a throttle request; and

an engine control unit that controls the engine throttle opening amount based on the determinations of the slope-determining unit and the throttle request determining unit on the condition that predetermined criteria is satisfied.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the engine control unit receives as inputs the angle of inclination of the vehicle determined by the slope-determining unit, the throttle request determined by the throttle request determining unit, and a current throttle opening amount, the engine control unit including:

a calculating unit that calculates a slope gain factor based on the angle of inclination of the vehicle determined by the slope-determining unit; and

a comparing unit that compares the slope gain factor to a predetermined threshold,

wherein on the condition that the slope gain factor is greater than the predetermined threshold, the engine control unit generates a throttle command to increase the current throttle opening amount according to a predetermining setting based on the throttle request and the slope gain factor, and

wherein on the condition that the slope gain factor is less than or equal to the predetermined threshold, the engine control unit generates a throttle command that controls the throttle opening amount based on the throttle request and independently of the slope gain factor.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the slope-determining unit is a longitudinal g acceleration sensor.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the throttle request determining unit is an acceleration pedal sensor.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the predetermined settings are stored in a memory unit housed in the engine control unit.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein on the condition that the slope gain factor is greater than the predetermined threshold, the throttle command generated by the engine control unit increases the current throttle opening amount according to a predetermining setting such that a current vehicle speed or vehicle acceleration is maintained without an increase in the throttle request.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein a speed of the vehicle is being maintained at a substantially constant level by a speed control mechanism.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein a speed of the vehicle is being controlled manually by a driver.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the predetermined threshold is determined as a function of at least one of a make and a model of the vehicle.

10. The system of claim 2, wherein the predetermined threshold is variable and is a function of at least one of an instantaneous speed of the vehicle and the angle of inclination of the vehicle.

11. A method for determining an engine throttle opening amount, the method comprising:

determining an angle of inclination of a vehicle;

determining a throttle request;

controlling the engine throttle opening amount based on the determined angle of inclination of the vehicle and the determined throttle request on the condition that predetermined criteria is satisfied.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving as inputs the determined angle of inclination of the vehicle, the determined throttle request, and a current throttle opening amount;

calculating a slope gain factor based on the determined angle of inclination of the vehicle;

comparing the slope gain factor to a predetermined threshold;

generating a throttle command to increase the current throttle opening amount according to a predetermined setting based on the throttle request and the slope gain factor on the condition that the slope gain factor is greater than the predetermined threshold, or generating a throttle command to control the current throttle opening amount according to a predetermined setting based on the throttle request and independently of the slope gain factor on the condition that the slope gain factor is less than or equal to the predetermined threshold; and

sending the generated throttle command to a throttle actuating element that adjusts the current throttle opening amount in accordance with the throttle command.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the angle of inclination of the vehicle is determined by a longitudinal g acceleration sensor.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the throttle request is determined by an acceleration pedal sensor.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the predetermined settings are stored in a memory unit housed in an engine control unit of the vehicle.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein on the condition that the slope gain factor is greater than the predetermined threshold, the throttle command generated and sent to the throttle actuating element instructs the throttle actuating element to increase the current throttle opening amount according to the predetermining setting such that a current vehicle speed or vehicle acceleration is maintained without an increase in the throttle request.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein a speed of the vehicle is being maintained at a substantially constant level by a speed control mechanism.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein a speed of the vehicle is being controlled manually by a driver of the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the predetermined threshold is determined as a function of at least one of a make and a model of the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the predetermined threshold is variable and is a function of at least one of an instantaneous speed of the vehicle and the angle of inclination of the vehicle.

21. The method according to claim 11, wherein the angle of inclination is determined from a current engine torque for a given velocity.

22. The method according to claim 11, wherein the angle of inclination is determined from a deviation from a flat road acceleration to a known predetermined acceleration.