ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL

• US 20110301824A1
• Filed: 06/03/2011
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polaris Industries Incorporated (Polaris Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Polaris Industries Incorporated (Polaris Inc.)
• Inventors: Nelson, Stephen L., Grajkowski, Karl J., Sandstrom, Scott P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,381,810 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/102
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2031/0091 Speed limiters or speed cutters
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 26/04 of means connecting initiating means or elements to propulsion unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/10 responsive to conditions relating to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/00 Vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator fittings acting on two or more sub-units B60W30/14; speedometers G01P; systems or devices for controlling speed in general G05D13/00 ; in traffic anti-collision system for road vehicles G08G1/16
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/101 Infinitely variable gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/01 Occupants other than the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/124 Buggies, Quads
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 3/10 characterised by having pitch control conjoint with propulsion plant control
• 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 2200/604 Engine control mode selected by driver, e.g. to manually start particle filter regeneration or to select driving style
• 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 41/102 Switching from sequential injection to simultaneous injection
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/2422 Selective use of one or more tables
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence

Abstract

An electronic throttle control (ETC) system is disclosed for use on a recreational or a utility vehicle. The ETC system includes a drive mode selection device for selecting between a plurality of drive modes. The ETC system provides an adjustable engine idle speed and an engine power limiting feature.

Claims

1. A recreational vehicle including:

a chassis;

a ground engaging mechanism configured to support the chassis;

an engine supported by the chassis, the engine being configured to drive the ground engaging mechanism;

a suspension system coupled between the chassis and the ground engaging mechanism;

at least one of a speed sensor and a position sensor, the speed sensor being configured to detect a speed of the vehicle and the position sensor being configured to detect a height of the suspension system;

a throttle valve configured to regulate engine power; and

an engine control module configured to control the throttle valve, the engine control module being configured to detect an airborne state of the vehicle and a grounded state of the vehicle based on at least one of the detected speed of the vehicle and the detected height of the suspension system, the engine control module reducing the speed of the vehicle to a target speed upon detection of the airborne state, the target speed being based on a speed of the vehicle when the vehicle is in the grounded state.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, further including an operator input device in communication with the engine control module for controlling the throttle valve, the engine control module controlling the throttle valve based on the operator input device upon the vehicle returning to the grounded state.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the target speed is based on the detected speed of the vehicle during a transition of the vehicle between the grounded state and the airborne state.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the detected speed of the vehicle is the rotational speed of the ground engaging mechanism, the engine control module determining an acceleration rate of the ground engaging mechanism based on the detected rotational speed of the ground engaging mechanism, wherein the airborne state is detected based on the determined acceleration rate exceeding a threshold acceleration rate.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, further including a transmission driven by the engine and having a plurality of selectable gears, the engine control module detecting the airborne state based on a rotational speed of the ground engaging mechanism, a torque output of the engine, and the selected gear of the transmission.

6. An electronic throttle control method for a vehicle, the method including the steps of:

providing an engine, a ground engaging mechanism driven by the engine, a throttle valve configured to control a torque output of the engine, and an engine control module configured to control the throttle valve;

observing a speed of the vehicle;

detecting an airborne state of the vehicle based on an acceleration rate of the vehicle, the acceleration rate being based on the observed speed of the vehicle;

reducing the torque output of the engine upon detection of the airborne state of the vehicle to reduce the speed of the vehicle to a target speed, the target speed being substantially the same as a speed of the vehicle observed prior to the detection of the airborne state.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the detecting step is further based on the torque output of the engine and a position of the throttle valve.

8. The method of claim 6, further providing an operator input device in communication with the engine control module for controlling the throttle valve, further including the step of controlling the throttle valve based on the operator input device upon the vehicle returning to a grounded state.

9. A recreational vehicle including:

a chassis;

a plurality of ground engaging mechanisms configured to support the chassis;

a drive train supported by the chassis and including an engine, a transmission, and a final drive, the engine being configured to drive at least one ground engaging mechanism, the drive train including a first drive configuration wherein the engine drives at least two of the ground engaging mechanisms and a second drive configuration wherein the engine drives at least four of the ground engaging mechanisms;

at least one sensor configured to detect a parameter of the vehicle;

a throttle valve configured to regulate engine power; and

an engine control module configured to control the throttle valve, the engine control module being configured to detect an airborne state of the vehicle based on the detected parameter of the vehicle, the drive train being modulated from the second drive configuration to the first drive configuration upon detection of the airborne state of the vehicle.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the at least one sensor includes a speed sensor configured to detect a rotational speed of the at least one ground engaging mechanism, the engine control module detecting the airborne state based on the detected speed of the at least one ground engaging mechanism.

11. The vehicle of claim 9, further including a suspension system coupled between the chassis and at least one ground engaging mechanism, wherein the at least one sensor includes a position sensor configured to detect a compression of the suspension system, the engine control module detecting the airborne state based on the detected compression of the suspension system.

12. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the drive train is modulated from the first drive configuration to the second drive configuration upon the vehicle returning to a grounded state.

13. A recreational vehicle including:

a chassis;

a plurality of ground engaging mechanisms configured to support the chassis;

a drive train supported by the chassis and including an engine, a transmission, and a final drive, the engine being configured to drive at least one ground engaging mechanism;

a first sensor configured to detect a parameter of the vehicle;

a second sensor configured to detect an inclination angle of the vehicle;

a throttle valve configured to regulate engine power; and

an engine control module configured to control the throttle valve, the engine control module being configured to detect an airborne state of the vehicle based on the detected parameter of the vehicle, the engine control module adjusting the torque of the engine upon detection of the airborne state and upon the detected inclination angle of the vehicle being outside a predetermined range, the adjustment of a torque of the engine being configured to adjust the inclination angle of the vehicle to within the predetermined range.

14. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the engine control module adjusts the torque of the engine by increasing the opening of the throttle valve to increase a rotational speed of the at least one ground engaging mechanism.

15. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the drive train includes a first drive configuration wherein the engine drives at least two ground engaging mechanisms and a second drive configuration wherein the engine drives at least four ground engaging mechanisms, the engine control module adjusting the torque of the engine further upon the drive train being in the first drive configuration.

16. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the first sensor includes a speed sensor configured to detect a rotational speed of the at least one ground engaging mechanism, the engine control module detecting the airborne state based on the detected rotational speed of the at least one ground engaging mechanism.