MOTOR VEHICLE WITH ADAPTIVE CHASSIS

• US 20120203426A1
• Filed: 02/08/2012
• Published: 08/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: HELD, Veit, BAGNOLI, Dario, ZIVKOVIC, Igor, NARULA, Prashant Jagdish, HEITMANN, Andreas, KULMS, Andreas, MAJEWSKI, Ralf
• Application Number:
  US13/368,973
• Publication Number:
  US 20120203426A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/016 characterised by their responsiveness, when the vehicle is travelling, to specific motion, a specific condition, or driver input B60G17/017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0195 characterised by the regulation being combined with other vehicle control systems conjoint control of vehicle sub-units including control of suspension systems B60W10/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/06 Characteristics of dampers , e.g. mechanical dampersB60G17/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/90 Other conditions or factors
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/10 Damping action or damper
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/04 Means for informing, instructing or displaying
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/20 Manual control or setting means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/126 Rotatable input devices for instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/126 Rotatable input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 37/20 Dashboard panels
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0062 Adapting control system settings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0095 Automatic control mode change
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/105 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/125 Lateral acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/215 Selection or confirmation of options
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/30 Driving style
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/00 : Details of control systems for road vehicle drive control not related to the control of a particular sub-unit , e.g. process diagnostic or vehicle driver interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/085 : Changing the parameters of the control units, e.g. changing limit values, working points by control input
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 : Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention

Abstract

A motor vehicle includes, but is not limited to an adaptive chassis that switches between at least a first and a second operating mode. At least one operating parameter of the chassis has different values in the first and in the second operating mode at the same speed and at the same acceleration of the motor vehicle. The motor vehicle also includes, but is not limited to a control unit that is arranged to evaluate the driving style of the driver and to activate the first or the second operating mode according to the result of the evaluation, and a signal generator that is able to be noticed by the driver of the vehicle, to deliver a signal indicating the respectively active operating mode.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle, comprising:

an adaptive chassis configured to switch between a first operating mode and a second operating mode, the adaptive chassis comprising an operating parameter a value in the first operating mode that is different in the second operating mode at the same speed and at the same acceleration of the motor vehicle;

a control unit configured to;

evaluate a driving style; and

activate the first operating mode or the second operating mode based at least in part on the driving style; and

a signal generator configured to deliver a signal indicating whether the first operating mode or the second operating mode is active.

2. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to evaluate the driving style based at least in part on a monitoring of longitudinal acceleration.

3. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to evaluate the driving style based at least in part on a monitoring of transversal acceleration.

4. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to evaluate the driving style based at least in part on a monitoring of, speed of change of a yaw rate.

5. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to evaluate the driving style based at least in part on a monitoring of, steering wheel angular speed.

6. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the operating parameter is an operating state of an all-wheel drive of the adaptive chassis.

7. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the operating parameter is a hardness of a shock absorber of the adaptive chassis.

8. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the operating parameter is a strength of the assisted steering by a servo-steering mechanism.

9. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the operating parameter is a steering ratio between steering wheel and road wheels of the adaptive chassis.

10. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the operating parameter is a shift characteristic of an automatic transmission.

11. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the operating parameter is a relationship between accelerator pedal position and engine output.

12. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a user interface that is configured to receive a choice between a specifying of the first operating mode (I), a specifying of the second operating mode, and the specifying of the first operating mode or the second operating mode by the control unit.

13. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the signal generator is configured to deliver an acoustic signal.

14. The motor vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the signal generator is configured to deliver a light signal, a color of the light signal indicative of the first operating mode or the second operating mode.

15. The motor vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the color of the light signal is further indicative of whether the first operating mode or the second operating mode is selected at the user interface.

16. The motor vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the light signal illuminates a display instrument configured to indicate a third operating parameter of the motor vehicle that is different from the first operating mode or the second operating mode.

17. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the signal generator is configured to generate the signal with a substantially continuous information content that changes on a change of the first operating mode or the second operating mode.