VEHICLE CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20140156126A1
• Filed: 12/15/2011
• Published: 06/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Original Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Inventors: Clarke, Nigel, Tran, Thuy-Yung, Hoare, Edward
• Granted Patent: US 9,884,555 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 1/00 Tyres characterised by the chemical composition or the physical arrangement or mixture of the composition
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0165 to an external condition, e.g. rough road surface, side wind
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/019 characterised by the type of sensor or the arrangement thereof B60G17/01941 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/01908 Acceleration or inclination sensors characterised by the use of gyroscopes B60G21/08
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/07 Off-road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/80 Exterior conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/843 Humidity; Rainfall
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/30 Height or ground clearance
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/914 Height Control System
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/16 Type of output information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/16 Type of information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• 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: B60Q 1/00 Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor for lighting vehicle interior B60Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/54 Audio sensitive means, e.g. ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/16 Pitch
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/18 Roll
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/00 : Input parameters relating to infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 : Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/35 : Road bumpiness, e.g. potholes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/06 : Road conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/076 : Slope angle of the road
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 : Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• 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: G01F 23/00 : Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/14 : by measurement of pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/18 : Indicating, recording or alarm devices actuated electrically
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/24 : by measuring variations of resistance of resistors due to contact with conductor fluid
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/242 : Mounting arrangements for electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/263 : by measuring variations in capacitance of capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/265 : for discrete levels
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/28 : by measuring the variations of parameters of electromagnetic or acoustic waves applied directly to the liquid or fluent solid material
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/296 : Acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/2965 : Measuring attenuation of transmitted waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/80 : Arrangements for signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/804 : containing circuits handling parameters other than liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/00 : Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/02 : using reflection of acoustic waves G01S15/66 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/87 : Combinations of sonar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/931 : of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2015/932 : for parking operations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2015/938 : in the bumper area radar in bumper area G01S2013/93275; bumper with obstacle sensor of electric or electronic type B60R19/483
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/00 : Methods or arrangements for processing data by operating upon the order or content of the data handled logic circuits H03K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 13/00 : Cones, diaphragms, or the like, for emitting or receiving sound in general for electromechanical transducers H04R7/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 : Data processing systems or methods, management, administration
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 367/908 : Material level detection, e.g. liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/93 : Conjoint control of different elements

Abstract

A vehicle having a wading sensor may include a control unit adapted to implement an alternative or modified vehicle control strategy during wading. The wading strategy may change many vehicle functions, alone or in combination, and may be further responsive to depth of wading.

Claims

1. A control system for a vehicle having a sensor adapted to indicate wading above a pre-determined depth of water, said control system being adapted to implement one or more control strategies upon detection of wading by said sensor, said control strategies being selected from the group comprising:

change of traction mode;

change of throttle mapping;

change of gear selection mode;

change of high/low range mode;

activate headlights;

select higher air intake path;

adapt tire pressures to wading;

change steering response/feel;

change differential control;

change torque-vectoring control;

change hybrid vehicle drive mode;

activate heating, ventilation and air conditioning system (HVAC);

delay regeneration of exhaust particle filter;

partially flood a pre-determined portion of the vehicle;

unlock door locks;

open sun roof;

activate hydraulic lock sensor of engine; and

deactivate fuel saving mode

3. A control system according to claim 1 adapted to be manually enabled and disabled by the driver.

4. A control system according to claim 1 adapted to be automatically enabled and disabled.

5. A control system according to claim 4 arranged to automatically resume a standard control strategy upon failure to detect wading by said sensor.

6. A control system according to claim 1 comprising a plurality of sensors adapted to indicate wading above a pre-determined depth of water operable individually or in combination to detect wading, wherein said control system is adapted to implement a control strategy selected in, dependence on several of said sensors indicating wading.

7. A control system according to claim 1 arranged to implement said one or more control strategies immediately upon detection of wading.

8. A control system according to claim 1 arranged to implement said one or more control strategies after a pre-determined time delay.

9. A control system according to claim 8, wherein the time delay is dependent upon the strategy to be implemented.

10. A control system according to claim 1 arranged to implement said one or more control strategies progressively.

11. A control system according to claim 10, wherein a rate of change of progressive implementation of one or more control strategies is dependent upon the control strategy to be implemented.

12. A control system according to claim 1 comprising a wading depth sensor, said control system being responsive to said wading depth sensor to implement said one or more control strategies dependent upon depth of wading.

13. A control system according to claim 12 arranged to vary a control strategy according to step changes in depth of wading.

14. A control system according to claim 1, wherein said control strategies are defined in a read only memory.

15. A control system according to claim 1, wherein the control system implements a control strategy which is dependent upon the mode of operation of the vehicle.

17. A vehicle having a control system according to claim 1.

2. (canceled)

16. A control system for a vehicle having a wading sensor adapted to indicate wading above a pre-determined depth of water, said control system being adapted to implement one or more vehicle control strategies upon detection of wading by said sensor, said strategies being selected from:

activate hydraulic lock sensor of engine, and

de-activate engine fuel saving mode.

18. A vehicle comprising a control system and having a sensor adapted to indicate wading above a predetermined depth of water, the control system being adapted to implement a change in one or more vehicle control strategies upon detection of wading by said sensor.

21. A method according to claim 18 wherein determining that the vehicle is wading comprises receiving data from a sensor adapted to detect a wading condition of the vehicle.

19. A method for a vehicle comprising determining that the vehicle is wading and implementing one or more control strategies in response to determining that the vehicle is wading, said control strategies being selected from:

change of traction mode;

change of throttle mapping;

change of gear selection mode;

change of high/low range mode;

activate headlights;

select higher air intake path;

adapt tire pressures to wading;

change steering response/feel;

change differential control;

change torque-vectoring control;

change hybrid vehicle drive mode;

activate heating, ventilation and air conditioning system (HVAC);

delay regeneration of exhaust particle filter;

partially flood a pre-determined portion of the vehicle;

unlock door locks;

open sun roof;

activate hydraulic lock sensor of engine, and

de-activate engine fuel saving mode.

20. (canceled)

22. A method according to claim 19, comprising receiving data from a sensor adapted to detect a wading condition of the vehicle, determining that the vehicle is not wading in dependence on said data, and resuming, automatically, a standard or different control strategy.

22-1. (canceled)