VEHICLE CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20150203124A1
• Filed: 09/03/2013
• Published: 07/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Original Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Inventors: Fairgrieve, Andrew, Hemes, Elliot, Kelly, James, Dennehy, Dan, Anker, Sam
• Granted Patent: US 9,586,595 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/128 Axially displaceable input devices for instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/139 Clusters of instrument input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1446 Touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/169 Remaining operating distance or charge
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• 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 35/28 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: B60W 2050/0066 using buttons or a keyboard connected to the on-board processor
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0096 Control during transition between modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/00 Input parameters relating to infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/05 Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/08 Interaction between the driver and the control system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/085 Changing the parameters of the control units, e.g. changing limit values, working points by control input

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a motor vehicle control system for selecting a driving surface and for controlling a plurality of vehicle subsystems to operate in a plurality of subsystem configuration modes in dependence on the selected driving surface, the system being operable in a manual operating mode in which a user is able to select said driving surface and an automatic operating mode in which the system is operable to select said driving surface automatically; wherein the system is able to be switched between said manual and automatic operating modes by means of a user-operable input device; and wherein when operating in the automatic operating mode and a change from the automatic operating mode to the manual operating mode is made via the user-operable device, the system is configured to select a default subsystem configuration mode.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle control system for controlling a plurality of vehicle subsystems to operate in a plurality of subsystem configuration modes in dependence on a selected driving surface, the system being operable in a manual operating mode in which a user is able to select said driving surface and an automatic operating mode in which the system is operable to select said driving surface automatically;

wherein the system is able to be switched between said manual and automatic operating modes by means of a user-operable input device; and

wherein when operating in the automatic operating mode and a change from the automatic operating mode to the manual operating mode is made via the user-operable input device, the system is configured to select a default subsystem configuration mode.

2. A control system according to claim 1, wherein the default subsystem configuration mode comprises the subsystem configuration mode that was selected when the system was last in the manual operating mode.

3. A control system according to claim 1, wherein the default subsystem configuration mode comprises a general purpose driving surface/subsystem configuration mode.

4. A control system according to any preceding claim, wherein the default subsystem configuration mode is independent of the subsystem configuration mode that was selected in the automatic mode;

5. A control system according to claim 1, claim 3 or claim 4 as it depends upon claim 1 or claim 3, wherein the default subsystem configuration mode is independent of the subsystem configuration mode that was selected when the system was last in the manual operating mode

6. A control system according to claim 1, claim 3, claim 4 as it depends upon claim 1 or claim 3, or claim 5, wherein the default subsystem configuration mode is independent of a position of ne user -operable is device when the system was last in the manual operating mode.

17. A vehicle comprising a system according to any one of claims 1 to 6 or a device according to any one of claims 7 to 16.

7. A control device for a vehicle control system, the control system being arranged to control a plurality of vehicle subsystems to operate in a plurality of subsystem configuration modes in dependence on a selected driving surface, the system being operable in a manual operating mode in which a user is able to select said driving surface and an automatic operating mode in which the system is operable to select said driving surface automatically;

wherein the device is configured to be displaced between a manual operating mode position in which the device can be manipulated by the user to select said driving surface and an automatic operating mode position in which the user is prevented from manipulating the device to select said driving surface.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7 configured to be displaced axially between the manual operating mode position and the automatic operating mode position.

9. A device as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8 wherein in the automatic operating mode position the device is partially or fully recessed into a trim panel or housing at least partially surrounding the device.

10. A device as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 9 wherein in the automatic operating mode position, pressing the device causes the device to move axially to the manual operating mode position in which the device protrudes from the trim panel or housing.

11. A control device for a vehicle control system, the control system being arranged to control a plurality of vehicle subsystems to operate in a plurality of subsystem configuration modes in dependence on the selected driving surface, the system being operable in a manual operating mode in which a user is able to select said driving surface and an automatic operating mode in which the system is operable to select driving surface automatically;

wherein the control system comprises a user operable input device configured to be rotated by the user in the manual operating mode thereby to select said driving surface and to be displaced axially by the user to switch between the manual operating mode and the automatic operating mode.

12. A device as claimed in claim 11 wherein in the manual operating mode of the system, clockwise rotation of the user operable input device causes selection of said driving surface in a first sequential order and anticlockwise rotation of the user operable input device causes selection of said driving surface in the reverse sequential order.

13. A device as claimed in claim 12 wherein in the manual operating mode of the system, when the user operable input device has been rotated in a first direction so as to select the last driving surface in the corresponding sequence, further rotation of the device in said first direction maintains the selected driving surface and does not cause selection of a different driving surface.

14. A device as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 13 wherein following selection of the automatic operating mode from the manual operating mode, subsequent selection of the manual operating mode causes selection of a default subsystem configuration mode that is independent of the rotational position of the user operable input device and/or independent of the previously selected subsystem configuration mode.

15. A device as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 14 wherein when the system is in the manual operating mode, a mechanical stop prevents rotation of the user operable input device past the last driving surface in the sequence.

16. A device as claimed in claim 15 configured automatically to control the user operable input device to select the default subsystem configuration mode when switching from automatic operating mode to manual operating mode.

18. A method of controlling a motor vehicle system comprising controlling a plurality of vehicle subsystems to operate in a plurality of subsystem configuration modes in dependence on a selected driving surface,

in a manual operating mode the method comprising allowing a user to select said driving surface and in an automatic operating mode in the method comprising selecting said driving surface automatically;

the method comprising switching between said manual and automatic operating modes in response to reception of a user input by means of a user-operable input device,

the method comprising selecting a default subsystem configuration mode when operating in the automatic operating mode and a change from the automatic operating mode to the manual operating mode is requested via the user-operable input device.