Control system for a vehicle

• US 6,450,281 B1
• Filed: 03/24/2000
• Issued: 09/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Schmitt, Johannes, Kohler, Rolf, Braun, Guenter, Kottmann, Matthias
• Primary Examiner(s): Lerner, Avraham
• Assistant Examiner(s): YEAGLEY, DANIEL S
• Application Number:
  US09/535,139
• Publication Number:
  US 20020084127A1
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 180/197, 701/82, 701/83, 701/84, 701/85, 701/86, 701/70, 701/74, 303/139, 303/141
• US Class Current: 180/197
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/16 responsive to, or preventing, skidding of wheels brake control systems for vehicle drive stability B60T8/1755; arrangements responsive to a speed condition for adjusting wheel braking force B60T8/32; control of vehicle driving stability otherwise than by controlling the propulsion unit only B60W30/02; preventing wheel slippage by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/662 characterised by specified functions of the control system components
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/175 Brake regulation specially adapted to prevent excessive wheel spin during vehicle acceleration, e.g. for traction control safety devices for propulsion unit control responsive to, or preventing, skidding of wheels B60K28/16
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0045 using databus protocols
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/28 Wheel speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/40 Altitude
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0605 Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0616 Position of fuel or air injector
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18 Propelling the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18172 Preventing, or responsive to skidding of wheels
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/663 Road slope
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/66 specially adapted for continuously variable gearings control of exclusively fluid gearing F16H61/38

Abstract

A control system, for use in a vehicle, that influences at least one quantity representing tire slip, and which includes a control unit for controlling at least the drive unit of the vehicle. A traction controller for influencing the engine torque may be implemented in the control unit, and may be used to generate a value for a regulated quantity (or manipulated variable) for the torque of the drive unit based on at least a characteristic map that depends on the slippage and on the slip gradient.

Claims

1. A control system for influencing at least one quantity representing a tire slip in a vehicle, the control system comprising:

a control unit including a traction controller for influencing one of a power output and a torque of a drive unit of the vehicle as a function of a wheel-speed performance;

wherein one of the power output and the torque is influenced as a function of a setpoint value for a manipulated variable influencing one of the power output and the torque, the setpoint value being ascertained on the basis of at least one characteristic map that depends on a slippage of at least one wheel of the vehicle and a slip gradient of the slippage.

2. The control system of claim 1, wherein the control unit includes a control function for influencing a transverse acceleration of the vehicle by intervening in the at least one of the power output and the torque of the drive unit.

3. The control system of claim 1, further comprising:

a communication connection for coupling the control unit and a second control unit, wherein the communication connection transmits data for a traction control with respect to a wheel-speed performance and a velocity of the vehicle from the second control unit to the control unit.

4. The control system of claim 1 wherein the setpoint value for the manipulated variable is generated based on at least one of a sum and a difference of at least two characteristic-map values of the at least one characteristic map.

5. The control system of claim 1, wherein another characteristic map generates the setpoint value as a function of a reference vehicle velocity and one of the slip gradient and the slippage.

6. The control system of claim 1, wherein the setpoint value for the manipulated variable is generated based on at least two characteristic-map values.

7. The control system of claim 6, wherein the setpoint value for the manipulated variable is generated based on one of a subtraction and an addition of the at least two characteristic-map values.

8. The control system of claim 1, wherein an increase gradient of the setpoint value for the manipulated variable, by which the manipulated variable approximates a preset value when the traction controller is not controlling a traction, is determined based on another characteristic map as a function of at least one of the slippage and the slip gradient.

9. The control system of claim 1, wherein the setpoint value is correctable based on at least one correction factor.

10. The control system of claim 9, wherein the at least one correction factor is at least one of a road grade and an altitude.

11. The control system of claim 1, wherein the setpoint value is a setpoint angle of a throttle valve.

12. The control system of claim 1, wherein the control system is adapted to intervene in at least one of an ignition operation, a fuel injection operation, an electrically controllable clutch operation and an automatic transmission ratio change operation.

13. The control system of claim 12, wherein a signal that determines a priority of having the control system intervene is transmittable to the control unit.

14. A control system for influencing at least one quantity representing a tire slip in a vehicle, the control system comprising:

a control unit including a traction controller for influencing one of a power output and a torque of a drive unit of the vehicle as a function of a wheel-speed performance;

wherein;

an increase limiting of a manipulated variable for the torque of the drive unit is generated in response to a change in the manipulated variable corresponding to an increase in the torque, and

a gradient of the manipulated variable depends on one of a magnitude of a slip integral and on a duration during which a wheel speed exceeds a limiting value.

15. The control system of claim 14, wherein the gradient of the manipulated variable depends on the slip integral, the slip integral being an integral of slip over a first control cycle.

16. The control system according to claim 14, further comprising:

a second control unit for influencing a braking force of at least one wheel brake of the vehicle.

17. A control system for influencing at least one quantity representing a tire slip in a vehicle, the control system comprising:

a control unit including a traction controller for influencing one of a power output and a torque of a drive unit of the vehicle as a function of a wheel-speed performance;

wherein;

an increase limiting of a manipulated variable for the torque of the drive unit is generated in response to a change in the manipulated variable corresponding to an increase in the torque,

a gradient of the manipulated variable depends on one of a magnitude of a slip integral and on a duration during which a wheel speed exceeds a limiting value, and

wherein a smaller gradient of the manipulated variable corresponds to a greater slip integral.