System and method for reducing vehicle bouncing

• US 6,589,135 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2001
• Issued: 07/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Miller, James Anton
• Primary Examiner(s): Bonck, Rodney H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, David D.
• Application Number:
  US09/934,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20030040403A1
• Time in Patent Office: 686 Days
• Field of Search: 477/110, 477/111, 477/904, 701/53, 701/54, 701/56, 701/61, 701/65, 701/84, 701/85, 701/86, 701/87, 701/103, 701/104, 701/110, 701/111, 180/197, 123/494, 123/436, 123/192.1
• US Class Current: 477/110
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/1422 Variable gain or coefficients
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/1004 Estimation of the output torque
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2250/21 during a transition between engine operation modes or states
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2250/28 Control for reducing torsional vibrations, e.g. at acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0225 in relation with the gear ratio or shift lever position
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1497 With detection of the mechanical response of the engine

Abstract

A system and method is described for controlling vehicle bouncing of a vehicle having an engine driving wheels through a transmission having multiple gear ratios. The vehicle has a fuel control unit for supplying a variable amount of fuel to the engine in response to fuel control signals generated by an engine control unit. The method includes generating a control code as a function of a gear ratio of the transmission; sensing vehicle acceleration with an accelerometer mounted on the vehicle and generating an acceleration signal in response to motion of the vehicle. The fuel control signal is generated as a function of the control code, the acceleration signal and a frequency dependent transfer function value. The fuel delivered to the engine is modified as a function of the fuel control signal.

Claims

1. A method for controlling vehicle bouncing of a vehicle having an engine driving wheels through a transmission having multiple gear ratios, and having a fuel control unit for supplying a variable amount of fuel to the engine in response to fuel control signals generated by an engine control unit, the method comprising:

setting a control code as a function of a gear ratio of the transmission;

sensing vertical vehicle acceleration with an accelerometer mounted on the vehicle and generating an acceleration signal in response to motion of the vehicle;

generating an output signal as a function of the control code and the acceleration signal; and

modifying fuel delivered to the engine as a function of the output signal to reduce vehicle bouncing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the output signal is shifted in phase with respect to the acceleration signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the output signal is shifted in phase with respect to the acceleration signal by a phase shift amount which is a function of a gear ratio of the transmission.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

varying a magnitude of the output signal as a function of the acceleration signal and of the transmission gear ratio.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

varying a magnitude and phase of the output signal as a function of the acceleration signal and of the transmission gear ratio.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a time constant value as a function of the control code;

generating a gain value as a function of the control code, and generating the output signal as a function of the time constant value, the gain value and the acceleration signal.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining an engine torque value representing a torque of the engine;

generating a time constant value as a function of the control code;

generating a gain value as a function of the control code, and generating the output signal as a function of the engine torque value, the time constant value the gain value, and the acceleration signal.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a torque percent gain value as a function of the transmission gear, and generating the output signal as a function of the torque percent gain value and the acceleration signal.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a gain value as a function of the sensed gear ratio;

generating a torque percent gain value as a function of the control code, and generating the output signal as a function of the gain value, the torque percent gain value and the acceleration signal.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining an engine torque value representing a torque of the engine;

generating a gain value as a function of the control code;

generating a torque percent gain value as a function of the control code, and generating the output signal as a function of the gain value, the torque percent gain value, the engine torque value, and the acceleration signal.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a gain value as a function of the control code, and generating the output signal as a function of the gain value and the acceleration signal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the gain value increases as the transmission gear ratio increases.

13. A system for controlling vehicle bouncing of a vehicle having an engine driving wheels through a transmission having multiple gear ratios, and having a fuel control unit for supplying a variable amount of fuel to the engine in response to a fuel control signal, the system comprising:

a control code generator for generating a control code as a function of a gear ratio of the transmission;

an accelerometer mounted on the vehicle and generating a vertical acceleration signal in response to motion of the vehicle; and

an electronic control unit generating the fuel control signal as a function of the control code and the acceleration signal, and modifying fuel delivered to the engine as a function thereof to reduce vehicle bouncing.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the fuel control signal is shifted in phase with respect to the acceleration signal.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the fuel control signal is shifted in phase with respect to the acceleration signal by a phase shift amount which is a function of the gear ratio of the transmission.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein:

a magnitude of the fuel control signal varies as a function of the acceleration signal and of the transmission gear ratio.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein:

a magnitude and phase of the fuel control signal varies as a function of the acceleration signal and of the transmission gear ratio.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the electronic control unit generates a time constant value as a function of the transmission gear ratio, generates a gain value as a function of the transmission gear ratio, and generates the fuel control signal as a function of the time constant value, the gain value and the acceleration signal.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the electronic control unit obtains an engine torque value representing a torque of the engine, generates a time constant value as a function of the transmission gear ratio, generates a gain value as a function of the transmission gear ratio, and generates the fuel control signal as a function of the engine torque value, the time constant value the gain value, and the acceleration signal.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the electronic control unit generates a torque percent gain value as a function of the transmission gear, and generates the fuel control signal as a function of the torque percent gain value and the acceleration signal.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the electronic control unit generates a gain value as a function of the transmission gear ratio, generates a torque percent gain value as a function of the transmission gear ratio, and generates the fuel control signal as a function of the gain value, the torque percent gain value and the acceleration signal.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the electronic control unit obtains an engine torque value representing a torque of the engine, generates a gain value as a function of the transmission gear ratio, generates a torque percent gain value as a function of the transmission gear ratio, and generates the fuel control signal as a function of the gain value, the torque percent gain value, the engine torque value, and the acceleration signal.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the electronic control unit generates a gain value as a function of the transmission gear ratio, and generates the fuel control signal as a function of the gain value and the acceleration signal.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein:

the gain value increases as the transmission gear ratio increases.

25. A system for controlling bouncing of a vehicle having an engine driving wheels through a transmission having multiple gear ratios, and having a fuel control unit for supplying a variable amount of fuel to the engine in response to fuel control signals generated, the system for controlling bouncing comprising:

a control code generator for generating a control code as a function of a gear ratio of the transmission;

an accelerometer mounted on the vehicle and generating a vertical acceleration signal in response to vertical motion of the vehicle; and

an electronic control unit generating a time constant value and a torque gain value as a function of the transmission gear, the electronic control unit also generating the fuel control signal as a function of the acceleration signal, the time constant value and the torque gain value to reduce vehicle bouncing.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein:

the electronic control unit generating the fuel control signal as a function of the acceleration signal, the time constant value, the torque gain value and a frequency dependent transfer function value.

27. A method for controlling vehicle bouncing of a vehicle having an engine driving wheels through a transmission having multiple gear ratios, and having a fuel control unit for supplying a variable amount of fuel to the engine in response to fuel control signals generated by an engine control unit, the method comprising:

generating a control code as a function of a gear ratio of the transmission;

sensing vertical vehicle acceleration with an accelerometer mounted on the vehicle and generating an acceleration signal in response to motion of the vehicle;

generating the fuel control signal as a function of the control code, the acceleration signal and a frequency dependent transfer function value; and

modifying fuel delivered to the engine as a function of the fuel control signal to reduce vehicle bouncing.