Apparatus and method of controlling vehicle creep control under braking

• US 7,035,727 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2002
• Issued: 04/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Inventors: Zhang, Rongjun, Larsen, Michael, De La Salle, Stephen, Breton, Mathew
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Donnelly, Arthur D.
• Application Number:
  US10/157,162
• Publication Number:
  US 20030225501A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,427 Days
• Field of Search: 701/93, 701/83, 701/78, 701/87, 701/67, 701/70, 701/94, 477/114, 477/107, 477/110, 477/143, 477/40, 477/170, 477/172, 475/120
• US Class Current: 701/93
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/00 Vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator fittings acting on two or more sub-units B60W30/14; speedometers G01P; systems or devices for controlling speed in general G05D13/00 ; in traffic anti-collision system for road vehicles G08G1/16
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/485 Motor-assist type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/54 Transmission for changing ratio
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/28 Four wheel or all wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0038 relating to sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/042 by electrical means, e.g. using travel or force sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/001 Proportional integral [PI] controller
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0011 Proportional Integral Differential [PID] controller
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18063 Creeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/1819 Propulsion control with control means using analogue circuits, relays or mechanical links
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors

Abstract

The present invention provides in one embodiment a method for controlling vehicle creep control. Measurements are received from a brake pedal sensor, where the measurements are indicative of a brake pedal travel. A target creep speed value is derived based on the measurements of creep speed and the brake pedal travel. A request for wheel torque is derived based on the target creep speed. There is a determination of the difference between a measurement of vehicle creep speed and the target creep speed value. The request for wheel torque is adjusted, if the target creep speed is not equivalent to the vehicle creep speed.

Claims

1. A method for controlling vehicle creep control, the method comprising:

receiving measurements from a brake pedal sensor, wherein the measurements are indicative of a brake pedal travel;

deriving a target creep speed value based on measurements of creep speed and the brake pedal travel;

deriving a request for wheel torque based on the target creep speed value;

determining if there is a difference between a measurement of vehicle creep speed and the target creep speed value; and

adjusting the request for wheel torque, if the target creep speed is not equivalent to the vehicle creep speed.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising adding a torque correction to the request for wheel torque.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of deriving a target creep speed further comprises using a software program.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising matching the brake pedal travel with the measurements of creep speed of the software program.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of deriving the request for wheel torque further comprises the utilization of a software program.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the software program further comprises a look-up table that includes measurements of the target creep speed that can be matched with a value of the request for wheel torque.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the vehicle creep speed is subtracted from the target speed to determine the difference between the vehicle speed and the target speed.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said step of adjusting the wheel to torque further comprises utilizing a control method.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein a PID controller is the control method utilized to adjust the request for wheel torque.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein a PI controller is the control method utilized to adjust the request for the wheel torque.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein a sliding mode algorithm is the control method utilized to adjust the request for the wheel torque.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein a phase advance algorithm is the control method utilized to adjust the request for the wheel torque.

13. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of transmitting the adjusted request for wheel torque to an engine.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the engine is an internal combustion engine.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of transmitting the adjusted wheel torque to a transmission.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of transmitting the adjusted wheel torque to a plurality of wheels.

17. The method of claim 2, further comprising transmitting the adjusted wheel torque to an engine and a motor.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising transmitting the adjusted wheel torque to a transmission.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising transmitting the adjusted wheel torque to a plurality of wheels.

20. A method for controlling vehicle creep control, the method comprising:

receiving measurements from a brake pedal sensor, wherein the measurements are indicative of a brake pedal travel;

deriving a target creep speed value based on the measurements of creep speed and the brake pedal travel;

deriving a request for wheel power based on the target speed;

determining if there is a difference between a vehicle creep speed and the target creep speed value; and

adjusting the request for wheel power, if the target creep speed is not equivalent to the vehicle creep speed.

21. A system for controlling creep speed in a vehicle, the system comprising:

a plurality of wheels in the vehicle operatively connected to a transmission;

an engine operatively connected to the transmission;

a controller operatively connected to the engine, wherein the controller receives measurements from a brake pedal of the vehicle and a speedometer of the vehicle, wherein the controller compares the measurements with a software program, and based on the measurements and the software program requests wheel torque be applied to the plurality of wheels to drive the vehicle.

22. An apparatus for controlling vehicle creep control, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving measurements from a brake pedal sensor, wherein the measurements are indicative of a brake pedal travel;

means for deriving a target creep speed value based on the measurements of creep speed and the brake pedal travel;

means for deriving a request for wheel torque based on the target speed;

means for determining if there is a difference between a vehicle creep speed and the target creep speed value; and

means for adjusting the request for wheel torque, if the target creep speed is not equivalent to the vehicle creep speed.

23. An apparatus for controlling creep of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a controller configured to receive measurements from a brake pedal indicative of a travel of the brake pedal, wherein the controller compares the measurements with a software program and based on the measurements and the software program requests wheel torque be applied to a plurality of wheels to drive the vehicle.