Method and apparatus for controlling brake-steer in an automotive vehicle in a forward and reverse direction

• US 7,070,247 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2004
• Issued: 07/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Offerle, Timothy G.
• Primary Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US10/708,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20050206232A1
• Time in Patent Office: 838 Days
• Field of Search: 303/140, 303/146, 303/147, 303/148, 701/41, 701/72, 701/87, 180/244, 180/264, 180/446, 180/417, 180/443, 180/447
• US Class Current: 303/146
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/016 characterised by their responsiveness, when the vehicle is travelling, to specific motion, a specific condition, or driver input B60G17/017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0195 characterised by the regulation being combined with other vehicle control systems conjoint control of vehicle sub-units including control of suspension systems B60W10/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/215 by applying a braking action on each wheel individually
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/24 Steering, cornering
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/91 Suspension Control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/922 EBV - Electronic brake force distribution
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/97 Engine Management System [EMS]
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/10 Automatic or semi-automatic parking aid systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2230/06 Tractor-trailer swaying
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1755 Brake regulation specially adapted to control the stability of the vehicle, e.g. taking into account yaw rate or transverse acceleration in a curve road vehicle drive control systems for control of driving stability otherwise than by controlling a particular sub-unit B60W30/02
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/22 including control of suspension systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/1307 Load distribution on each wheel suspension
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/14 Tractor-trailers, i.e. combinations of a towing vehicle and one or more towed vehicles, e.g. caravans; Road trains
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/22 Articulation angle, e.g. between tractor and trailer
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/18 Braking system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/28 Wheel speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/045 Improving turning performance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/045 : Monitoring control system parameters

Abstract

A system and method of controlling an automotive vehicle includes determining a forward direction and reverse direction of the vehicle and applying brake-steer in a forward position as a function of a first threshold and applying brake-steer in the reverse position as a function of a second threshold different than the first threshold.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an automotive vehicle comprising:

determining a forward direction of the vehicle and generating a forward direction signal;

determining a reverse direction of the vehicle and generating a reverse direction signal;

applying brake-steer to reduce a turning radius of the vehicle beyond that corresponding to a steering input by the application of brakes in response to the forward direction signal as a function of a first threshold; and

applying brake-steer to reduce the turning radius of the vehicle beyond that corresponding to the steering input by the application of brakes in response to the reverse direction signal as a function of a second threshold is greater than the first threshold.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating a reverse direction signal comprises generating a reverse direction signal from a shift lever.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating a reverse direction signal comprises generating a reverse direction signal from a push button.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating a reverse direction signal comprises generating a reverse direction signal from a transmission controller.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating a reverse direction signal comprises generating a reverse direction signal from a wheel speed sensor.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein applying brake-steer in response to the forward direction signal comprises applying at least one brake at a first wheel to reduce the vehicle turning radius.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the second threshold is less than the first threshold.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising determining a steering wheel angle and wherein applying brake-steer comprises applying brake-steer in response to the reverse direction signal and steering wheel angle.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating a forward direction signal comprises generating a forward direction signal from a shift lever.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating a forward direction signal comprises generating a forward direction signal from a push button.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating a forward direction signal comprises generating a forward direction signal from a transmission controller.

12. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating a forward direction signal comprises generating a forward direction signal from a wheel speed sensor.

13. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein applying brake steer in response to the reverse direction signal comprises applying at least one brake at a first wheel to reduce the vehicle turning radius.

14. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising determining a yaw rate and wherein applying brake-steer comprises applying brake-steer in response to the reverse direction signal and said yaw rate.

15. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising determining a steering wheel angle and a vehicle velocity and wherein applying brake-steer comprises applying brake-steer in response to the reverse direction signal and steering wheel angle and vehicle velocity.

16. A method of controlling an automotive vehicle comprising:

determining a forward direction of the vehicle and generating a forward direction signal;

determining a reverse direction of the vehicle and generating a reverse direction signal;

applying brake-steer to reduce a turning radius of the vehicle beyond that corresponding to a steering input by applying brakes and by applying an increased drive torque to a second wheel relative to a first wheel in response to the forward direction signal as a function of a first threshold; and

applying brake-steer to reduce the turning radius of the vehicle beyond that corresponding to the steering input by the application of brakes in response to the reverse direction signals as a function of a second threshold different than the first threshold.

17. A method of controlling an automotive vehicle comprising:

determining a forward direction of the vehicle and generating a forward direction signal;

determining a reverse direction of the vehicle and generating a reverse direction signal;

applying brake-steer to reduce a turning radius of the vehicle beyond that corresponding to a steering input by applying brakes and increasing normal load on at least one wheel by modifying a suspension component, wherein brake-steer is applied in response to the forward direction signal as a function of a first threshold; and

applying brake-steer to reduce the turning radius of the vehicle beyond that corresponding to the steering input by the application of brakes in response to the reverse direction signal as a function of a second threshold different than the first threshold.

18. A method of controlling an automotive vehicle comprising:

determining a forward direction of the vehicle and generating a forward direction signal;

determining a reverse direction of the vehicle and generating a reverse direction signal;

applying brake-steer to reduce a turning radius of the vehicle beyond that corresponding to a steering input by applying brakes in response to the forward direction signal as a function of a first threshold; and

applying a brake steer to reduce the turning radius of the vehicle beyond that corresponding to the steering input by applying brakes and by applying an increased drive torque to a second wheel relative to a first wheel in response to the reverse direction signal as a function of a second threshold different than the first threshold.

19. A method of controlling an automotive vehicle comprising:

determining a forward direction of the vehicle and generating a forward direction signal;

determining a reverse direction of the vehicle and generating a reverse direction signal;

applying brake-steer to reduce a turning radius of the vehicle beyond that corresponding to a steering input by applying brakes in response to the forward direction signal as a function of a first threshold; and

applying brake-steer to reduce a turning radius of the vehicle beyond that corresponding to a steering input by applying brakes and increasing normal load on at least one wheel by modifying a suspension component, wherein brake-steer is applied in response to the reverse direction signal as a function of a second threshold different than the first threshold.

20. A method

A method of controlling an automotive vehicle comprising;

determining a forward direction of the vehicle and generating a forward direction signal;

determining a reverse direction of the vehicle and generating a reverse direction signal;

determining a steering wheel torque;

applying brake-steer to reduce a turning radius of the vehicle beyond that corresponding to the steering input by the application of brakes in response to the forward direction signal as a function of a first threshold; and

applying brake-steer to reduce the turning radius of the vehicle beyond that corresponding to the steering input by the application of brakes in response to the reverse direction signal as a function of a second threshold different than the first threshold, wherein applying brake-steer in response to the forward direction or reverse direction comprises applying brake-steer in response to steering wheel torque.

21. A vehicle comprising:

means to determine a forward direction and generate a forward direction signal;

means to determine a reverse direction and generate a reverse direction signal; and

a controller coupled to the means to determine a forward direction and the means to determine a reverse direction, said controller programmed to apply brake-steer to reduce a turning radius of the vehicle beyond that corresponding to a steering input by applying brakes and by applying an increased drive torque to a second wheel relative to the first wheel in response to the forward direction signal as a function of the first threshold and apply brake-steer to reduce the turning radius of the vehicle beyond that corresponding to a steering input by the application of brakes in response to the reverse direction signal as a function of the second threshold different than the first threshold.

22. A vehicle as recited in claim 21 wherein means to determine a reverse direction and generate a reverse direction signal comprises a push button.

23. A system as recited in claim 21 wherein said controller is programmed to brake-steer by applying a first brake and a second brake to reduce the turning radius of the vehicle.

24. A system as recited in claim 21 wherein said controller is programmed to brake-steer by applying at least one brake at a first wheel to reduce the vehicle turning radius.

25. A vehicle as recited in claim 21 wherein means to determine a reverse direction and generate a reverse direction signal comprises a transmission controller.

26. A control system as recited in claim 21 further comprising a steering wheel angle sensor generating a steering wheel angle signal, said controller programmed to apply brake-steer in response to the reverse direction signal and the steering wheel angle signal.

27. A control system as recited in claim 21 further comprising a yaw rate sensor generating a yaw rate signal, said controller programmed to apply brake-steer in response to the reverse direction signal and yaw rate signal.

28. A vehicle as recited in claim 21 wherein means to determine a reverse direction and generate a reverse direction signal comprises a wheel speed sensor.

29. A control system as recited in claim 21 further comprising a steering wheel angle sensor generating a steering wheel angle signal and a vehicle velocity sensor generating a vehicle velocity signal, said controller programmed to apply brake-steer in response to the reverse direction signal and steering wheel angle and vehicle velocity signal.

30. A vehicle as recited in claim 21 wherein means to determine a forward direction and generate a forward direction signal comprise a shift lever.

31. A vehicle as recited in claim 21 wherein means to determine a forward direction and generate a forward direction signal comprises a push button.

32. A vehicle as recited in claim 21 wherein means to determine a forward direction and generate a forward direction signal comprises a transmission controller.

33. A vehicle as recited in claim 21 wherein means to determine a forward direction and generate a forward direction signal comprises a wheel speed sensor.

34. A vehicle as recited in claim 21 wherein means to determine a reverse direction and generate a reverse direction signal comprises a shift lever.

35. A vehicle comprising:

means to determine a forward direction and generate a forward direction signal;

means to determine a reverse direction and generate a reverse direction signal;

a steering wheel torque sensor generating a steering torque signal; and

a controller coupled to the means to determine a forward direction and the means to determine a reverse direction, said controller programmed to apply brake-steer to reduce a turning radius of the vehicle beyond that corresponding to a steering input by the application of brakes in response to the forward direction signal as a function of the first threshold and apply brake steer to reduce the turning radius of the vehicle beyond that corresponding to a steering input by the application of brakes in response to the reverse direction signal and steering torque signal as a function of the second threshold different than the first threshold.