Drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem and method

• US 7,120,529 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2002
• Issued: 10/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ekmark, Jonas, Coelingh, Erik
• Primary Examiner(s): BROADHEAD, BRIAN J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hernandez, Olga
• Application Number:
  US10/063,954
• Publication Number:
  US 20030225496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,595 Days
• Field of Search: 701/48, 701/71, 701/36, 307/9.1
• US Class Current: 701/48
• 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 2800/85 System Prioritisation
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2260/06 Active Suspension System
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2260/08 Coordination of integrated systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0006 Digital architecture hierarchy
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0031 Mathematical model of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0297 Control Giving priority to different actuators or systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/105 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/10 Weight
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18 Propelling the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/00 Arrangements for automatically controlling steering depending on driving conditions sensed and responded to, e.g. control circuits means for initiating a change in direction B62D1/00; steering valves B62D5/06; combined with means for inclining the vehicle body or wheels on bends B62D9/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A vehicle control system (10) including a vehicle motion control subsystem (12) that has an input receiving an intended driving demand (14) and a plurality of coordinator subsystems (16) for coordinating actuators of the vehicle. The vehicle motion control subsystem (12) communicates with the coordinator subsystems (16) to determine whether a single coordinator subsystem (16) can carry out the intended driving demand (14). The vehicle motion control subsystem (12) will distribute demand signals among one or more of the coordinator subsystems (16) to allow the vehicle to implement the intended driving demand (14).

Claims

1. A method of controlling a drive train and brakes of a vehicle with a drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem comprising:

inputting a drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal into the drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem, the drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal requesting a drive train and brakes behavior modification;

determining first capabilities of the first actuator control subsystem;

outputting a first capability signal from the first actuator control subsystem to the drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem, the first capability signal communicating the first capabilities of the first actuator control subsystem;

calculating a first partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal and at least one second partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal; and

outputting the first partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal from the drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem to the first actuator control subsystem and the at least one second partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal to at least one second actuator control subsystem;

wherein both the first partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal and the at least one second partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal are calculated according to the first capabilities of the first actuator control subsystem; and

wherein the first partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal and the at least one second partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal provide directions for the first actuator control subsystem and the at least one second actuator control subsystem, respectively, to perform the drive train and brakes behavior modification of the drive train and brakes demand signal.

2. The method of controlling a drive train and brakes of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein:

the first and at least one second actuator control subsystems include at least three of a brake control subsystem, an engine control subsystem, a transmission control subsystem, a integrated starter/generator control subsystem and a battery management control subsystem.

3. The method of controlling a drive train and brakes of a vehicle of claim 2, further including:

controlling brakes of the vehicle with the brake control subsystem;

controlling an engine of the vehicle with the engine control subsystem;

controlling a transmission of the vehicle with the transmission control subsystem;

controlling an integrated starter/generator with the integrated starter/generator control subsystem; and

managing a battery with the battery management control subsystem.

4. The method of controlling a drive train and brakes of a vehicle of claim 1, further including:

inputting vehicle state measurements and first actuator state measurements into the first actuator control subsystem;

wherein the step of determining first capabilities of the first actuator subsystem and is made with regard to the vehicle state measurements and the first actuator state measurements.

5. The method of controlling a drive train and brakes of a vehicle of claim 1, further including:

inputting vehicle state measurements and second actuator state measurements into the at least one second actuator control subsystem;

determining second capabilities of the at least one second actuator control subsystem with regard to the vehicle state measurements and the at least one second actuator state measurements; and

outputting at least one second capability signal from the at least one second actuator control subsystem to the drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem, the second capability signal communicating the second capabilities of the at least one second actuator control subsystem.

6. A method of controlling a drive train and brakes of a vehicle comprising:

providing a drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem configured to modify the drive train and brakes of the vehicle and at least one accompanying coordinator controller configured to modify other components of the vehicle that affect vehicle motion;

outputting an output signal from at least one accompanying coordinator controller;

calculating a demand signal;

inputting the demand signal into the drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem; and

modifying the drive train and brakes of the vehicle according to the demand signal;

wherein the demand signal is calculated in response to the output signal from the at least one accompanying coordinator controller.

7. The method of controlling a drive train and brakes of a vehicle of claim 6, wherein:

the output signal carries information about a capability of the at least one accompanying subsystem coordinator controller for implementing a vehicle behavior modification with the at least one accompanying coordinator controller.

8. The method of controlling a drive train and brakes of a vehicle of claim 7, wherein:

a drive train and brakes behavior modification of the drive train and brakes according to the demand signal and the capability of the at least one accompanying coordinator controller, in combination, allow the vehicle to perform the vehicle behavior modification.

9. The method of controlling a drive train and brakes of a vehicle of claim 6, wherein:

the step of modifying the drive train and brakes includes;

outputting a control subsystem signal from the drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem to at least one actuator control subsystem.

10. The method of controlling a drive train and brakes of a vehicle of claim 9, further including:

inputting vehicle state measurements and actuator state measurements into the at least one actuator control subsystem;

determining the capabilities of each at least one actuator control subsystem according to the vehicle state measurements and the actuator state measurements; and

outputting the capabilities of each at least one actuator control subsystem to the drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem.

11. The method of controlling a drive train and brakes of a vehicle of claim 10, wherein:

the demand signal does not request more from the drive train and brakes coordinator than the at least one actuator control subsystem is capable of providing as determined by a combination of all the capabilities of the at least one actuator control subsystem.

12. The method of controlling a drive train and brakes of a vehicle of claim 11, wherein:

the control subsystem signal does not request more from a particular actuator control subsystem than the particular actuator control subsystem is capable of providing as determined by the capabilities of the particular actuator control subsystem.

13. The method of controlling a drive train and brakes of a vehicle of claim 9, wherein:

the at least one subsystem controller includes at least three of a brake control subsystem, an engine control subsystem, a transmission control subsystem, a integrated starter/generator control subsystem and a battery management control subsystem.

14. The method of controlling a drive train and brakes of a vehicle of claim 13, wherein:

the step of modifying the drive train and brakes further includes at least one of;

controlling brakes of the vehicle with the brake control subsystem;

controlling an engine of the vehicle with the engine control subsystem; and

managing a battery with the battery management control subsystem.

15. The method of controlling a drive train and brakes of a vehicle of claim 6, further including:

providing a vehicle motion control subsystem;

wherein the step of outputting includes outputting the output signal into the vehicle motion control subsystem;

wherein the step of calculating includes calculating the demand signal with the vehicle motion subsystem; and

outputting the demand signal from the vehicle motion control subsystem.

16. A drive train and brakes control system for controlling a drive train and brakes of a vehicle comprising:

a drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem including at least one subsystem input for receiving a drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal and a subsystem output, the drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal requesting a drive train and brakes behavior modification;

a first actuator control subsystem including a first actuator input and a first actuator output; and

at least one second actuator control subsystem including a second actuator input;

wherein the first actuator control subsystem determines first capabilities of the first actuator control subsystem and outputs a first capability signal out of the first actuator output to the at least one subsystem input of the drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem, the first capability signal communicating the first capabilities of the first actuator control subsystem;

wherein the drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem calculates a first partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal and at least one second partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal;

wherein the drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem outputs, through the subsystem output, the first partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal into the first actuator input of the first actuator control subsystem and the at least one second partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal into the second actuator input of the at least one second actuator control subsystem;

wherein both the first partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal and the at least one second partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal are calculated according to the first capabilities of the first actuator control subsystem; and

wherein the first partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal and the at least one second partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal provide directions for the first actuator control subsystem and the at least one second actuator control subsystem, respectively, to perform the drive train and brakes behavior modification of the drive train and brakes demand signal.

17. The drive train and brakes control system of claim 16, wherein:

the first and at least one second actuator control subsystems includes at least three of a brake control subsystem, an engine control subsystem, a transmission control subsystem, a integrated starter/generator control subsystem and a battery management control subsystem.

18. The drive train and brakes control system of claim 17, further including:

brakes of the vehicle controlled by the brake control subsystem;

an engine of the vehicle controlled by the engine control subsystem;

a transmission of the vehicle controlled by the transmission control subsystem;

an integrated starter/generator controlled by the integrated starter/generator control subsystem; and

a battery controlled by the battery management control subsystem.

19. The drive train and brakes control system of claim 16, wherein:

the first actuator control subsystem receives vehicle state measurements and first actuator state measurements; and

the first capabilities of the first actuator subsystem are determined with regard to the vehicle state measurements and the first actuator state measurements.

20. The drive train and brakes control system of claim 19, wherein:

the at least one second actuator receives the vehicle state measurements and second actuator state measurements;

the at least one second actuator control subsystem determines its second capabilities with regard to the vehicle state measurements and the second actuator state measurements; and

the at least one second actuator control subsystem outputs a second capability signal from a second actuator output to the at least one subsystem input of the drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem, the second capability signal communicating the second capabilities of the at least one second actuator control subsystem.