Throttle limiting for an internal combustion engine

• US 7,305,295 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2004
• Issued: 12/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Katrak, Kerfegar K., Bauerle, Paul A., Shuler, Barbara A., O'Leary, Patrick J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu; Yonel
• Application Number:
  US10/831,335
• Publication Number:
  US 20050240333A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,320 Days
• Field of Search: 701 51- 56, 701/93, 701 84- 86, 180/335, 180/336, 180/170, 477206-207, 123/41.07, 123/319, 123/328, 123/681, 123/683
• 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: F02D 11/105 characterised by the function converting demand to actuation, e.g. a map indicating relations between an accelerator pedal position and throttle valve opening or target engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 31/002 controlling air supply
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/021 Introducing corrections for particular conditions exterior to the engine conjoint control of vehicle sub-units for propelling the vehicle B60W30/18

Abstract

A throttle limit control for an internal combustion engine throttle control is disclosed. Rate limiting is applied to prevent excessive rates of change in throttle actuation. Throttle pedal authority is continually maintained and throttle headroom is not compromised thereby. Application to various systems including conventional and adaptive cruise systems and power take-off systems is envisioned.

Claims

1. Method for controlling throttle change in an internal combustion engine powered vehicle, comprising:

providing a throttle actuation limit substantially corresponding to an operator selected throttle pedal angle;

providing a requested throttle actuation corresponding to an automated throttle position control; and

limiting the rate of change of the throttle when the requested throttle actuation is above said throttle actuation limit.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said automated throttle position control comprises a vehicular cruise control.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said automated throttle position control comprises a vehicular power take-off control.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein limiting the rate of change of the throttle is effected at a rate substantially corresponding to the smaller of a predetermined rate and the rate of change of the requested throttle actuation.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the vehicular cruise control comprises controlling the vehicle speed to a set speed and wherein limiting the rate of change of the throttle is effected at a rate substantially corresponding to the smaller of a first predetermined rate and the rate of change of the requested throttle actuation when the vehicle speed is below the set speed and at a rate substantially corresponding to the smaller of a second predetermined rate and the rate of change of the requested throttle actuation when the vehicle speed is above the set speed.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein throttle changes are further limited by the throttle actuation limit when the vehicle speed is above the set speed.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein limiting the rate of change of the throttle is effected at a rate substantially corresponding to the greater of the throttle actuation limit and a predetermined rate.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein the vehicular power take-off control comprises controlling the engine speed to a set speed and wherein limiting, the rate of change of the throttle is effected at a rate substantially corresponding to the greater of the throttle actuation limit and a first predetermined rate when the engine speed is below the set speed and at a rate substantially corresponding to the greater of the throttle actuation limit and a second predetermined rate when the engine speed is above the set speed.

9. The method of claim 3 wherein the vehicular power take-off control comprises controlling the engine speed to a set speed and limiting the rate of change of the set speed.

10. The method of claim 3 wherein the vehicular power take-off control comprises controlling the engine speed to a set speed and limiting the rate of change of the set speed, and wherein limiting the rate of change of the throttle is effected at a rate substantially corresponding to the greater of the throttle actuation limit and a first predetermined rate when the engine speed is below the set speed and at a rate substantially corresponding to the greater of the throttle actuation limit and a second predetermined rate when the engine speed is above the set speed.

11. The method of claim 2 wherein limiting the rate of change of the throttle is effected at a rate established as a function of engine speed and vehicle speed.

23. The method of claim 4 wherein said predetermined rate is determined as a function of engine speed and vehicle speed.

12. Method for controlling a throttle in an internal combustion engine, comprising:

providing a first throttle actuation request substantially corresponding to an operator selected throttle pedal angle;

providing a second throttle actuation request corresponding to an automated throttle position control;

effecting throttle changes substantially in accordance with said first throttle actuation request when said first throttle actuation request exceeds said second throttle actuation request; and

rate limiting throttle changes when said first throttle actuation request does not exceed said second throttle actuation request.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12 wherein said automated throttle position control comprises a vehicular cruise control.

14. The method as claimed in claim 12 wherein said automated throttle position control comprises a vehicular power take-off control.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein rate limiting throttle changes is effected at a rate substantially corresponding to the smaller of a predetermined rate and the rate of change of the first second throttle actuation request.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the vehicular cruise control comprises controlling the vehicle speed to a set speed and wherein rate limiting throttle changes is effected at a rate substantially corresponding to the smaller of a first predetermined rate and the rate of change of the second throttle actuation request when the vehicle speed is below the set speed and at a rate substantially corresponding to the smaller of a second predetermined rate and the rate of change of the second throttle actuation request when the vehicle speed is above the set speed.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein throttle changes are further limited by the first throttle actuation request when the vehicle speed is above the set speed.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein rate limiting throttle changes is effected at a rate substantially corresponding to the greater of the rate of change of the first throttle actuation request and a predetermined rate.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the vehicular power take-off control comprises controlling the engine speed to a set speed and wherein rate limiting throttle changes is effected at a rate in accordance with the greater of the second throttle actuation request and a first predetermined rate when the engine speed is below the set speed and at a rate in accordance with the greater of the second throttle actuation request and a second predetermined rate when the engine speed is above the set speed.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein the vehicular power take-off control comprises controlling the engine speed to a set speed and limiting the rate of change of the set speed.

21. The method of claim 14 wherein the vehicular power take-off control comprises controlling the engine speed to a set speed and limiting the rate of change of the set speed, and wherein rate limiting throttle changes is effected at a rate in accordance with the greater of the second throttle actuation request and a first predetermined rate when the engine speed is below the set speed and at a rate in accordance with the greater of the second throttle actuation request and a second predetermined rate when the engine speed is above the set speed.

22. The method of claim 13 wherein rate limiting throttle changes is effected at a rate established as a function of engine speed and vehicle speed.

24. The method of claim 15 wherein said predetermined rate is determined as a function of engine speed and vehicle speed.