Traction control system and method for a vehicle

• US 7,792,625 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2009
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: McConnell, Mitch, Fodor, Michael, Hrovat, Davor
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Kim T
• Application Number:
  US12/359,942
• Publication Number:
  US 20090132141A1
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• Field of Search: 701/68, 701/69, 701 71- 73, 701/80, 701/82, 701/87
• US Class Current: 701/82
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/16 responsive to, or preventing, skidding of wheels brake control systems for vehicle drive stability B60T8/1755; arrangements responsive to a speed condition for adjusting wheel braking force B60T8/32; control of vehicle driving stability otherwise than by controlling the propulsion unit only B60W30/02; preventing wheel slippage by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/40 Coefficient of friction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0605 Throttle position
• 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 2250/18 Control of the engine output torque
• 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 traction control system adjusts powertrain output to reduce wheel slip, where a relationship between powertrain output and pedal actuation is adjusted in response to environmental conditions.

Claims

1. A system for a vehicle, comprising:

a traction control system to reduce wheel slip;

an input device located in said vehicle that identifies an environmental condition; and

a powertrain controller to control powertrain output based on actuation of a vehicle pedal, where a first relationship between said powertrain output and said vehicle pedal is adjusted in response to said input device when a vehicle driver is applying said vehicle pedal with active slip control provided by the traction control system and where a second relationship between said powertrain output and said vehicle pedal is applied to said vehicle after said vehicle driver releases said vehicle pedal, where after the release, pedal actuation provides direct control by the driver of powertrain torque without active slip control.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said input device receives input from the vehicle driver.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said input device receives input from a sensor that senses a condition of an environment outside the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said input device is a knob adjusted by the vehicle driver.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said knob is configured to enable selections corresponding to driver identified road conditions.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said first relationship is different from said second relationship, and wherein the controller further controls powertrain output based on actuation of the vehicle pedal via the first relationship, after application of the second relationship, once the vehicle is moving a sufficient amount.

7. A system for a vehicle, comprising:

an accelerator pedal; and

a controller, said controller having a first mode with a first relationship between a position of the accelerator pedal and a powertrain output, said first mode limiting powertrain output to reduce wheel slip while said vehicle is in a non-moving condition, and said controller activating a second mode after a driver releases said accelerator pedal, said second mode having a second relationship between said accelerator pedal position and said powertrain output, where during the second mode, pedal actuation provides direct control by the driver of powertrain torque without active slip control.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said first relationship is different from said second relationship and wherein a speed of said vehicle is substantially zero.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein during said second mode, said powertrain output is gradually increased relative to said position of said accelerator pedal when said vehicle begins to move and said wheel slip falls below a threshold.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein said powertrain output is scaled with a position of said accelerator pedal.

11. The system of claim 7 further comprising upshifting an automatic transmission to reduce wheel slip.

12. The system of claim 7 further comprising adjusting a sensitivity of said accelerator pedal in response to a driver input.

13. The system of claim 7 where the second relationship between an accelerator pedal position and the powertrain output has a smaller range of authority, the controller further having a third mode with the first relationship between the position of the accelerator pedal and the powertrain output, said third mode limiting the powertrain output to reduce wheel slip while said vehicle is moving, said controller activating the third mode after the second mode, and after the vehicle is moving a sufficient amount.

14. A system for a vehicle, comprising:

an accelerator pedal; and

a controller, said controller having a first mode with a first relationship between a position of the accelerator pedal and a powertrain output, said first mode limiting powertrain output to reduce wheel slip while said vehicle is in a non-moving condition, and said controller activating a second mode after a driver releases said accelerator pedal, said second mode having a second, different, relationship with less gain between said accelerator pedal position and said powertrain output, where during the second mode, pedal actuation provides direct control by the driver of powertrain torque without active slip control, the controller further having a third mode with the first relationship between the position of the accelerator pedal and the powertrain output, said third mode limiting powertrain output to reduce wheel slip while said vehicle is moving, said controller activating the third mode after the second mode, and after the vehicle is moving a sufficient amount.