Increased capability modular vehicle-dynamics control architecture

• US 8,055,425 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2008
• Issued: 11/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Tsakiris, Anthony David, Ramaswamy, Deepa, Syed, Fazal Urrahman, Kuang, Ming Lang, Aswani, Deepak
• Primary Examiner(s): Hurley; Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHARICH, MARC A
• Application Number:
  US12/048,592
• Publication Number:
  US 20090234551A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• Field of Search: 701/54, 701/69, 701/70, 701/71, 701/82, 701/84, 701/87, 477/7, 180/65.21
• US Class Current: 701/84
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/02 Control of vehicle driving stability

Abstract

A system and method for controlling the amount of torque generated by at least one torque generating device in a vehicle is provided. A vehicle layer transmits arbitrated torque request signals indicative of first and second amounts of torque and at least one torque reservation request signal indicative of whether the vehicle is in an anticipated vehicle dynamic state or in a non-anticipated vehicle dynamic state. A coordination layer controls the torque generating device to generate the first amount of torque in response to the arbitrated torque request signal and the torque reservation request signal indicating that the vehicle is in the non-anticipated vehicle dynamic state. The coordination layer controls torque generating device to generate the second amount of torque in response to the arbitrated torque request signal and the torque reservation request signal indicating that the vehicle is in the anticipated vehicle dynamic state.

Claims

1. A system for controlling an amount of torque generated by at least one torque generating device in a vehicle, the system comprising:

a vehicle layer configured to transmit at least one arbitrated torque request signal indicative of first and second amounts of torque desired by at least one of a driver and a vehicle-dynamic system and at least one torque reservation request signal indicative of whether the vehicle is in at least one of an anticipated vehicle dynamic state and a non-anticipated vehicle dynamic state; and

a coordination layer configured to;

control the at least one torque generating device to generate the first amount of torque in response to the at least one arbitrated torque request signal and the at least one torque reservation request signal indicating that the vehicle is in the non-anticipated vehicle dynamic state; and

control the at least one torque generating device to generate the second amount of torque in response to the at least one arbitrated torque request signal and the at least one torque reservation request signal indicating that the vehicle is in the anticipated vehicle dynamic state,

wherein the coordination layer controls the at least one torque generating device to operate at a predetermined operation level to generate the second amount of torque.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the predetermined operation level corresponds to the at least one torque generating device operating at a fifty percent operation level while generating the second amount of torque to prevent the at least one torque generating device from entering into a saturated state.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one torque reservation request signal includes a maximum torque signal indicative of a maximum amount of torque that is capable of being produced while the vehicle is in the anticipated vehicle dynamic state.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one torque reservation request signal includes a minimum torque signal indicative of a minimum amount of torque that is capable of being produced while the vehicle is in the anticipated vehicle dynamic state.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one torque reservation request signal includes a time response signal indicative of a response time for generating the second amount of torque while the vehicle is in the anticipated vehicle dynamic state.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the torque reservation request signal is based on estimated road conditions.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the estimated road conditions are based on a driving history of estimated wheel torque and a measured amount of wheel slip at each individual wheel.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the estimated road conditions are further based on road contact friction coefficient information.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one torque reservation request signal is based on driver mode inputs.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one torque reservation request signal includes at least one of a maximum torque request signal, a minimum torque request signal, and a time response signal, and wherein the coordination layer is configured to monitor the at least one of the maximum torque request signal, the minimum torque request signal, and the time response signal to determine if the vehicle is in the at least one of an anticipated vehicle dynamic state and a non-anticipated vehicle dynamic state.

11. A method for controlling an amount of torque generated by at least one torque generating device in a vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving at least one arbitrated torque request signal indicative of first and second amounts of torque desired by at least one of a driver and a vehicle-dynamic system;

receiving at least one torque reservation request signal indicative of whether the vehicle is in at least one of an anticipated vehicle dynamic state and a non-anticipated vehicle dynamic state;

controlling the at least one torque generating device to generate the first amount of torque in response to the at least one arbitrated torque request signal and the at least one torque reservation request signal indicating that the vehicle is in the non-anticipated vehicle dynamic state; and

controlling the at least one torque generating device to generate the second amount of torque in response to the at least one arbitrated torque request signal and the at least one torque reservation request signal indicating that the vehicle is in the anticipated vehicle dynamic state,

wherein the at least one torque generating device is controlled to operate at a predetermined operation level to generate the second amount of torque.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the at least one torque reservation request signal includes a maximum torque signal indicative of a maximum amount of torque that is capable of being produced while the vehicle is in the anticipated vehicle dynamic state.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the at least one torque reservation request signal includes a minimum torque signal indicative of a minimum amount of torque that is capable of being produced while the vehicle is in the anticipated vehicle dynamic state.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the at least one torque reservation request signal includes a time response signal indicative of a response time for generating the second amount of torque while the vehicle is in the anticipated vehicle dynamic state.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the predetermined operation level corresponds to the at least one torque generating device operating at a fifty percent operation level while generating the second amount of torque to prevent the at least one torque generating device from entering into a saturated state.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the at least one torque reservation request signal includes at least one of a maximum torque request signal, a minimum torque request signal, and a time response signal;

and further monitoring the at least one of the maximum torque request signal, the minimum torque request signal, and the time response signal to determine if the vehicle is in the at least one of an anticipated vehicle dynamic state and a non-anticipated vehicle dynamic state.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the at least one torque reservation request signal is based on estimated road conditions.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the estimated road conditions are based on a driving history of estimated wheel torque and a measured amount of wheel slip at each individual wheel.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the at least one torque reservation request signal is based on driver mode inputs.

20. A system for controlling an amount of torque generated by at least one torque generating device in a vehicle, the system comprising:

a vehicle layer configured to transmit at least one arbitrated torque request signal indicative of a first amount of torque and a second amount of torque desired by at least one of a driver and a vehicle-dynamic system and at least one torque reservation request signal indicative of whether the vehicle is in at least one of an anticipated vehicle dynamic state and a non-anticipated vehicle dynamic state, and

a coordination layer configured to;

control the at least one torque generating device to generate the first amount of torque within a first predetermined response time in response to the at least one arbitrated torque request signal and the at least one torque reservation request signal indicating that the vehicle is in the non-anticipated vehicle dynamic state; and

control the at least one torque generating device to generate the second amount of torque within a second predetermined response time in response to the at least one arbitrated torque request signal and the at least one torque reservation request signal indicating that the vehicle is in the anticipated vehicle dynamic state,

wherein the first and second predetermined response times are different from one another.