Systems and methods for determining road mu and drive force
First Claim
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1. An automobile, comprising:
- a body;
a chassis configured to couple to a support of the body;
a plurality of wheels rotatably coupled to the chassis;
an engine configured to drive at least one of the plurality of wheels by applying a drive force and is at least partially enclosed by the body;
a steering wheel configured to communicate driver inputs to the plurality of wheels;
an accelerator configured to communicate driver inputs to the engine;
a sensor configured to monitor at least one of the plurality of wheels and detect a first slip condition of the at least one of the plurality of wheels; and
an electronic control unit capable of receiving data from the sensor, managing the operation of the engine, calculating a first drive force based on a tractive force model in response to the sensor detecting a first slip condition, the first drive force being a dynamically determined maximum drive force limiting the drive force below an expected drive force associated with the driver inputs, the electronic control unit further capable of applying the first drive force and subsequently increasing the first drive force based on the tractive force model to the expected drive force.
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Abstract
The vehicle described herein employs a mu logic module. The mu logic module monitors vehicle operating conditions, and based on those operating conditions determines a road surface mu in response to a wheel slip event. The road surface mu is then used to determine a drive force to minimize or control the wheel slip event. The mu logic module continually monitors and adjusts the drive force provided to at least one of the wheels to maximize the applied drive force, while stabilizing and controlling wheel slip events to ensure safe operation of a vehicle.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An automobile, comprising:
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a body; a chassis configured to couple to a support of the body; a plurality of wheels rotatably coupled to the chassis; an engine configured to drive at least one of the plurality of wheels by applying a drive force and is at least partially enclosed by the body; a steering wheel configured to communicate driver inputs to the plurality of wheels; an accelerator configured to communicate driver inputs to the engine; a sensor configured to monitor at least one of the plurality of wheels and detect a first slip condition of the at least one of the plurality of wheels; and an electronic control unit capable of receiving data from the sensor, managing the operation of the engine, calculating a first drive force based on a tractive force model in response to the sensor detecting a first slip condition, the first drive force being a dynamically determined maximum drive force limiting the drive force below an expected drive force associated with the driver inputs, the electronic control unit further capable of applying the first drive force and subsequently increasing the first drive force based on the tractive force model to the expected drive force. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method, comprising:
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providing an automobile with a sensor, a plurality of wheels, and an electronic control unit, wherein the electronic control unit has a mu control including a speed threshold and a tractive force model; detecting a first slip condition at one of the plurality of wheels by the sensor; comparing the operating speed of the automobile to the speed threshold; calculating, by the electronic control unit, a first drive force in response to the first slip condition, the first drive force being a dynamically determined maximum drive force less than an expected drive force based on the tractive force model; reducing power provided to at least one of the plurality of wheels to achieve the first drive force; monitoring the plurality of wheels by the sensor; continuously increasing the first drive force provided to at least one of the plurality of wheels based on changing mu conditions detected by the sensor; dynamically calculating, by the electronic control unit, a second drive force based on the increase in the first drive force and the tractive force model in response to detecting a second slip condition at the at least one of the plurality of wheels by the sensor; and continuously adjusting power provided to the at least one of the plurality of wheels to achieve the second drive force in response to the electronic control unit dynamically calculating and updating the second drive force. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An automobile, comprising:
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a plurality of wheels; an engine configured to provide a first drive force to at least one of the plurality of wheels; and an electronic control unit comprising a mu drive-force model is in communication with the engine and configured to detect a slip condition of at least one of the plurality of wheels and estimate an applied drive force at the at least one of the plurality of wheels in response to the slip condition such that the first drive force is estimated at substantially the same time that the slip condition occurs, to estimate a road mu based on the first drive force, to continuously adjust the first drive force based on changes to the road mu, to calculate and communicate a second drive force to the engine such that power to the at least one of the plurality of wheels is reduced to a level that produces the second drive force, and to subsequently increase the second drive force based on the mu drive-force model. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification