Electronic traction control

• US 8,930,113 B1
• Filed: 10/07/2013
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Davis Intellectual Properties LLC
• Original Assignee: Davis Intellectual Properties LLC
• Inventors: Davis, Shannon R.
• Primary Examiner(s): HOLLOWAY, JASON R
• Application Number:
  US14/047,334
• Time in Patent Office: 456 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 701/69, 701 82- 88, 701/90
• 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: B60T 8/172 Determining control parameters used in the regulation, e.g. by calculations involving measured or detected parameters B60T8/17551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/104 Output speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/28 Wheel speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/30 Road curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/06 Combustion engines, Gas turbines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/1038 Output speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/18 Braking system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18172 Preventing, or responsive to skidding of wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 41/007 Encoders, e.g. parts with a plurality of alternating magnetic poles
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/40 Output shaft speed

Abstract

In general, the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods, systems, and program products for performing vehicle traction control. Time intervals between points of rotation of a rotating vehicle output shaft are measured. Indicators of shaft rotation rate are generated using, for each generated indicator, a set of one or more of the time intervals. The generated indicators of shaft rotation rate are used to determine a value indicative of a rate of change of shaft rotation rate. An indicator of a maximum allowable output shaft rotation rate is computed. A current indicator of output shaft rotation rate is determined to exceed the maximum allowable output shaft rotation rate. In response to determining that the current indicator exceeds the maximum allowable output shaft rotation rate, a signal to trigger application of a traction control mechanism is output.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for determining an acceleration or velocity of a rotating vehicle shaft, comprising:

measuring, by a computing system, a first time interval between two points of rotation of a rotating vehicle shaft by measuring a time interval between (a) receiving an indication that a first discrete point on the rotating vehicle shaft has rotated past a fixed reference point, and (b) receiving an indication that a second discrete point on the rotating vehicle shaft has rotated past the fixed reference point;

measuring, by the computing system, a second time interval between two other points of rotation of the rotating vehicle shaft by measuring a time interval between (a) receiving an indication that a third discrete point on the rotating vehicle shaft has rotated past the fixed reference point, and (b) receiving an indication that a fourth discrete point on the rotating vehicle shaft has rotated past the fixed reference point; and

determining, by the computing system, an acceleration or velocity of the rotating vehicle shaft using the measured first time interval between the two points of rotation of the rotating vehicle shaft and the second time interval between the two other points of rotation of the rotating vehicle shaft.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the acceleration or velocity of the rotating vehicle shaft includes averaging at least the measured first time interval and the measured second time interval to determine an average time interval, and using the average time interval to determine the acceleration or velocity of the rotating vehicle shaft.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the acceleration or velocity of the rotating vehicle shaft includes determining the acceleration of the rotating vehicle shaft by first determining the velocity of the rotating vehicle shaft using the measured first time interval and then using the determined velocity of the rotating vehicle shaft to determine the acceleration of the rotating vehicle shaft.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the computing system, that the determined velocity of the rotating vehicle shaft exceeds an allowable velocity of the rotating vehicle shaft; and

outputting, by the computing system and in response to determining that the determined velocity of the rotating vehicle shaft exceeds the allowable velocity of the rotating vehicle shaft, a signal to trigger application of a traction control mechanism.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising determining the allowable velocity of the rotating vehicle shaft by identifying a previously determined velocity of the rotating vehicle shaft and adding to the previously determined velocity of the rotating vehicle shaft a threshold value of an acceptable increase in velocity.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the threshold value of an acceptable increase in velocity is modifiable by a user of a vehicle while the user is seated in the vehicle and the vehicle is configured to perform vehicle traction control.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the rotating vehicle shaft is an output shaft of a transmission unit or a drive shaft.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

measuring, by a computing system, a first time interval between two points of rotation of a rotating vehicle shaft by measuring a time interval between (a) receiving an indication that a first discrete point on the rotating vehicle shaft has rotated past a fixed reference point, and (b) receiving an indication that a second discrete point on the rotating vehicle shaft has rotated past the fixed reference point;

measuring, by the computing system, a second time interval between two other points of rotation of the rotating vehicle shaft by measuring a time interval between (a) receiving an indication that a third discrete point on the rotating vehicle shaft has rotated past the fixed reference point, and (b) receiving an indication that a fourth discrete point on the rotating vehicle shaft has rotated past the fixed reference point; and

determining, by the computing system, an acceleration or velocity of the rotating vehicle shaft using the measured first time interval between the two points of rotation of the rotating vehicle shaft and the measured second time interval between the two other points of rotation of the rotating vehicle shaft.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein determining the acceleration or velocity of the rotating vehicle shaft includes averaging at least the measured first time interval and the measured second time interval to determine an average time interval, and using the average time interval to determine the acceleration or velocity of the rotating vehicle shaft.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein determining the acceleration or velocity of the rotating vehicle shaft includes determining the acceleration of the rotating vehicle shaft by first determining the velocity of the rotating vehicle shaft using the measured first time interval and then using the determined velocity of the rotating vehicle shaft to determine the acceleration of the rotating vehicle shaft.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining, by the computing system, that the determined velocity of the rotating vehicle shaft exceeds an allowable velocity of the rotating vehicle shaft; and

outputting, by the computing system and in response to determining that the determined velocity of the rotating vehicle shaft exceeds the allowable velocity of the rotating vehicle shaft, a signal to trigger application of a traction control mechanism.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise determining the allowable velocity of the rotating vehicle shaft by identifying a previously determined velocity of the rotating vehicle shaft and adding to the previously determined velocity of the rotating vehicle shaft a threshold value of an acceptable increase in velocity.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the threshold value of an acceptable increase in velocity is modifiable by a user of a vehicle while the user is seated in the vehicle and the vehicle is configured to perform vehicle traction control.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the rotating vehicle shaft is an output shaft of a transmission unit or a drive shaft.

15. A computer-implemented method for determining an acceleration or velocity of a rotating vehicle shaft, comprising:

measuring, by a computing system, a first time interval between two points of rotation of a rotating vehicle shaft by measuring a time interval between (a) receiving an indication that a discrete point on the rotating vehicle shaft has rotated past a first fixed reference point, and (b) receiving an indication that the discrete point on the rotating vehicle shaft has rotated past a second fixed reference point;

measuring, by the computing system, a second time interval between two other points of rotation of the rotating vehicle shaft by measuring a time interval between (a) receiving an indication that the discrete point on the rotating vehicle shaft has rotated past a third fixed reference point, and (b) receiving an indication that the discrete point on the rotating vehicle shaft has rotated past a fourth fixed reference point; and

determining, by the computing system, an acceleration or velocity of the rotating vehicle shaft using the measured first time interval between the two points of rotation of the rotating vehicle shaft and the measured second time interval between the two other points of rotation of the rotating vehicle shaft.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

measuring, by a computing system, a first time interval between two points of rotation of a rotating vehicle shaft by measuring a time interval between (a) receiving an indication that a discrete point on the rotating vehicle shaft has rotated past a first fixed reference point, and (b) receiving an indication that the discrete point on the rotating vehicle shaft has rotated past a second fixed reference point;

measuring, by the computing system, a second time interval between two other points of rotation of the rotating vehicle shaft by measuring a time interval between (a) receiving an indication that the discrete point on the rotating vehicle shaft has rotated past a third fixed reference point, and (b) receiving an indication that the discrete point on the rotating vehicle shaft has rotated past a fourth fixed reference point; and

determining, by the computing system, an acceleration or velocity of the rotating vehicle shaft using the measured first time interval the two points of rotation of the rotating vehicle shaft and the measured second time interval between the two other points of rotation of the rotating vehicle shaft.