Vehicle torque management
First Claim
1. A computer implemented method of establishing the maximum allowable engine torque for a vehicle comprising:
- determining the mass of the vehicle;
determining the slope of the upcoming road on which the vehicle is to travel;
calculating a maximum allowable engine torque for the engine of the vehicle using longitudinal dynamics equations for the vehicle and based at least in part upon the mass of the vehicle and the slope of the road on which the vehicle is to travel; and
selectively limiting the maximum torque of the vehicle engine to the calculated maximum allowable torque under engine operating conditions wherein the engine is not under the control of a vehicle cruise control system.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A torque management system and method is described by which the torque provided by an engine can be controlled based on a mass of the vehicle and, if available, instantaneous and/or predictive slope information. Also, in some modes of operation, torque can be controlled based on speed limit information for upcoming road segments to be traveled by a vehicle. In addition to controlling the maximum allowable torque, optionally the minimum allowable torque can also be controlled to prevent inadvertent decelerations of the vehicle. A driver/operator can optionally override the torque control and the history of override requests can optionally be used to adjust overrides of the system. A plurality of torque control approach sub-methods can be made available with the appropriate sub-mode being selected depending, for example, upon the extent of the available information.
-
Citations
39 Claims
-
1. A computer implemented method of establishing the maximum allowable engine torque for a vehicle comprising:
-
determining the mass of the vehicle; determining the slope of the upcoming road on which the vehicle is to travel; calculating a maximum allowable engine torque for the engine of the vehicle using longitudinal dynamics equations for the vehicle and based at least in part upon the mass of the vehicle and the slope of the road on which the vehicle is to travel; and selectively limiting the maximum torque of the vehicle engine to the calculated maximum allowable torque under engine operating conditions wherein the engine is not under the control of a vehicle cruise control system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A method of establishing the maximum allowable engine torque for a vehicle comprising selecting from and applying at least one torque limiting sub-method from a plurality of available torque limiting sub-methods, the available torque limiting sub-methods comprising at least all of the sub-methods A, B, and C below:
-
A. establishing the maximum allowable engine torque to be equal to the torque under a Max Torque Curve for the vehicle at the maximum gross vehicle weight rated load for the vehicle; B. determining the instantaneous slope of the road on which the vehicle is to travel;
calculating a maximum allowable engine torque for the engine of the vehicle based at least in part upon the mass of the vehicle and the instantaneous slope of the road on which the vehicle is to travel;
selectively limiting the maximum torque of the vehicle engine to the calculated maximum allowable engine torque if the engine is not being controlled by a vehicle cruise control system; andC. predictively determining the slope of the road for a plurality of upcoming road segments where the vehicle is to travel and in the expected direction of travel by the vehicle;
calculating a maximum allowable engine torque for the engine of the vehicle based at least in part upon the mass of the vehicle and the slope of the upcoming road segments on which the vehicle is to travel;
selectively limiting the maximum torque of the vehicle engine to the calculated maximum allowable engine torque if the engine is not being controlled by a vehicle cruise control system. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
-
-
24. A computer implemented method of establishing the maximum allowable engine torque for a vehicle comprising:
-
storing data corresponding to a set of plural different maximum engine torque curves for a plurality of masses of the vehicle, each maximum torque curve being a torque curve associated with a respective one of the plurality of masses of the vehicle; determining the mass of the vehicle; selecting a maximum engine torque curve in response to the determined mass of the vehicle; and selectively limiting the maximum torque of the vehicle engine to the selected maximum engine torque curve under engine operating conditions only when the engine is not under the control of a vehicle cruise control system. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
-
-
34. An apparatus for establishing the maximum allowable engine torque for a vehicle comprising:
-
a processor programmed with computer executable instructions and responsive to a first signal corresponding to the mass of the vehicle, a second signal corresponding to the slope of the upcoming road on which the vehicle is to travel, to external parameter signals corresponding to parameters external to the vehicle and to internal parameter signals corresponding to parameter conditions internal to the operation of the vehicle, and operable in response to said first, second, external parameter and internal parameter signals to calculate a maximum allowable engine torque for the engine of the vehicle using longitudinal dynamics equations for the vehicle and based at least in part upon the mass of the vehicle and the slope of the road on which the vehicle is to travel; and the processor being operable to produce an output that controls the fueling of the engine to selectively limit the maximum torque of the vehicle engine to the calculated maximum allowable torque under engine operating conditions wherein the engine is not under the control of a vehicle cruise control system. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38)
-
-
39. An apparatus for establishing the maximum allowable engine torque for a vehicle comprising:
-
means for determining the mass of the vehicle; means for determining the slope of the upcoming road on which the vehicle is to travel; means for calculating a maximum allowable engine torque for the engine of the vehicle using longitudinal dynamics equations for the vehicle and based at least in part upon the determined mass of the vehicle and the slope of the road on which the vehicle is to travel; and means for selectively limiting the maximum torque of the vehicle engine to the calculated maximum allowable torque under engine operating conditions wherein the engine is not under the control of a vehicle cruise control system.
-
Specification