Method and system of adjusting performance characteristic of vehicle control system

• US 9,132,839 B1
• Filed: 10/28/2014
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan North America Incorporated (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tan, Adrian
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunn, Alex C
• Application Number:
  US14/525,943
• Time in Patent Office: 322 Days
• Field of Search: 701/41
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0085 Setting or resetting initial positions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/00 Details of control systems for road vehicle drive control not related to the control of a particular sub-unit , e.g. process diagnostic or vehicle driver interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0098 Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/06 Improving the dynamic response of the control system, e.g. improving the speed of regulation or avoiding hunting or overshoot
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/00 Steering not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/007 adjustable by the driver, e.g. sport mode

Abstract

A method of customizing a vehicle component control system of a vehicle includes creating a performance characteristic. A stimulus is presented via a stimuli presentation system. An actuation sensor detects actuation of a vehicle component of the vehicle component control system in response to the stimulus. A controller determines the performance characteristic based on the detected actuation. The performance characteristic is stored in a memory device. A vehicle control characteristic of the vehicle component control system is adapted based on the performance characteristic.

Claims

1. A method of customizing a vehicle component control system of a vehicle, comprising the steps of

creating a performance characteristic including

presenting a stimulus via a stimuli presentation system;

detecting with an actuation sensor actuation of a vehicle component of the vehicle component control system in response to the stimulus;

determining with a controller the performance characteristic based on the detected actuation; and

storing the performance characteristic in a memory device; and

adapting a vehicle control characteristic of the vehicle component control system based on the performance characteristic.

2. The method of customizing a vehicle component control system of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the creating a performance characteristic step is performed only when the vehicle is in a non-motive state.

3. The method of customizing a vehicle component control system of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the vehicle component is operatively disconnected from a remainder of the vehicle component control system during the creating the performance characteristic step.

4. The method of customizing a vehicle component control system of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the vehicle component control system is at least one of a steering control system, a braking control system, an acceleration control system, and a transmission control system.

5. The method of customizing a vehicle component control system of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the adapting the vehicle control characteristic step includes adjusting a movability of the vehicle component.

6. The method of customizing a vehicle component control system of a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein

the adjusting the movability step includes adjusting a resistance of the vehicle component.

7. The method of customizing a vehicle component control system of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the adapting the vehicle control characteristic step includes adjusting a response to a signal from the vehicle component.

8. The method of customizing a vehicle component control system of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the stimuli presentation system includes a display configured to present visual stimuli.

9. The method of customizing a vehicle component control system of a vehicle according to claim 8, wherein

the display is disposed on at least one of a center stack, a meter cluster, a window and a mirror.

10. The method of customizing a vehicle component control system of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the stimuli presentation system includes a speaker configured to present audible stimuli.

11. The method of customizing a vehicle component control system of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the stimuli presentation system includes a haptic device configured to present haptic stimuli.

12. The method of customizing a vehicle component control system of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the performance characteristic is a strength characteristic, the determining the performance characteristic step includes determining a speed of actuation after the presenting the stimulus step, and the presenting the stimulus step includes presenting an instruction to actuate the vehicle component as hard as possible.

13. The method of customizing a vehicle component control system of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the performance characteristic is a reaction characteristic, the determining the performance characteristic step includes determining a time to actuation after the presenting the stimulus step, and the presenting the stimulus step includes first presenting a first stimulus including an instruction to actuate the vehicle component as quickly as possible after a second stimulus, and then presenting the second stimulus.

14. The method of customizing a vehicle component control system of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the performance characteristic is a range of motion characteristic, the determining the performance characteristic step includes determining an amount of actuation after the presenting the stimulus step, and presenting the stimulus step includes presenting an instruction to actuate the vehicle component as far as possible.

15. The method of customizing a vehicle component control system of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the performance characteristic is an entropy characteristic, the determining the performance characteristic step includes determining a corresponding actuation after the presenting the stimulus step, and the presenting the stimulus step includes displaying a representation of the vehicle with a plurality of boundary markings and a movement of the representation of the vehicle relative to the boundary markings, with the determining the performance characteristic step including detecting actuation of the vehicle component corresponding to the movement of the representation of the vehicle.

16. The method of customizing a vehicle component control system of a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising

detecting with a contact sensor a contact condition of the vehicle component, and readjusting the vehicle control characteristic of the vehicle component control system based on the performance characteristic and the contact condition.

17. The method of customizing a vehicle component control system of a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising

detecting with a position sensor a position of a vehicle device, and readjusting the vehicle control characteristic of the vehicle component control system based on the performance characteristic and the position of the vehicle device.

18. The method of customizing a vehicle component control system of a vehicle according to claim 17, wherein

the vehicle device is a vehicle seat.

19. The method of customizing a vehicle component control system of a vehicle according to claim 17, wherein

the vehicle device is the vehicle component.

20. The method of customizing a vehicle component control system of a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising

detecting with a road condition sensor a road condition, and readjusting the vehicle control characteristic of the vehicle component control system based on the performance characteristic and the road condition.

21. The method of customizing a vehicle component control system of a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising

presenting with the stimulus presentation system a comparison of the determined performance characteristic to a baseline characteristic, and manually adjusting the performance characteristic by receiving input from an input device.