Vehicle speed limiter via gauge interface

• US 9,286,264 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arctic Cat Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Original Assignee: Arctic Cat Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Inventors: Johnson, Daniel, Janisch, Darrel
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Calvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHNEIDER, PAULA LYNN
• Application Number:
  US13/829,039
• Publication Number:
  US 20130289797A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/2, 701/93, 701/96, 701/99
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2031/0091 Speed limiters or speed cutters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0005 Processor details or data handling, e.g. memory registers or chip architecture
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/146 Speed limiting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00

Abstract

An electronic control unit (“ECU”) limiter is disclosed. The electronic control unit may be configured to receive a user-specified vehicle limit, such as a speed limit, from an input device, such as a gauge interface of the vehicle or a diagnostic tool. The electronic control unit is further configured to enforce the received vehicle limit, without a need to reprogram (e.g., erase and rewrite) vehicle engine control data stored by the electronic control unit, such as lookup tables or maps that are used to determine the operational parameters (e.g., ignition timing, throttle) based on sensor inputs (e.g., engine revolutions per minute, engine temperature).

Claims

1. A control unit for a vehicle, comprising:

an electronic control unit containing;

a first memory that is reprogrammable and that stores engine control data including lookup tables that are used to determine operational parameters;

a second memory that is distinct from the first memory and that stores an indication of a maximum speed; and

a limiter module configured to limit operation of the vehicle without reprogramming the first memory, by;

receiving the indication of the maximum speed;

determining, based on the maximum speed and the engine control data stored in the first memory, one or more operational parameters; and

limiting operation of the vehicle based on the determined operational parameters,

wherein receiving the indication of the vehicle limit includes;

receiving a user-specified indication of a maximum speed for the vehicle;

wherein the vehicle includes a controller area network coupled to a gauge interface, and wherein receiving the user-specified indication of a maximum speed for the vehicle includes;

receiving, via the controller area network, the indication from the gauge interface of the vehicle.

2. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the limiter module limits operation of the vehicle without reprogramming the first memory by:

storing the indication of the maximum speed in the second memory, while leaving unmodified the contents of the first memory.

3. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the first memory is an erasable programmable read only memory, and wherein the limiter module limits operation of the vehicle without reprogramming the first memory by:

limiting operation of the vehicle without erasing or replacing the erasable programmable read only memory.

4. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the first memory is an erasable programmable read only memory, and wherein the second memory is an electrically erasable programmable read only memory.

5. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the first memory is modifiable at a page level, and wherein the second memory is modifiable at a word level.

6. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the gauge interface includes a display and one or more keys.

7. The control unit of claim 1, wherein receiving the indication of the maximum speed includes:

receiving the indication of the maximum speed from a controller area network of the vehicle, the controller area network communicatively coupled to the electronic control unit.

8. The control unit of claim 1, wherein determining, based on the maximum speed and the engine control data stored in the first memory, one or more operational parameters includes:

accessing a lookup table of the engine control data to determine a maximum speed parameter; and

modifying the maximum speed parameter when it exceeds the received indication of the maximum speed.

9. The control unit of claim 1, configured to determine whether a user is authorized to set a vehicle limit by:

receiving an access code; and

determining the operational parameters only when the received access code matches a previously specified access code stored by the electronic control unit.

10. A method in an electronic control unit of a vehicle, the electronic control unit including a first memory that is reprogrammable and that stores engine control data including lookup tables that are used to determine operational parameters, the method comprising:

limiting, by the electronic control unit, operation of the vehicle without reprogramming the first memory, by;

receiving an indication of a vehicle limit;

storing the indication of the vehicle limit in a second memory that is an electrically erasable programmable read only memory;

determining, based on the indication of the vehicle limit stored in the second memory and the engine control data stored in the first memory, one or more operational parameters; and

limiting operation of the vehicle based on the determined operational parameters,

wherein receiving the indication of the vehicle limit includes;

receiving a user-specified indication of a maximum speed for the vehicle;

wherein the vehicle includes a controller area network coupled to a gauge interface, and wherein receiving the user-specified indication of a maximum speed for the vehicle includes;

receiving, via the controller area network, the indication from the gauge interface of the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining, based on the indication of the vehicle limit and the engine control data stored in the first memory, one or more operational parameters includes:

accessing a lookup table of the engine control data to determine a maximum speed parameter;

when the maximum speed parameter is greater than the indicated maximum speed, outputting the indicated maximum speed, otherwise outputting the maximum speed parameter.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the electrically erasable programmable read only memory is part of the electronic control unit, and wherein limiting operation of the vehicle includes:

performing a byte- or word-level storage operation of the electrically erasable programmable read only memory to record the indication of the vehicle limit in the electrically erasable programmable read only memory.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein limiting operation of the vehicle includes:

storing the indication of the vehicle limit in a flash memory that supports page-level storage operations.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one of the operational parameters includes a safety indication.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the safety indication relates to the identity of the driver.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the safety indication relates to whether one or more seat belts are secured.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions that are configured, when executed by a processor of an electronic control unit of a vehicle, to cause the electronic control unit to perform a method comprising;

limiting operation of the vehicle without reprogramming the electronic control unit, wherein the electronic control unit includes;

a first memory that is reprogrammable and that stores engine control data;

a second memory that is distinct from the first memory and that stores an indication of a maximum speed,

wherein limiting operation of the vehicle includes;

receiving an indication of a vehicle limit;

determining, based on the indication of the vehicle limit and an engine control lookup table stored in a first memory of the electronic control unit, one or more operational parameters; and

limiting operation of the vehicle based on the determined operational parameters,

wherein receiving the indication of the vehicle limit includes;

receiving a user-specified indication of a maximum speed for the vehicle;

wherein the vehicle includes a controller area network coupled to a gauge interface, and wherein receiving the user-specified indication of a maximum speed for the vehicle includes;

receiving, via the controller area network, the indication from the gauge interface of the vehicle.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein limiting operation of the vehicle without reprogramming the electronic control unit includes:

storing the received indication of the vehicle limit without modifying the engine control lookup table;

receiving, via the gauge interface of the vehicle, a user-specified indication of a maximum engine revolutions per minute; and

ensuring that the engine of the vehicle does not exceed the maximum engine revolutions per minute.

19. An electronic control unit system for a vehicle, comprising:

a first memory that is reprogrammable and that stores engine control data including lookup tables that are used to determine operational parameters;

a second memory that is distinct from the first memory and that stores an indication of a maximum speed;

a vehicle monitoring component configured to monitor at least one vehicle parameter of the vehicle; and

a limiter operably coupled to the vehicle monitoring component and configured to place limits, without reprogramming the first memory, on operation of the vehicle when the vehicle monitoring component detects at least one parameter beyond a predetermined threshold, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to receive an instruction to apply a limit,

wherein the vehicle includes a controller area network coupled to a gauge interface, and wherein the electronic control unit receives a user-specified indication of a maximum speed for the vehicle by receiving, via the controller area network, the indication from the gauge interface of the vehicle.

20. The electronic control unit of claim 19, wherein the threshold is a safety threshold, and the limiter applies a limit to vehicle performance once the threshold is met.

21. The electronic control unit of claim 20, wherein the threshold is a driver identity, the limiter applies a limit to the vehicle performance if the driver is identified with a preselected profile.

22. The electronic control unit of claim 20, wherein the threshold is a seat belt securement switch, the vehicle being limited in performance if the belt is not secured.