Vehicle controller for changing the number of driven wheels
First Claim
1. A motor vehicle having:
- a prime mover means;
at least first and second groups of one or more wheels; and
a driveline operable to connect the prime mover means to the first and second groups of one or more wheels such that the first group and not the second group of one or more wheels is driven by the prime mover means when the driveline is in a first mode of operation and the first and second groups are driven by the prime mover means when the driveline is in a second mode of operation,the driveline including an auxiliary portion comprising releasable torque transmitting means by means of which the driveline is operable under control of a controller to connect the second group of one or more wheels to the prime mover means when the driveline transitions from the first mode to the second mode,wherein when in the first mode the driveline is operable to transition to the second mode under the control of the controller, the controller being actuable to cause a transition of the driveline from the first mode to the second mode responsive to an output of a reactive evaluator indicative of a current need to assume the second mode,the controller being further actuable to cause a transition from the first mode to the second mode responsive to an output of a predictive evaluator indicative of a likely need to assume the second mode within a prescribed period of time,the output of the reactive evaluator being responsive to a determination whether an amount of wheel slip has exceeded a first prescribed threshold,the output of the predictive evaluator being responsive to a determination whether one or more conditions in respect of one or more vehicle operating parameters are met when the amount of wheel slip is below the first prescribed threshold,the controller being further actuable to cause a transition of the driveline from the first mode to the second mode at a rate responsive to at least one of the outputs of said reactive evaluator and said predictive evaluator, andwherein when the predictive evaluator determines that the second mode should be assumed, the predictive evaluator is arranged to provide the output indicative of the rate at which the transition from the first mode to the second mode should be made.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A motor vehicle having: a prime mover; first and second groups of one or more wheels; and a driveline to connect the prime mover to the first and second groups of wheels such that the first group of one or more wheels is driven by the prime mover when the driveline is in a first mode of operation and the second group of one or more wheels is additionally driven by the prime mover when the driveline is in a second mode of operation, the driveline including an auxiliary driveline comprising releasable torque transmitting means operable to connect the second group of one or more wheels to the prime mover when the driveline transitions between the first mode and the second mode, wherein when in the first mode the driveline is operable to transition to the second mode responsive to an output of a reactive evaluator and a predictive evaluator.
19 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A motor vehicle having:
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a prime mover means; at least first and second groups of one or more wheels; and a driveline operable to connect the prime mover means to the first and second groups of one or more wheels such that the first group and not the second group of one or more wheels is driven by the prime mover means when the driveline is in a first mode of operation and the first and second groups are driven by the prime mover means when the driveline is in a second mode of operation, the driveline including an auxiliary portion comprising releasable torque transmitting means by means of which the driveline is operable under control of a controller to connect the second group of one or more wheels to the prime mover means when the driveline transitions from the first mode to the second mode, wherein when in the first mode the driveline is operable to transition to the second mode under the control of the controller, the controller being actuable to cause a transition of the driveline from the first mode to the second mode responsive to an output of a reactive evaluator indicative of a current need to assume the second mode, the controller being further actuable to cause a transition from the first mode to the second mode responsive to an output of a predictive evaluator indicative of a likely need to assume the second mode within a prescribed period of time, the output of the reactive evaluator being responsive to a determination whether an amount of wheel slip has exceeded a first prescribed threshold, the output of the predictive evaluator being responsive to a determination whether one or more conditions in respect of one or more vehicle operating parameters are met when the amount of wheel slip is below the first prescribed threshold, the controller being further actuable to cause a transition of the driveline from the first mode to the second mode at a rate responsive to at least one of the outputs of said reactive evaluator and said predictive evaluator, and wherein when the predictive evaluator determines that the second mode should be assumed, the predictive evaluator is arranged to provide the output indicative of the rate at which the transition from the first mode to the second mode should be made. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method of controlling a motor vehicle having a driveline comprising:
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in a first mode of operation of the driveline, coupling a first group of one or more wheels to a prime mover means by means of the driveline, in a second mode of operation of the driveline, coupling a second group of one or more wheels to the prime mover means is addition to the first group by means of an auxiliary portion of the driveline, when the driveline is in the first mode the method comprising controlling the driveline to transition to the second mode responsive to an output of a reactive evaluator indicative of a current need to assume the second mode and a predictive evaluator indicative of a likely need to assume the second mode, the method comprising determining by means of the reactive evaluator whether an amount of wheel slip has exceeded a first prescribed threshold and controlling the driveline to assume the second mode if the amount of wheel slip has exceeded the first prescribed threshold, and determining by means of the predictive evaluator whether one or more conditions in respect of one or more vehicle operating parameters are met when the amount of wheel slip is below the first prescribed threshold and controlling the driveline to assume the second mode when the one or more conditions are met, the method further comprising controlling the driveline to transition from the first mode to the second mode at a rate responsive to at least one of the outputs of the reactive evaluator and the predictive evaluator, and wherein, when the driveline is controlled to transition to the second mode responsive to the output of the predictive evaluator, controlling said transition to be at the rate responsive to the output of the predictive evaluator. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
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32. A system for a vehicle having a driveline comprising a prime mover, at least a pair of rear wheels, a shaft for connecting the prime mover to the rear wheels and first and second coupling means for selectively connecting the prop shaft to the prime mover and to the rear wheels, respectively, the system comprising control means configured to control operation of the first and second coupling means in one of a first mode of operation, in which the prop shaft is disconnected from both the prime mover and the rear wheels, and a second mode of operation, in which the prime mover is connected to the rear wheels by the prop shaft, the control means being arranged to cause a transition from the first mode of operation to the second mode of operation in response to an output of a reactive evaluator indicative of a current need to assume the second mode and an output of a predictive evaluator indicative of a likely need to assume the second mode;
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wherein the output of the reactive evaluator is dependent upon a determination whether an amount of wheel slip has exceeded a first prescribed threshold; wherein the output of the predictive evaluator is dependent on a determination whether one or more conditions in respect of one or more vehicle operating parameters are met when the amount of wheel slip is below the first prescribed threshold; and wherein the control means is further arranged to cause a transition from the first mode to the second mode at a rate responsive to at least one of the outputs of the reactive evaluator and the predictive evaluator, and wherein, when the driveline is controlled to transition to the second mode responsive to the output of the predictive evaluator, the control means is arranged to control said transition to be at the rate responsive to the output of the predictive evaluator.
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Specification