System, method, and apparatus for optimizing acceleration in a vehicle
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus for optimizing a vehicle'"'"'s performance, the apparatus comprising:
- a non-transitory data storage device; and
a processor operatively coupled to the non-transitory data storage device, and configured to;
determine an input control value reflecting a vehicle'"'"'s input control mechanism'"'"'s position, wherein said input control value is stored to said non-transitory data storage device;
determine and store a candidate damping value;
adjust the input control value in accordance with the candidate damping value to yield an adjusted input control value;
determine an output signal reflecting said adjusted input control value;
communicate said output signal to an output receiving unit; and
detect whether the vehicle operator'"'"'s handling of the vehicle'"'"'s input control mechanism has changed in response to communication of the output signal to the output receiving unit, wherein a change in the vehicle operator'"'"'s behavior is detected based at least in part on an unexpected change in the input control mechanism'"'"'s position over a predetermined time period,wherein, if a change in the vehicle operator'"'"'s behavior is detected, the processor incrementally adjusts the output signal in accordance with a corresponding decreased candidate damping value until the change in the vehicle operator'"'"'s behavior is mitigated, andwherein the processor is configured to;
determine and store an increased candidate damping value if no change in the vehicle operator'"'"'s behavior is detected,adjust the adjusted input control value in accordance with the increased candidate damping value to yield a second adjusted input control value, andcommunicate a second output signal reflecting said second adjusted input control value to the output receiving unit.
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Abstract
An input control system, method, and apparatus for adjusting an input control value of a motor or engine by damping the acceleration curve. In certain aspects, the damping may gradually increase until the input control optimization system detects a change in the behavior of the vehicle operator, for example, in the form of a conscious or unconscious increase in aggressive use of the accelerator pedal. When such behavior is detected, the input control optimization system reverses the damping and begins to restore gradually the original acceleration curve until aggressive pedal use by the operator is no longer detected.
20 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus for optimizing a vehicle'"'"'s performance, the apparatus comprising:
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a non-transitory data storage device; and a processor operatively coupled to the non-transitory data storage device, and configured to; determine an input control value reflecting a vehicle'"'"'s input control mechanism'"'"'s position, wherein said input control value is stored to said non-transitory data storage device; determine and store a candidate damping value; adjust the input control value in accordance with the candidate damping value to yield an adjusted input control value; determine an output signal reflecting said adjusted input control value; communicate said output signal to an output receiving unit; and detect whether the vehicle operator'"'"'s handling of the vehicle'"'"'s input control mechanism has changed in response to communication of the output signal to the output receiving unit, wherein a change in the vehicle operator'"'"'s behavior is detected based at least in part on an unexpected change in the input control mechanism'"'"'s position over a predetermined time period, wherein, if a change in the vehicle operator'"'"'s behavior is detected, the processor incrementally adjusts the output signal in accordance with a corresponding decreased candidate damping value until the change in the vehicle operator'"'"'s behavior is mitigated, and wherein the processor is configured to; determine and store an increased candidate damping value if no change in the vehicle operator'"'"'s behavior is detected, adjust the adjusted input control value in accordance with the increased candidate damping value to yield a second adjusted input control value, and communicate a second output signal reflecting said second adjusted input control value to the output receiving unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method of controlling a vehicle, the method comprising:
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determining an input control value reflecting a position of an input control mechanism of the vehicle; determining a candidate damping value; adjusting the input control value in accordance with the candidate damping value to yield an adjusted input control value; determining an output signal reflecting said adjusted input control value; communicating said output signal to an output receiving unit; detecting whether a vehicle operator'"'"'s handling of the vehicle'"'"'s input control mechanism has changed in response to adjusting the input control value; if a change in the vehicle operator'"'"'s behavior is detected, incrementally adjusting the output signal in accordance with a corresponding decreased candidate damping value until the change in the vehicle operator'"'"'s behavior is mitigated; and if no change in the vehicle operator'"'"'s behavior is detected; determining a subsequent candidate damping value, and adjusting the adjusted input control value in accordance with the subsequent candidate damping value to yield a second adjusted input control value, and communicating a second output signal reflecting said second adjusted input control value to the output receiving unit. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An input control optimization system for controlling a vehicle, the input control optimization system comprising:
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a non-transitory data storage device; and a processor coupled to the non-transitory data storage device, the processor configured to; determine a candidate damping value; adjust an input control value in accordance with the candidate damping value to yield an adjusted input control value, wherein said input control value reflects a position of the vehicle'"'"'s input control mechanism; communicate said adjusted input control value to an output receiving unit; detect whether a vehicle operator'"'"'s handling of the vehicle'"'"'s input control mechanism has changed in response to communication of the adjusted input control value to the output receiving unit; responsive to detecting a change in the vehicle operator'"'"'s behavior, incrementally adjusting the input control value in accordance with a corresponding decreased candidate damping value until the change in the vehicle operator'"'"'s behavior is mitigated; and responsive to detecting no change in the vehicle operator'"'"'s behavior; determining a subsequent candidate damping value, adjusting the adjusted input control value in accordance with the subsequent candidate damping value to yield a second adjusted input control value, and communicate said second adjusted input control value to the output receiving unit. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification