Vehicle cornering modes

• US 9,463,804 B2
• Filed: 11/11/2014
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Szwabowski, Steven Joseph, Starr, David, Tseng, Fling, Prakah-Asante, Kwaku O., Lu, Jianbo
• Primary Examiner(s): Trivedi, Atul
• Application Number:
  US14/537,923
• Publication Number:
  US 20160129912A1
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0095 Automatic control mode change
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/30 Driving style
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/30 Road curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18145 Cornering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/06 Road conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/072 Curvature of the road
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions

Abstract

A curve length, a curve size, and a curve heading angle change of a roadway being traveled by a vehicle are determined. Each of the curve length, the curve size, and the curve heading angle are compared with one or more threshold values to obtain a driving mode request.

Claims

1. A system, comprising a computing device that includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:

determine a curve length, a curve size, and a curve heading angle change of a roadway being traveled by a vehicle;

compare each of the curve length, the curve size, and the curve heading angle with one or more threshold values to obtain a driving mode request; and

implement the requested driving mode to determine characteristics of operation of components of the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further include instructions to use driver data relating to a characteristic of a vehicle driver to obtain the driving mode request.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further include instructions to use data relating to a type of road to obtain the driving mode request.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the thresholds are determined according to classification data including classifications of a plurality of curve characteristics that include curve length, curve size, and curve heading angle change.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further include instructions to determine that a vehicle speed exceeds a first predetermined threshold before obtaining the driving mode request.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further include instructions to determine that a vehicle is cornering before obtaining the driving mode request.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further include instructions to determine a cornering value that provides an indication of a percentage of a predetermined distance for which a vehicle has been cornering.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the instructions further include instructions to decrement a driving mode to obtain the driving mode request if the cornering value fails to exceed a second predetermined threshold.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the instructions further include instructions to increment a driving mode to obtain the driving mode request if the cornering value exceeds a second predetermined threshold.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the instructions further include instructions to determine a cornering transition value that identifies a predetermined number of cornering events for the predetermined distance;

further wherein the driving mode is incremented only if the cornering transitions value exceeds a third predetermined threshold.

11. A method, implemented in a computing device, the method comprising:

determining a curve length, a curve size, and a curve heading angle change of a roadway being traveled by a vehicle;

comparing each of the curve length, the curve size, and the curve heading angle with one or more threshold values to obtain a driving mode request; and

implement the requested driving mode to determine characteristics of operation of components of the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising using driver data relating to a characteristic of a vehicle driver to obtain the driving mode request.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising using data relating to a type of road to obtain the driving mode request.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the thresholds are determined according to classification data including classifications of a plurality of curve characteristics that include curve length, curve size, and curve heading angle change.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining that a vehicle speed exceeds a first predetermined threshold before obtaining the driving mode request.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining that a vehicle is cornering before obtaining the driving mode request.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining a cornering value that provides an indication of a percentage of a predetermined distance for which a vehicle has been cornering.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising decrementing a driving mode to obtain the driving mode request if the cornering value fails to exceed a second predetermined threshold.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising incrementing a driving mode to obtain the driving mode request if the cornering value exceeds a second predetermined threshold.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising determining a cornering transition value that identifies a predetermined number of cornering events for the predetermined distance;

further wherein the driving mode is incremented only if the cornering transitions value exceeds a third predetermined threshold.