System and method for controlling vehicle speed
First Claim
1. A speed control system for a vehicle, comprising:
- an electronic control unit (ECU), the ECU configured to;
detect an occurrence of at least one of a slip event and a step encounter event at a leading wheel of the vehicle;
predict that the occurrence of said detected at least one of a slip event and a step encounter event will occur at a following wheel of the vehicle; and
output a signal to automatically control at least one of vehicle speed and vehicle acceleration in response to one or both of said detecting and said predicting, the ECU being configured to output a signal to control a powertrain subsystem to adjust an amount of torque applied to each of the leading wheel and the following wheel based upon said detecting an occurrence of at least one of a slip event and a step encounter event at the leading wheel of the vehicle, and wherein the ECU is configured to output a signal to reduce the amount of torque applied to the following wheel approximately when the predicted occurrence of said at least one of a slip event and a step encounter event will occur at the following wheel, and wherein the ECU is configured to output a signal to temporarily reduce the amount of torque applied to the leading wheel in response to said detecting an occurrence of at least one of a slip event and a step encounter event at the leading wheel, and wherein the reduction of the amount of torque applied to the following wheel is approximately equal to the reduction of the amount of torque applied to the leading wheel when said at least one of a slip event and a step encounter event was detected at the leading wheel.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for operating a speed control system of a vehicle is provided. The method comprises detecting an occurrence of a slip event, of a step encounter event, or of both events at a leading wheel of the vehicle. The method also comprises predicting that the occurrence of the detected event(s) will occur at a following wheel of the vehicle. The method yet further comprises automatically controlling vehicle speed, vehicle acceleration, or both vehicle speed and acceleration in response to the detection, the prediction, or both the detection and prediction. A speed control system comprising an electronic control unit (ECU) configured to perform the above-described methodology is also provided.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A speed control system for a vehicle, comprising:
an electronic control unit (ECU), the ECU configured to; detect an occurrence of at least one of a slip event and a step encounter event at a leading wheel of the vehicle; predict that the occurrence of said detected at least one of a slip event and a step encounter event will occur at a following wheel of the vehicle; and output a signal to automatically control at least one of vehicle speed and vehicle acceleration in response to one or both of said detecting and said predicting, the ECU being configured to output a signal to control a powertrain subsystem to adjust an amount of torque applied to each of the leading wheel and the following wheel based upon said detecting an occurrence of at least one of a slip event and a step encounter event at the leading wheel of the vehicle, and wherein the ECU is configured to output a signal to reduce the amount of torque applied to the following wheel approximately when the predicted occurrence of said at least one of a slip event and a step encounter event will occur at the following wheel, and wherein the ECU is configured to output a signal to temporarily reduce the amount of torque applied to the leading wheel in response to said detecting an occurrence of at least one of a slip event and a step encounter event at the leading wheel, and wherein the reduction of the amount of torque applied to the following wheel is approximately equal to the reduction of the amount of torque applied to the leading wheel when said at least one of a slip event and a step encounter event was detected at the leading wheel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A speed control system for a vehicle, comprising:
an electronic control unit (ECU), the ECU configured to; detect an occurrence of at least one of a slip event and a step encounter event at a leading wheel of the vehicle; predict that the occurrence of said detected at least one of a slip event and a step encounter event will occur at a following wheel of the vehicle; and output a signal to automatically control at least one of vehicle speed and vehicle acceleration in response to one or both of said detecting and said predicting, the ECU being configured to output a signal to control a powertrain subsystem to adjust an amount of torque applied to each of the leading wheel and the following wheel based upon said detecting an occurrence of at least one of a slip event and a step encounter event at the leading wheel of the vehicle, and wherein the ECU is configured to output a signal to both reduce the amount of torque applied to the following wheel approximately when the predicted occurrence of said at least one of a slip event and a step encounter event will occur at the following wheel and increase the amount of torque applied to the leading wheel approximately when the predicted occurrence of said at least one of a slip event and a step encounter event will occur at the following wheel, and wherein the reduction of the amount of torque applied to the following wheel is approximately equal to the increase in the amount of torque applied to the leading wheel.
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17. A method of operating a speed control system of a vehicle having an electronic control unit (ECU), comprising:
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detecting by the ECU an occurrence of at least one of a slip event and a step encounter event at a leading wheel of the vehicle; predicting by the ECU that the occurrence of said detected at least one of a slip event and a step encounter event will occur at a following wheel of the vehicle; and automatically controlling by the ECU at least one of vehicle speed and vehicle acceleration in response to one or both of said detecting and said predicting, the ECU being configured to output a signal to control a powertrain subsystem to adjust an amount of torque applied to each of the leading wheel and the following wheel based upon said detecting by the ECU an occurrence of at least one of a slip event and a step encounter event at the leading wheel of the vehicle, and wherein the ECU is configured to output a signal to reduce the amount of torque applied to the following wheel approximately when the predicted occurrence of said at least one of a slip event and a step encounter event will occur at the following wheel, and wherein the ECU is configured to output a signal to temporarily reduce the amount of torque applied to the leading wheel in response to said detecting by the ECU an occurrence of at least one of a slip event and a step encounter event at the leading wheel, and wherein the reduction of the amount of torque applied to the following wheel is approximately equal to the reduction of the amount of torque applied to the leading wheel when said at least one of a slip event and a step encounter event was detected at the leading wheel. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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Specification