Vehicle control system and method

• US 9,884,626 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2013
• Issued: 02/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Original Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Inventors: Kelly, James, Fairgrieve, Andrew, Hemes, Elliot, Dennehy, Dan, Anker, Sam
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): PECHE, JORGE O
• Application Number:
  US14/425,030
• Publication Number:
  US 20150298697A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,614 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/015 the regulating means comprising electric or electronic elements B60G17/002, B60G17/005 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0165 to an external condition, e.g. rough road surface, side wind
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0195 characterised by the regulation being combined with other vehicle control systems conjoint control of vehicle sub-units including control of suspension systems B60W10/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/12 for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger limiting speed of vehicles other than rail vehicles B60K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/11 Stepped gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/22 including control of suspension systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0074 Driver shifts control to the controller, e.g. by pressing a button
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0082 for initialising the control system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0095 Automatic control mode change
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/101 Transmission neutral state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/06 Ignition switch
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/16 Ratio selector position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/165 Rate of change
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/30 Wheel torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/02 Control of vehicle driving stability
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/14 : Adaptive cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18 : Propelling the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/182 : Selecting between different operative modes, e.g. comfort and performance modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/08 : Interaction between the driver and the control system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 : Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/087 : where the control system corrects or modifies a request from the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/12 : Limiting control by the driver depending on vehicle state, e.g. interlocking means for the control input for preventing unsafe operation
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 : Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/02 : Steering position indicators ; Steering position determination; Steering aids
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/00 : Arrangements for automatically controlling steering depending on driving conditions sensed and responded to, e.g. control circuits means for initiating a change in direction B62D1/00; steering valves B62D5/06; combined with means for inclining the vehicle body or wheels on bends B62D9/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/02 : peculiar to engines driving vehicles; peculiar to engines driving variable pitch propellers
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/66 : Road conditions, e.g. slope, slippery

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a control system for a motor vehicle, the system being operable in an automatic mode selection condition in which the system is configured to select automatically an appropriate system operating mode and to assume operation in said system operating mode, wherein when operating in the automatic mode selection condition the system is configured to prevent selection of a prescribed one or more operating modes if it is determined that the vehicle is towing a load.

Claims

1. A control system for a motor vehicle, the system being operable in an automatic mode selection condition in which the system is configured to select automatically an appropriate one of a plurality of operating modes and to assume operation in the selected operating mode, wherein the operating modes are a plurality of subsystem control modes of at least one subsystem of a vehicle, the system comprising a subsystem controller for initiating control of the at least one vehicle subsystem in the selected one of the plurality of subsystem control modes, each of which plurality of subsystem control modes corresponds to one or more different terrain types for the vehicle, the system comprises a processor to evaluate one or more terrain condition indicators to determine the extent to which each of the subsystem control modes is appropriate for the terrain over which the vehicle is travelling and wherein when operating in the automatic mode selection condition the system is configured automatically to control the subsystem controller to initiate control of the at least one subsystem in the subsystem control mode which is determined to be most appropriate based on the terrain condition indicators;

and

wherein when operating in the automatic mode selection condition the system is configured to prevent automatic selection of a prescribed one or more of the operating modes if it is determined that the vehicle is towing a load.

2. A control system according to claim 1 wherein the system is operable in a manual operating condition in which a user is able to select said operating mode, wherein the system is configured to be switched between said manual and automatic operating conditions by means of a user-operable input device.

3. A control system according to claim 2 wherein if the system is operating in the automatic selection condition the system is configured to notify the user when operation in one or more control modes has been suspended or denied due to a determination that the vehicle is towing.

4. A control system according to claim 3 configured wherein if the system is operating in the automatic selection condition and it is determined that the vehicle is towing, the system is configured automatically to assume the manual selection condition.

5. A control system according to claim 1 wherein the system is configured to determine whether or not the vehicle is towing a load according to an input signal indicating whether the vehicle is towing.

6. A control system according to claim 1 wherein the system is arranged to determine that the vehicle is towing at least in part in dependence on detection of an electrical connection between a trailer and the vehicle.

7. A control system according to claim 1 configured to determine whether the vehicle is towing at least in part by monitoring one or more vehicle parameters and determining whether a value of one or more parameters and/or a variation in a value of one or more parameters over time is indicative of towing.

8. A control system according to claim 7 configured to determine whether the vehicle is towing at least in part by monitoring an amount of drag and/or rolling resistance to which the vehicle is subject and to determine that a vehicle is towing in dependence on a change in the drag and/or rolling resistance.

9. A control system according to claim 8 configured to determine that a vehicle is towing in dependence on a change in drag and/or rolling resistance to which the vehicle is subject between stopping and subsequently restarting motion of a vehicle over a surface.

10. A control system according to claim 1 configured to monitor data in respect of seat occupancy and/or door opening history in order to determine whether the vehicle is towing.

11. A system according to claim 10 configured to correlate seat occupancy and/or door opening history with a change in drag and/or rolling resistance thereby to determine whether a change in drag and/or rolling resistance is associated with loading or unloading of a vehicle or towing of a load.

12. A system according to claim 1 configured to determine whether the vehicle is towing at least in part by detection of a wireless signal received from the towed object.

13. A system according to claim 12 wherein the wireless signal is a signal transmitted from the vehicle and reflected by the towed object and/or wherein the system is configured to monitor a variation in a distance of an object from one or more sensors thereby to determine whether the object is a towed object.

14. A control system according to claim 1 wherein the operating modes are control modes of at least one vehicle subsystem selected from amongst an engine management system, a transmission system, a steering system, a brakes system and a suspension system.

15. A control system according to claim 1 wherein in each system operating mode the system is configured to cause each one of a plurality of vehicle subsystems to be operated in a subsystem configuration mode appropriate to the terrain type, and wherein the operating modes include control modes of one or more of:

a suspension system and the plurality of subsystem configuration modes comprise a plurality of ride heights;

a fluid suspension system in which fluid interconnection can be made between suspensions for wheels on opposite sides of the vehicle, and wherein said plurality of subsystem configuration modes provide different levels of said interconnection;

a steering system which can provide steering assistance, and wherein said plurality of subsystem configuration modes provide different levels of said steering assistance;

a brakes system which can provide braking assistance, and said plurality of subsystem configuration modes provide different levels of said braking assistance;

a brake control system which can provide an anti-lock function to control wheel slip, and said plurality of subsystem configuration modes allow different levels of said wheel slip;

a traction control system which is arranged to control wheel spin, and said plurality of subsystem configuration modes allow different levels of said wheel spin;

a yaw control system which is arranged to control vehicle yaw, and said plurality of subsystem configuration modes allow different levels of divergence of said vehicle yaw from an expected yaw;

a range change transmission and said subsystem configuration modes may include a high range mode and a low range mode of said transmission;

a powertrain system which includes a powertrain controller and an accelerator or throttle pedal, the subsystem configuration modes providing different levels of responsiveness of the powertrain controller to movement of the accelerator or throttle pedal;

a transmission system operable in a plurality of transmission ratios and including a transmission control arranged to monitor at least one parameter of the vehicle and to select the transmission ratios in response, and wherein the subsystem configuration modes include a plurality of transmission configuration modes in which the transmission ratios are selected differently in response to said at least one parameter.

16. A control system according to claim 1 wherein the prescribed one or more operating modes include a high drag mode in which the subsystems are controlled to allow only relatively low levels of wheel spin when the vehicle is traveling at low speeds but to allow relatively high levels of wheel spin when the vehicle is traveling at higher speeds.

17. A control system according to claim 1 wherein the prescribed one or more operating modes include a high drag mode in which the powertrain control system is arranged to provide relatively low levels of drive torque for a given throttle pedal position at low vehicle speeds and to provide relatively high levels of drive torque for a given throttle pedal position at higher vehicle speeds.

18. A method of controlling a vehicle implemented by means of a control system comprising:

causing the system to operate in an automatic mode selection condition in which the system is configured to select automatically an appropriate one of a plurality of operating modes and to assume operation in the selected operating mode, wherein the operating modes are a plurality of subsystem control modes of at least one subsystem of a vehicle, the method comprising;

initiating control of the at least one vehicle subsystem in the selected one of the plurality of subsystem control modes, each of which plurality of subsystem control modes corresponds to one or more different terrain types for the vehicle;

evaluating one or more terrain condition indicators to determine the extent to which each of the subsystem control modes is appropriate for the terrain over which the vehicle is travelling;

when operating in the automatic mode selection condition, automatically controlling the subsystem controller to initiate control of the at least one subsystem in the subsystem control mode which is determined to be most appropriate based on the terrain condition indicators; and

preventing automatic selection of a prescribed one or more of the operating modes if it is determined that the vehicle is towing a load.

19. A non-transitory carrier medium carrying computer readable code for controlling a vehicle to carry out a method, comprising:

causing the system to operate in an automatic mode selection condition in which the system is configured to select automatically an appropriate one of a plurality of operating modes and to assume operation in the selected operating mode, wherein the operating modes are a plurality of subsystem control modes of at least one subsystem of a vehicle, the method comprising;

initiating control of the at least one vehicle subsystem in the selected one of the plurality of subsystem control modes, each of which plurality of subsystem control modes corresponds to one or more different terrain types for the vehicle;

evaluating one or more terrain condition indicators to determine the extent to which each of the subsystem control modes is appropriate for the terrain over which the vehicle is travelling;

when operating in the automatic mode selection condition, automatically controlling the subsystem controller to initiate control of the at least one subsystem in the subsystem control mode which is determined to be most appropriate based on the terrain condition indicators; and

preventing automatic selection of a prescribed one or more of the operating modes if it is determined that the vehicle is towing a load.

20. A vehicle, comprising:

a control system, the system being operable in an automatic mode selection condition in which the system is configured to select automatically an appropriate one of a plurality of operating modes and to assume operation in the selected operating mode, wherein the operating modes are a plurality of subsystem control modes of at least one subsystem of the vehicle, the system comprising a subsystem controller for initiating control of the at least one vehicle subsystem in the selected one of the plurality of subsystem control modes, each of which plurality of subsystem control modes corresponds to one or more different terrain types for the vehicle, the system comprises a processor to evaluate one or more terrain condition indicators to determine the extent to which each of the subsystem control modes is appropriate for the terrain over which the vehicle is travelling and wherein when operating in the automatic mode selection condition the system is configured automatically to control the subsystem controller to initiate control of the at least one subsystem in the subsystem control mode which is determined to be most appropriate based on the terrain condition indicators;

wherein when operating in the automatic mode selection condition the system is configured to prevent automatic selection of a prescribed one or more of the operating modes if it is determined that the vehicle is towing a load.