Vehicle control system

• US 10,099,555 B1
• Filed: 12/29/2017
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Davis Intellectual Properties LLC
• Original Assignee: Davis Intellectual Properties LLC
• Inventors: Davis, Shannon R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancho, Ronnie
• Application Number:
  US15/858,562
• Time in Patent Office: 291 Days
• Field of Search: 701 84
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/11 Instrument graphical user interfaces or menu aspects
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/16 Type of output information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/00 Vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator fittings acting on two or more sub-units B60W30/14; speedometers G01P; systems or devices for controlling speed in general G05D13/00 ; in traffic anti-collision system for road vehicles G08G1/16
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0026 Lookup tables or parameter maps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/28 Racing vehicles, e.g. Formula one cars
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/26 Wheel slip
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/28 Wheel speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/40 Coefficient of friction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/28 Wheel speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18 Propelling the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18172 Preventing, or responsive to skidding of wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2300/436 Control of engine ignition
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/10 Parameters related to the engine output, e.g. engine torque or engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/50 : said parameters being related to the vehicle or its components
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0087 : Selective cylinder activation, i.e. partial cylinder operation deceleration cut-off F02D41/123
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 9/005 : by weakening or suppression of sparks to limit the engine speed

Abstract

In general, the subject matter described in this disclosure can be embodied in methods, systems, and program products for performing vehicle control. Multiple target rotation rates for a vehicle shaft may be identified. A first actual rotation rate may be determined to exceed a first target rotation rate. In response, a computing system may send a first signal in order to cause a first component of a vehicle to limit the rate of rotation of the vehicle shaft. A second actual rotation rate may be determined to be below a second target rotation rate. In response, the computing system may send a second signal in order to cause the first component of the vehicle or a second component of the vehicle to increase the rate of rotation of the vehicle shaft.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

displaying, by a computing system, a target run curve that identifies target rotation rates of a vehicle shaft at corresponding times during an anticipated vehicle race, at least some of the target rotation rates different from each other;

receiving, by the computing system, first user input that specifies a first range of rotation rates below the target run curve to which a first correction to increase an actual rotation rate of the vehicle shaft is to be applied upon determining that the actual rotation rate of the vehicle shaft during an actual race falls within the first range of rotation rates;

receiving, by the computing system, second user input that specifies a level of the first correction that is to be applied to the vehicle shaft upon determining that the actual rotation rate of the vehicle shaft during the actual race falls within the first range of rotation rates;

displaying, by the computing system, an indication of the first range of rotation rates concurrent with displaying the target run curve;

providing, by the computing system, data that identifies the first range of rotation rates and the level of correction to a device that is configured to;

(i) determine that the actual race has begun,

(ii) measure the actual rotation rate during the actual race, and

(iii) request the level of the correction upon determining that the actual rotation rate falls within the first range of rotation rates.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving user input that selects the target run curve for display by the computing system from among multiple different target run curves accessible to the computing system, wherein the computing system displays the target run curve in response to having received the user input that selects the target run curve for display.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving user input that modifies the target run curve by dragging a selected portion of the target run curve up or down to respectively increase or decrease a target rotation rate that corresponds to the selected portion of the target run curve.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the indication of the first range of rotation rates graphically indicates boundaries of a region that is visually located beneath the target run curve and that visually designates the first range of rotation rates.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising receiving user input that specifies an increase to the first range of rotation rates through selection of a user interface control, in distinction to typing a value for the first range, and as a result, visually increasing a height of the region that is visually located beneath the target run curve and that visually designates the first range of rotation rates.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing system, third user input that specifies a second range of rotation rates above the target run curve to which a second correction to decrease the actual rotation rate of the vehicle shaft is to be applied upon determining that the actual rotation rate of the vehicle shaft during the actual race falls within the second range of rotation rates;

receiving, by the computing system, fourth user input that specifies a level of the second correction that is to be applied to the vehicle shaft upon determining that the actual rotation rate of the vehicle shaft during the actual race falls within the second range of rotation rates above the target run curve; and

displaying, by the computing system, an indication of the second range of rotation rates above the target run curve concurrent with displaying the target run curve and displaying the indication of the first range of rotation rates below the target run curve.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing system, third user input that specifies a second range of rotation rates below the target run curve to which a second correction to increase the actual rotation rate is to be applied upon determining that actual rotation rate of the vehicle shaft during the actual race falls within the second range of rotation rates;

receiving, by the computing system, fourth user input that specifies a level of the second correction that is to be applied to the vehicle shaft upon determining that the actual rotation rate of the vehicle shaft during the actual race falls within the second range of rotation rates below the target run curve, wherein the first range of rotation rates below the target run curve is different from the second range of target rotation rates below the target run curve; and

displaying, by the computing system, an indication of the second range of rotation rates below the target run curve concurrent with displaying the target run curve and displaying the indication of the first range of rotation rates below the target run curve.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein:

the indication of the first range of rotation rates graphically indicates boundaries of a first region beneath the target run curve; and

the indication of the second range of rotation rates graphically indicates boundaries of a second, different region beneath the target run curve.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the level of the first correction comprises an amount by which to advance engine timing.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving the second user input that specifies the level of the first correction includes receiving a user-entered correction level; and

the device being configured to request the level of the correction includes the device being configured to request a correction proportional to the user-entered correction level, based on a proportion that the actual rotation rate extends into the first range.

11. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause performance of operations comprising:

displaying, by a computing system, a target run curve that identifies target rotation rates of a vehicle shaft at corresponding times during an anticipated vehicle race, at least some of the target rotation rates different from each other;

receiving, by the computing system, first user input that specifies a first range of rotation rates below the target run curve to which a first correction to increase an actual rotation rate of the vehicle shaft is to be applied upon determining that the actual rotation rate of the vehicle shaft during an actual race falls within the first range of rotation rates;

receiving, by the computing system, second user input that specifies a level of the first correction that is to be applied to the vehicle shaft upon determining that the actual rotation rate of the vehicle shaft during the actual race falls within the first range of rotation rates;

displaying, by the computing system, an indication of the first range of rotation rates concurrent with displaying the target run curve;

providing, by the computing system, data that identifies the first range of rotation rates and the level of correction to a device that is configured to;

(i) determine that the actual race has begun,

(ii) measure the actual rotation rate during the actual race, and

(iii) request the level of the correction upon determining that the actual rotation rate falls within the first range of rotation rates.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise receiving user input that selects the target run curve for display by the computing system from among multiple different target run curves accessible to the computing system, wherein the computing system displays the target run curve in response to having received the user input that selects the target run curve for display.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise receiving user input that modifies the target run curve by dragging a selected portion of the target run curve up or down to respectively increase or decrease a target rotation rate that corresponds to the selected portion of the target run curve.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein the indication of the first range of rotation rates graphically indicates boundaries of a region that is visually located beneath the target run curve and that visually designates the first range of rotation rates.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise receiving user input that specifies an increase to the first range of rotation rates through selection of a user interface control, in distinction to typing a value for the first range, and as a result, visually increasing a height of the region that is visually located beneath the target run curve and that visually designates the first range of rotation rates.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, by the computing system, third user input that specifies a second range of rotation rates above the target run curve to which a second correction to decrease the actual rotation rate of the vehicle shaft is to be applied upon determining that the actual rotation rate of the vehicle shaft during the actual race falls within the second range of rotation rates;

receiving, by the computing system, fourth user input that specifies a level of the second correction that is to be applied to the vehicle shaft upon determining that the actual rotation rate of the vehicle shaft during the actual race falls within the second range of rotation rates above the target run curve; and

displaying, by the computing system, an indication of the second range of rotation rates above the target run curve concurrent with displaying the target run curve and displaying the indication of the first range of rotation rates below the target run curve.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, by the computing system, third user input that specifies a second range of rotation rates below the target run curve to which a second correction to increase the actual rotation rate is to be applied upon determining that actual rotation rate of the vehicle shaft during the actual race falls within the second range of rotation rates;

receiving, by the computing system, fourth user input that specifies a level of the second correction that is to be applied to the vehicle shaft upon determining that the actual rotation rate of the vehicle shaft during the actual race falls within the second range of rotation rates below the target run curve, wherein the first range of rotation rates below the target run curve is different from the second range of target rotation rates below the target run curve; and

displaying, by the computing system, an indication of the second range of rotation rates below the target run curve concurrent with displaying the target run curve and displaying the indication of the first range of rotation rates below the target run curve.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein:

the indication of the first range of rotation rates graphically indicates boundaries of a first region beneath the target run curve; and

the indication of the second range of rotation rates graphically indicates boundaries of a second, different region beneath the target run curve.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein the level of the first correction comprises an amount by which to advance engine timing.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein:

receiving the second user input that specifies the level of the first correction includes receiving a user-entered correction level; and

the device being configured to request the level of the correction includes the device being configured to request a correction proportional to the user-entered correction level, based on a proportion that the actual rotation rate extends into the first range.