METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ADAPTIVE ELECTRONIC DRIVEFORCE UNIT CONTROL

• US 20110218722A1
• Filed: 03/02/2010
• Published: 09/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ahn, Samuel S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,751,124 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/00 Methods or arrangements for processing data by operating upon the order or content of the data handled logic circuits H03K19/00

Abstract

The present invention is a method and system for adaptive electronic driveforce unit control based on the weather. An automobile can include, for example a driveforce system. The driveforce system can include a driveforce unit, an acceleration input device, a memory, a speed sensor, and/or a weather detection system. The acceleration input device can generate acceleration input data. The driveforce unit can generate an output based on the corresponding acceleration input data from a driveforce curve in a driveforce map. The driveforce map can be stored in the memory. The speed sensor can detect speed data indicating a speed and/or acceleration of the automobile. The weather detection system includes a moisture detection system detecting moisture data, a temperature sensor detecting temperature data, and a windshield wiper detection system detecting windshield wiper data. The processor adjusts the driveforce curve in the driveforce map based on the weather data.

Claims

1. A driveforce system comprising:

a weather detection system detecting weather data;

a memory storing a driveforce map; and

a processor connected to the weather detection system and the memory, the processor configured to analyze the weather data and adjust the driveforce map based on the weather data.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

an acceleration input device connected to the processor and detecting acceleration input data; and

a driveforce unit connected to the processor, wherein an output of the driveforce unit is varied by the processor.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the driveforce map includes a driveforce curve indicating the output of the driveforce unit for a corresponding acceleration input data.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the weather detection system includes a moisture detection system and the weather data includes moisture data, and the processor decreases the driveforce curve by an amount based on an amount of moisture and a type of moisture indicated by the moisture data.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the weather detection system further includes a temperature sensor and the weather data includes temperature data, and the processor decreases the driveforce curve by an amount based on a temperature indicated by the temperature data.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the processor decreases the driveforce curve only when the temperature is below a predetermined temperature threshold.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the processor decreases the driveforce by a greater amount when the temperature is below a freezing temperature than when the temperature is above the freezing temperature.

8. The system of claim 3 wherein the weather detection system includes a windshield wiper detection system and the weather data includes windshield wiper activation data, and the processor decreases the driveforce curve when the windshield wiper activation data indicates an activation of a windshield wiper.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the processor decreases the driveforce curve by an amount based on a speed of the windshield wiper.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the processor decreases the driveforce curve when the windshield wiper activation data indicates the activation of a windshield wiper for longer than a predetermined windshield wiper on time period.

15. The automobile of claim 9 wherein the processor decreases the driveforce curve when the windshield wiper activation data indicates an activation of the windshield wiper for longer than a predetermined windshield wiper on time period.

11. An automobile comprising:

a weather detection system detecting weather data;

an acceleration input device for detecting acceleration input data;

a driveforce unit connected to the processor and for generating an output;

a memory for storing a driveforce map including a driveforce curve indicating the output of the driveforce unit for a corresponding acceleration input data; and

a processor connected to the weather detection system and the memory, the processor configured to analyze the weather data, and adjust the driveforce curve based on the weather data.

12. The automobile of claim 11 wherein the weather detection system includes a moisture detection system and the weather data includes moisture data, and the processor decreases the driveforce curve by an amount based on an amount of moisture and a type of moisture indicated by the moisture data.

13. The automobile of claim 12 wherein the weather detection system further includes a temperature sensor and the weather data includes temperature data, and the processor decreases the driveforce curve by an amount based on a temperature indicated by the temperature data only when the temperature is below a predetermined temperature threshold.

14. The automobile of claim 11 wherein the weather detection system includes a windshield wiper detection system and the weather data includes windshield wiper activation data indicating a speed of the windshield wiper, and the processor decreases the driveforce curve by an amount based on a speed of the windshield wiper.

16. A method for varying an amount of driveforce comprising:

determining weather data;

analyzing the weather data;

storing a driveforce map;

adjusting the driveforce map based on the weather data; and

adjusting a driveforce curve in the driveforce map by an amount based on the weather data.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising

detecting acceleration input data, wherein the driveforce map indicates a driveforce corresponding to the acceleration input data.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising

decreasing the driveforce curve by an amount based on an amount of moisture and a type of moisture indicated by the weather data.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising

decreasing the driveforce curve by an amount based on a temperature indicated by the weather data only when the temperature is below a predetermined temperature threshold.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising

decreasing the driveforce curve by an amount based on a speed of a windshield wiper indicated by the weather data