A METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SPEED OF A VEHICLE

• US 20150367849A1
• Filed: 10/27/2011
• Published: 12/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volvo Construction Equipment AB (Volvo AB)
• Original Assignee: Volvo Construction Equipment AB (Volvo AB)
• Inventors: Kvist, Roland
• Granted Patent: US 9,802,610 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2310/242 setting initial target speed, e.g. initial algorithms
• 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: B60W 2050/0071 Controller overrides driver automatically
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/00 Output or target parameters relating to overall vehicle dynamics
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/143 Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/146 Speed limiting
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/10 Interpretation of driver requests or demands
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2079 Control of mechanical transmission for hydrostatic transmission or hydraulic torque converter E02F9/2253
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2253 Controlling the travelling speed of vehicles, e.g. adjusting travelling speed according to implement loads, control of hydrostatic transmission

Abstract

A method is provided for controlling the speed of a vehicle that includes a drive train for driving the vehicle and a predetermined preferred speed set. The method includes determining whether or not a substantially constant speed of the vehicle is requested, if it is determined that a substantially constant speed is requested, determining whether the requested speed lies within or outside of the predetermined preferred speed set, and if it is determined that the requested speed lies outside of the predetermined speed set, automatically adjusting the speed of the vehicle to a vehicle speed that is within the predetermined speed set.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the speed of a vehicle (10), said vehicle (10) comprising a drive train (12) for driving said vehicle (10), said vehicle (10) comprising a predetermined preferred speed set (34), said method comprising:

determining whether or not a substantially constant speed of the vehicle (10) is requested;

if it is determined that a substantially constant speed is requested, determining whether the requested speed lies within or outside of said predetermined preferred speed set (34), and

if it is determined that the requested speed lies outside of said predetermined speed set (34), automatically adjusting the speed of the vehicle to a vehicle speed that is within said predetermined speed set (34).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a power loss of said drive train (12) is equal to or below a predetermined power loss within said predetermined preferred speed set.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said predetermined preferred speed set comprises a range (36, 38, 40;

72, 74, 76, 78) of preferred speeds, preferably said predetermined preferred speed set comprises a plurality of ranges of preferred speeds.

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said drive train (12) comprises a power supply (14) and an automatic transmission arrangement (16) which comprises a power split assembly which in turn comprises a step ratio power flow path (62) and a infinitely variable ratio power flow path (64), at least one value in said predetermined preferred speed set corresponding to at least one condition of said transmission arrangement in which at least a predetermined portion of the power flows through said step ratio power flow path (62).

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said predetermined portion of said power flow through said step ratio power flow path (62) is at least 80%, preferably at least 90%, of the power flow through said power split assembly.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said vehicle (10) comprises a plurality of predetermined preferred speed sets, said method further comprising:

determining whether said vehicle speed control system requested an acceleration or a deceleration of the vehicle (10) prior to the substantially constant speed request.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, if an acceleration of the vehicle (10) was requested prior to the substantially constant speed request and if it is determined that the requested speed lies outside said predetermined preferred speed set:

increasing the speed of the vehicle (10) until it reaches a speed within said preferred speed set.

8. The method according to claim 6 or 7, wherein, if an deceleration of the vehicle (10) was requested prior to the substantially constant speed request and if it is determined that the requested speed lies outside of said predetermined preferred speed set:

decreasing the speed of the vehicle (10) until it reaches a speed within said preferred speed set.

9. The method according to any of claims 2 to 8, wherein said vehicle further comprises a driveline characteristics value input means (29), said method further comprising:

determining said driveline characteristics value from said driveline characteristics value input means (29), and

selecting said range of preferred speeds in accordance with said driveline characteristics value.

10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said vehicle further comprises a manual speed control means (26), said method further comprising:

determining whether or not a substantially constant speed of the vehicle is requested by said manual speed control means (26).

11. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said vehicle further comprises an automatic speed control means, wherein the step of automatically adjusting the speed of the vehicle comprises a step of operating said automatic speed control means in order to modify the speed of the vehicle.

12. Computer program product, characterized in that it comprises a computer program containing computer program code executable in a computer or a processor to implement the steps of a method according to any of the preceding claims, said product being stored on a computer-readable medium or a carrier wave.

13. Electronic control unit (24), characterized in that it comprises a computer program product according to claim 12 and arranged to execute a method for controlling the speed of a vehicle according to any one of claims 1-11.

14. A vehicle (10), comprising a drive train (12) adapted to drive said vehicle (10), said drive train (12) comprising a power supply (14) and a transmission arrangement (16), characterized in that said vehicle (10) comprises an electronic control unit (10) according to claim 13.

15. The vehicle (10) according to claim 14, when dependent on claim 9, wherein said vehicle (10) further comprises said driveline characteristics value input means (29).

21. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said vehicle comprises a plurality of predetermined preferred speed sets, said method further comprising:

determining whether said vehicle speed control system requested an acceleration or a deceleration of the vehicle prior to the substantially constant speed request.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein, if an acceleration of the vehicle was requested prior to the substantially constant speed request and if it is determined that the requested speed lies outside said predetermined preferred speed set:

increasing the speed of the vehicle until it reaches a speed within said preferred speed set.

23. The method according to claim 21 or 22, wherein, if an deceleration of the vehicle was requested prior to the substantially constant speed request and if it is determined that the requested speed lies outside of said predetermined preferred speed set:

decreasing the speed of the vehicle until it reaches a speed within said preferred speed set.

27. Computer program product, comprising a computer program containing computer program code executable in a computer or a processor to implement the steps of a method according to any of the preceding claims, said product being stored on a computer-readable medium or a carrier wave.

16. A method for controlling the speed of a vehicle, said vehicle comprising a drive train for driving said vehicle, said vehicle comprising a predetermined preferred speed set, said method comprising:

determining whether or not a substantially constant speed of the vehicle is requested;

if it is determined that a substantially constant speed is requested, determining whether the requested speed lies within or outside of said predetermined preferred speed set, and

if it is determined that the requested speed lies outside of said predetermined speed set, automatically adjusting the speed of the vehicle to a vehicle speed that is within said predetermined speed set.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein a power loss of said drive train is equal to or below a predetermined power loss within said predetermined preferred speed set.

18. The method according to claim 16 or 17, wherein said predetermined preferred speed set comprises a range of preferred speeds, preferably said predetermined preferred speed set comprises a plurality of ranges of preferred speeds.

19. The method according to any one of claims 16-18, wherein said drive train comprises a power supply and an automatic transmission arrangement which comprises a power split assembly which in turn comprises a step ratio power flow path and a infinitely variable ratio power flow path, at least one value in said predetermined preferred speed set corresponding to at least one condition of said transmission arrangement in which at least a predetermined portion of the power flows through said step ratio power flow path.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein said predetermined portion of said power flow through said step ratio power flow path is at least 80%, preferably at least 90%, of the power flow through said power split assembly.

24. The method according to any of claims 17 to 23, wherein said vehicle further comprises a driveline characteristics value inputter, said method further comprising:

determining said driveline characteristics value from said driveline characteristics value inputter, and

selecting said range of preferred speeds in accordance with said driveline characteristics value.

25. The method according to any of claims 17 to 24, wherein said vehicle further comprises a manual speed controller, said method further comprising:

determining whether or not a substantially constant speed of the vehicle is requested by said manual speed controller.

26. The method according to any of claims 17 to 24, wherein said vehicle further comprises an automatic speed controller, wherein the step of automatically adjusting the speed of the vehicle comprises a step of operating said automatic speed controller in order to modify the speed of the vehicle.

28. Electronic control unit, comprising a computer program product according to claim 27 and arranged to execute a method for controlling the speed of a vehicle according to any one of claims 16-26.

29. A vehicle, comprising a drive train adapted to drive said vehicle, said drive train comprising a power supply and a transmission arrangement, wherein said vehicle (10) comprises an electronic control unit according to claim 28.

30. The vehicle according to claim 29, when dependent on claim 24, wherein said vehicle further comprises said driveline characteristics value inputter.