Method and system for controlling a motive power system of an automotive vehicle

• US 7,809,487 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2007
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Grand, Kerry Eden, Syed, Fazal Urrahman, Kuang, Ming Lang, Nallapa, Venkatapathi Raju
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner; Mark
• Application Number:
  US11/855,486
• Publication Number:
  US 20090076697A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,117 Days
• Field of Search: 701/70, 701/96, 706/20, 706/12
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2220/02 Driver type; Driving style; Driver adaptive features
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/174 characterised by using special control logic, e.g. fuzzy logic , neural computing
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/175 Brake regulation specially adapted to prevent excessive wheel spin during vehicle acceleration, e.g. for traction control safety devices for propulsion unit control responsive to, or preventing, skidding of wheels B60K28/16
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/105 Speed

Abstract

A motive power system of a vehicle is controlled based on a driving style of a driver of the vehicle. Parameters related to a state of the vehicle are used as inputs to a fuzzy controller in order to characterize the driving style of the driver of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a vehicle motive power system comprising:

determining a driver positive power demand history and a driver negative power demand history;

determining whether a difference between the positive power demand history and the negative power demand history is greater than a predetermined threshold; and

controlling the motive power system based on whether the difference between the positive power demand history and the negative power demand history is greater than the predetermined threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the motive power system includes a brake pedal, further comprising determining the number of times the brake pedal is pressed during a predetermined duration of time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the motive power system includes an acceleration pedal, further comprising determining the number of times the acceleration pedal is pressed during a predetermined duration of time.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising measuring vehicle speed and determining a duration of time during which the vehicle speed is greater than another predetermined threshold.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the motive power system is further controlled based on the duration of time during which the vehicle speed is greater than the another predetermined threshold.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising measuring vehicle speed and determining a duration of time during which the vehicle speed is less than another predetermined threshold.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the motive power system is further controlled based on the duration of time during which the vehicle speed is less than the another predetermined threshold.

8. A method for controlling a motive power system of a vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving input from at least one of an accelerator pedal and brake pedal;

determining a driver positive power demand history and a driver negative power demand history based on the input;

determining whether a difference between the driver positive power demand history and the driver negative power demand history is greater than a predetermined threshold; and

controlling the motive power system based on whether the difference between the driver positive power demand history and the driver negative power demand history is greater than the predetermined threshold.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising measuring vehicle speed, wherein determining the driver positive power demand history and the driver negative power demand history is further based on the measured vehicle speed.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising measuring vehicle speed and determining a duration of time during which the vehicle speed is less than another predetermined threshold.

11. A system for controlling a motive power system of a vehicle, the system comprising:

one or more controllers configured to receive input from at least one of an accelerator pedal and brake pedal, to determine a driver positive power demand history and a driver negative power demand history based on the input, to determine whether a difference between the driver positive power demand history and the driver negative power demand history is greater than a predetermined threshold, and to control the motive power system based on whether the difference between the driver positive power demand history and the driver negative demand history is greater than the predetermined threshold.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the one or more controllers are further configured to obtain vehicle speed information and to determine the driver positive power demand history and the driver negative power demand history based on the vehicle speed information.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the one or more controllers are further configured to obtain vehicle speed information and to determine a duration of time during which the vehicle speed is less than another predetermined threshold.