Vehicle system and method for adjusting deceleration rate

• US 9,849,786 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2014
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Miller, Kenneth James, Martin, Douglas Raymond, Perkins, William Paul, Hartl, Derek
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US14/474,802
• Publication Number:
  US 20160059703A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,211 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2009 for braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/463 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0015 Prevention of collisions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/804 Relative longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/083 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/106 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/17 with provision for special action when the preceding vehicle comes to a halt, e.g. stop and go
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18127 Regenerative braking
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A method according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, controlling an electrified vehicle by adjusting a deceleration rate based on a closing rate of the electrified vehicle to an oncoming object.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

controlling an electrified vehicle by adjusting a deceleration rate based on a closing rate of the electrified vehicle to an oncoming object, wherein adjusting the deceleration rate includes modifying a negative portion of an accelerator pedal map.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the closing rate is based on a distance and a closing velocity from the electrified vehicle to the oncoming object.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the closing velocity is based on a first velocity of the electrified vehicle and a second velocity of the oncoming object.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the controlling step includes:

detecting the oncoming object; and

determining the closing rate to the oncoming object.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising calculating a desired deceleration rate from the closing rate.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, comprising determining a negative torque demand necessary to achieve the desired deceleration rate.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, comprising modifying a torque demand associated with a predefined accelerator pedal position to be equal to the negative torque demand that is necessary to achieve the desired deceleration rate.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, comprising applying the negative torque demand to an electric machine to decelerate the electrified vehicle at the desired deceleration rate.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the controlling step includes:

correlating a desired deceleration rate to a negative torque demand; and

applying the negative torque demand to an electric machine of the electrified vehicle to decelerate the electrified vehicle using regenerative braking.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the controlling step includes adjusting the deceleration rate without applying brakes of the electrified vehicle.

22. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising selectively applying a negative torque demand to an electric machine of the electrified vehicle to decelerate the vehicle at the adjusted acceleration rate.

11. A method, comprising:

determining a desired deceleration rate of an electrified vehicle to an oncoming object; and

modifying a negative torque demand associated with a predefined accelerator pedal position to achieve the desired deceleration rate to the oncoming object.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, comprising applying the negative torque demand to an electric machine of the electrified vehicle to decelerate the vehicle using regenerative braking.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, comprising detecting the oncoming object prior to the determining step.

14. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the modifying step includes:

changing the negative torque demand on an accelerator pedal map to less negative for a predefined accelerator pedal position if the oncoming object is a first distance from the electrified vehicle;

changing the negative torque demand of the accelerator pedal map to more negative for the predefined accelerator pedal position if the oncoming object is a second distance from the electrified vehicle.

15. A method, comprising:

determining a desired deceleration rate of an electrified vehicle to an oncoming object; and

modifying a negative torque demand associated with a predefined accelerator pedal position to achieve the desired deceleration rate to the oncoming object, wherein the predefined accelerator pedal position is between a 0% pedal position and a pedal position that corresponds to zero torque demand or zero acceleration.

16. A vehicle system, comprising:

an accelerator pedal; and

a control module in communication with said accelerator pedal and configured to modify a deceleration rate of a vehicle by adjusting a negative torque demand associated with a predefined position of said accelerator pedal, wherein adjusting the negative torque demand includes raising or lowering said negative torque demand on an accelerator pedal map stored on said control module.

17. The vehicle system as recited in claim 16, comprising an object detection subsystem that detects an oncoming object ahead of said vehicle.

18. The vehicle system as recited in claim 16, wherein said accelerator pedal includes a sensor that detects a position of said accelerator pedal.

19. The vehicle system as recited in claim 16, comprising an electric machine, wherein said control module commands application of said negative torque demand to said electric machine to decelerate said vehicle.

20. The vehicle system as recited in claim 16, wherein said deceleration rate is based on a closing rate to an oncoming object.

21. A method, comprising:

during a lift pedal event of an electrified vehicle;

raising a negative torque demand associated with a predefined accelerator pedal position on an accelerator pedal map in response to a first deceleration rate of the electrified vehicle relative to an oncoming object; and

lowering the negative torque demand on the accelerator pedal map in response to a second, greater deceleration rate of the electrified vehicle relative to the oncoming object.