Method and apparatus for controlling the drive power of a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10029569-B2
Application number	US-201314759120-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 7, 2013
Priority date	Jan 7, 2013
Publication date	Jul 24, 2018
Grant date	Jul 24, 2018

Abstract

When the driving force between a driven wheel of a wheel and the surface on which the vehicle is travelling exceeds the available traction, wheel slippage may occur. Wheel slippage may result in a loss of control of the vehicle. The present disclosure may facilitate the control of drive power sent to a driven wheel of a vehicle from consideration of a torque setting and a speed of the vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for controlling a drive power sent to a driven wheel of a vehicle, the method comprising:
determining the drive power based on a torque setting and a speed of the vehicle;
increasing the drive power sent to the driven wheel in response to
a reduction in the speed of the vehicle, and
the speed of the vehicle being between a first vehicle speed threshold and a second vehicle speed threshold, the second vehicle speed threshold being greater than the first vehicle speed threshold;

selecting the torque setting from a torque settings list, the torque settings list including
a first torque amount, and
a second torque amount; and

decreasing the drive power sent to the driven wheel in response to
changing the torque setting from the first torque amount to the second torque amount, and
the speed of the vehicle being between the first vehicle speed threshold and the second vehicle speed threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the torque settings list further includes a third torque amount,
the method further comprising selecting the third torque amount from the torque settings list,
wherein, when the speed of the vehicle is between the first vehicle speed threshold and the second vehicle speed threshold, a magnitude of the drive power corresponding to selection of the third torque amount is less than or equal to a magnitude of the drive power corresponding to selection of the second torque amount.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising determining the drive power sent to the driven wheel without consideration of the torque setting when the speed of the vehicle is above the second vehicle speed threshold.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein
the first torque amount is associated with a first drive power-vehicle speed curve that is used to determine the drive power sent to the driven wheel when the first torque amount is selected, and
the second torque amount is associated with a second drive power-vehicle speed curve that is used to determine the drive power sent to the driven wheel when the second torque amount is selected.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein, for vehicle speeds below the second vehicle speed threshold, the second drive power-vehicle speed curve is scaled from the first drive power-vehicle speed curve.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the third torque amount is associated with a third drive power-vehicle speed curve that is used to determine the drive power sent to the driven wheel when the third torque amount is selected.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the third torque amount is associated with a third drive power-vehicle speed curve that is used to determine the drive power sent to the driven wheel when the third torque amount is selected.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising gradually changing the drive power sent to the driven wheel over a period of time when a change in the torque setting results in a change in the drive power sent to the driven wheel.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining the drive power sent to the driven wheel without consideration of the torque setting when the speed of the vehicle is above the second vehicle speed threshold.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle comprises an engine and a non-direct transmission system, and
wherein an output pressure of the non-direct transmission system sets the drive power sent to the driven wheel.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the first torque amount is associated with a first drive power-vehicle speed curve that is used to determine the drive power sent to the driven wheel when the first torque amount is selected, and
the second torque amount is associated with a second drive power-vehicle speed curve that is used to determine the drive power sent to the driven wheel when the second torque amount is selected.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising gradually changing the drive power sent to the drive wheel over a period of time when a change in the torque setting results in a change in the drive power sent to the driven wheel.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining the drive power sent to the driven wheel without consideration of the torque setting when the speed of the vehicle is above the second vehicle speed threshold.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle comprises an engine and a non-direct transmission system, and
wherein an output pressure of the non-direct transmission system sets the drive power sent to the driven wheel.

15. A controller for controlling a drive power sent to a driven wheel of a vehicle, the controller being configured to:
determine the drive power sent to the driven wheel of the vehicle based on a torque setting and a speed of the vehicle;
increase the drive power sent to the driven wheel in response to
a reduction in the speed of the vehicle, and
the speed of the vehicle being between a first vehicle speed threshold and a second vehicle speed threshold, the second vehicle speed threshold being greater than the first vehicle speed threshold;

receive a selection of the torque setting from a torque settings list, the torque settings list including
a first torque amount, and
a second torque amount; and

decrease the drive power sent to the driven wheel in response to
changing the torque setting from the first torque amount to the second torque amount, and
the speed of the vehicle being between the first vehicle speed threshold and the second vehicle speed threshold.

16. An engine unit comprising:
an engine;
a non-direct transmission unit coupled to the engine; and
the controller of claim 15 for controlling a power output of the non-direct transmission unit.

17. A wheeled vehicle comprising the engine unit of claim 16 .

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Bakken Arick
• Cairns Paul
• Swick William

Classifications

• B60W30/18172

  Preventing, or responsive to skidding of wheels · CPC title

• B60W2710/1061

  Output power · CPC title

• B60W2520/10

  Longitudinal speed · CPC title

• F16H61/475

  for achieving a target power, e.g. input power or output power · CPC title

• B60W2710/1055

  Output torque change rate · CPC title