Vehicle speed control system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10047854-B2
Application number	US-201414910694-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 6, 2014
Priority date	Aug 7, 2013
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a vehicle speed control system operable to cause a vehicle to operate in accordance with a target speed value, the system being operable automatically to perform a direction change operation wherein the system causes a transmission of the vehicle to adopt a configuration corresponding to travel in an opposite direction to the instant configuration when the vehicle speed does not exceed a prescribed transmission direction change speed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle speed control system operable to cause a vehicle to operate in accordance with a target speed value, the system being operable automatically to:
perform a direction change operation wherein the system causes a speed of the vehicle to reduce to a value not exceeding a direction change speed limit value, being a maximum speed at which a transmission of the vehicle is permitted to adopt a configuration corresponding to travel in an opposite direction to an instant configuration, if the vehicle speed exceeds the direction change speed limit value when the direction change operation is commenced;
to cause a transmission of the vehicle to adopt a configuration corresponding to travel in the opposite direction to the instant configuration when the speed has reduced to a value not exceeding the direction change speed limit value, and
accelerate the vehicle from rest following a change in configuration of the transmission from travel in a first direction to travel in a second direction opposite the first at a moment selected in dependence on suspension system articulation.

2. A system according to claim 1 operable automatically to cause the vehicle to operate in accordance with a target speed value following a direction change operation.

3. A system according to claim 1 operable to cause the vehicle to operate in accordance with a forward direction target speed value when travelling in a forward direction and a reverse direction target speed value when travelling in a reverse direction opposite the forward direction.

4. A system according to claim 3 wherein the forward direction target speed value is substantially equal to the reverse direction target speed value.

5. A system according to claim 3 operable to limit the value of the reverse direction target speed value to a maximum reverse direction target speed value.

6. A system according to claim 1 operable to perform the direction change operation in response to user selection of a transmission mode corresponding to travel in an opposite direction.

7. A system according to claim 1 operable to accelerate the vehicle from rest following a change in configuration of the transmission from travel in a first direction to travel in a second direction opposite the first when the suspension system of a newly trailing axle is in a configuration corresponding substantially to a maximum excursion of a body of the vehicle in a downward direction prior to acceleration from rest.

8. A system according to claim 1 operable to perform a rock-away operation in which the system causes the vehicle repeatedly to perform the direction change operation.

9. A system according to claim 8 wherein when the system is performing said rock-away operation, the system is operable automatically to perform a direction change operation in response to detection of a step in a driving surface.

10. A system according to claim 1 operable to allow a user to command execution of a direction change operation by selecting a transmission operating mode corresponding to travel in an opposite direction to that of the instant transmission operating mode.

11. A system according to claim 1 configured to apply a braking system to control vehicle speed while the direction change operation is in progress.

12. A system according to claim 11 configured to apply a braking system to control vehicle speed to prevent vehicle speed from exceeding the direction change speed limit value whilst the direction change operation is in progress.

13. A system according to claim 1 configured to employ a braking system to prevent rollback once a gear corresponding to travel in the opposite direction has been selected.

14. A system according to claim 13 configured to cause the vehicle to come to rest by means of the braking system and subsequently to prevent rolling in a direction opposite the intended new direction of travel, by means of the braking system, when a direction change operation is performed.

15. A system according to claim 14 configured to release the braking system once sufficient torque is being applied to one or more wheels by a powertrain and/or as a consequence of gravitation force to permit the vehicle to move in the newly selected direction without experiencing rolling in the opposite direction.

16. A vehicle comprising a system according to claim 1 .

17. A method of controlling a vehicle by means of a speed control system, comprising:
causing a vehicle to operate in accordance with a target speed value; and

automatically performing a direction change operation, whereby performing the direction change operation comprises causing a speed of the vehicle to reduce to a value not exceeding a direction change speed limit value, being a maximum speed at which a transmission of the vehicle is permitted to adopt a configuration corresponding to travel in an opposite direction to an instant configuration, if the vehicle speed exceeds the direction change speed limit value when the direction change operation is commenced;
performing the direction change operation further comprises causing a transmission of the vehicle to adopt a configuration corresponding to travel in an opposite direction to the instant configuration when the vehicle speed does not exceed the direction change speed limit value; and
accelerating the vehicle from rest following a change in configuration of the transmission from travel in a first direction to travel in a second direction opposite the first at a moment selected in dependence on suspension system articulation.

18. A method according to claim 17 comprising applying a braking system to control vehicle speed whilst the direction change operation is in progress.

19. A method according to claim 18 comprising applying a braking system to control vehicle speed to prevent vehicle speed from exceeding the direction change speed limit value whilst the direction change operation is in progress.

20. A method according to claim 17 comprising employing a braking system to prevent rollback once a gear corresponding to travel in the opposite direction has been selected.

21. A method according to claim 20 comprising causing the vehicle to come to rest by means of the braking system and subsequently preventing rolling in a direction opposite the intended new direction of travel, by means of the braking system, when a direction change operation is performed.

22. A method according to claim 21 comprising releasing the braking system once sufficient torque is being applied to one or more wheels by a powertrain and/or as a consequence of gravitation force to permit the vehicle to move in the newly selected direction without experiencing rolling in the opposite direction.

23. An electronic controller for a vehicle having a storage medium associated therewith storing instructions that when executed by the controller causes the control of the operation of a brake system of a vehicle in accordance with the method of claim 17 .

24. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium storing instructions thereon that when executed by one or more electronic processors causes the one or more electronic processors to carry out the method of claim 17 .

Assignees

• Jaguar Land Rover Ltd

Inventors

• Kelly James
• Shamshiri Navid
• Rycroft Edward

Classifications

• B60W2552/00

  Input parameters relating to infrastructure · CPC title

• B60W2540/16

  Ratio selector position · CPC title

• F16H2059/0247

  with lever or paddle behind steering wheel · CPC title

• B60W10/10

  including control of change-speed gearings · CPC title

• B60W10/11

  Stepped gearings · CPC title