Driveline and method of controlling a driveline

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10052948-B2
Application number	US-201415035027-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2014
Priority date	Nov 7, 2013
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a motor vehicle controller comprising a computing device, the controller being configured to command a first releasable torque transmitting device of a drive-line to switch between a released condition in which a first releasable torque transmitting device substantially prevents transmission of torque from an input to an output portion thereof, and an engaged condition in which a releasable torque transmitting device allows torque transmission from an input portion to an output portion thereof. The controller may be configured to receive information indicative of: a speed of wheels of a first axle; a speed of wheels of a second axle; and a terrain over which a vehicle is driving. The controller may be configured, in response to a detected disparity between the speed of wheels of said first and second axle when said first releasable torque transmitting device is switched to said engaged condition, in dependence upon said received information indicative of the terrain over which the vehicle is travelling, either: output a signal to automatically cause said first releasable torque transmitting device to perform a reconnect operation comprising momentarily resuming the released condition, and then subsequently resuming the engaged condition, or maintain said first releasable torque transmitting device in said engaged position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A motor vehicle control device for controlling a vehicle, comprising:
a controller comprising a computing device, the controller being configured to command a first releasable torque transmitting device of a driveline to switch between a released condition in which said first releasable torque transmitting device prevents transmission of torque from an input portion to an output portion, and an engaged condition in which said first releasable torque transmitting device allows torque transmission from said input portion to said output portion;
the controller being configured to receive information indicative of: a speed of first wheels of a first axle; a speed of second wheels of a second axle; and a terrain over which the vehicle is driving; and
in response to a detected disparity between the speed of first wheels of said first axle and the speed of second wheels of said second axle when said first releasable torque transmitting device is switched to said engaged condition, said controller is configured to, in dependence upon said received information indicative of the terrain over which the vehicle is travelling, either:
output a signal to automatically cause said first releasable torque transmitting device to perform a reconnect operation comprising momentarily resuming the released condition, and then subsequently resuming the engaged condition, or
maintain said first releasable torque transmitting device in said engaged condition.

2. The motor vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein said controller is configured in dependence at least in part on an amount of torque developed by a powertrain at a prescribed location of a powertrain to either:
output the signal, or
maintain said first releasable torque transmitting device in said engaged condition.

3. The motor vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein said controller is configured, based on the received information indicative of the terrain meeting at least one predetermined condition, to either:
output the signal, or
maintain said first releasable torque transmitting device in said engaged condition.

4. The motor vehicle control device according to claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to output said signal if a speed of at least one of the first wheels of said first axle exceeds the speed of at least one of the second wheels of said second axle by more than a prescribed amount when the received information indicative of the terrain over which the vehicle is travelling meets said at least one predetermined condition.

5. The motor vehicle control device according to claim 3 , wherein the at least one predetermined condition comprises one or more of:
the received information indicating that a gradient of the terrain exceeds a prescribed gradient in an uphill direction;
the terrain consists essentially of sand; and
the vehicle is operating in a sand mode.

6. The motor vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to receive the information indicative of the terrain by receiving a signal indicative of the identity of an operating mode of the vehicle, the operating mode being selected from a plurality of operating modes.

7. The motor vehicle control device according to claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to determine whether to output said signal by determining which of a plurality of operating modes the vehicle is operating in from signals indicative of the terrain.

8. The motor vehicle control device according to claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to determine whether to output said signal in dependence on a state of a manual operating mode selector dial.

9. The motor vehicle control device according to claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to determine whether to output said signal in dependence upon determining which of the plurality of operating modes has been selected automatically by automatic operating mode selection means.

10. The motor vehicle control device according claim 6 , wherein the at least one operating mode includes a plurality of subsystem control modes of at least one subsystem of the vehicle, the control device having a subsystem controller for initiating control of a vehicle subsystem in a selected one of the plurality of subsystem control modes, each one of the operating modes corresponding to one or more different driving conditions for the vehicle.

11. The motor vehicle control device according to claim 10 , wherein the control device comprises evaluation means for evaluating one or more driving condition indicators to determine the extent to which each of the subsystem control modes is appropriate.

12. The motor vehicle control device according to claim 10 , wherein the control device is operable in an automatic operating mode selection condition in which the control device is to configured automatically control the subsystem controller to initiate control of the or each subsystem which is most appropriate in the subsystem control mode.

13. The motor vehicle control device according to claim 10 , wherein the at least one operating mode includes one or more control modes selected from the following:
control modes of at least one vehicle subsystem selected from among an engine management system, a transmission system, a steering system, a brake system and a suspension system;
control modes of a suspension system and the plurality of subsystem control modes comprise a plurality of ride heights;
control modes of a fluid suspension system in which fluid interconnection can be made between suspensions for wheels on opposite sides of the vehicle, and wherein said plurality of subsystem control modes provide different levels of said interconnection;
control modes of a steering system which provides steering assistance, and wherein said plurality of subsystem control modes provide different levels of steering assistance;
control modes of a brake system which provides braking assistance, and said plurality of subsystem control modes provide different levels of braking assistance;
control modes of a brake control system which provides an anti-lock function to control wheel slip, and said plurality of subsystem control modes allow different levels of wheel slip;
control modes of a powertrain system which includes a powertrain control means and an accelerator or throttle pedal, the subsystem control modes providing different levels of responsiveness of the powertrain control means to movement of the accelerator or throttle pedal;
control modes of a traction control system which is arranged to control wheel spin, and said plurality of subsystem control modes allow different levels of wheel spin; control modes of a yaw control system which is arranged to control vehicle yaw, and said plurality of subsystem control modes allow different levels of divergence of said vehicle yaw from an expected yaw;
control modes of a range change transmission and said subsystem control modes include a high range mode and a low range mode of said transmission; and
control modes of a transmission system operable in a plurality of transmission ratios and including a transmission control means arranged to monitor at least one parameter of the vehicle and to select the transmission ratios based on the at least one parameter, and wherein the subsystem control modes include a plurality of transmission configuration modes in which the transmission ratios are selected differently in response to said at least one parameter.

14. The motor vehicle control device according to claim 6 , wherein in each operating mode the control device is configured to cause

Assignees

• Jaguar Land Rover Ltd

Inventors

• Richards Karl
• OWEN Simon

Classifications

• B60W2552/00

  Input parameters relating to infrastructure · CPC title

• B60Y2400/4244

  of wet type, e.g. using multiple lamellae · CPC title

• F16D2500/7041

  Position · CPC title

• F16D2500/1117

  Motorcycle · CPC title

• F16D2500/50825

  Hill climbing or descending · CPC title