Vehicle control system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10197154-B2
Application number	US-201414907512-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2014
Priority date	Jul 25, 2013
Publication date	Feb 5, 2019
Grant date	Feb 5, 2019

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention relate to a vehicle control system (1) for controlling a vehicle transfer case (3). The transfer case (3) is operable in a high range and a low range. The vehicle control system (1) is configured to determine an operating range for the transfer case (3) based on a selected vehicle operating mode. A range change signal is output to implement a range change to engage the determined operating range. The present invention also relates to a vehicle (5) and a related method of operating a vehicle control system (1).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle control system for controlling a vehicle transfer case operable in a high range and a low range and adapted to change range while the vehicle is in motion; the control system being configured to:
determine an operating range for the transfer case based on a selected vehicle operating mode, the selected vehicle operating mode defining at least one of: steering response; throttle response; engine mapping; brake mapping; output torque; anti-lock braking control; or wheel slip parameters; and
output a range change signal to implement a range change to engage the determined operating range.

2. A vehicle control system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to receive an operating mode signal indicating the selected vehicle operating mode and to access a look-up table to identify the operating range defined for the selected vehicle operating mode.

3. A vehicle control system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to identify the selected vehicle operating mode from a plurality of vehicle operating modes.

4. A vehicle control system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said vehicle operating modes comprise a plurality of off-road operating modes and
wherein said off-road operating modes comprise one or more low range off-road modes requiring that the transfer case operates in said low range, and one or more high range off-road modes requiring that the transfer case operates in said high range.

5. A vehicle control system as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the control system is configured to output said range change signal to implement a change from said high range to said low range when the vehicle operating mode changes from one of said one or more high range off-road modes to one of said one or more low range off-road modes.

6. A vehicle control system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said vehicle operating modes comprise at least one on-road operating mode requiring that the transfer case operates in said high range and
wherein the control system is configured to output said range change signal to implement a change from said low range to said high range when the vehicle operating mode changes from a low range off-road operating mode to said at least one on-road operating mode.

7. A vehicle control system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said vehicle operating modes comprise a towing mode and
when said towing mode is selected, the control system is configured to output said range change signal to implement a range change based on vehicle speed.

8. A vehicle control system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the control system is configured to output said range change signal to implement a range change from the low range to the high range when the vehicle speed increases above a first towing speed threshold; and/or the control system is configured to output said range change signal to implement a range change from the high range to the low range when the vehicle speed decreases below a second towing speed threshold, wherein the first towing speed threshold is the same as or different from the second towing speed threshold.

9. A vehicle control system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said vehicle operating modes comprise a hill climb assist mode.

10. A vehicle control system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein, when said hill climb assist mode is selected, the control system is configured to output said range change signal to implement a range change based on vehicle speed and/or
to output said range change signal to implement a range change from the high range to the low range when the vehicle speed decreases to zero and/or
to output said range change signal to implement a range change from the low range to the high range when the vehicle speed increases above a hill climb threshold and/or
to output said range change signal automatically upon identification of a change in vehicle operating mode and/or
to output a user prompt requesting confirmation to implement said range change upon identification of the change in vehicle operating mode.

11. A vehicle comprising a vehicle control system as claimed in claim 1 .

12. A method of controlling a vehicle transfer case operable in a high range and a low range and adapted to change range while the vehicle is in motion; the method comprising:
determining an operating range for the transfer case based on a selected vehicle operating mode, the selected vehicle operating mode defining at least one of: steering response; throttle response; engine mapping; brake mapping; output torque; anti-lock braking control; or wheel slip parameters; and
outputting a range change signal to implement a range change to engage the determined operating range.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12 comprising receiving an operating mode signal indicating the selected vehicle operating mode and
comprising accessing a look-up table to identify the operating range defined for the selected vehicle operating mode.

14. A method as claimed in claim 12 comprising identifying the selected vehicle operating mode from a plurality of vehicle operating modes.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein said plurality of vehicle operating modes comprise a plurality of off-road operating modes.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15 , wherein said off-road operating modes comprise one or more low range off-road modes requiring that the transfer case operates in said low range; and one or more high range off-road modes requiring that the transfer case operates in said high range.

17. A method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein said vehicle operating modes comprise at least one on-road operating mode requiring that the transfer case operates in said high range and
wherein the method further comprises outputting said range change signal to implement a change from said low range to said high range when the vehicle operating mode changes from a low range off-road operating mode to said at least one on-road operating mode.

18. A method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein said vehicle operating modes comprise a towing mode and
wherein the method further comprises outputting said range change signal to implement a range change based on vehicle speed in dependence on selection of said towing mode.

19. A method as claimed in claim 18 , comprising outputting said range change signal to implement a range change from the low range to the high range when the vehicle speed increases above a first towing speed threshold; and/or outputting said range change signal to implement a range change from the high range to the low range when the vehicle speed decreases below a second towing speed threshold, wherein the first towing speed threshold is the same as or different from the second towing speed threshold.

20. A method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein said vehicle operating modes comprise a hill climb assist mode and, further comprising,
outputting said range change signal to implement a range change based on vehicle speed when said hill climb assist mode is selected and/or
outputting said range change signal to implement a range change from the high range to the low range when the vehicle speed decreases to zero and/or
outputting said range change signal to implement a range change from the low range to the high range when the vehicle speed increases above a hill climb threshold and/or
outputting said range change signal automatically upon identification of a change in vehicle operating mode and/or
outputting a user prompt requesting confirmation to imp

Assignees

• Jaguar Land Rover Ltd

Inventors

• Sutton Simon
• Mullane Steve
• Ram Malkit
• Burt Sam

Classifications

• B60W2520/10

  Longitudinal speed · CPC title

• F16H61/702

  using electric or electrohydraulic control means · CPC title

• B60W10/111

  with separate change-speed gear trains arranged in series · CPC title

• F16H61/0204 Primary

  for gearshift control, e.g. control functions for performing shifting or generation of shift signal · CPC title

• F16H63/42

  Ratio indicator devices · CPC title