Traction and stability control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10486664-B2
Application number	US-201715609982-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2017
Priority date	May 31, 2017
Publication date	Nov 26, 2019
Grant date	Nov 26, 2019

Abstract

Method and apparatus are disclosed for a traction and stability control system. An example vehicle includes wheel speed sensors on wheels of the vehicle and a traction control module. The example traction control module determines, based on measurements of the wheel speed sensors or a transmission control module, whether the vehicle is likely stuck. Additionally, when the vehicle is likely stuck and an indication to disable the a traction control system has been received, the example traction control module disables the traction control system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
first wheel speed sensors on drive wheels of the vehicle;
second wheel speed sensors on non-drive wheels of the vehicle; and
a traction control module to:
activate a traction control system based on measurements of the first wheel speed sensors;
determine, based on measurements of the second wheel speed sensors, whether the vehicle is stuck; and
when the vehicle is stuck and an indication to disable the a traction control system has been received, disable the traction control system.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein to determine whether the vehicle is stuck, the traction control module is to, when the traction control system is active:
determine a speed of the vehicle using measurements of the second wheel speed sensors, and
when the speed of the vehicle satisfies a threshold, determine that the vehicle is stuck.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein when the vehicle is stuck, the traction control module is to generate the indication to disable the traction control system without input from an occupant of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein when the vehicle is stuck, the traction control module is to generate the indication to disable the traction control system in response to receiving a confirmation in response to a prompt on a human-machine interface to disable the traction control system.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the traction control system is to, in response to determining that the vehicle is no longer stuck based on a speed of the vehicle being greater than a threshold, enable the traction control system.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the traction control system is to enable the traction control system when (a) a indication to enable the traction control system is received in response to a prompt on a human-machine interface to enable the traction control system after the traction control system has been disabled, and (b) after not receiving the indication to enable the traction control system in response to the prompt on the human-machine interface after a period of time, a speed of the vehicle is greater than a threshold.

7. A method to control a traction control system in a vehicle comprising:
activating the traction control system based on measurements of wheel speed sensors associated with drive wheels of the vehicle;
determining, based on measurements of wheel speed sensors associated with non-drive wheels of the vehicle, whether the vehicle is stuck without input from an occupant of the vehicle; and
when the vehicle is stuck and an indication to disable the traction control system has been received, disabling, via a traction control module, the traction control system.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein determining whether the vehicle is stuck includes, when the traction control system is active:
determining a speed of the vehicle using measurements of the wheel speed sensors associated with the non-drive wheels, and
when the speed of the vehicle satisfies a threshold, determining that the vehicle is stuck.

9. The method of claim 7 , including when the vehicle is stuck, generating the indication to disable the traction control system without input from the occupant of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 7 , including when the vehicle is stuck, generating the indication to disable the traction control system in response to receiving a confirmation in response to a prompt on a human-machine interface to disable the traction control system.

11. The method of claim 7 , including, in response to determining that the vehicle is no longer stuck based on a speed of the vehicle being greater than a threshold, enabling the traction control system.

12. The method of claim 7 , including enabling the traction control system when (a) a indication to enable the traction control system is received in response to a prompt on a human-machine interface to enable the traction control system after the traction control system has been disabled, and (b) after not receiving the indication to enable the traction control system in response to the prompt on the human-machine interface after a period of time, a speed of the vehicle is greater than a threshold.

13. A vehicle comprising:
a GPS receiver that determines the speed of the vehicle;
wheel speed sensors on wheels of the vehicle; and
a traction control module to:
set a traction control system to an active mode based on measurements from the wheel speed sensors; and
after the traction control system is set to the active mode, detect that the vehicle is stuck based on speed of the vehicle from the GPS receiver, and disable the traction control system in response to receiving an indication to disable the a traction control system.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Berels David Jeffeory

Classifications

• B60T2260/04

  Automatic transmission · CPC title

• B60W2520/28

  Wheel speed · CPC title

• B60T8/175 Primary

  Brake regulation specially adapted to prevent excessive wheel spin during vehicle acceleration, e.g. for traction control (safety devices for propulsion unit control responsive to, or preventing, skidding of wheels B60K28/16) · CPC title

• B60W2720/26

  Wheel slip · CPC title

• B60T2270/206

  Monitoring, e.g. parameter monitoring, plausibility check · CPC title