Controlling the operation of a vehicle brake system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10507809-B2
Application number	US-201515523383-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2015
Priority date	Oct 30, 2014
Publication date	Dec 17, 2019
Grant date	Dec 17, 2019

Abstract

A method of controlling the brake system of a vehicle. The method includes receiving one or more electrical signals each indicative of a value of a respective vehicle-related parameter. The method further includes detecting that the vehicle is traveling across a slope based on the value(s) of one or more of the vehicle-related parameters. The method still further includes automatically modifying the amount of brake torque being applied to at least certain of the wheels of the vehicle in response to the detection of the vehicle traveling across a slope by increasing the amount of brake torque being applied to one or more wheels on one side of the vehicle, and decreasing the amount of brake torque being applied to one or more wheels on the other side of the vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of controlling the operation of a brake system of a vehicle when driving on a deformable surface, the vehicle having a front, rear and two sides, the method comprising:
receiving one or more electrical signals each indicative of a value of a respective vehicle-related parameter;
detecting that the vehicle is traversing a side slope such that one side of the vehicle is uphill and the other side is downhill, based on the value(s) of one or more of the vehicle-related parameter(s); and
controlling an extent to which the forward and rearward wheels on the downhill side of the vehicle dip into the deformable surface as the vehicle decelerates to a stop by automatically modifying the amount of brake torque being applied to at least certain of the wheels of the vehicle in response to the detection of the vehicle traversing a side slope by increasing the amount of brake torque being applied to forward and rearward wheels on the uphill side of the vehicle, and decreasing the amount of brake torque being applied to forward and rearward wheels on the downhill side of the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modifying step comprises:
increasing the amount of brake torque being applied to one or more forward wheels of the vehicle and decreasing the amount of brake torque being applied to one or more rearward wheels of the vehicle; or
decreasing the amount of brake torque being applied to one or more forward wheels of the vehicle and increasing the amount of brake torque being applied to one or more rearward wheels of the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
evaluating one or more criteria to determine whether to modify the amount of brake torque being applied to at least certain of the vehicle wheels; and
modifying the amount of brake torque being applied to at least certain of the vehicle wheels when at least one of the criteria are met.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the one or more criteria comprise one or more of:
the gradient of the slope being above a predetermined threshold;
the speed of the vehicle being below a predetermined threshold;
the magnitude of the commanded brake torque being above a predetermined threshold; or
the terrain the vehicle is traversing being one of one or more particular terrain types.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the type of terrain the vehicle is traversing; and
modifying the amount of brake torque being applied to at least certain of the vehicle wheels when the terrain is one of one or more particular terrain types.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein determining the terrain type comprises receiving a user input indicative of the terrain type.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein determining the terrain type comprises automatically determining the terrain type.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein the one or more particular terrain types correspond to terrains having a deformable surface.

9. The method of claim 4 , wherein the one or more particular terrain types comprises at least one of sand, gravel, mud, or grass.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein after the modifying of the amount of brake torque, the method comprises:
continuously monitoring at least one of the gradient of the slope across which the vehicle is traveling or the speed of the vehicle; and
modifying the amount of brake torque being applied to at least certain of the vehicle wheels as one or both of the gradient of the slope and the speed of the vehicle change(s).

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein after the modifying of the amount of brake torque, the method comprises:
monitoring a vehicle-related parameter as the vehicle decelerates; and
when the vehicle-related parameter reaches a predetermined threshold, automatically modifying the amount of brake torque being applied to one or more wheels of the vehicle by decreasing the amount of brake torque being applied to one or more wheels on the downhill side of the vehicle.

12. 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 1 .

13. A system for controlling the operation of a brake system of a vehicle when driving on a deformable surface, the vehicle having a front, rear and two sides, the system comprising:
means for receiving one or more signals each indicative of a value of a respective vehicle-related parameter;
means to detect that the vehicle is traversing a side slope such that one side of the vehicle is uphill and the other side is downhill, based on the value(s) of one or more of the vehicle-related parameter(s); and
means to control an extent to which the forward and rearward wheels on the downhill side of the vehicle dip into the deformable surface as the vehicle decelerates to a stop by commanding a modification in the amount of brake torque being applied to at least certain of the wheels of the vehicle in response to the detection of the vehicle traversing a side slope by commanding an increase in the amount of brake torque being applied to forward and rearward wheels on the uphill side of the vehicle, and a decrease in the amount of brake torque being applied to forward and rearward wheels on the downhill side of the vehicle.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the receiving means, detecting means, and controlling means comprise:
an electronic processor having an electrical input for receiving the one or more signals indicative of the value(s) of the vehicle-related parameter(s); and
an electronic memory device electrically coupled to the electronic processor and having instructions stored therein,
wherein the processor is configured to access the memory device and execute the instructions stored therein such that it is operable to:
detect that the vehicle is traversing a side slope based on the value(s) of one or more of the vehicle-related parameters; and
control an extent to which the forward and rearward wheels on the downhill side of the vehicle dig into the deformable surface as the vehicle decelerates to a stop by commanding a modification to the amount of brake torque being applied to at least certain of the wheels of the vehicle by commanding an increase in the amount of brake torque being applied to forward and rearward vehicle wheels on the uphill side of the vehicle, and a decrease in the amount of brake torque being applied to forward and rearward wheels on the downhill side of the vehicle.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the processor is operable to command:
an increase in the amount of brake torque being applied to one or more forward wheels of the vehicle, and a decrease in the amount of brake torque being applied to one or more rearward wheels of the vehicle; or
a decrease in the amount of brake torque being applied to one or more forward wheels of the vehicle, and an increase in the amount of brake torque being applied to one or more rearward wheels of the vehicle.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the processor is operable to:
evaluate one or more criteria to determine whether to command a modification to the amount of brake torque being applied to at least certain of the vehicle wheels; and
command a modification to the amount of brake torque being applied to at least certain of the vehicle wheels when at least one of the criteria are met.

17. A vehicle comprising the system according to claim 13 .

18. An electronic controller for a vehicle, the vehicle having a front, rear and two sides, t

Assignees

• Jaguar Land Rover Ltd

Inventors

• OWEN Simon
• Richards Karl

Classifications

• B60T8/1766 Primary

  Proportioning of brake forces according to vehicle axle loads, e.g. front to rear of vehicle · CPC title

• B60T2210/22

  Banked curves · CPC title

• B60T7/12

  for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger {(limiting speed of vehicles other than rail vehicles B60K31/00)} · CPC title

• B60T2210/16

  Off-road driving conditions · CPC title

• B60T8/17551

  determining control parameters related to vehicle stability used in the regulation, e.g. by calculations involving measured or detected parameters · CPC title