System and Method for Situationally Optimized Turning Assistance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022324452-A1
Application number	US-202117226258-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 9, 2021
Priority date	Apr 9, 2021
Publication date	Oct 13, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vehicle control system for reducing turn radius of a vehicle may include electric motors associated with front and rear wheels of the vehicle. The system may further include a plurality of vehicle sensors to receive information including driving surface type, vehicle speed and handwheel position. The system may also include a controller operably coupled to the electric motors and the sensors to control wheel slip during a turn based on the driving surface type, the vehicle speed and the handwheel position.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1 . A vehicle control system comprising:
electric motors associated with front and rear wheels of the vehicle; a plurality of vehicle sensors to receive information including driving surface type, vehicle speed and handwheel position; and a controller operably coupled to the electric motors and the sensors to control wheel slip during a turn based on the driving surface type, the vehicle speed and the handwheel position.

2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a torque control module operably coupled to the controller and/or to front wheels of the vehicle and rear wheels of the vehicle, the torque control module being operable, responsive to control by the controller, to selectively apply different torque values to at least an inside one of the rear wheels relative to an outside one of the rear wheels.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the controller controls vehicle operation in any of a plurality of operator selectable modes of operation, and
wherein the torque control module applies the different torque values during the turn responsive to operator selection of a corresponding one of the modes of operation and detection of a trigger event.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the trigger event comprises detecting a steering wheel angle of the handwheel being at a maximum angle that corresponds to a limit of rotation of the handwheel, and an application of additional torque to the handwheel at the limit of rotation.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein speed changes associated with the applying the different torque values change nonlinearly with respect to changes in the application of the additional torque to the handwheel.

6 . The system of claim 2 , wherein selectively applying the different torque values comprises applying a negative torque to the inside rear wheel and applying a positive torque to the front wheels and the outside rear wheel during the turn.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the negative torque is applied by operating an electric motor associated with the inside rear wheel in a reverse direction.

8 . The system of claim 2 , wherein selectively applying the different torque values comprises applying a different torque to each of the front wheels and each of the rear wheels.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller controls wheel slip based on a selected slip table from a plurality of slip tables, the selected slip table defining an amount of slip between an inside wheel and an outside wheel of one or both of the front wheels and the rear wheels.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the selected slip table is chosen based on the driving surface type.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the driving surface type is determined locally at the vehicle based on surface information provided by a surface sensor.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the surface sensor is a camera.

13 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the driving surface type is determined based on a mode selection made by a driver of the vehicle.

14 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the driving surface type is determined based on a location of the vehicle.

15 . A method of providing automated application of turn radius reduction for a vehicle, the method comprising:
receiving a mode selection selecting a turning radius reduction mode; receiving steering wheel angle and vehicle speed information to determine if turn radius reduction criteria are met during a turn; determining a surface type on which the vehicle is operating; and in response to the turn radius reduction criteria being met, applying a torque differential to at least an inside rear wheel and an outside rear wheel of the vehicle based on a steering wheel angle, vehicle speed information and the surface type.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein determining the surface type on which the vehicle is operating comprises determining the surface type locally at the vehicle based on surface information provided by a surface sensor.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein determining the surface type on which the vehicle is operating comprises determining the surface type based on the mode selection.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein determining the surface type on which the vehicle is operating comprises determining the surface type based on a location of the vehicle.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein applying the torque differential further comprises applying the torque differential also to an inside rear wheel relative to an outside rear wheel of the vehicle.

20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein applying the torque differential comprises applying a positive torque to the outside rear wheel and applying a negative torque to the inside rear wheel.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Diamond Brendan
• Weston Keith
• Johnson Matthew
• Monticello Andrew

Classifications

• B60L15/2036 Primary

  Electric differentials, e.g. for supporting steering vehicles · CPC title

• B60L2250/00

  Driver interactions · CPC title

• B60L3/106

  for maintaining or recovering the adhesion of the drive wheels · CPC title

• B60L2220/42

  with use of more than one motor · CPC title

• B60L3/102

  of individual wheels · CPC title