Determining effective brake pedal position

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9296368-B2
Application number	US-201314067490-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2013
Priority date	Oct 30, 2013
Publication date	Mar 29, 2016
Grant date	Mar 29, 2016

Abstract

Methods, systems, and vehicles are provided for determining an effective brake pedal position for a vehicle. A determination is made as to whether automatic braking is occurring for a vehicle. If the automatic braking is occurring, a measure of braking is determined for the vehicle. The effective pedal position of the brake pedal is determined to be a position of the brake pedal that would be expected to be required to attain the measure of braking if automatic braking were not occurring.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method comprising:
determining whether automatic braking is occurring for a vehicle having a brake pedal using a processor of an adaptive cruise control system of a computer system for the vehicle; and
if automatic braking is occurring:
determining a measure of braking for the vehicle using measurements from one or more torque sensors of the vehicle;
determining, via the processor of the adaptive cruise control system of the computer system of the vehicle, an effective pedal position of the brake pedal to be a position of the brake pedal that would be expected to be required to attain the measure of braking if automatic braking were not occurring; and

controlling, via the processor, a stop/start feature of the vehicle using the effective pedal position.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining whether the vehicle is in an adaptive cruise control mode;
wherein the steps of determining the measure of braking for the vehicle and determining the effective pedal position of the brake pedal to be a position of the brake pedal that would be expected to be required to attain the measure of braking if automatic braking were not occurring are performed only if the vehicle is in the adaptive cruise control mode and automatic braking is occurring.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining whether the vehicle is in a full speed range adaptive cruise control mode;
wherein the steps of determining the measure of braking for the vehicle and determining the effective pedal position of the brake pedal to be a position of the brake pedal that would be expected to be required to attain the measure of braking if automatic braking were not occurring are performed only if the vehicle is in the full speed range adaptive cruise control mode and automatic braking is occurring.

4. The method claim 1 , further comprising:
determining whether the vehicle is stopped;
if the vehicle is stopped, determining whether a driver of the vehicle is commanding a resumption of vehicle movement;
holding the effective pedal position of the brake pedal constant, if it is determined that the vehicle is stopped and the driver is not commanding a resumption of movement of the vehicle; and
re-setting the effective pedal position of the brake pedal constant, if it is determined that the vehicle is stopped and the driver is commanding a resumption of movement of the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the vehicle has a regenerative braking capability;
the step of determining the measure of braking comprises measuring a regenerative braking torque for the vehicle; and
the step of determining the effective pedal position of the brake pedal comprises determining the effective pedal position based at least in part on the regenerative braking torque.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the vehicle has a friction braking capability;
the step of determining the measure of braking comprises measuring a friction braking torque for the vehicle; and
the step of determining the effective pedal position of the brake pedal comprises determining the effective pedal position based at least in part on the friction braking torque.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein:
the step of determining the measure of braking further comprises determining a measure of a load for the vehicle; and
the step of determining the effective pedal position of the brake pedal comprises determining the effective pedal position based at least in part on the deceleration and the measure of the load.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the step of determining the measure of braking comprises determining a deceleration of the vehicle; and
the step of determining the effective pedal position of the brake pedal comprises determining the effective pedal position based at least in part on the deceleration.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the vehicle has a regenerative braking capability and a friction braking capability;
the step of determining the measure of braking comprises measuring a regenerative braking torque for the vehicle, determining a deceleration of the vehicle, and determining a measure of a load of the vehicle; and
the step of determining the effective pedal position of the brake pedal comprises determining the effective pedal position based at least in part on the regenerative braking torque, the deceleration, and the measure of the load.

10. A system comprising:
a non-transitory, computer-readable memory storing a program for an adaptive cruise control system of a computer system of a vehicle, the program configured to at least facilitate:
determining whether automatic braking is occurring for a vehicle having a brake pedal; and
if automatic braking is occurring:
determining a measure of braking for the vehicle using measurements from one or more torque sensors of the vehicle; and
determining an effective pedal position of the brake pedal to be a position of the brake pedal that would be expected to be required to attain the measure of braking if automatic braking were not occurring; and

a processor of the computer system of the vehicle, the processor configured to execute the program and to utilize the determined effective pedal position for controlling a stop/start feature of the vehicle using the effective pedal position.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the program is further configured to at least facilitate:
determining whether the vehicle is in an adaptive cruise control mode; and
determining the measure of braking for the vehicle and determining the effective pedal position of the brake pedal to be a position of the brake pedal that would be expected to be required to attain the measure of braking if automatic braking were not occurring only if the vehicle is in the adaptive cruise control mode and automatic braking is occurring.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the program is further configured to at least facilitate:
determining whether the vehicle is in a full speed range adaptive cruise control mode; and
determining the measure of braking for the vehicle and determining the effective pedal position of the brake pedal to be a position of the brake pedal that would be expected to be required to attain the measure of braking if automatic braking were not occurring only if the vehicle is in the full speed range adaptive cruise control mode and automatic braking is occurring.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the program is further configured to at least facilitate:
determining whether the vehicle is stopped;
if the vehicle is stopped, determining whether a driver of the vehicle is commanding a resumption of vehicle movement;
holding the effective pedal position of the brake pedal constant, if it is determined that the vehicle is stopped and the driver is not commanding a resumption of movement of the vehicle; and
re-setting the effective pedal position of the brake pedal constant, if it is determined that the vehicle is stopped and the driver is commanding a resumption of movement of the vehicle.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the vehicle has a regenerative braking capability, and the program is further configured to at least facilitate:
measuring a regenerative braking torque for the vehicle; and
determining the effective pedal position based at least in part on the regenerative braking torque.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the program is further configured to at least facilitate:
determining the measure of braking comprises determining a deceleration of the vehicle; and
determining the effective pedal position based at least in part

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Inc

Inventors

• O'Leary Patrick J
• Keller Bret J
• Shuler Barbara A
• Krueger Eric E

Classifications

• B60W20/00

  Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles {(hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L)} · CPC title

• B60T7/042 Primary

  by electrical means, e.g. using travel or force sensors · CPC title

• B60T7/06

  Disposition of pedal · CPC title

• B60T7/04 Primary

  foot actuated · CPC title