Vehicle speed control apparatus and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9358979-B2
Application number	US-201414520169-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2014
Priority date	Feb 27, 2012
Publication date	Jun 7, 2016
Grant date	Jun 7, 2016

Abstract

The present disclosure describes systems and methods for controlling the speed of a vehicle comprising: during a pulse phase of cruise control, applying engine torque to raise speed, the amount and duration of which being responsive to engine speed; and during a glide phase of cruise control, discontinuing engine combustion. In this way cruise control may maintain a mean speed equivalent to a desired, threshold speed while reducing fuel consumption, and NVH effects felt by the end user compared to traditional cruise control methods.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
during a pulse phase of cruise control, applying engine torque to raise speed, an amount and duration of which being responsive to engine speed; and
during a glide phase of cruise control, discontinuing engine combustion.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the amount of engine torque applied in the pulse phase is selected based on a brake specific fuel consumption map.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the duration of engine torque applied is increased during selected conditions.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the amount of engine torque applied in the pulse phase is varied from one pulse event to another pulse event.

5. A method for a vehicle, comprising:
reducing noise, vibration and harshness during pulse and glide cruise control by,
filtering a tachometer output;
adjusting a rate of acceleration during a pulse phase;
varying a duty cycle of the pulse phase; and
adjusting a difference between a high speed and a low speed, cruise control including maintaining the vehicle within a distance range to a vehicle in front.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising determining a distance to the vehicle in front, and adjusting engine output to maintain the determined distance within the distance range.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein varying the duty cycle of the pulse phase further comprises increasing a duration of fueling.

8. The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein adjusting the difference between the high speed and the low speed further comprises reducing the difference between the high speed and the low speed.

9. A method for a vehicle, comprising:
during a pulse phase of cruise control, applying engine torque to raise speed, an amount and duration of which being responsive to engine speed and selected based on a brake specific fuel consumption map; and
during a glide phase of cruise control, discontinuing engine combustion.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the cruise control includes automatically controlling a speed of the vehicle.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein controlling the speed is adjustable by a driver of the vehicle during the cruise control.

12. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein during the glide phase, vehicle speed is decreased by disengaging a transmission clutch of the vehicle.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising reducing audio, visual or tactile phenomena associated with a repeated change in vehicle speed.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 , further comprising reducing audio, visual or tactile phenomena associated with the repeated change in vehicle speed by reducing a sound produced by the engine.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14 , further comprising reducing audio, visual or tactile phenomena associated with the repeated change in vehicle speed by varying a duty cycle of the engine.

16. The method as claimed in claim 13 , further comprising reducing audio, visual or tactile phenomena associated with the repeated change in vehicle speed by changing a rate at which vehicle speed changes during the pulse phase or glide phase.

17. The method as claimed in claim 13 , further comprising reducing audio, visual or tactile phenomena associated with the repeated change in vehicle speed by using a filter to alter a tachometer display.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Pedlar Chris Edward
• Connelly Chris
• Hesketh David
• Petridis Themi Philemon

Classifications

• B60K2310/242

  setting initial target speed, e.g. initial algorithms · CPC title

• B60W10/06

  including control of combustion engines · CPC title

• B60W10/02

  including control of driveline clutches · CPC title

• B60K31/047

  the memory being digital · CPC title

• B60W30/143 Primary

  Speed control (B60W30/16 takes precedence) · CPC title