Vehicle control system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9545927-B2
Application number	US-201314425027-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 6, 2013
Priority date	Sep 6, 2012
Publication date	Jan 17, 2017
Grant date	Jan 17, 2017

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a motor vehicle control system for selecting and/or determining a driving surface and for controlling a plurality of vehicle subsystems to operate in a plurality of subsystem control modes in dependence on the selected/determined driving surface, the system being operable in a manual control mode selection condition in which a user is able to select said driving surface and an automatic control mode selection condition in which the system is configured to select said driving surface automatically, wherein the vehicle control system is provided with a memory arranged to memorize a last selected control mode that was selected prior to vehicle de-activation or key-off when operating in the automatic control mode selection condition, and upon the next subsequent vehicle activation or key-on, the system is configured to continue operating in the memorized control mode and to automatically obtain new data in respect of a driving surface over which the vehicle is moving before allowing a change in control mode to take place.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A motor vehicle control system for selecting a driving surface and for controlling a plurality of vehicle subsystems to operate in a plurality of subsystem control modes in dependence on the selected driving surface, the system being operable in a manual control mode selection condition in which a user is able to select said driving surface and an automatic control mode selection condition in which the system is configured to select said driving surface automatically, wherein the vehicle control system is provided with a processor and memory arranged to memorize a last selected control mode that was selected prior to vehicle de-activation or key-off when operating in the automatic control mode selection condition, and upon the next subsequent vehicle activation or key-on, the system is configured to continue operating in the memorized control mode and to automatically obtain new data in respect of a driving surface over which the vehicle is moving before allowing a change in control mode to take place.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein when operating in the automatic control mode selection condition, the system is configured to select the most appropriate subsystem control mode by:
(1) for each type of control mode, calculating the probability that the control mode is suitable for the terrain or driving surface over which the vehicle is travelling, based on a plurality of terrain indicators, the terrain indicators being determined according to the value of one or more vehicle operating parameters;
(2) integrating positive differences between the probability for the current control mode and that for each of the other control modes; and
(3) when the integrated value of the positive differences between the current control mode and one of the other control modes exceeds a pre-determined threshold, assuming that control mode.

3. A system according to claim 2 arranged wherein at vehicle activation or key-on the system is configured to set the integrated value of the positive differences for each control mode to a respective prescribed value.

4. A system according to claim 2 configured to set at least one of the plurality of terrain indicators to a prescribed value at key-off, vehicle deactivation, key-on or vehicle activation.

5. A system according to claim 4 wherein the prescribed value is a value that is at or close to a middle of a range of values allowed for that parameter before a threshold for change of control mode is triggered.

6. A system according to claim 4 wherein the at least one terrain indicator includes a value of surface coefficient of friction between a wheel and a driving surface and wherein the value of surface coefficient of friction is set to a value of substantially 0.5 at key-off, vehicle deactivation, key-on or vehicle activation.

7. A system according to claim 1 arranged to memorize the last selected control mode in response to key-off or vehicle deactivation.

8. A system according to claim 1 wherein memorising the last selected control mode prior to vehicle deactivation includes memorising the last selected control mode when a transmission of the vehicle is placed into a PARK or NEUTRAL mode.

9. A system according to claim 1 arranged wherein a transition from PARK or NEUTRAL to a forward drive mode is considered to be a vehicle activation.

10. A system according to claim 1 arranged to remain in the last selected control mode if a user shifts from a forward gear to a reverse gear, wherein when a user shifts from a forward gear to a reverse gear the system is configured to remain in the last selected control mode until a forward gear is subsequently selected.

11. A system according to claim 10 wherein when the forward gear is subsequently selected the system is configured to remain in the last selected control mode until the vehicle has travelled a predetermined distance, or a predetermined time has elapsed.

12. A system according to claim 1 arranged at key off or vehicle deactivation to store data indicative of a last known gear ratio of a range transmission, wherein if at key-on or vehicle activation the gear ratio of the range transmission has changed in comparison to the stored data, the system is configured to assume a set of default settings for the vehicle sub-systems.

13. A system according to claim 1 arranged at key off or vehicle deactivation to store data indicative of a last known ride height setting of a suspension system, wherein if at key-on or vehicle activation the ride height setting of a suspension system is determined to have changed, the system is configured to assume a set of default settings for the vehicle sub-systems.

14. A control system according to claim 1 wherein the control modes are control modes of at least one subsystem of a vehicle, the system comprising a subsystem controller for initiating control of the or each of the vehicle subsystems in the selected one of the plurality of subsystem control modes, each of which subsystem control modes corresponds to one or more different driving surfaces; and
wherein the control modes are control modes of at least two vehicle subsystems selected from amongst an engine management system, a transmission system, a steering system, a brakes system and a suspension system, and in each system operating mode the system is configured to cause each one of a plurality of vehicle subsystems to be operated in a subsystem configuration mode appropriate to the driving surface, wherein the control modes include one or more of:
control modes of a suspension system and the plurality of subsystem configuration modes comprise a plurality of ride heights;
control modes of a fluid suspension system in which fluid interconnection can be made between suspensions for wheels on opposite sides of the vehicle, and wherein said plurality of subsystem configuration modes provide different levels of said interconnection;
control modes of a steering system which can provide steering assistance, and wherein said plurality of subsystem configuration modes provide different levels of said steering assistance;
control modes of a brakes system which can provide braking assistance, and said plurality of subsystem configuration modes provide different levels of said braking assistance;
control modes of a brake control system which can provide an anti-lock function to control wheel slip, and said plurality of subsystem configuration modes allow different levels of said wheel slip;
control modes of a traction control system which is arranged to control wheel spin, and said plurality of subsystem configuration modes allow different levels of said wheel spin;
control modes of a yaw control system which is arranged to control vehicle yaw, and said plurality of subsystem configuration modes allow different levels of divergence of said vehicle yaw from an expected yaw;
control modes of a range change transmission and said subsystem configuration modes may include a high range mode and a low range mode of said transmission;
control modes of a powertrain system which includes a powertrain controller and an accelerator or throttle pedal, the subsystem configuration modes providing different levels of responsiveness of the powertrain controller to movement of the accelerator or throttle pedal; and
control modes of a transmission system operable in a plurality of transmission ratios and including an electronic transmission controller arranged to monitor at least one parameter of the vehicle and to select the transmission ratios in response, and wherein the subsystem configuration modes include a plurality of transmission configuration modes in which

Assignees

• Jaguar Land Rover Ltd

Inventors

• Fairgrieve Andrew
• Hemes Elliot
• Dennehy Dan
• Kelly James
• Anker Sam

Classifications

• B60W2540/215

  Selection or confirmation of options · CPC title

• B62D15/02

  Steering position indicators {; Steering position determination; Steering aids} · CPC title

• B60W30/18

  Propelling the vehicle · CPC title

• B60W2540/06

  Ignition switch · CPC title

• B60W2540/16

  Ratio selector position · CPC title