System for operating vehicle in different driving modes and methods for same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9623879-B2
Application number	US-201414182320-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 18, 2014
Priority date	Feb 18, 2014
Publication date	Apr 18, 2017
Grant date	Apr 18, 2017

Abstract

A vehicle includes a control system, a selector, and a display. The selector is operable in one of a first selection mode and a second selection mode for selecting respective ones of a first driving mode and a second driving mode for the vehicle. The control system is configured to detect an improper vehicular condition for the second driving mode. When the vehicle is in the first driving mode and the selector is transitioned from the first selection mode to the second selection mode during the occurrence of the improper vehicular condition for the second driving mode, the control system is configured to facilitate display of a warning message on the warning display indicating the improper vehicular condition for the second driving mode and inhibit the vehicle from transitioning from the first driving mode to the second driving mode. A method is also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
a control system comprising a primary controller and at least two subsystem controllers, each in communication with each other and the primary controller, the at least two subsystem controllers each being configured to control one of two or more separate vehicle subsystems;
a selector in electronic communication with the control system, the selector being operable in one of a first selection mode and a second selection mode for selecting respective ones of a first driving mode and a second driving mode for the vehicle; and
a warning display in electronic communication with the at least one subsystem controller configured to only display warnings; wherein:
the primary controller transmits the selected driving mode to the at least two or more subsystem controllers;
at least one of the at least two or more subsystem controllers detects an improper vehicular condition and transmits an inhibit indicator to the primary controller indicating at least one prohibited driving mode based upon the improper vehicular condition;
the primary controller and at least one of the at least two subsystem controllers are each configured to compare the selected driving mode to the at least one prohibited driving mode, and
when the selected driving mode and the at least one prohibited driving mode are the same, at least one of the at least two subsystem controllers is configured to facilitate display of a warning message on the warning display indicating the improper vehicular condition for the selected driving mode and, the primary controller is configured to inhibit the vehicle from transitioning to the selected driving mode.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the primary controller is configured to facilitate automatic transitioning to the prohibited driving mode once the improper vehicular condition ceases to exist.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the different driving modes are each one of a quiet mode, a sport mode, a sport plus mode, a circuit mode, and a launch mode.

4. The vehicle of claim 3 wherein the inhibit indicator comprises a quiet mode inhibit data line, a sport mode inhibit data line, a sport plus mode inhibit data line, a circuit mode inhibit data line, and a launch mode inhibit data line that indicate the occurrence of the improper vehicular condition for the quiet mode, the sport mode, the sport plus mode, the circuit mode, and the launch mode, respectively.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the selector comprises a rotary switch that is rotatable between the different modes.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising an electronic instrument cluster that comprises the warning display.

7. A method for operating a vehicle, the vehicle comprising a control system that comprises a primary controller and at least two subsystem controllers in communication with each other and the primary controller, the method comprising:
receiving, by the primary controller from a selector, a selected driving mode;
detecting, by at least one of the at least two subsystem controllers, an improper vehicular condition for the selected driving mode;
determining, by at least one of the at least two subsystem controllers, at least one prohibited driving mode based upon the improper vehicular condition;
transmitting, by at least one of the at least two subsystem controllers, an inhibit indicator to the primary controller indicating at least one prohibited driving mode based upon the improper vehicular condition,
comparing, by the primary controller and at least one of the at least two subsystem controllers, the selected driving mode to the at least one prohibited driving mode;
when the selected driving mode and the at least one prohibited driving mode are the same, inhibiting, by the primary controller, operation of the vehicle in the selected driving mode during the existence of the improper vehicular condition; and
displaying, by at least one of the at least two subsystem controllers, a first warning message on a warning display configured to only display warnings indicating the improper vehicular condition.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein transmitting the inhibit indicator comprises setting of an inhibit data line to an inhibit mode, the inhibit data line being associated with the selected driving mode.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein setting of the inhibit data line to the inhibit mode comprises driving the inhibit data line to a single binary value.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising displaying a second warning message indicating the selected driving mode that is being inhibited.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising: inhibiting operation of the vehicle in the desired driving mode for a predetermined period of time; and once the predetermined time period has elapsed, disregarding the desired driving mode and operating the vehicle in a current driving mode.

12. A vehicle comprising:
a primary controller configured to detect operational conditions of the vehicle and automatically transition the vehicle between different driving modes based upon the operational conditions; and
at least two subsystem controllers each configured to control at least one of two separate vehicle subsystems, the at least two subsystem controllers being in electronic communication with each other and the primary controller, wherein each of the at least two subsystem controllers is configured to transmit an inhibit indicator to the primary controller indicating the occurrence of an improper vehicular condition and determine at least one prohibited driving mode based upon the improper vehicular condition; wherein:
the primary controller selects a driving mode and transmits the selected driving mode to the at least two subsystem controllers;
the primary controller and at least one of the at least two subsystem controllers are each configured to compare the selected driving mode to the at least one prohibited driving mode, and
when the selected driving mode and the at least one prohibited driving mode are the same, at least one of the at least two subsystem controllers is configured to facilitate display of a warning message on warning display configured to only display warnings, indicating the improper vehicular condition for the selected driving mode, and the primary controller is configured to inhibit the vehicle from transitioning to the selected driving mode.

13. The vehicle of claim 12 wherein the inhibit indicator comprises a plurality of inhibit data lines, each of the inhibit data lines corresponding to the different driving modes.

14. The vehicle of claim 13 wherein the at least one subsystem controller is configured to selectively set each of the inhibit data lines in an inhibiting mode.

15. The vehicle of claim 14 wherein the at least one subsystem controller is configured to drive the inhibit data line to a single binary value to facilitate setting of the inhibit data line to the inhibiting mode.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ellis Nathaniel C
• Scheufler Nicholas A
• Bucci Andrew M

Classifications

• B60W50/087 Primary

  where the control system corrects or modifies a request from the driver · CPC title

• B60W2050/0096

  Control during transition between modes · CPC title

• B60W50/082

  Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling · CPC title

• B60W2050/146

  Display means · CPC title