Vehicle control system and method for controlling a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9873436-B2
Application number	US-201214130655-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 4, 2012
Priority date	Jul 4, 2011
Publication date	Jan 23, 2018
Grant date	Jan 23, 2018

Abstract

A vehicle control system for at least one vehicle subsystem of a vehicle; the vehicle control system comprising a subsystem controller for initiating control of the or each of the vehicle subsystems in a selected one of a plurality of different subsystem control modes, each of which corresponds to one or more different driving conditions for the vehicle. Evaluation means are provided for evaluating one or more driving condition indicators to determine the extent to which each of the subsystem control modes is appropriate and for providing an output to the subsystem controller that is indicative of the control mode which is most appropriate. This may be an evaluation means for calculating the probability that the or each of the subsystem control modes is appropriate. Automatic control means may be operable in an automatic response mode to select an appropriate one of the subsystem control modes in dependence on the output.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle control system for at least one vehicle subsystem of a vehicle; the vehicle control system comprising:
a subsystem controller for initiating control of one or more vehicle subsystems in a selected one of a plurality of subsystem control modes, each of which corresponds to one or more different terrain types for the vehicle, and
at least one sensor that outputs at least one signal indicative of the terrain in which the vehicle is travelling, wherein the at least one signal is a signal other than a signal generated in response to a user input;
a processor configured to: receive the at least one signal from the at least one sensor and to evaluate the at least one signal; determine, for each of said subsystem control modes corresponding to one or more different terrain types, the extent to which that subsystem control mode is appropriate for the terrain in which the vehicle is travelling on the basis of the at least one signal and without reliance on a user input; and automatically provide an output indicative of the subsystem control mode that is determined to be the most appropriate, wherein
in an automatic response mode, the subsystem controller automatically configures each vehicle subsystem in said subsystem control mode determined to be the most appropriate in response to said output indicative of the determined subsystem control mode that is determined to be the most appropriate.

2. The vehicle control system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine, for each of said subsystem control modes, the probability that that subsystem control mode is appropriate, and wherein the output provided by the processor is indicative of the subsystem control mode determined to have the highest probability.

3. The vehicle control system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the processor evaluates a plurality of driving condition indicators to determine said probability.

4. The vehicle control system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the processor includes an estimator configured to receive one or more input signals corresponding to a respective one or more of the driving condition indicators and to estimate one or more further driving condition indicators on the basis of the or each of the input signals.

5. The vehicle control system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
calculate a combined probability value for each subsystem control mode based on individual probability values, for said subsystem control mode, derived from a respective one of the driving condition indicators, and
wherein the control output signal from the processor is indicative of the control mode with the highest combined probability value.

6. The vehicle control system as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the combined probability value (Pb) for each control mode is calculated by:
Pb =( a·b·c·d . . . n )/(( a·b·c·d . . . n )+(1− a ). (1− b ). (1− c ). (1− d ) . . . (1− n ))

wherein a, b, c, d . . . n represent the individual probability values derived from respective ones of the driving condition indicators.

7. The vehicle control system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein one or more of the driving condition indicators is derived from a sensor output signal from a sensor provided on the vehicle.

8. The vehicle control system as claimed in claim 1 , further including a switch that enables switching between the automatic response mode in which the automatic control means controls the vehicle subsystems in dependence on the output automatically, and a manual response mode in which the subsystem control mode is selected by the driver manually.

9. The vehicle control system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one vehicle subsystem includes ones or more of: an engine management system, a steering controller, a brakes controller and a suspension controller.

10. A vehicle comprising the vehicle control system as claimed in claim 1 .

11. The vehicle control system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one signal comprises an operating signal of the vehicle.

12. A vehicle control system for at least one vehicle subsystem of a vehicle; the vehicle control system comprising:
a subsystem controller for initiating control of one or more vehicle subsystems in a selected one of a plurality of subsystem control modes, each of which corresponds to one or more different terrain types for the vehicle; and
a processor configured to: receive and evaluate at least one signal indicative of the terrain in which the vehicle is travelling; determine the extent to which each of the subsystem control modes is appropriate for the terrain in which the vehicle is travelling; and provide an output indicative of the subsystem control mode that is most appropriate, wherein the processor is further configured to:
evaluate a plurality of drive condition indicators to determine the probability that each of the subsystem control modes is appropriate, and wherein the output provided by the processor is indicative of the subsystem control mode with the highest probability,
calculate, for each of the control modes, a difference value between the probability for the current control mode and the probability for another control mode,
integrate each of the difference values with respect to time to calculate an integrated difference value for each of the other control modes,
compare each of the integrated difference values with a threshold for change, and
initiate a change in the selected subsystem control mode when the integrated difference value for one of the control modes exceeds the threshold for change.

13. The vehicle control system as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the processor compares each of the integrated difference values with a plurality of thresholds for change and initiates a change when a first one of the thresholds for change is reached; and
wherein each threshold for change is variable in dependence on a different driving condition indicator.

14. The vehicle control system as claimed in claim 13 , wherein one or more of the thresholds for change are selected from being:
dependent on a surface roughness of the terrain in which the vehicle is travelling; and
dependent on a rolling resistance of the terrain in which the vehicle is travelling.

15. A method of controlling at least one vehicle subsystem of a vehicle; the method comprising:
initiating control of each of the one or more vehicle subsystems in a selected one of a plurality of different subsystem control modes, each of which corresponds to one or more different terrain types for the vehicle;
receiving, from at least one sensor, at least one signal indicative of the terrain in which the vehicle is travelling, wherein the at least one signal is a signal other than a signal generated in response to a user input;
evaluating the at least one signal to determine, for each of said subsystem control modes corresponding to one or more different terrain types, the extent to which that subsystem control mode is appropriate for the terrain in which the vehicle is travelling on the basis of the at least one signal and without reliance on a user input;
providing an output indicative of the control mode which is determined to be the most appropriate; and
in an automatic response mode, automatically configuring each said vehicle subsystem in the subsystem control mode determined to be the most appropriate in response to said output indicative of the determined control mode which is determined to be the most appropriate.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the evaluating step comprises d

Assignees

• Anker Sam
• Dennehy Dan
• Hemes Elliot
• Kelly James
• Fairgrieve Andrew
• Jaguar Land Rover Ltd

Inventors

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

Classifications

• B60W10/184

  with wheel brakes · CPC title

• B60W2552/05

  Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads · CPC title

• B60W30/182

  Selecting between different operative modes, e.g. comfort and performance modes · CPC title

• B60W50/082

  Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling · CPC title

• B60W10/20

  including control of steering systems · CPC title