Patent Application
20070032913
The present invention generally relates to coordination of vehicle control systems, and more particularly relates to methods for selecting vehicle subsystem modes in response to a variety of driving conditions and systems for controlling vehicle subsystem moding in response to a variety of driving conditions.
Modern vehicles incorporate a variety of active vehicle control subsystems (e.g., an anti-lock brake system, a traction control system, etc.) that enhance comfort, safety, and the overall driving experience. In some instances, such vehicle control subsystems are calibrated to one setting regardless of a particular driving condition. In other cases, different driver selectable modes have been developed that allow modification of different subsystem behaviors based on a driver preference and a vehicle operating condition. For example, a driver may select a sport mode that alters a suspension subsystem from a predetermined normal setting to a predetermined stiffer setting so as to provide a more responsive vehicle.
Although these driver selectable modes may alter the various vehicle control subsystems from one predetermined setting to another predetermined setting, the vehicle may encounter any variety and combinations of driving conditions. The predetermined setting is typically activated upon a driver selection such that the driver determines whether the predetermined setting is appropriate for the driving condition. Even after selection of the predetermined setting by the driver, the predetermined setting may be less than desirable for the driving condition.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a system for detecting a driving condition and controlling selection of vehicle subsystem modes in response to the driving condition. More particularly, it is desirable to provide a system for controlling vehicle subsystem moding that autonomously selects an operation mode of the vehicle subsystem for a driving condition and implements the operation mode upon receiving a confirmation. Additionally, it is desirable to provide a method for controlling vehicle subsystem moding that autonomously selects an operation mode of the vehicle subsystem for a driving condition and implements the operation mode upon receiving a confirmation. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.
Methods and systems are provided for controlling vehicle moding in response to a driving condition. The system comprises an input device configured to receive first and second inputs, a vehicle subsystem, and a controller coupled to the vehicle subsystem and the input device. The vehicle subsystem is configured to produce a parameter related to the driving condition. The controller is configured to determine the driving condition from the parameter, control the vehicle subsystem to operate in a first mode based on the first input, and control the vehicle subsystem to operate in a second mode in response to one of the driving condition and the second input.
The method comprises determining the driving condition during operation of a vehicle subsystem, operating the vehicle subsystem in a first mode upon receiving a first input indicating an acceptance of the first mode, and operating the vehicle subsystem in a second mode based on one of receiving a second input and the driving condition. The second input indicates a non-acceptance of the first mode.
A control system is also provided for selecting an operation mode of a vehicle in response to a driving condition. The control system comprises an input device configured to receive first and second inputs, a vehicle subsystem comprising at least two predetermined settings, and a controller coupled to the vehicle subsystem and the input device. The first input indicates an acceptance of the operation mode, and the second input indicates a non-acceptance of the operation mode. The controller is configured to determine the driving condition, change the vehicle subsystem to a first predetermined setting upon receiving the first input, and change the vehicle subsystem to a second predetermined setting based at least in part upon receiving the second input and the driving condition.
The present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the following drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements, and
The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the invention or the application and uses of the invention. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary or the following detailed description.
A system and method are provided for controlling vehicle moding in response to various driving conditions. In general, the system comprises an input device configured to receive first and second inputs, a vehicle subsystem, and a controller coupled to each of the vehicle subsystem and the input device. The vehicle subsystem is configured to produce a parameter related to the driving condition. The controller is configured to determine the driving condition from the parameter, control the vehicle subsystem to operate in a first mode based on the first input, and control the vehicle subsystem to operate in a second mode in response to one of the driving condition and the second input.
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The motion control supervisory controller 12 and the vehicle subsystems include, but is not necessarily limited to, a processing unit that controls the operation of the particular vehicle subsystem. For example, the VSES 18 may have a processing unit that selects a predetermined operation mode or setting of the VSES 18, and this processing unit may operate under control from the motion control supervisory controller 12 or in accordance with a driver selected mode as subsequently described in greater detail. The processing unit for the motion control supervisory controller 12 resides in a separate module from the other vehicle subsystems or, alternatively, is integrated with the module for one of the vehicle subsystems while remaining separated from the processing unit for such vehicle subsystem.
Some of the vehicle subsystems have predetermined settings for different adaptive modes as subsequently described in greater detail. The processing unit of a particular vehicle subsystem selects one of the predetermined settings upon instruction from the motion control supervisory controller 12. The TCS 16 includes a TCS normal setting, a TCS sport setting, a TCS comfort setting, and a TCS tow/haul setting. The steering subsystem 22 includes a steering tow/haul setting, a steering normal setting, a steering sport setting, a steering comfort setting, and a steering off-road setting. The ABS 14 includes an ABS normal setting and an ABS off-road setting. The driveline subsystem 26 includes a driveline normal setting, a driveline sport setting, a driveline comfort setting, and a driveline disable setting. The EBD subsystem 28 includes an EBD normal setting and an EBD sport setting. The ACC subsystem 20 includes an ACC normal setting and an ACC comfort setting. The VSES 18 includes a VSES tow/haul setting, a VSES normal setting, a VSES sport setting, a VSES comfort setting, and a VSES off-road setting. The suspension subsystem 24 includes a suspension off-road setting, a suspension normal setting, a suspension sport setting, a suspension comfort setting, and a suspension-tow/haul setting. Each of these vehicle subsystems may include other predetermined settings, and other vehicle subsystems may also have predetermined settings.
In addition to the processing unit, the motion control supervisory controller 12 further includes, but is not necessarily limited to, a memory having a look-up data table that is accessed by the processing unit of the motion control supervisory controller 12 to determine a current driving condition. The motion control supervisory controller 12 receives and monitors a variety of parameters from one or more of the various vehicle subsystems. Each of the parameters is related to a particular operation associated with a vehicle subsystem. For example, the ACC subsystem 20 may obtain a vehicle velocity parameter, among other parameters, for operating the adaptive cruise control function. In an exemplary embodiment, the motion control supervisory controller 12 determines the current driving condition encountered by the vehicle by comparing the relevant parameters with data (e.g., thresholds or operating ranges) stored in the look-up data table.
Although the motion control supervisory controller 12 retrieves various driving condition parameters from the vehicle subsystems, any variety and number of sensors may optionally be coupled with the motion control supervisory controller 12 to provide driving condition parameters. For example, the vehicle moding control system 10 may further comprise an ambient temperature sensor 38 coupled to the motion control supervisory controller 12, a precipitation sensor 40 coupled to the motion control supervisory controller 12, a tow hook-up sensor 42 coupled to the motion control supervisory controller 12, a tire pressure sensor 44 coupled to the motion control supervisory controller 12, a multimedia device sensor 46 coupled to the motion control supervisory controller 12, a Global Positioning System (GPS) transponder 48 coupled to the motion control supervisory controller 12, an external light sensor 50 coupled to the motion control supervisory controller 12, and a racetrack sensor 34 coupled to the motion control supervisory controller 12. In this example, the motion control supervisory controller 12 receives the relevant parameters directly from one or more of these sensors and the GPS transponder 48 (e.g., precipitation detected by the precipitation sensor 40).
Based on the driving condition determined by the motion control supervisory controller 12, the motion control supervisory controller 12 selects a vehicle operation mode or an adaptive mode that corresponds to the driving condition (e.g., a tow/haul mode when a tow hook-up is detected). The motion control supervisory controller 12 indicates the driving condition and recommends the adaptive mode to a vehicle operator via the I/O device 52. Upon receiving a first signal, such as via the I/O device 52, indicating an acceptance of the recommended vehicle operation mode by the vehicle operator, the motion control supervisory controller 12 implements the adaptive mode by controlling one or more vehicle subsystems to operate in a first predetermined setting corresponding to the adaptive mode. Upon receiving a second signal indicating a non-acceptance of the recommended vehicle operation mode by the vehicle operator, the motion control supervisory controller 12 controls one or more vehicle subsystems to operate in accordance with a driver selected mode or in a second predetermined setting. The motion control supervisory controller 12 may autonomously control one or more predetermined vehicle subsystems to operate in the second predetermined setting. Alternatively, depending on the particular driving condition, the motion control supervisory controller 12 autonomously implements an adaptive mode corresponding to a predetermined driving condition without notification or prompting for vehicle operator acceptance.
Prior to the motion control supervisory controller 12 selecting a vehicle operation mode corresponding to the driving condition, one or more of the vehicle subsystems may be operating under a driver selected mode. For example, the suspension subsystem 24 may be operating in an off-road mode as selected by the vehicle operator. Examples of driver selectable modes include, but are not necessarily limited to, a normal driving mode, a comfort mode, a sport/competition mode, an off-road mode, and a tow/haul mode. The normal driving mode is referred to herein as a default driving mode in which all vehicle subsystems are calibrated for a predetermined normal customer usage.
The comfort mode is referred to herein as a driving mode with the relevant vehicle subsystems calibrated to a predetermined setting to generally provide a more comfortable ride. Examples of some vehicle subsystem changes when selecting the comfort mode include, but are not necessarily limited to, reducing slip targets in the TCS 16, reducing deadband entrance criteria and increasing control gains of the VSES 18, lowering steering sensitivity and increasing the linear range stability of the steering subsystem 22 throughout the entire vehicle speed range, calibrating the ACC subsystem 20 to increase following distance for all speed ranges above a predetermined lower threshold, maximizing intervention capability of the driveline subsystem 26, optimizing shift points of the transmission controls, modifying engine controls for optimal fuel consumption, and adjusting throttle progression for greater launch comfort.
The sport/competition mode is referred to herein as a driving mode with the relevant vehicle subsystems calibrated to a predetermined setting for a more performance response from the vehicle. Examples of some vehicle subsystem changes when selecting the sport/competition mode include, but are not necessarily limited to, increasing slip targets of the TCS 16, allowing for more rear-biased straight line braking in the EBD subsystem 28, increasing deadband entrance criteria and decreasing control gains of the VSES 18, providing a more direct and responsive steering via the steering subsystem 22, modifying the suspension subsystem 24 to provide a sport tuned damper and stabilizer bar settings for flatter vehicle cornering, accentuating rear wheel drive bias in the driveline subsystem 26, and modifying the transmission controls to maximize power delivery.
The off-road mode is referred to herein as a driving mode with the relevant vehicle subsystems calibrated to a predetermined setting for maneuverability, performance, and ease of travel in a variety of off-road conditions. Examples of some vehicle subsystem changes when selecting the off-road mode include, but are not necessarily limited to, increasing slip targets of the TCS 16 to allow the vehicle to move more readily on deformable surfaces and lowering slip targets for rock crawling, removing P/T control from the VSES 18 at lower speeds while maintaining brake based gains and control and ramping in P/T control for increased speeds, optimizing the steering subsystem 22 for low speed maneuverability when vehicle is in a low gear range, softening damping and ARC of the suspension subsystem 24 to allow more vehicle roll and wheel articulation, disabling the ACC subsystem 20, locking the differentials of the driveline subsystem 26, and raising the minimum vehicle speed for activation of the ABS 14.
The tow/haul mode is referred to herein as a driving mode with the relevant vehicle subsystems calibrated to a predetermined setting for trailering. Examples of some vehicle subsystem changes when selecting the tow/haul mode include, but are not necessarily limited to, applying a comfort setting to the VSES 18 with trailer stabilization logic, optimizing the steering subsystem 22 for trailering, increasing damping control of the suspension subsystem 24, and optimizing the shift schedule of the transmission control.
When responding to a driving condition, the motion control supervisory controller 12 may modify some or all of the predetermined settings for a particular driver selected mode to implement one or more adaptive modes. Examples of the adaptive modes include, but are not necessarily limited to, a rain/snow detected mode, a tow/haul detected mode, a low-tire pressure/mini-spare detected mode, a phone-in-use/multimedia-in-use detected mode, a nighttime detected mode, an off-road detected mode, and a racetrack detected mode. Selection and implementation of a particular adaptive mode is based on vehicle, environment, and driver operating conditions. As previously mentioned hereinabove, in some cases the motion control supervisory controller 12 autonomously changes the relevant vehicle subsystems to implement an adaptive mode, and in other cases the motion control supervisory controller 12 requests driver acceptance prior to implementing an adaptive mode.
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When the ambient temperature is determined to be lower than the threshold temperature, the motion control supervisory controller 12 indicates a snow condition, such as via the I/O device 52, at step 320, and requests an acceptance of a snow mode at step 325. When the snow mode is rejected, the motion control supervisory controller 12 determines whether a sport mode has been selected at step 330. When the sport mode has been selected, such as via the driver selected mode switch 36, the motion control supervisory controller 12 changes the VSES 18 and TCS 16 to the normal setting, the ACC subsystem 20 to the comfort setting, and all other vehicle subsystems to the sport setting at step 340. When the sport mode has not been selected, the motion control supervisory controller 12 changes the ACC subsystem 20 to the comfort setting and all other vehicle subsystems to the setting corresponding to the driver selected mode. When the snow mode is accepted, the motion control supervisory controller 12 changes the vehicle subsystems to the comfort setting at step 345.
When the ambient temperature is determined to be higher than the threshold temperature, the motion control supervisory controller 12 indicates a rain condition, such as via the I/O device 52, at step 350, and requests an acceptance of a rain mode at step 355. When the rain mode is accepted, the motion control supervisory controller 12 changes the vehicle subsystems to the comfort setting at step 345. When the rain mode is rejected, the motion control supervisory controller 12 determines whether the sport mode has been selected at step 360. When the sport mode has been selected, the motion control supervisory controller 12 changes the VSES 18 and the TCS 16 to the normal setting, the ACC subsystem 20 to the comfort setting, and all other vehicle subsystems to the sport setting. When the sport mode has not been selected, the motion control supervisory controller 12 changes the ACC subsystem 20 to the comfort setting and all other vehicle subsystems to the setting corresponding to the driver selected mode.
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While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that various changes can be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims and the legal equivalents thereof.
