Automatic downhill snub braking
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsDonald A. Perlick, Bang Kim Cao, Kurt Howard Nickerson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and apparatus are disclosed herein that perform automatic downhill snub braking. An example apparatus disclosed herein includes an electronic powertrain controller to cause a deceleration of a vehicle in response to a first request from an electronic cruise controller, the first request responsive to a change in grade of a driving surface and an electronic brake controller to apply snub braking to the vehicle in response to a second request received from the electronic cruise controller, the second request responsive to a speed of the vehicle reaching a maximum speed.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- an electronic powertrain controller configured to cause a deceleration of a vehicle in response to a first request from an electronic cruise controller, the first request responsive to a change in grade of a driving surface;
- an electronic brake controller configured to apply snub braking to the vehicle in response to a second request received from the electronic cruise controller, the second request responsive to a speed of the vehicle reaching a maximum speed;
- and
- an electronic cruise controller configured to ramp out of the snub braking in response to determining at least one of (1) a transmission of the vehicle is able to downshift or (2) the speed of the vehicle reaching a minimum speed.
A method comprising:
- determining a maximum speed and a minimum speed of a vehicle traveling on a grade, the minimum speed determined based on a maximum grade downshift velocity;
- causing a deceleration of a vehicle via a powertrain of the vehicle when a speed of the vehicle is within a first threshold value of the minimum speed;
- applying snub braking to the vehicle using a braking system of the vehicle when the speed of the vehicle is within a second threshold of the maximum speed;
- and
- ramping out of the snub braking in response to determining at least one of (1) a transmission of the vehicle is able to downshift or (2) the vehicle reaching the minimum speed.
A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:
- cause a deceleration using a powertrain of a vehicle in response to a change in grade of a driving surface;
- apply a snub braking to the vehicle via a braking system of the vehicle in response to the vehicle reaching a maximum speed;
- and
- ramp out of the snub braking in response to determining at least one of (1) a transmission of the vehicle is able to downshift or (2) the vehicle reaching a minimum speed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.