Architecture for alternative means to shift in and out of park

A park status backup controller of a vehicle control system that includes a braking system operably coupled to a wheel assembly to apply braking force to the wheel assembly when actuated responsive to operation of a brake pedal, a propulsion system operably coupled to the wheel assembly to apply positive torque for propulsion responsive to operation of an accelerator pedal, and a gear selector operably coupled to the brake system and the propulsion system to select an operating state of the vehicle when the gear selector is in an unfaulted state,

• wherein the operating state is a selected one of a group of states including a park state and a drive state,
• wherein the braking system applies a holding force to the wheel assembly in the park state and the propulsion system enabling application of the positive torque for propulsion in the drive state,
• wherein the park status backup controller is operably coupled to the brake pedal to detect actuation of the brake pedal, and operably coupled to the gear selector to receive information indicative of a fault state of the gear selector, and
• wherein the park status backup controller comprises processing circuitry configured to
• determine whether the gear selector is in the fault state;
• determine whether an activation pattern is received with respect to actuation of the brake pedal;
• and
• in response to receiving the activation pattern during the fault state, generating an operating state change instruction.

A method of providing backup park status functionality in a vehicle comprising a braking system operably coupled to a wheel assembly to apply braking force to the wheel assembly when actuated responsive to operation of a brake pedal, a propulsion system operably coupled to the wheel assembly to apply positive torque for propulsion responsive to operation of an accelerator pedal, and a gear selector operably coupled to the brake system and the propulsion system to select an operating state of the vehicle when the gear selector is in an unfaulted state,

• wherein the operating state is a selected one of a group of states including a park state and a drive state,
• wherein the braking system applies a holding force to the wheel assembly in the park state and the propulsion system enabling application of the positive torque for propulsion in the drive state, and
• wherein the park status backup controller is operably coupled to the brake pedal to detect actuation of the brake pedal, and operably coupled to the gear selector to receive information indicative of a fault state of the gear selector,
• the method comprising:
• determining whether the gear selector is in the fault state;
• determining whether an activation pattern is received with respect to actuation of the brake pedal;
• and
• in response to receiving the activation pattern during the fault state, generating an operating state change instruction.