# US 2017/0282925 A1 · Systems and methods for smooth stopping of a vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0282925 A1 - Document ID: US20170282925A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/085,152 - Filed: 2016-03-30 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-30 - Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. - Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. - Inventors: Benjamin M. Geller - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170282925A1 ## CPC - B60W 30/18109: {Braking} - B60T 8/171: Detecting parameters used in the regulation; Measuring values used in the regulation - B60T 8/3255: {Systems in which the braking action is dependent on brake pedal data} - B60W 10/08: including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators - B60W 10/184: with wheel brakes - B60W 30/181: {Preparing for stopping} - B60T 2220/04: Pedal travel sensor, stroke sensor; Sensing brake request - B60T 2230/04: Jerk, soft-stop; Anti-jerk, reduction of pitch or nose-dive when braking - B60T 2250/04: Vehicle reference speed; Vehicle body speed - B60T 2260/09: Complex systems; Conjoint control of two or more vehicle active control systems - B60W 2520/10: Longitudinal speed - B60W 2520/105: Longitudinal acceleration - B60W 2520/26: Wheel slip - B60W 2530/10: Weight - B60W 2540/10: Accelerator pedal position - B60W 2540/12: Brake pedal position - B60W 2552/15: Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction - B60W 2710/083: Torque - B60W 2710/18: Braking system - Y10S 903/903: having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor - Y10S 903/947: Characterized by control of braking, e.g. blending of regeneration, friction braking - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - B60T: VEHICLE BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF; BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF, IN GENERAL (electrodynamic brake systems for vehicle, in general B60L; brakes per se, i.e. devices where braking effect occurs, including ultimate brake actuators, F16D); ARRANGEMENT OF BRAKING ELEMENTS ON VEHICLES IN GENERAL; PORTABLE DEVICES FOR PREVENTING UNWANTED MOVEMENT OF VEHICLES; VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS TO FACILITATE COOLING OF BRAKES - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract A system includes a sensor designed to detect data corresponding to a speed of a vehicle and a motor designed to convert electrical energy into driving torque. The system also includes a first wheel coupled to the motor and designed to propel the vehicle in response to receiving the driving torque along with a second wheel. The system also includes a brake coupled to at least one of the first wheel or the second wheel and designed to apply a braking torque to the at least one of the first wheel or the second wheel. The system also includes an ECU coupled to the sensor and the motor and designed to control the motor to begin controlled braking by applying the driving torque to the first wheel to at least partially offset the braking torque when the speed of the vehicle is at or below a braking threshold speed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for reducing oscillations when a vehicle is braking, the system comprising: a sensor configured to detect data corresponding to a speed of the vehicle; a motor configured to convert electrical energy into driving torque; a first wheel coupled to the motor and configured to propel the vehicle in response to receiving the driving torque; a second wheel; a brake coupled to at least one of the first wheel or the second wheel and configured to apply a braking torque to the at least one of the first wheel or the second wheel to reduce the speed of the vehicle; and an electronic control unit (ECU) coupled to the sensor and the motor and configured to control the motor to begin controlled braking by applying the driving torque to the first wheel to at least partially offset the braking torque when the speed of the vehicle is at or below a braking threshold speed. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the ECU is further configured to control the motor to apply the driving torque to the first wheel until the speed of the vehicle is zero miles per hour (0 mph). ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the braking threshold speed corresponds to a vehicle speed below which it is deemed safe for the braking torque to be offset and corresponds to a value between 0.5 miles per hour (0.5 mph) and 3 mph. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 further comprising: a brake pedal coupled to the ECU and configured to transmit a signal to the ECU indicating that a braking operation is being requested in response to being depressed; and an accelerator pedal coupled to the ECU and configured to transmit a signal to the ECU indicating that an acceleration operation is being requested in response to being depressed, wherein the ECU is further configured to control the motor to stop controlled braking when at least one of the brake pedal is undepressed or the accelerator pedal is depressed. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one of a traction sensor configured to detect a current amount of traction of the at least one of the first wheel or the second wheel or a traction input device configured to receive data corresponding to the current amount of traction of the at least one of the first wheel or the second wheel and wherein the ECU is further configured to prevent the controlled braking when the current amount of traction of the at least one of the first wheel or the second wheel is below a traction threshold. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one of a brake pedal coupled to the ECU and configured to transmit a signal to the ECU indicating a desired amount of braking in response to being depressed or a mass sensor coupled to the ECU and configured to detect mass vehicle data corresponding to a mass of the vehicle and wherein the ECU is further configured to determine whether to begin controlled braking based on at least one of a rate of deceleration of the vehicle, the desired amount of braking or the mass of the vehicle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6 wherein the ECU is further configured to determine how much driving torque to be applied by the motor based on at least one of the rate of deceleration of the vehicle, the desired amount of braking or the mass of the vehicle. ### Claim 8 A system for reducing oscillations when a vehicle is braking, the system comprising: a sensor configured to detect data corresponding to a speed of the vehicle; a first wheel configured to propel the vehicle in response to receiving driving torque; a second wheel; a brake coupled to at least one of the first wheel or the second wheel and configured to apply a braking torque to the at least one of the first wheel or the second wheel to reduce the speed of the vehicle; and an electronic control unit (ECU) coupled to the sensor and the brake and configured to control the brake to begin controlled braking by reducing the braking torque applied to the at least one of the first wheel or the second wheel when the speed of the vehicle is at or below a braking threshold speed. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8 wherein the ECU is further configured to control the brake to reduce the braking torque applied to the at least one of the first wheel or the second wheel until the speed of the vehicle is zero miles per hour (0 mph). ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8 wherein the braking threshold speed corresponds to a vehicle speed below which it is deemed safe for the braking torque to be reduced and corresponds to a value between 0.5 miles per hour (0.5 mph) and 3 mph. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8 further comprising: a brake pedal coupled to the ECU and configured to transmit a signal to the ECU indicating that a braking operation is being requested in response to being depressed; and an accelerator pedal coupled to the ECU and configured to transmit a signal to the ECU indicating that an acceleration operation is being requested in response to being depressed, wherein the ECU is further configured to control the brake to stop controlled braking when at least one of the brake pedal is undepressed or the accelerator pedal is depressed. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8 further comprising at least one of a traction sensor configured to detect a current amount of traction of the at least one of the first wheel or the second wheel or a traction input device configured to receive data corresponding to the current amount of traction of the at least one of the first wheel or the second wheel and wherein the ECU is further configured to prevent the controlled braking when the current amount of traction of the at least one of the first wheel or the second wheel is below a traction threshold. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8 further comprising at least one of a brake pedal coupled to the ECU and configured to transmit a signal to the ECU indicating a desired amount of braking in response to being depressed or a mass sensor coupled to the ECU and configured to detect mass vehicle data corresponding to a mass of the vehicle and wherein the ECU is further configured to determine whether to begin controlled braking based on at least one of a rate of deceleration of the vehicle, the desired amount of braking or the mass of the vehicle. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13 wherein the ECU is further configured to determine how much for the brake to reduce the braking torque based on at least one of the rate of deceleration of the vehicle, the desired amount of braking or the mass of the vehicle. ### Claim 15 A method for reducing oscillations when a vehicle is braking comprising: detecting, by a sensor, data corresponding to a speed of the vehicle; determining, by an electronic control unit (ECU), that controlled braking should begin when the speed of the vehicle is at or below a braking threshold speed; and controlling, by the ECU, a vehicle component to reduce or offset an amount of braking torque of the vehicle when controlled braking should begin. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 wherein controlling the vehicle component to reduce or offset the amount of braking torque of the vehicle includes controlling, by the ECU, a motor of the vehicle to increase driving torque of the vehicle to offset the amount of braking torque of the vehicle. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 wherein controlling the vehicle component to reduce or offset the amount of braking torque of the vehicle includes controlling, by the ECU, a brake of the vehicle to decrease the amount of braking torque of the vehicle. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 wherein controlling the vehicle component to reduce or offset the amount of braking torque of the vehicle includes controlling the vehicle component to reduce or offset the amount of braking torque of the vehicle until the speed of the vehicle is 0 miles per hour (mph). ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 wherein the braking threshold speed corresponds to a vehicle speed below which it is deemed safe for the amount of braking torque to be reduced or offset. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 further comprising determining, by the ECU, how much the amount of braking torque to be reduced or offset based on at least one of a rate of deceleration of the vehicle, a desired amount of braking or a mass of the vehicle.