US 6,154,702 AGranted

Method and apparatus for estimating applied wheel torque in a motor vehicle

AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC

InventorsMichael Glenn Fodor, Davorin David Hrovat

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Abstract

A vehicle traction control system is controlled in part by a signal value indicative of estimated wheel torque. The estimated wheel torque value is produced within the vehicle's electronic engine control (EEC) module by summing a first value which indicated the estimated torque attributable to engine combustion and a second value which is proportional to engine acceleration/deceleration which indicates the amount of torque attributable to the inertial movement of engine and drive train masses. The second value is modified by a third value based on the speed ratio across the transmission. Before summing the two signal components, the signal which indicates combustion torque is preferably delayed with respect to the signal indicating inertial torque by a delay interval whose duration varies with engine speed to take into account the delay between intake fuel rate changes and combustion forces as well as delays attributable to the timing of the calculations themselves.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A traction control system for a vehicle comprising:

an internal combustion engine connected to a transmission, the engine equipped with a fuel rate controller responsive to a first control signal for applying a variable amount of drive torque to at least one driven wheel through a drive train,
a brake system for applying braking torques to said drive wheels in response to a second control signal,
an anti-skid control module connected to supply said first signal to said fuel rate controller and further connected to supply said second control signal to said brake system, said antiskid control module being responsive to a third control signal having a value indicating the estimated magnitude of said drive torque,
means coupled to said fuel rate controller for generating a first value indicative of the amount of wheel torque generated by said internal combustion engine,
means coupled to said engine for generating a second value proportional to the rate of change of the operating speed of said engine and indicative of the amount of wheel torque produced by the inertial movement of said engine;
means coupled to said transmission for generating a third value indicating a torque ratio as a function of the speed ratio of the transmission indicative of the amount of wheel torque produced by said transmission;
and
means for combining the first, second, and third values to form said third control signal.

5 more elements

In an electronic engine control module for controlling the operation of an internal combustion engine connected to a transmission in a vehicle, a mechanism for producing an output signal value indicative of the estimated magnitude of torque applied through a drive train to a drive wheel of said vehicle by said engine and transmission, said mechanism comprising:

means jointly responsive to the speed of said engine and the rate at which fuel is supplied to said engine for generating a first signal value indicative of the magnitude of torque applied to said drive wheel due to combustion within said engine;
means responsive to the rate of change of the speed of said engine for generating a second signal value indicative of the magnitude of torque applied to said wheels as a result of the inertial movement of said engine;
means responsive to the speed ratio of said transmission for generating a third signal indicative of the magnitude of torque applied to said wheels as a result of said transmission;
and
means for combining said first signal value, said second signal value and said third signal value for producing said output signal value.

2 more elements

In a control system for use with an internal combustion engine in a vehicle, said engine being coupled through a transmission to apply torque to at least one drive wheel of said vehicle by means of a drive train including a differential, an apparatus for generating a signal value indicative of the amount of torque applied to said drive wheel by said drive train, said apparatus comprising, in combination,

means for producing a first signal value indicative of the rate at which fuel is supplied to said engine,
means responsive to said first signal for generating a second signal value indicative of the amount of torque generated by said engine,
means for producing a third signal value indicative of the rate of change of engine speed,
means responsive to said third signal value for producing a fourth signal value indicative of the instantaneous amount of inertial torque attributable to the acceleration or deceleration of said engine;
means for producing a fifth signal value indicative of the speed ratio across the transmission,
means responsive to said fifth signal value for producing a sixth signal value indicative of the instantaneous amount of inertial torque attributable to the acceleration or deceleration of said transmission;
and
means for combining said second, said fourth and said sixth signal values to produce an output signal having a value indicative of the instantaneous torque applied to said drive wheel by said engine and transmission.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.