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US 7,120,529 B2Granted
Drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem and method
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsErik Coelingh, Jonas Ekmark
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vehicle control system (10) including a vehicle motion control subsystem (12) that has an input receiving an intended driving demand (14) and a plurality of coordinator subsystems (16) for coordinating actuators of the vehicle. The vehicle motion control subsystem (12) communicates with the coordinator subsystems (16) to determine whether a single coordinator subsystem (16) can carry out the intended driving demand (14). The vehicle motion control subsystem (12) will distribute demand signals among one or more of the coordinator subsystems (16) to allow the vehicle to implement the intended driving demand (14).
Claims20
A method of controlling a drive train and brakes of a vehicle with a drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem comprising:
- inputting a drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal into the drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem, the drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal requesting a drive train and brakes behavior modification;
- determining first capabilities of the first actuator control subsystem;
- outputting a first capability signal from the first actuator control subsystem to the drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem, the first capability signal communicating the first capabilities of the first actuator control subsystem;
- calculating a first partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal and at least one second partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal;
- and
- outputting the first partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal from the drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem to the first actuator control subsystem and the at least one second partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal to at least one second actuator control subsystem;
- wherein both the first partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal and the at least one second partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal are calculated according to the first capabilities of the first actuator control subsystem;
- and
- wherein the first partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal and the at least one second partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal provide directions for the first actuator control subsystem and the at least one second actuator control subsystem, respectively, to perform the drive train and brakes behavior modification of the drive train and brakes demand signal.
6 more elements
A method of controlling a drive train and brakes of a vehicle comprising:
- providing a drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem configured to modify the drive train and brakes of the vehicle and at least one accompanying coordinator controller configured to modify other components of the vehicle that affect vehicle motion;
- outputting an output signal from at least one accompanying coordinator controller;
- calculating a demand signal;
- inputting the demand signal into the drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem;
- and
- modifying the drive train and brakes of the vehicle according to the demand signal;
- wherein the demand signal is calculated in response to the output signal from the at least one accompanying coordinator controller.
4 more elements
A drive train and brakes control system for controlling a drive train and brakes of a vehicle comprising:
- a drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem including at least one subsystem input for receiving a drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal and a subsystem output, the drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal requesting a drive train and brakes behavior modification;
- a first actuator control subsystem including a first actuator input and a first actuator output;
- and
- at least one second actuator control subsystem including a second actuator input;
- wherein the first actuator control subsystem determines first capabilities of the first actuator control subsystem and outputs a first capability signal out of the first actuator output to the at least one subsystem input of the drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem, the first capability signal communicating the first capabilities of the first actuator control subsystem;
- wherein the drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem calculates a first partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal and at least one second partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal;
- wherein the drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem outputs, through the subsystem output, the first partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal into the first actuator input of the first actuator control subsystem and the at least one second partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal into the second actuator input of the at least one second actuator control subsystem;
- wherein both the first partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal and the at least one second partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal are calculated according to the first capabilities of the first actuator control subsystem;
- and
- wherein the first partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal and the at least one second partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal provide directions for the first actuator control subsystem and the at least one second actuator control subsystem, respectively, to perform the drive train and brakes behavior modification of the drive train and brakes demand signal.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.