Anti-rollback control system for hybrid and conventional powertrain vehicles

In a motor vehicle having a powertrain that includes an automatic or an automated transmission system, an anti-rollback control system for preventing undesired rolling of the said vehicle in a direction opposite to an intended direction of vehicle movement on beginning or resuming the movement of the vehicle after stopping the vehicle on an incline, said anti-rollback control system comprises:

• at least one tilt sensor that measures the angle of inclination of the vehicle's longitudinal axis with reference to the horizontal plane and generates signals accordingly;
• at least one sensor for detecting a selected operating mode of the vehicle's transmission system and generating signals accordingly;
• an accelerator pedal control module;
• and an operator-independent accelerator pedal position-adjusting device that includes a stepper motor, and that is operable to cause controlled movement of at least one movable component of the vehicle's accelerator pedal assembly in response to and in accordance with instructions received from the said accelerator pedal control module, with the accelerator pedal control module being constructed and configured for receiving the signals generated by the said at least one tilt sensor and the said at least one sensor for detecting the selected operating mode of the transmission system, processing said received signals, and sending instructions accordingly to the said operator-independent accelerator pedal position-adjusting device to move the said at least one movable component of the vehicle's accelerator pedal assembly to a predetermined position according to which a predetermined corresponding amount of mechanical power is generated by the vehicle's powertrain, with said predetermined amount of mechanical power being sufficient to create a force, in the intended direction of movement of the vehicle, equivalent to, or bigger than, the gravitational force tending to roll the vehicle in a direction opposite to the intended direction of vehicle movement.