# US 8,751,124 B2 · Method and system for adaptive electronic driveforce unit control > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,751,124 B2 - Document ID: US8751124B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/716,164 - Filed: 2010-03-02 - Published: 2011-09-08 - Granted: 2014-06-10 - Earliest claimed: 2010-03-02 - Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. - Applicants: Samuel S. Ahn - Inventors: Samuel S. Ahn - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8751124B2 ## CPC - G06F 7/00: Methods or arrangements for processing data by operating upon the order or content of the data handled (logic circuits H03K19/00) - B60W 2555/20: Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - 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 ## Abstract The present invention is a method and system for adaptive electronic driveforce unit control based on the weather. An automobile can include, for example a driveforce system. The driveforce system can include a driveforce unit, an acceleration input device, a memory, a speed sensor, and/or a weather detection system. The acceleration input device can generate acceleration input data. The driveforce unit can generate an output based on the corresponding acceleration input data from a driveforce curve in a driveforce map. The driveforce map can be stored in the memory. The speed sensor can detect speed data indicating a speed and/or acceleration of the automobile. The weather detection system includes a moisture detection system detecting moisture data, a temperature sensor detecting temperature data, and a windshield wiper detection system detecting windshield wiper data. The processor adjusts the driveforce curve in the driveforce map based on the weather data. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A driveforce system comprising: a weather detection unit having at least one sensor for detecting weather data; a memory for storing a driveforce map; an acceleration input device having an active state and an idle state; and a processor connected to the weather detection unit, the acceleration input device, and the memory, the processor configured to analyze the weather data and determine an adjustment to the driveforce map based on the weather data, wherein the processor is configured to wait for the acceleration input device to be in the idle state before applying the adjustment to the driveforce map. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the acceleration input device is configured to detect acceleration input data and further comprising a driveforce unit connected to the processor, wherein an output of the driveforce unit is varied by the processor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2 wherein the driveforce map includes a driveforce curve for indicating the output of the driveforce unit for a corresponding acceleration input data. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3 wherein the weather detection unit includes a moisture detection sensor and the weather data includes moisture data, and the processor is configured to decrease the driveforce curve by an amount based on an amount of moisture and a type of moisture indicated by the moisture data. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4 wherein the weather detection unit further includes a temperature sensor and the weather data includes temperature data, and the processor is configured to decrease the driveforce curve by an amount based on a temperature indicated by the temperature data. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5 wherein the processor is configured to decrease the driveforce curve only when the temperature is below a predetermined temperature threshold. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5 wherein the processor is configured to decrease the driveforce by a greater amount when the temperature is below a freezing temperature than when the temperature is above the freezing temperature. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3 wherein the weather detection unit includes a windshield wiper detection sensor and the weather data includes windshield wiper activation data, and the processor is configured to decrease the driveforce curve when the windshield wiper activation data indicates an activation of a windshield wiper. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8 wherein the processor is configured to decrease the driveforce curve by an amount based on a speed of the windshield wiper. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9 wherein the processor is configured to decrease the driveforce curve when the windshield wiper activation data indicates the activation of a windshield wiper for longer than a predetermined windshield wiper on time period. ### Claim 11 An automobile comprising: a weather detection unit having at least one sensor for detecting weather data; an acceleration input device for detecting acceleration input data; a speed sensor for detecting an automobile speed; a driveforce unit for generating an output; a memory for storing a driveforce map including a driveforce curve indicating the output of the driveforce unit for a corresponding acceleration input data; and a processor connected to the weather detection unit, the acceleration input device, the driveforce unit, and the memory, the processor configured to analyze the weather data, and determine an adjustment to the driveforce curve based on the weather data, wherein the processor is configured to wait for the automobile speed to be below a predetermined speed before applying the adjustment to the driveforce curve. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The automobile of claim 11 wherein the weather detection unit includes a moisture detection sensor and the weather data includes moisture data, and the processor is configured to decrease the driveforce curve by an amount based on an amount of moisture and a type of moisture indicated by the moisture data. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The automobile of claim 12 wherein the weather detection unit further includes a temperature sensor and the weather data includes temperature data, and the processor is configured to decrease the driveforce curve by an amount based on a temperature indicated by the temperature data only when the temperature is below a predetermined temperature threshold. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The automobile of claim 11 wherein the weather detection unit includes a windshield wiper detection sensor and the weather data includes windshield wiper activation data indicating a speed of the windshield wiper, and the processor is configured to decrease the driveforce curve by an amount based on the speed of the windshield wiper. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The automobile of claim 11 wherein the processor is configured to decrease the driveforce curve when the windshield wiper activation data indicates an activation of the windshield wiper for longer than a predetermined windshield wiper on time period. ### Claim 16 A method for varying an amount of driveforce comprising a processor connected to a driveforce unit and an acceleration input device having an active state and an idle state, the processor configured to perform the steps of: determining weather data; analyzing the weather data; storing a driveforce map; waiting for the acceleration input device to be in an idle state before adjusting the driveforce map; adjusting the driveforce map based on the weather data; and adjusting a driveforce curve in the driveforce map by an amount based on the weather data. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 further comprising detecting acceleration input data from the acceleration input device, wherein the driveforce map indicates a driveforce corresponding to the acceleration input data. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 further comprising decreasing the driveforce curve by an amount based on an amount of moisture and a type of moisture indicated by the weather data. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 further comprising decreasing the driveforce curve by an amount based on a temperature indicated by the weather data only when the temperature is below a predetermined temperature threshold. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 further comprising decreasing the driveforce curve by an amount based on a speed of a windshield wiper indicated by the weather data.