With Means For Detecting Wheel Slip During Vehicle Acceleration And Controlling It By Reducing Application Of Power To Wheel Patents (Class 180/197)
  • Patent number: 10889185
    Abstract: A drive switching mechanism of a utility vehicle includes: a two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive switching device that switches between two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive of the utility vehicle; and a control unit that controls the drive switching mechanism. The two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive switching device switches between two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive by using a first clutch. The control unit permits the two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive switching device to switch from two-wheel drive to four-wheel drive when a rotation difference of the first clutch becomes equal to or smaller than a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Seiji Itoo, Ayumi Hamada, Manabu Hidaka, Masahiko Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 10865730
    Abstract: A fuel supply system includes an injector, an air flow meter, and an engine controller. The engine controller includes a fuel supply amount setting unit, a fuel cut controller, a fuel supply amount correcting unit, and an injector controller. The fuel supply amount setting unit sets a fuel supply amount on the basis of an intake air amount. The fuel cut controller executes and ends a fuel cut. The fuel supply amount correcting unit increases, on the basis of a reverse air amount, the fuel supply amount after the fuel cut in at least one cylinder, with respect to a basic supply amount corresponding to the intake air amount. An amount of the increase is greater at an initial fuel supply than in fuel supply at a second time and onward. The injector controller outputs, to the injector, a signal corresponding to the increased fuel supply amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daiki Nishi, Shunsuke Ohsawa
  • Patent number: 10851720
    Abstract: An actuator is provided for driving a turbocharging pressure control valve of a turbocharger. The actuator comprises a motor, an output shaft and a speed reduction mechanism for transmitting rotation of the motor to the output shaft by reducing a rotation speed. The speed reduction mechanism includes at least one gear having a shaft hole, a support shaft inserted into the shaft hole and holding the gear rotatably, and wall portions provided at both ends of the support shaft in a manner sandwiching the gear. The speed reduction mechanism further includes a wear powder holding portion provided radially outside an outer periphery of the support shaft and in at least one of two end portions of the shaft hole and the wall portions in a manner to hold wear powder or foreign substance without scattering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoaki Kono, Etsugo Yanagida, Masashi Yamaguchi, Tetsuji Yamanaka, Atsushi Tanaka, Kunio Namba
  • Patent number: 10807634
    Abstract: An electric power steering control method includes: measuring an operation state of a vehicle and determining whether the operation state of the vehicle corresponds to a sudden start-up condition; measuring a steering operation state and determining whether the steering operation state corresponds to a torque steer compensation control condition; determining a compensation torque according to a speed difference between left and right front wheels when the sudden start-up condition and the torque steer compensation control condition are satisfied; and outputting a compensation torque signal to an electric power steering according to the determined compensation torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Kyung Lae Lee, Shen Guo
  • Patent number: 10807579
    Abstract: Apparatus and associated methods relate to controlling a brake mechanism during braking operation to provide near-maximal braking power. Maximal braking power occurs at when the wheel slip has a target value. Wheel slip can be monitored during braking operation so as to be used in control the brake mechanism to operate at the maximal braking power. The braking power is modulated so as to dither the braking power about a nominal braking power. The monitored wheel slip will have a dither component in response to the dithering of the braking power. A volatility of the dither component of the monitored wheel slip can be indicative of nominal braking power proximity to the maximal braking power. A nominal brake signal can be generated so as to change the nominal braking power in the direction of the maximal braking power based on the volatility of the dither component of the monitored wheel slip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: Goodrich Corporation
    Inventor: Tyler Arsenault
  • Patent number: 10793157
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a drivetrain and multiple motors. The drivetrain includes at least one wheel, and is mechanically connected to the motors. The vehicle additionally includes multiple control modules communicatively connected to the motors. The control modules include a power control module per motor. Each power control module is assigned a motor, communicatively connected to the assigned motor, and configured to operate the assigned motor. In response to a traction event, the control modules are configured to switch from a drive mode to a traction control mode. In the drive mode, the power control modules are configured to operate the respective assigned motors to contributorily satisfy at least one propulsion demand global to the vehicle. In the traction control mode, one of the control modules is configured to operate the motors to contributorily satisfy at least one propulsion demand global to the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Sheldon Z. Brown, Giorgio L. Zoia, Takehito Yokoo
  • Patent number: 10793010
    Abstract: A control method for a motor-driven vehicle is provided. The method includes calculating a correction torque of a drive motor through a difference between speeds of wheels or a variance rate of the difference between speeds of the wheels and comparing a calculated correction torque with a current required torque of the drive motor. When the calculated correction torque is greater than the current required torque, the drive motor is operated based on the current required torque. When the calculated correction torque is less than or equal to the current required torque, the drive motor is operated based on the calculated correction torque, or the required torque of the drive motor is corrected to correspond to the calculated correction torque and the drive motor is operated based on a corrected required torque of the drive motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Jae Won Jung, Kang Sik Jeon, Seung Yoon Lee, Sung Ho Yang, Jae Young Shim, Min Gon Kim
  • Patent number: 10796515
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a vehicle control system. The vehicle control system includes a transceiver operating in a sub-GHz frequency band configured to transmit and receive data from a RKE user terminal of the vehicle, a set of TPMS sensors and at least one remote control terminal located outside the vehicle; and an ECU connected to the transceiver and configured to: perform lock or unlock and engine start functions in responding to data from the RKE user terminal, receive tire pressure data from the TPMS sensors and control the remote control terminal in responding to a user action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: VALEO INTERIOR CONTROLS (SHENZHEN) CO., LTD
    Inventor: Stephane Schuler
  • Patent number: 10780887
    Abstract: A utility vehicle and a method of operating a utility vehicle having a rear axle driven by a drive engine, a rear axle differential on the rear axle, and a front axle that is configured to be switched on to perform four-wheel drive are provided. The method includes activating a differential lock for locking the rear axle differential on the basis of at least one of a rear axle slippage variable, which characterizes a drive slippage occurring at the rear axle, an engine power of the drive engine, a status of at least one brake device associated with the rear axle, and a status regarding the four-wheel drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Thomas Woopen, Florian Reinmuth
  • Patent number: 10780904
    Abstract: A method for controlling and recovering the adhesion, during a slipping phase, of wheels (Wi) belonging to at least two controlled axles (Ai) of a railway vehicle, comprising the steps of: generating speed signals indicative of the angular speed (?i) of said wheels (Wi); estimating the value of the instantaneous adhesion (?(Tj)) at the point of contact of such wheels (Wi) and the rails, using an adhesion observer; generating a target-slip value (?) for the wheels (Wi) of the controlled axles (Ai) by means of an optimization algorithm which processes the estimated adhesion values (?i(Tj)), and modifying the target-slip value continuously in time, with a predetermined sampling period, such as to maximize the average value of the adhesion of the wheels of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: FAIVELEY TRANSPORT ITALIA S.P.A.
    Inventor: Roberto Tione
  • Patent number: 10781891
    Abstract: A drive system or powertrain including an automatic transmission (AT) for an electric vehicle is provided. At least one 3-position linear motor, 2-way clutch (i.e. CMD) is included in the transmission. The transmission includes a planetary gear set. A magnetic coupling device such as an eddy current by-pass clutch is provided to magnetically transfer a portion of rotating mechanical energy of a single electric powerplant or motor to a transmission output shaft in response to an electrical signal to synchronize angular velocities of the transmission output shaft and an output shaft of the electric powerplant during a change in state of the at least one CMD. Torque is transferred to the transmission output shaft during the change in state. A park function is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: Means Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: John W. Kimes, Philip B. Woodley
  • Patent number: 10780779
    Abstract: A behavior control apparatus for a four-wheel drive vehicle comprising a driving unit, front and rear wheel driving torque transmission paths that transmit driving torques of the driving unit to front and rear wheels, respectively, and control unit. The rear wheel driving torque transmission path includes a speed increasing device for increasing speed of the rear wheels relative to the front wheels and two clutches for the left rear w heel and right rear wheel disposed between the speed, increasing device and the left rear wheel and the right rear wheel, respectively. The control unit engages the clutch on the turning inside when the vehicle is in oversteer state during turning under braking in a situation where the two clutches are disengaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ryochi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 10766530
    Abstract: A system configured to be mounted to a vehicle including a skid-based steering system. The system including a control unit for determining course correction to the vehicle during operation based on a navigation path received from a remote device and data associated with the movement of the vehicle collected by the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: Robo Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Liang Wang, Linli Zhang
  • Patent number: 10759433
    Abstract: A map, including potential obstacles, can be generated by a computing device in a vehicle. An estimated coefficient of friction between the vehicle wheels and a roadway surrounding a stuck vehicle can be generated based on sensor data. A path can be determined based on the map, and the stuck vehicle can be operated based on the path and a determined slip ratio based on the vehicle wheels to unstick the stuck vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: William Falconer, Zachary Konchan, Leonard Eber Carrier, Erick Michael Lavoie
  • Patent number: 10753459
    Abstract: A vehicle transmission braking mode comprises determining a set of available clutches of the plurality of clutches that are not being utilized for engagement of a particular forward gear of the plurality of forward gears, determining at least one of a modeled temperature, a measured temperature, and a modeled energy of each clutch of the set of available clutches to obtain a set of at least one of clutch temperatures and energies, and based on at least the set of available clutches and the set of at least one of clutch temperatures and energies, selectively operate the transmission in the transmission braking mode by at least partially applying at least one clutch of the set of available clutches to mitigate or prevent powerflow through the transmission and thereby decrease or maintain a speed of the vehicle and/or reduce acceleration of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: FCA US LLC
    Inventors: Brian J Jacobs, Joshua Haviland, Michael Sowards
  • Patent number: 10744868
    Abstract: A hybrid driveline assembly for a vehicle includes an engine, an electric motor, and a transmission having an input and an output. The transmission input is selectively coupled to the engine and electric motor. The transmission is shiftable between a plurality of drive modes. The driveline assembly further includes a final drive assembly operably coupled to the transmission output. The final drive assembly has a front final drive operably coupled to a rear final drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Polaris Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Eric J. Borud, Christopher P. Matko, David F. Buehler, Paul D. Weiss, Benjamin M. Comana
  • Patent number: 10730495
    Abstract: The invention relates to an improved plunger assembly for a vehicle brake system. The plunger assembly is operable as a pressure source to control brake fluid pressure supplied to one or more wheel brakes. The plunger assembly comprises a housing defining a cylinder; a reversible motor supported by the housing and having a rotor; and a linear actuator such as a ball screw/nut mechanism driven by the motor. A plunger head is mounted in the cylinder and driven by the linear actuator in first and second opposite directions. Improvements include an elastomeric tubular torque coupler connected to a ball screw/nut anti-rotation member; and a clamped connection at an inner race of a motor bearing for securing the rotor to the ball screw/nut component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: ZF Active Safety US Inc.
    Inventors: Blaise Ganzel, John Cassidy, William Caldwell
  • Patent number: 10711724
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes circuitry configured to control a fuel injector of the internal combustion engine to stop injecting fuel to reduce torque generated by the internal combustion engine during upshift. The circuitry is to acquire a target injection amount parameter corresponding to a target injection amount of the fuel to be injected by the fuel injector to operate the internal combustion engine based on an operation state parameter corresponding to an operation state of the internal combustion engine. The circuitry is to acquire a minimum injectable amount parameter corresponding to a minimum injectable amount of the fuel injectable from the fuel injector. The circuitry is to control the fuel injector to start injecting the fuel when the minimum injectable amount parameter exceeds the target injection amount parameter while the fuel injector is controlled to stop injecting the fuel during the upshift.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masahiro Takeuchi, Yosuke Naito, Koichiro Shinozaki
  • Patent number: 10710597
    Abstract: A method is described for computing a friction estimate between a road surface and a tire of a vehicle when the vehicle is in motion along a course, the tire being arranged on a steerable wheel of the vehicle, and the vehicle including two front wheels and two rear wheels and an axle rack pivotably attached to a linkage arm connected to the steerable wheel such that a translational motion of the axle rack causes the linkage arm to rotate about a kingpin element such that the linkage arm causes a turning motion of the steerable wheel. A corresponding system and vehicle are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: VOLVO CAR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mats Skold, Mats Jonasson
  • Patent number: 10688877
    Abstract: A method for operating a brake system for a motor vehicle, wherein the brake system comprises an eddy current brake mechanically coupled to at least one wheel of the motor vehicle for providing a braking force acting on the wheel, wherein an electric machine is mechanically coupled or can be coupled to the wheel and is electrically connected to the eddy current brake. In this case, it is provided that, in an emergency braking mode for braking the wheel, the eddy current brake is supplied in parallel with energy provided by means of the electric machine operating as a generator and with electrical energy taken from an energy accumulator. The disclosure furthermore relates to a brake system for a motor vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventor: Christian GlĂ¼ck
  • Patent number: 10676094
    Abstract: Methods, devices and systems are provided for determining a connection state of an all wheel drive (AWD) assembly in a vehicle. The method includes receiving, by a vehicle, a message indicative of a hazard and a hazard location on the road and determining a distance to the hazard location from the vehicle. In response to the distance to the hazard location being below a first threshold distance, a state for an AWD assembly in the vehicle is set to a connect state. In response to the distance to the hazard location being above the first threshold, the time for the vehicle to reach the hazard location is determined. If the time to the hazard location is below a threshold AWD connection time, the state for the AWD assembly is set to the connect state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Linamar Corporation
    Inventors: Todd R Ekonen, Mitchell Holland, William Blake Brown, Matt Griffith
  • Patent number: 10669951
    Abstract: A four-stroke internal combustion engine is disclosed comprising an exhaust valve control arrangement with an exhaust valve phase-shifting device configured to phase-shift control of the at least one exhaust valve to a state where the at least one exhaust valve is controlled in such a way that it is opened during the expansion stroke of the engine and closed during the exhaust stroke of the engine, in order to achieve engine-braking via compression in the cylinders during the exhaust stroke. An inlet valve control arrangement comprises an inlet valve phase-shifting device configured to regulate the amount of air pumped through the engine during the engine braking by regulating the phase-shift of the at least one inlet valve. The present disclosure also relates to a vehicle comprising an engine and method of controlling an engine, a computer program and a computer program for performing a method of controlling an engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: Scania CV AB
    Inventors: Niclas Gunnarsson, Michael Vallinder, Anders Larsson, Erik Höckerdal
  • Patent number: 10661775
    Abstract: A fuel-saving control device equipped with: a surplus drive force calculation unit for calculating surplus drive force; a fuel-saving control unit for executing a fuel-saving control which lowers and corrects the indicated fuel injection amount according to the accelerator position when the surplus drive force reaches or exceeds a first threshold, and stopping the fuel-saving control when the surplus drive force falls below the first threshold; a vehicle position detection unit for detecting the vehicle position; a map information storage unit for storing map information; a road information identification unit for identifying the curvature radius and gradient of the road upon which travel is planned, on the basis of the vehicle position and the map information; and a flat/straight road determination unit for determining whether or not the road upon which travel is planned is a flat and straight road, on the basis of the curvature radius and gradient of the road upon which travel is planned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: ISUZU MOTORS LIMITED
    Inventors: Wasantha Oshita, Tomohiko Takeda, Katsunori Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 10654470
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus includes an additional yaw moment decider that decides an additional yaw moment based on a yaw rate of a vehicle, a spin tendency determiner that makes a determination as to a spin tendency of the vehicle, a rotation difference decider that decides a rotation difference control amount for controlling a difference in rotation between left and right front wheels of the vehicle so as to reduce the difference in rotation, when the vehicle is determined to have the spin tendency, a rear wheel braking/driving force decider that decides a rear wheel braking/driving force control amount for controlling braking/driving forces of left and right rear wheels of the vehicle based on the additional yaw moment, and a front wheel braking/driving force decider that decides a front wheel braking/driving force control amount for controlling braking/driving forces of the left and right front wheels of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yutaka Sato
  • Patent number: 10650670
    Abstract: An approach is provided for publishing a road event message according to a hysteresis. For example, the approach involves processing a road report to determine a road event associated with a geographic location and a confidence metric of the road event. The approach also involves initiating a publishing of a road event message to indicate the road event for the geographic location based on determining that the confidence metric is greater than an upper threshold of a hysteresis. The approach further involves processing one or more other road reports to update the confidence metric of the road event. The approach further involves initiating a cancelling of the road event message based on determining that the updated confidence metric is less than a lower threshold of the hysteresis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: HERE Global B.V.
    Inventors: Robert Camp, Leon Stenneth
  • Patent number: 10639997
    Abstract: A control apparatus of a vehicle that is provided with a drive wheel, a drive unit configured to generate, on a basis of a torque command, power directed to running, and a power transmitter configured to transmit the power derived from the drive unit to the drive wheel. The control apparatus is mounted on the vehicle and includes a resonance controller and a resonance switcher. The resonance controller is configured to output the torque command, and control resonance of the power transmitter by utilizing the torque command. The resonance switcher is configured to switch a state of the resonance controller between a resonance-restraining state that restrains the resonance and a resonance-generating state that generates the resonance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fumiyuki Moriya, Hiroshi Ienaga
  • Patent number: 10632978
    Abstract: There is provided a method for estimating friction between a tire of a vehicle and a road surface, the method comprising acquiring, a front wheel axle torque, a rear wheel axle torque, a vehicle longitudinal acceleration, a vehicle pitch rate and wheel rotational velocities. The method further comprises determining a front wheel normal force and a rear wheel normal force, based on a center of gravity of the vehicle and the longitudinal acceleration; determining a longitudinal tire stiffness, jointly determining a vehicle longitudinal velocity, based on the wheel rotational velocities and vehicle longitudinal acceleration, and a vehicle pitch angle relative to the horizontal plane based on the vehicle pitch rate; and determining a friction coefficient between tires and ground based on the front and rear wheel axle torque, the front wheel normal force and the joint estimation of pitch angle and vehicle longitudinal velocity. There is also provided a system for performing the described method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: VOLVO CAR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tony Gustafsson, Mats Jonasson
  • Patent number: 10632995
    Abstract: A system includes a processor and a memory. The memory stores instructions executable by the processor to determine a vehicle launch path based on a specified speed and vehicle physical attributes, and upon detecting an object in the launch path, to deactivate the vehicle launch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Anthony Melatti, Patrick Lawrence Jackson Van Hoecke, Danielle Rosenblatt, Hamid M. Golgiri
  • Patent number: 10626927
    Abstract: An actuator includes a motor, a first gear coupled to the motor, a second gear that meshes with the first gear, and a clutch. The clutch includes an outer ring and an inner ring. A plurality of wedge spaces are formed along a circumferential direction between an inner peripheral surface portion of the outer ring and an outer peripheral surface portion of the inner ring. The clutch further includes rolling elements provided in the wedge spaces. While a radial load is not applied to the outer ring, each rolling element does not engage with the outer peripheral surface portion or the inner peripheral surface portion, so that a clearance is generated. While the radial load is applied to the outer ring, each rolling element engages with the outer peripheral surface portion and the inner peripheral surface portion without the clearance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Gento Aramoto, Tomoya Yamatani
  • Patent number: 10604151
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling a steering angle, a system including the same, and a method thereof are provided may include a steering angle gain variation determination device that determines an increase or a decrease of a steering angle gain variation rate depending on a steering angle error value, a steering angle gain determination device that determines a steering angle gain based on the steering angle gain variation rate, a steering angle gain regulation device that determines a final gain by reflecting a driver intention in a steering angle gain, and a steering torque determination device that determines steering torque by use of the final gain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Hoi Won Kim, Dae Young Kim
  • Patent number: 10597010
    Abstract: A method for operating a driver assistance device for a motor vehicle. A drive potential is respectively determined from all driven wheels of at least one axis of the motor vehicle. The drive potentials are compared and a braking device with a specific wheel braking force is controlled for braking the wheel having a lower drive potential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventor: Nikolaus Reim
  • Patent number: 10597028
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling a vehicle to improve vehicle dynamics are provided. The method includes receiving data from a plurality of sensors which monitor vehicle dynamics by monitoring at least wheel and steering movements associated with a vehicle system used in controlling vehicle dynamics by control outputs from a holistic vehicle control system. Then, estimating states of the vehicle from computations of longitudinal and latitudinal velocities, tire slip ratios, clutch torque, axle torque, brake torque, and slip angles derived from the data sensed by the sensors from the wheel and steering movements. Finally, formulating a model of vehicle dynamics by using estimations of vehicle states with a target function to provide analytical data to enable the model of vehicle dynamics to be optimized and for using the data associated with the model which has been optimized to change control outputs to improve in real-time the vehicle dynamics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Seyedalireza Kasaiezadeh Mahabadi, Shih-Ken Chen, Bakhtiar B. Litkouhi, Nikolai K. Moshchuk, Patrick J. Monsere, Edward T. Heil
  • Patent number: 10597023
    Abstract: A hybrid powertrain system includes an engine and an electric machine respectively connected to first and second drive axles, with the electric machine decoupled from the engine. The system includes a battery pack and a controller. The controller has slip integrators with a corresponding integrator value for a given one of the drive axles. The integrator values are indicative of an accumulated amount of drive wheel slip over a calibrated duration or window. The integrator values change responsive to axle torque and traction control status signal. The integrator values are added together to derive an integrator sum. Responsive to the integrator sum exceeding a calibrated integrator threshold, the controller executes a control action, including automatically executing a Weather Mode in which energy use of the battery pack is reserved for traction control/propulsion of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: William L. Aldrich, III, Aniket P. Kothari
  • Patent number: 10598266
    Abstract: For the operation of a gearless clutch-controlled differential unit with a first clutch and a second clutch, without abandoning the possibility of assigning different torques to the clutches, it is provided that a control variable originally generated by a control variable unit is supplied to the first clutch unchanged while the control variable is supplied to the second clutch subject to the intermediate connection of an individual control element. The first and second clutches have clutch characteristics that are distinct from one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: GKN Automotive Ltd.
    Inventor: Reinhard Möhlmann
  • Patent number: 10598110
    Abstract: A control device for controlling an engine based on an operating state of a vehicle is provided. The control device includes a processor configured to execute a basic target torque determining module for determining a basic target torque based on an operating state of the vehicle, a torque reduction amount determining module for determining a torque reduction amount based on a part of the operating state of the vehicle, a final target torque determining module for determining a final target torque based on the basic target torque and the torque reduction amount, an engine controlling module for controlling the engine to output the final target torque, and a torque change smoothing module for smoothing a chronological change of the final target torque corresponding to the torque reduction amount at a smaller smoothing degree than that of the chronological change of the final target torque corresponding to the basic target torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Kenko Ujihara, Hiroaki Shiiba, Toshiya Kan
  • Patent number: 10589745
    Abstract: A drive device for an all-wheel drive, two-track motor vehicle, in the drive train of which a first motor vehicle axle and, via a center clutch, a second motor vehicle axle are driven permanently by a drive assembly in driving operation. In the closed state of the center clutch, the second vehicle axle is engaged with the drive train, and, in the open state of the clutch, the second vehicle axle is decoupled from the drive train. In a driving situation with engaged all-wheel drive as well as with axle friction coefficients of varying size, a greater wheel torque can be taken up at the vehicle axle with a large axle friction coefficient than at the vehicle axle with a small axle friction coefficient, and a control instrument is provided, which, for engine torque limitation, limits the drive assembly to a maximum allowed engine torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Steffen Zäpfel, Klaus Wohlrab, Wolfgang Koch, Ferenc Janosi, Horst Wild
  • Patent number: 10583834
    Abstract: A vehicle speed control system operable to cause a vehicle to operate in accordance with a target speed value, the system being further operable automatically to control cross-axle locking means of an axle of the vehicle to cause an increase in resistance to relative rotation of wheels of the axle. Thus, the speed control system may be operable automatically to command the cross-axle locking means to increase the resistance to relative rotation of wheels of the axle without a driver being required to intervene to command assumption of this condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: JAGUAR LAND ROVER LIMITED
    Inventor: James Kelly
  • Patent number: 10578209
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus is configured to execute gear shifting in an automatic transmission, in accordance with at least one selected shifting line, which is selected from among at least one first shifting line and at least one second shifting line, depending on (i) acceleration representative information related to an acceleration representative value representing an acceleration of the vehicle required by an operator of the vehicle and (ii) location information related to a current location of the vehicle, wherein each of the at least one first shifting line is a shifting line stored in a storage device provided in the vehicle, and each of the at least second shifting line is a shifting line in which other-vehicle-related information is reflected. The other-vehicle-related information is information received from an external device located outside the vehicle, and related to other vehicle that is at least one vehicle other than the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takaaki Sakai, Kohei Dodo
  • Patent number: 10562512
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for adjusting clutch pressures and electric machine torques as a function of a stability metric threshold(s) in order to balance performance and charging of an onboard energy storage device. In one example, a method includes during an upshift of a transmission from a first gear to a second gear, adjusting a clutch pressure of the transmission to adjust slippage of a clutch in response to a vehicle stability control parameter exceeding a threshold. In this way, torque delivered to a transmission output shaft may be reduced, which may increase vehicle stability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies. LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth James Miller, Jason Meyer, Matthew John Shelton, Michael Glenn Fodor, Walter Joseph Ortmann
  • Patent number: 10543983
    Abstract: A variety of vehicle-based and warehouse-based solutions are provided to increase the adaptability, utility, and efficiency of materials handling vehicles in the warehouse environment, such as a materials handling vehicle comprising a picking attachment is secured to a fork carriage assembly and comprising an X-Y-Z-? positioner to engage and disengage a target tote such that movement of the picking attachment along a Z axis by the X-Y-Z-? positioner is independent of movement of the fork carriage assembly along the vertical axis Z? by the mast assembly and mast assembly control unit. The fork carriage assembly may comprise a mobile storage cart support platform defined by one or more cart lifting forks, and an anti-rock cart engagement mechanism configured to engage a mobile storage cart supported by the cart lifting forks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: Crown Equipment Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew J. Otto, Gregory S. Garmann, Mark E. Addison
  • Patent number: 10538232
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a vehicle recovery system (1) for a vehicle having at least one driven wheel. The vehicle recovery system (1) is operable to self-recover the vehicle from terrain having a deformable surface affording insufficient traction at the at least one driven wheel to mobilise the vehicle. A recovery controller (2) is provided to maintain at least substantially continuous rotation of said at least one driven wheel at a target recovery speed or within a target recovery speed range to increase the available traction at each driven wheel. The present invention also relates to a vehicle having a vehicle recovery system (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: JAGUAR LAND ROVER LIMITED
    Inventors: Steve Liggins, Paul Darnell, Jason Walters
  • Patent number: 10538246
    Abstract: A drive torque control device of a vehicle that includes a drive source for generating a drive source torque, a brake mechanism for generating a braking torque, and a drive wheel for driving the vehicle. The drive torque control device includes a target drive wheel torque calculator configured to calculate a target drive wheel torque, a drive source torque control unit configured to estimate a drive source torque limit value, calculate a target drive source torque based on the target drive wheel torque and the drive source torque limit value, and control the generation of the drive source torque by the drive source based on the target drive source torque, and a braking torque control unit configured to calculate a target braking torque based on the target drive wheel torque and the target drive source torque, and control the generation of the braking torque by the brake mechanism based on the target braking torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Katsuhiro Arai
  • Patent number: 10532768
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for controlling the position of a vehicle to ensure stable position of a vehicle against tilting due to a rapid change in vehicle speed. The method includes: determining whether a vehicle speed is rapidly changing in a straight direction on the basis of an extent of depression of a pedal that changes a position of a steering wheel and a change in vehicle speed; determining whether the vehicle is tilting on the basis of a change in a yaw-rate by means of the controller when the vehicle speed is rapidly changing in the straight direction; and providing compensation torque in the direction opposite the direction in which the vehicle is tilted by operating a steering motor when the controller determines that the vehicle is tilting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Kyung Bok Lee, Suk Jin Ko, O Sung Kwon, Nam Young Kim
  • Patent number: 10526981
    Abstract: An engine control device is provided, that includes an air amount controller, an ignition timing controller, a basic target torque determinator which determines a basic target torque, a change rate acquirer for acquiring a change rate of a steering operation, a target additional deceleration setter for increasing a target additional deceleration while an increase rate thereof becomes less as the change rate increases, a torque reduction amount determinator for determining an engine torque reduction amount, a final target torque determinator for determining a final target torque, and an actual air amount estimator for estimating an actual air amount introduced into a combustion chamber. The air amount controller determines a target air amount and controls the intake air amount to achieve the target air amount. The ignition timing controller retards the ignition timing more as the actual air amount becomes more excessive with respect to the target amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Chikako Ohisa, Osamu Sunahara, Daisuke Umetsu, Takahiro Kawamura, Yasunori Takahara, Daisaku Ogawa, Takeatsu Ito
  • Patent number: 10518765
    Abstract: A stability control system for a vehicle that has an electric traction motor that provides torque to an axle through a differential. The traction motor responds to an instability event that is sensed by sensors on the vehicle by initially reducing the torque provided to the traction wheels to regain steering control. The traction motor then pulses increased torque in sequence with the application of braking force to provide enhanced direct yaw moment control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Wei Liang, Hai Yu, Ryan Abraham McGee, Ming Lang Kuang, Anthony Mark Phillips
  • Patent number: 10518763
    Abstract: A brake system for a motor vehicle has at least a first wheel brake and at least a second wheel brake. A first inlet valve is fluidically connected, on the one hand, to the first wheel brake, and, on the other hand, to a brake pressure source, and a second inlet valve is fluidically connected, on the one hand, to the second wheel brake, and, on the other hand, to the brake pressure source. In this case, a switching valve is provided, which fluidically connects the one fluid outlet of the second inlet valve in a first switching position to the second wheel brake and in a second switching position to the first wheel brake.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Tobias Brok, Herbert Ernst
  • Patent number: 10518781
    Abstract: Powertrains may include a spring damper between the engine crankshaft and transmission input shaft. In some circumstances, an oscillation known as shuffle may occur in such powertrains. Active adjustment of engine torque is substantially more effective at mitigating shuffle oscillations if the engine torque includes a p-term proportional to displacement of the damper spring in addition to a d-term proportional to the speed difference across the damper. For various reasons, the spring displacement is difficult to measure directly. An observer algorithm is utilized to calculate a current estimated spring displacement based on a crankshaft speed sensor, a transmission input speed sensor, a wheel speed sensor, and past engine torques, using a dynamic model of the powertrain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Weitian Chen, Zhengyu Dai, Stuart Ford, Todd McCullough, Hong Jiang
  • Patent number: 10518808
    Abstract: A method for influencing the direction of travel of motor vehicles. The motor vehicle has a first steering system, having at least one steering axle with at least two wheels. The wheels are connected to the steering axle through wheel suspensions that can be adjusted by actuators. A redundant steering system is realized by adjusting a steering roll radius of at least one of the steering axles, according to which a force component acting orthogonally to the direction of travel in the region of at least one wheel is applied to the first steering system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Tobias Brok, André Wesenberg
  • Patent number: 10513345
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for monitoring the soundness of helicopters comprising the determination of the severity of a plurality of flight missions of a plurality of helicopters, comprising a step for acquiring and storing flight data from helicopter flight missions, and a step for acquiring and storing maintenance data from the plurality of helicopters. The method is characterised in that said determination comprises a mission-type construction step, comprising a sub-step for constructing descriptors, a sub-step for partitioning the descriptors and a sub-step for allocating a mission type to each flight by associating the descriptor of said flight and a sub-set, in which this descriptor is found, and a step for interpreting the severity of the mission types, comprising a sub-step for estimating the severity models, and a sub-step for associating a severity model with each mission type determined in the mission type construction step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignees: SAFRAN, SAFRAN HELICOPTER ENGINES
    Inventors: Sebastien Philippe Razakarivony, Francois Goudet
  • Patent number: 10501082
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an anti-lock braking system (ABS), a stability control system (SCS), and an electronic locking differential. A controller of the vehicle is programmed to unlock the differential in response to activation of the ABS or the SCS. The controller is further programmed to, responsive to the deactivation of the activated one of the ABS and the SCS, inhibit locking of the differential for a predefined period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Gustavo Luis Garcia, Jacob Martin Povirk, Jihong Guo, Filip Tomik