Control Of Power Distribution Between Vehicle Axis Or Wheels (e.g., Four Wheel Drive Vehicle) Patents (Class 701/69)
  • Patent number: 11958545
    Abstract: Provided are a power steering method and a power steering device applied in a vehicle including a power steering assembly. The method includes detecting whether a direction changing wheel of the vehicle is a driving wheel; determining a power assisted gear position of the power steering assembly according to whether the direction changing wheel of the vehicle is the driving wheel; and controlling the power steering assembly to generate a power steering torque according to the power assisted gear position of the power steering assembly. The direction changing wheel of the vehicle is a front wheel or a rear wheel of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: SEGWAY TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Jiachun Liu
  • Patent number: 11919520
    Abstract: A wheel slip control method for a vehicle is provided, and includes estimating equivalent inertia information of a driving system based on operation information of the driving system while a vehicle travels, determining whether the slip of a drive wheel occurs from the estimated equivalent inertia information of the driving system, determining whether the drive wheel is in an uneven wheel slip state where the slip occurs only in one of a left wheel and a right wheel of the drive wheel from a left wheel speed and a right wheel speed detected by a sensor, if it is determined that the slip of the drive wheel occurs, and controlling an operation of a braking device such that a braking force is applied to the vehicle wheel in which the slip occurs, if it is determined that the vehicle wheel is in the uneven wheel slip state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ji Won Oh, Jeong Soo Eo, Ki Mo Sohn, Lee Hyoung Cho
  • Patent number: 11904842
    Abstract: A method for controlling driving force of a vehicle in which driving force of the vehicle is controlled by pre-reflecting vertical load information of tires in real time during turning of the vehicle, to solve repeated occurrence of wheel slip and wheel slip control performance degradation due to roll motion, includes determining, by a controller, a basic torque command in real time based on vehicle driving information obtained while driving of the vehicle, obtaining information related to left wheel and right wheel vertical loads in real time based on information collected by the vehicle, determining a torque upper limit from the real-time vertical load information, determining a final torque command limited so as not to exceed the determined torque upper limit from the real-time determined basic torque command, and controlling operation of a driving device in accordance with the determined final torque command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventor: Ji Won Oh
  • Patent number: 11884346
    Abstract: A motor vehicle is controlled via a method, particularly for steering during a malfunction. Two wheels are arranged on a steerable axle of the motor vehicle and each can be driven by a single-wheel drive. At least one wheel is arranged on a non-steerable axle of the motor vehicle and can be driven by a wheel drive. In the event of a malfunction of one of the single-wheel drives being identified, a drive torque or a braking torque is generated with the functioning single-wheel drive of the wheel arranged on the steerable axle of the motor vehicle to steer the wheels arranged on the steerable axle in a specified direction. A drive torque or a braking torque is generated with the wheel drive of the wheel arranged on the non-steerable axle of the motor vehicle to at least partially bring about a specified longitudinal movement of the motor vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Alexander Seiffer, Philipp Kautzmann
  • Patent number: 11807244
    Abstract: A vehicle control device configured to control switching of drive mode of a vehicle including an internal combustion engine and a motor includes a processor configured to switch, in a case where a road surface of a perimeter of a geofencing zone is a road surface on which there is a high probability that the vehicle slips, in a movement route from an outside of the geofencing zone to an inside of the geofencing zone, the drive mode of the vehicle to drive by the motor in a state in which there is a low probability that the vehicle slips, outside the geofencing zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Daiki Yokoyama, Yoshiyuki Kageura, Masanori Shimada, Yoshihiro Sakayanagi, Hiroki Morita
  • Patent number: 11753075
    Abstract: A calibration method in which, a rotation angle calculation device (20, 30) calculates (S2) a rotation angle ?c based on a detection signal of a sensor, transmits (S3) rotation angle data Dc indicating the rotation angle ?c to a calibration device (40), and transmits (S3) time difference data Dt relating to a time difference after having captured the detection signal until transmitting the rotation angle data to the calibration device, and in which the calibration device measures (S1) a rotation angle ?r, clocks (S1, S4) a measurement time tm at which the rotation angle ?r is measured and a transmission time tt of transmitting or receiving the rotation angle data, and acquires (S5, S6) calibration data Dc of the rotation angle data by comparing the rotation angle ?r measured at a time tc2 obtained by going back in time from the transmission time tt by the time difference after having captured the detection signal until transmitting the rotation angle data and the rotation angle data Da with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: NSK LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke Nishioka, Yoshihiro Aosaki, Hiroyuki Yamamura
  • Patent number: 11733396
    Abstract: A position estimation device includes an ECU. The ECU is configured to estimate the position of a vehicle using at least a traveled distance of the vehicle. The ECU calculates correction factors for a reference tire rolling radius and stores the correction factors in a storage device. Each of the correction factors is set for a corresponding one of a plurality of vehicle speed ranges. The ECU calculates the traveled distance of the vehicle based on a rotation parameter and the corrected reference tire rolling radius obtained by correcting the reference tire rolling radius using the correction factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroki Furuta
  • Patent number: 11724596
    Abstract: Systems and methods for road disturbance detection and torque vectoring control. A vehicle may comprise: a torque vectoring system for independently varying torque to a plurality of wheels, an external sensor suite, and an electronic control unit. The control unit may comprise one or more processors and memory storing executable instructions that, as a result of execution by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to implement an appropriate torque vectoring strategy. The torque vectoring strategy may comprise biasing torque towards or away from a wheel/motor/axle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Brendan Diamond, Keith Weston, Aaron L. Mills, Jordan Barrett
  • Patent number: 11654892
    Abstract: A control apparatus includes a controller. Upon a slip of a front wheel of a vehicle, the controller executes torque adjustment control that reduces a driving torque of the front wheel of the vehicle and adjusts a driving torque of a rear wheel of the vehicle to equal to or less than the driving torque of the front wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Chihiro Oguro
  • Patent number: 11594949
    Abstract: A power converter assembly comprises a plurality of power converter channels each arranged to provide a three-phase output to an electrical machine having a multiple of three-phase windings. The power converter assembly further comprises control means arranged to provide a torque demand signal to the plurality of power converter channels to provide, together, a desired torque output to drive the machine and a temperature sensing means to detect temperature in the power channels and/or at the windings of the machine. The control means is arranged to determine the proportion of the desired torque output to be provided by each channel based on the detected temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ajith Balachandran, Stephen Minshull
  • Patent number: 11420641
    Abstract: A system for determining an energy requirement of a vehicle for a journey. The system may comprise a predictor mechanism to predict, using an energy prediction algorithm, a vehicle energy requirement for the journey. The system comprises an updater mechanism configured to refine the energy prediction algorithm for the vehicle by determining for each of a number of historical journeys undertaken by the vehicle, an error between an actual vehicle energy usage for the historical journey and a predicted energy usage derived using the energy prediction algorithm for the historical journey. An aggregate error is calculated from the errors of the number of historical journeys. The updater is arranged to adjust the energy prediction algorithm to reduce the aggregate error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Spark EV Technology, Ltd.
    Inventors: Gregory James Matthews, Justin Bradley Ott
  • Patent number: 11364806
    Abstract: Provided is a control apparatus for an electric vehicle, which is capable of suppressing simultaneous slip of front and rear wheels. The control apparatus for an electric vehicle includes a control portion configured to control a front electric motor and a rear electric motor so that an achievement rate of a torque command with respect to a target torque in one motor of the front and rear electric motors is lower than the achievement rate in the other motor of the front and rear electric motors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Inventors: Keisuke Suzuki, Hitoshi Kobayashi, Kazuya Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11318924
    Abstract: An axle torque distribution system includes a memory and a control module. The memory stores a steering angle and a toque distribution algorithm. The control module executes the torque distribution algorithm to: obtain the steering angle; based on the steering angle, determine total lateral force requested for axles of a vehicle; based on the total lateral force requested, determine lateral forces requested for the axles while constraining lateral force distribution between the axles, where the constraining of the lateral force distribution includes, based on maximum lateral force capacities of tires of the vehicle, limiting the lateral forces requested for the axles; determine available longitudinal capacities for the axles based on the lateral forces requested respectively for the axles; determine torque capacities of the axles based on the lateral forces requested respectively for the axles; and control distribution of torque to the axles based on the torque capacities of the axles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Saurabh Kapoor, Naser Mehrabi, Seyedeh Asal Nahidi, SeyedAlireza Kasaiezadeh Mahabadi, James H. Holbrook, Hualin Tan, Bakhtiar B. Litkouhi
  • Patent number: 11264932
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for quasi-sensorless adaptive control of a high rotor pole switched-reluctance motor (HRSRM). The method comprises the steps of: applying a voltage pulse to an inactive phase winding and measuring current response in each inactive winding. Motor index pulses are used for speed calculation and to establish a time base. Slope of the current is continuously monitored which allows the shaft speed to be updated multiple times and to track any change in speed and fix the dwell angle based on the shaft speed. The apparatus for quasi-sensorless control of a high rotor pole switched-reluctance motor (HRSRM) comprises a switched-reluctance motor having a stator and a rotor, a three-phase inverter controlled by a processor connected to the switched-reluctance motor, a load and a converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Turntide Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Trevor A. Creary, Mahesh Krishnamurthy, Piyush C. Desai, Mark Johnston, Timothy Knodel
  • Patent number: 11247561
    Abstract: A system for controlling movement of a vehicle includes a user input device and computing system. The user input device dynamically controls a settings or balance of driving dynamics in a vehicle, and the user input device is configured to receive a manual input from a user. The computing system controls the settings of the vehicle driving dynamics and/or balance of the vehicle, the computing system is in data communication with the user input device and configured to change the driving dynamics balance proportionately to the manual input upon receiving an input command based on the manual input from the user input device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Akrus Inc.
    Inventor: Benjamin Gully
  • Patent number: 11167649
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for operating a vehicle that may be propelled via a primary axle and a secondary axle. In one example, a propulsion source of a secondary axle may be decoupled from at least one wheel via a dog clutch that includes teeth. The dog clutch may be disengaged in a way that reduces driveline noise and may reduce a possibility of driveline degradation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Paul Moubarak, Joseph Torres
  • Patent number: 11097740
    Abstract: A four-wheel drive vehicle comprises: a dog clutch; an electronically controlled coupling; and a control device switching a drive state to the four-wheel drive state when the control device determines that a running road surface is a low friction road and switching the drive state to the two-wheel drive state when the control device determines that the running road surface is a high friction road. In the case of switching the drive state from the four-wheel drive state to the two-wheel drive state, the control device temporarily releases the electronically controlled coupling to redetermine whether the running road surface is the low friction road or the high friction road before releasing the dog clutch and prohibits switching from the four-wheel drive state to the two-wheel drive state when it is redetermined that the running road surface is the low friction road.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Daichi Shimizu
  • Patent number: 11091031
    Abstract: A drive force control system for a vehicle configured to allow a driver to find out a steering angle at which a wheel grips a road surface. In the vehicle, a torque distribution ratio to a pair of wheels turned by a steering wheel and another pair of wheels is changeable. A controller restricts a control to change the torque distribution ratio in the event of a slip of the pair of wheels, if a steering angle of the pair of wheels is changed to allow the pair of wheels to grip a road surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akio Sugawara, Kunihiko Usui, Ryosuke Ikemura, Keisuke Ushida
  • Patent number: 11072337
    Abstract: In a method for ascertaining the coefficient of friction between a vehicle wheel and the roadway, at least one active vehicle unit influencing the longitudinal dynamics of the vehicle is controlled during the trip in such a manner, that the longitudinal wheel force acting upon at least one vehicle wheel is increased, and/or the contact patch force of the wheel is decreased, while the characteristic of the sum of all of the longitudinal forces acting upon the vehicle remains unchanged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Nils Hagenlocher, Raphael Wenzel, Tobias Oberhardt
  • Patent number: 11059483
    Abstract: A vehicle control device includes a sensor, a transfer case and a controller. The sensor detects a yaw rate of a vehicle. The transfer case distributes a drive force from a motive power source to front wheels and rear wheels. The controller determines a road surface friction coefficient to be low upon detecting an absolute value of the yaw rate during forward travel of the vehicle to be equal to or greater than a prescribed value other than zero, determines the road surface friction coefficient to be high upon detecting the absolute value is less than prescribed value, and controls a distribution amount of the transfer case based on a determination result of the road surface friction coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuyoshi Ogawa, Atsuhiro Mori
  • Patent number: 10994725
    Abstract: A four-wheel-drive vehicle including a powertrain operable to adjust a front- and rear-wheel driving force ratio that is a ratio between a driving force of front wheels and a driving force of rear wheels includes a control device that controls the powertrain and adjusts the front- and rear-wheel driving force ratio so as to reduce the driving force of the front wheels that are steered wheels, when it is detected that emergency avoidance to avoid collision with an avoidance target ahead in a traveling direction is necessary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroki Yajima
  • Patent number: 10975924
    Abstract: Fluid control apparatus for use with vehicle clutches are disclosed. A disclosed clutch coupling assembly for a vehicle includes a housing defining a cavity. The clutch coupling assembly also includes a fluid reservoir fluidly coupled to the cavity. The clutch coupling assembly also includes a clutch positioned in the cavity. Rotation of the clutch is to convey a fluid from the cavity to the fluid reservoir. The clutch coupling assembly also includes a pump operatively coupled to the housing to control the fluid. Operation of the pump is to convey the fluid from the fluid reservoir to the cavity when the clutch is in an engaged state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: JTEKT AUTOMOTIVE NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Patrick Desing, Shun Ono, Mike Kocevar, Junji Ando, Kenji Korenaga
  • Patent number: 10919387
    Abstract: A control apparatus configured to control a driving force transmission apparatus. The control apparatus includes a torque command value calculator configured to calculate a torque command value for the right and left rear wheels based on a front-rear wheel rotation speed difference, a command value limiter configured to limit the torque command value to a value equal to or smaller than an upper limit value, and a current controller configured to control a current to be supplied to the driving force transmission apparatus so that a driving force determined based on the torque command value is transmitted to the right and left rear wheels. When the front-rear wheel rotation speed difference increases, the command value limiter sets the upper limit value smaller as a change amount of the front-rear wheel rotation speed difference per unit time increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hirokazu Kondo
  • Patent number: 10871773
    Abstract: A vehicle travel control apparatus including a road surface condition detector, a drive mode instruction switch instructing a manual drive mode or a self-drive mode and, an electric control unit having a microprocessor and a memory. The memory stores a driving characteristic of a driver during traveling in the self-drive mode, and the microprocessor performs generating an action plan including a target path of the vehicle, controlling an actuator so that the vehicle travels in self-driving in accordance with the action plan, and the generating including restricting a target value of a physical quantity for traveling of the vehicle included in the action plan, based on the detected road surface condition and the driving characteristic stored in the memory, when a switching from the manual drive mode to the self-drive mode is instructed by the drive mode instruction switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Mizuno, Akira Kito, Yoshiaki Konishi, Takayuki Kishi
  • Patent number: 10871195
    Abstract: A control device for a torque distributor provided with a control means acquiring a demand value of a torque distributed to second driving wheels (W3, W4) using a torque distributor (10) and outputs a command value (TR) of torque corresponding to the demand value of torque. When a variation per unit time (ND) of a differential rotation speed (NS) between a drive source (3) side and a second driving wheel side with respect to the torque distributor in a torque transmission path (20) is a predetermined first threshold (ND1) or more, the control means (60) performs a torque command value limit control controlling the torque command value to a predetermined limit value (TR1) or less. This can secure the running stability necessary for the vehicle by distributing an appropriate torque to the second driving wheels using the torque distributor, while enabling proper protection of components including the torque distributor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masaru Komatsubara
  • Patent number: 10859131
    Abstract: Controlling a multiplate clutch situated between an input shaft and an output shaft for the switchable transmission of torques, wherein in the event of a torque request and a subsequent engagement of the multiplate clutch, includes: a) determining a setpoint engagement force, acting in an axial direction, of the multiplate clutch for transmitting a setpoint torque to the output shaft; b) determining and setting a limiting engagement force that is less than the setpoint engagement force, and c) setting the setpoint engagement force in a time-delayed manner; wherein a transmission of an actual torque is achieved by limiting the setpoint engagement force to the limiting engagement force, so that a maximum actual torque that is transmitted upon engagement of the multiplate clutch exceeds a setpoint torque to be transmitted by at most 5%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: GKN Automotive Ltd.
    Inventors: Volker Rene Ruiters, Andreas Langhanki, Rainer Brüning
  • Patent number: 10836372
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle control system and method include a controller programmed to, while a transmission is in PARK or NEUTRAL, start an engine, close a disconnect clutch selectively coupling the engine to an electric machine, and control the electric machine to charge a traction battery in response to the accelerator pedal position exceeding an idle position and being less than a threshold. The controller controls transmission impeller speed in response to accelerator pedal position exceeding the threshold to allow revving the engine in response to accelerator pedal. A method for controlling a hybrid vehicle includes starting an engine, closing a clutch between the engine and an electric machine, and controlling the engine and the electric machine to either: i) charge a traction battery or ii) rev the engine based on accelerator pedal position relative to a threshold above an idle position while the transmission is in PARK or NEUTRAL.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jason Meyer, Rajit Johri, Mark Steven Yamazaki, Mathew Alan Boesch, Chen Zhang
  • Patent number: 10807590
    Abstract: The control device of a four-wheel drive vehicle is applied to a four-wheel drive vehicle having a differential restriction device which can change a differential restriction degree between a front wheel rotary shaft and a rear wheel rotary shaft, a braking device can separately change a braking force of the front wheels and a braking force of the rear wheels. The control device determines whether a specific state which has a high possibility that a state where a rear wheel slip ratio becomes larger than a front wheel slip ratio is generated occurs assuming that the differential restriction degree is set to a first degree when the differential restriction degree is set to a second degree so as not to allow the differential operation and change the differential restriction degree from the second degree to the first degree when it is determined that the specific state has occurred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Ryochi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 10787167
    Abstract: A drive force control system configured to achieve a yaw rate required by a driver. A first target yaw rate is calculated based on a steering angle, and a second target yaw rate is calculated based on a steering torque. A first target torque of a right wheel and a second target torque of a left wheel are calculated based on a first difference between the first target yaw rate and an actual yaw rate. the first target torque is corrected based on the second target yaw rate and the actual yaw rate to obtain a third target torque, and the second target torque is corrected based on the second target yaw rate and the actual yaw rate to obtain a fourth target torque. A controller transmit signals to the drive unit to achieve the third target torque and to achieve the fourth target torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takanobu Nasu, Hiroshi Isono, Hidekazu Sasaki
  • Patent number: 10759277
    Abstract: A clutch control method is provided for a four-wheel-drive vehicle in which the main drive wheels are connected to a drive source, and the auxiliary drive wheels are connected via a friction clutch to the drive source. When the vehicle starts off due to an accelerator depressing operation, the friction clutch is engaged to distribute, a drive torque from the drive source to the main drive wheels and the auxiliary drive wheels. In this clutch control method, when the vehicle switches from a traveling state to a stopped state while maintaining in a travel shift position, a control is preformed to apply initial torque as an engagement torque control of the friction clutch while the vehicle is stopped. A magnitude of the initial torque is set to a magnitude that maintains a drive-system torsion state by transmitting torque to an auxiliary-drive-wheel drive system before the vehicle is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koutarou Tanaka, Yuusuke Hirahata, Keishirou Nakamura, Kouki Saitou
  • Patent number: 10680845
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for interfacing with and managing IoT devices. An embodiment operates by requesting a list of device-specific capabilities from one or more IoT devices, providing a user interface by which users can view all available capabilities across the one or more IoT devices, and receiving a selected capability which subsequently executes on the appropriate IoT device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: SAP SE
    Inventors: Alexander Ocher, Viktor Lapitski
  • Patent number: 10596902
    Abstract: A method of controlling implementation of a drift driving state of a vehicle, may include a slip inducement step, wherein in a state that drift mode is selected, when a vehicle enters into rotary driving and is in a power-on state, a controller reduces front wheel distribution torque of all-wheel drive (AWD) system in comparison to cases other than the drift mode; a slip torque control step, wherein when a rear wheel slip of the vehicle is generated, the controller allows the vehicle to enter into drifting by adding slip control torque according to lateral acceleration of the vehicle to the front wheel distribution torque; and a drift maintenance step, wherein when a counter steering state by a driver is confirmed, the controller maintains a drift driving state of the vehicle by releasing all the front wheel distribution torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION, HYUNDAI WIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sung Keun Lim, Ji Woong Yi
  • Patent number: 10538227
    Abstract: A method for controlling a vehicle deceleration depending on a differential slip between two vehicle axles in a vehicle with an ABS brake system includes detecting at least one of a target vehicle deceleration specified by the driver and an actual vehicle deceleration; and controlling a braking pressure on wheel brakes of a vehicle axle to be controlled by actuation of ABS brake valves in such a way that the braking pressure on the wheel brakes of the vehicle axle to be controlled is controlled depending on a detected actual differential slip, so that the actual differential slip corresponds to a target differential slip. The actual differential slip indicates a difference in a rotational behavior of the vehicle axle to be controlled relative to a further vehicle axle. The target differential slip is dependent on at least one of the detected actual vehicle deceleration and the detected target vehicle deceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: WABCO GMBH
    Inventors: Andreas Boethel, Horst Eckert, Torsten Wallbaum
  • Patent number: 10513272
    Abstract: Various systems and methods for monitoring integrate circuits for failure are described herein. A system to monitor for potential component failure includes a sensor array interface to obtain a first safety level from a first sensor and a second safety level from a second sensor, the first and second sensors installed in a machine, the first and second safety levels indicating how safe the machine is to operate; and a processor to: obtain configuration parameters from a rule data store; combine the first and second safety levels using the configuration parameters to produce a composite safety level; and initiate a responsive action based on the composite safety level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Robert F. Kwasnick, Huy Le
  • Patent number: 10464417
    Abstract: A multi-axle drive device and method for operating a multi-axle drive device. The multi-axle drive device is provided with a synchronization clutch present in an operational connection between a first output shaft and a connecting shaft and at least one disconnecting clutch present in an operational connection between the connecting shaft and a second output shaft. The synchronization clutch and the disconnecting clutch are opened in a first operating state and closed in a second operating state. At the same time, with an intended change from the second operating state to the first operating state, the synchronization clutch is maintained at least partially opened and the separation clutch is maintained closed, so that, when a first operating mode is carried out, the disconnecting clutch is opened, and when a second operating mode is carried out, the synchronization clutch is closed again.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Dieter Weidemann, Heiko Hanickel, Florian Kolb, Hans Jörg Brühl
  • Patent number: 10363934
    Abstract: A series hydraulic hybrid driveline for a vehicle, having a hydraulic circuit with a first hydraulic displacement unit in fluid communication with a second hydraulic displacement unit, the first hydraulic displacement unit having a variable hydraulic displacement and the first hydraulic displacement unit being drivingly engaged with an internal combustion engine. A hydraulic accumulator assembly selectively fluidly connected to the hydraulic circuit, the hydraulic accumulator assembly having a high pressure hydraulic accumulator and a low pressure hydraulic accumulator. And a hydraulic actuator adapted to control the hydraulic displacement of the first hydraulic displacement unit, the hydraulic actuator being in fluid communication with the hydraulic accumulator assembly and/or with the hydraulic circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: Dana Italia S.R.L.
    Inventors: Giulio Ornella, Fabrizio Zendri
  • Patent number: 10286780
    Abstract: A method for controlling a motor vehicle (1) operated in all-wheel drive at times, by means of a control unit (3), wherein the motor vehicle comprises a drive unit (11), a primary drive axle (14) permanently driven by the drive unit (11), a secondary drive axle (24), a torque transmission train (17, 17.1) for transmitting the torque of the drive unit (11) to the secondary drive axle (24), and a disconnect clutch (15) for coupling the secondary drive axle (24) to and uncoupling same from the drive unit (11), wherein the control unit (3) can actuate the disconnect clutch (15) via a first actuating unit (16), characterized by the following steps determining an all-wheel requirement for the motor vehicle from input signals if there is a predetermined all-wheel requirement, preparing an all-wheel operation, wherein the disconnect clutch (15) is not closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: MAGNA POWERTRAIN GMBH & CO KG
    Inventor: Johannes Quehenberger
  • Patent number: 10288166
    Abstract: A soft underfoot conditions response system for use with a vehicle includes a plurality of sensors configured to transmit signals indicative of live data representing at least one of real time vehicle speed, vehicle acceleration, vehicle pose, vehicle payload, engine torque, engine power output, and engine RPM, and a controller communicatively coupled with the sensors. The controller is programmed to receive the live data, receive reference data representative of soft underfoot conditions from a database, and analyze the live data and the reference data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Addwiteey Chrungoo, Sandesh Gowda, Ananth Purushotham Kini, Philip Carl Wallstedt, Kevin Anthony Davis
  • Patent number: 10227069
    Abstract: A method and a system for controlling a vehicle (100) with four-wheel drive are provided. The method includes: acquiring a vehicle condition information parameter by a vehicle condition information collector; obtaining a radius of turning circle to be reduced from a driver by a turning circle receiver (40); obtaining a controlling yaw moment corresponding to the radius of turning circle to be reduced according to the vehicle condition information parameter and the radius of turning circle to be reduced by a turning circle controller (11); and distributing the controlling yaw moment to four wheels (90) of the vehicle (100) according to an intensity level of the radius of turning circle to be reduced and the vehicle condition information parameter by the turning circle controller (11), such that the vehicle (100) turns circle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: BYD COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Yubo Lian, Heping Ling, Fanliang Meng, Mingchuan Shi, Weiqiang Chen
  • Patent number: 10220836
    Abstract: A drive control device of the vehicle controls a left and right driving force difference by a driving device based on a rotational velocity of a rotary electric machine, which imparts a steering force or a steering additive force to a steering system of the vehicle. Furthermore, at a time that there is a deviation or a likelihood of a deviation of the vehicle with respect to a travel path or when an avoidance assistance unit produces a notifying operation or imparts a deviation avoidance assistance steeling force or a deviation avoidance assistance steering additive force, the drive control device prohibits or suppresses control of the left and right driving force difference based on the rotational velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomokazu Honda, Hitoshi Sasaki
  • Patent number: 10184537
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for measuring clutch durability of an all wheel drive vehicle. The method includes: a damage degree securing step of accumulating and acquiring a damage degree of a clutch based on a clutch slip amount and clutch transfer torque when the clutch slips by a difference in rotary speed between a front wheel and a rear wheel; and a durability predicting step of predicting current durability of the clutch based on the difference between the accumulated and acquired damage degree and a reference damage degree of the corresponding clutch, an input shaft RPM of rotating the clutch, and a reference durability RPM of the clutch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: HYUNDAI DYMOS INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Sang Chull Han
  • Patent number: 10137775
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a driveshaft, first axle, second axle, first clutch, second clutch, and controller. The driveshaft is selectively coupled to outputs of the first and second axles by the first and second clutches, respectively. The controller is programmed to, in response to a command to reconnect the driveshaft to the outputs of the first and second axles, close the second clutch to transfer loads from the second axle to the driveshaft, adjust the slip speed of the first clutch to within a target range, and close the first clutch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Peter John Grutter, Vladimir Ivanovic, Paul Moubarak, Andreas Evangelos Perakes, Nicholas Edward McCubbin, Abhinav Kumar
  • Patent number: 10086678
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for controlling a compressor are provided. The method includes measuring a vehicle speed, an engine speed, a position value of an accelerator pedal, and an external air temperature and comparing the vehicle speed with a predetermined speed. A basic operation rate of the compressor is then determined based on the engine speed and the position value of the accelerator pedal when the vehicle speed is equal to or less than the predetermined speed. A final operation rate of the compressor is determined based on the external air temperature and the determined basic operation rate and the compressor is operated based on the determined final operation rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Tae Hun Jung, Young Jun Kim, Jeong Sik Seo, Jaeyeon Moon, Hyuck Yong Kwon
  • Patent number: 10042815
    Abstract: A vehicle and vehicle system are provided with a controller that is configured to generate output indicative of a road gradient based on at least one of a first estimation, a second estimation and a third estimation. The road gradient is based on the first estimation when a vehicle speed is less than a speed threshold and an input indicative of a longitudinal acceleration is available. The road gradient is based on the second estimation when the vehicle speed is greater than the speed threshold and the longitudinal acceleration is available. The road gradient is based on the third estimation when the longitudinal acceleration is not available.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Hai Yu
  • Patent number: 9950618
    Abstract: A controller of a four-wheel drive vehicle includes a first operation part that switches drive mode of the vehicle; a second operation part that switches off-road traveling modes indicating traveling modes for off-road driving of the vehicle; a transfer controller that controls the arrangement of a transfer device in accordance with the drive mode; a detector that detects the arrangement of the transfer device; a determiner that determines whether a switching of the traveling modes is permitted or not based on the drive mode and the arrangement detected by the detector; and a setter that sets the traveling modes of the vehicle based on the detected arrangement and input operations to the first operation part and the second operation part when the determiner determines the switching of the traveling modes is permitted, and maintains the current traveling mode when the determiner determines the switching of the traveling modes is not permitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomohiro Kawasaki, Takayuki Wako, Atsuro Hirayama, Tomo Kato, Wataru Tanabe, Shuichi Yoshida, Kei Asano, Yutaka Kohara
  • Patent number: 9873433
    Abstract: A controller comprises a memory, including a maximum rated driveshaft torque for a driveshaft on a vehicle, and an electrical output transmitting an output signal for limiting a torque on the driveshaft of the vehicle during an event while the vehicle is attempting to at least one of maintain and increase velocity. The torque on the driveshaft is limited by controlling braking pressure to at least one brake associated with driven wheels and/or controlling motor torque delivered to the driveshaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC
    Inventors: Thomas S Miller, Jr., Nathan L Moseley
  • Patent number: 9821800
    Abstract: A processor for a vehicle includes a vehicle yaw moment instruction calculator, and a mode under which yaw moment of the vehicle is controlled. If the vehicle yaw moment instruction value generates the driving forces or the driving torques, the driving forces or driving torques are different between the left and right wheels. If the vehicle yaw moment instruction value generates the braking forces or the braking torques, the braking forces or the braking torques are different between the left and right wheels. The mode operates at least in transit region between daily region and limit region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Yamakado, Mitsuhide Sasaki, Mikio Ueyama, Keiichiro Nagatsuka
  • Patent number: 9823278
    Abstract: A fault detecting apparatus, to use an output current from a drive circuit as a current value detected by a current sensor, calculates a duty ratio of a control signal to be supplied to the drive circuit to define the duty ratio as a theoretical value of the duty ratio of the control signal. The fault detecting apparatus compares a duty ratio of a control signal actually supplied to the drive circuit with the theoretical value of the duty ratio of the control signal to determine whether the current sensor (fails on the basis of a comparison result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: SHINDENGEN ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Tanabe, Kazuya Okabe, Daisuke Hagiwara
  • Patent number: 9758038
    Abstract: A clutch control device is provided for a four-wheel drive vehicle for transmitting drive force to the rear wheels. The clutch control device includes a dog clutch and a friction clutch, and a controller that controls the engagement and disengagement of the dog clutch and the friction clutch. In this clutch control device, the four-wheel drive hybrid vehicle includes a disconnected, two-wheel drive mode and a connected, four-wheel drive mode. When a driver's foot is lifted off an accelerator in a low-speed region when the connected, four-wheel drive mode is selected, the 4WD control unit maintains the connected, four-wheel drive mode while the brakes are not depressed, and shifts the mode to the disconnected, two-wheel drive mode when the brakes are depressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuyoshi Ogawa, Atsuhiro Mori, Shunichi Mitsuishi, Makoto Morita, Tetsu Takaishi
  • Patent number: 9604529
    Abstract: A four wheel drive power transmission system may include: a front wheel drive unit configured to selectively transmit power of an engine and power of a first motor/generator to a front wheel differential apparatus; and a rear wheel drive unit configured to transmit power of a second motor/generator to a rear wheel reduction gear unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Kum Lim Choi