Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for controlling vehicle moding in response to a variety of driving conditions. The system comprises an input device configured to receive first and second inputs, a vehicle subsystem, and a controller coupled to each of the vehicle subsystem and the input device. The vehicle subsystem is configured to produce a parameter related to the driving condition in the first mode. The controller is configured to determine the driving condition from the parameter, control the vehicle subsystem to operate in a first mode based on the first input, and control the vehicle subsystem to operate in a second mode in response to one of the driving condition and the second input.

Abstract: Systems, methods and data structures are provided for representing robust data transmitted within a control system. The data structure includes at least two data fields identifying sub-modules and sub-modes of the control system, and optionally includes a third field for designating a primary operating mode of the control system and/or a fourth field representing a handshaking bit or value. The operating modes, sub-modes and sub-module designators are represented by values of the bits selected such that no single bit transition results in the selection of another valid operating state of the control system. As a result, single bit errors will not produce erroneous operating results. Similar concepts can be optionally applied to ensure that errors in contiguous sets of four, eight or any other number of bits do not produce valid states represented by the data structure.

Abstract: A vehicle includes a plurality of sub-systems and corresponding controllers for effecting normal control thereover. The vehicle further includes a vehicle dynamics controller for providing high-priority sub-system commands for sub-system control to effect vehicle dynamics enhancements. The vehicle dynamics controller includes a plurality of independently decomposable and recomposable software components or layers and accessible inter-layer bus structure.