Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ford Global Tech.inc

Other

Ashok E Rodrigues

John Antoni Glab

Andreas Evangelos Perakes

Peter James Barrette

Richard David Bruns

Syun Kyung Lee

Scott Vincent Myers

Peter John Grutter

Nicholas Edward McCubbin

Andrew Monticello

Dana Joseph Katinas

Nicholas Harris

Matt Todd

Dale Scott Crombez

Steven Gerald Thomas

Zhengyu Dai

Harpreetsingh Banvait

Ashley Elizabeth Micks

Scott J Lauffer

Michael Edward Brewer

Sneha Kadetotad

Robert Scott Lippert

Parsa Mahmoudieh

Alan Robert Dona

Filip Tomik

Guopeng Hu

Michael Paul Lindlbauer

Timothy Raphael Allen

Anthony Paskus

Kyle Culek

Neil Hurst

Derek Kempton Ward

Cameron Dillon

Marshall Erin Bates

Ramy Boctor

Jim Koppenol

Kevin Kootsillas

A vehicle having an electric machine, a first half shaft, a second half shaft, a steering wheel, and a controller. The first and second half shafts are configured to deliver torque from the electric machine to first and second wheels, respectively. The controller is programmed to, in response to (i) locking the first half shaft to the second half shaft, (ii) displacement of at least one of the first and second half shafts or the steering wheel, and (iii) a torque command to the electric machine to a desired value resulting in a torque distribution to the first and second half shafts exceeding a torque capacity of at least one of the first and second half shafts, truncate the torque of the electric machine to less than the desired value.

Powertrain torque control system

A vehicle includes an engine, a primary axle drivably connected to the engine, and a secondary axle drivably connected to the engine by a clutch. A controller is programmed to, in response to map data indicating that the vehicle is off-road, enable an off-road transfer torque control mode in which temperatures of the clutch are compared to a lower threshold. The controller is further programmed to, in response to the temperature of the clutch exceeding the lower threshold, display a message to a driver indicative of rising temperatures of the clutch, and, in response to a temperature of the clutch exceeding an upper limit, enable a power limiting mode in which torque of the engine is limited to a predefined value.

Off-road clutch control

An all-wheel-drive vehicle includes a primary axle operably coupled to an engine and a secondary axle having an input operably coupled to the engine a first halfshaft, a second halfshaft, a first clutch selectively connecting the first halfshaft to the input, and a second clutch selectively connecting the second halfshaft to the input. A transmission has an input coupled to the engine and output coupled to the primary drive axle. A driveshaft couples a power-transfer unit and the input, and a third clutch selectively couples the output to the driveshaft. A controller is programmed to, during a power-limiting routine, command a torque to the engine based on closed-loop feedback control such that the torque decreases when a calculated slip of a selected one of the first and second clutches is greater than a target slip of the selected clutch and increases when the calculated slip is less than the target slip.

Vehicle with engine power limiting based on clutch capacity

A vehicle includes a power source configured to provide drive torque, a front axle, a rear axle, and a transfer case configured to distribute drive torque from the power source between the front axle and the rear axle. The vehicle additionally includes a clutch arranged between the front axle and the transfer case. The clutch has a disengaged state and an engaged state drivingly coupling the transfer case and the front axle. The vehicle also includes a regenerative braking system configured to, in response to a braking request, provide regenerative braking torque to the rear axle. The vehicle further includes a controller. The controller is configured to, in response to a braking request and the clutch being in the disengaged state, control the clutch to shift into the engaged state to couple the regenerative braking system to the front axle and provide regenerative braking torque to the front axle.

System and method for increasing regenerative braking in a rear-wheel-drive-based platform with four-wheel-drive capability

Example wind detection systems and methods are described. In one implementation, a method receives data from a vehicle-mounted sensor and determines whether airborne particles are identified in the received data. If airborne particles are identified in the received data, the method determines a wind speed and a wind direction based on movement of the airborne particles and determines a best action to avoid or mitigate the impact of the wind.

Wind detection systems and methods

Example ice and snow detection systems and methods are described. In one implementation, a method activates an ice and snow detection system in response to receiving weather data indicating a likelihood of ice or snow on a roadway near a vehicle. The method receives data from multiple vehicle sensors and analyzes the received data to identify ice or snow on the roadway. If ice or snow is identified on the roadway, the method adjusts vehicle operations and reports the ice or snow condition to a shared database.

Ice and snow detection systems and methods

A method for controlling a vehicle driveline uses sensors to estimate a need for powering secondary wheels for each of a plurality of conditions. The estimates are scaled and the scaled estimates summed. Only primary wheels are powered when the summed estimates are less than a reference value. Both the primary and secondary wheels are powered when the summed estimates exceed the reference value.

Automatic control of driveline states

A vehicle includes friction brakes, an axle, and a controller. The axle has an electronic limited-slip differential that includes a variable torque capacity lockup clutch. The controller is programmed to, in response to a difference between desired and actual yaw rates exceeding a first threshold, increase the torque of the lockup clutch to decrease the difference between the desired and actual yaw rates. The controller is further programmed to, in response the difference between desired and actual yaw rates exceeding a second threshold that is greater than the first threshold, increase the torque of the friction brakes to decrease the difference between the desired and actual yaw rates.

System for mitigating vehicle sway

A vehicle driveline includes a power source, a transmission connected to the power source and including an output driveably connected to primary road wheels, a driveshaft, a synchronizer that opens and closes a drive connection between the output and the driveshaft, and a clutch that alternately opens and closes a drive connection between the driveshaft and secondary road wheels. A control executes synchronization and connection strategies using one of singular, overlapping and sequential activation of the driveline components that produce all-wheel-drive on-demand.

All wheel drive speed synchronization and connection

A method for reducing oscillations in a vehicle driveline includes transmitting torque to secondary wheels of the vehicle, determining a first rate of change in speed between the secondary wheels and primary wheels, if a second rate of change in speed between secondary wheels and primary wheels is greater than the first rate of change, reducing torque transmitted to the secondary wheels proportional to a ratio of the first rate of change and the second rate of change, and if the second rate of change is less than the first rate of change, using differential and proportional control to change said torque.

Reducing oscillations in a motor vehicle driveline

A system and method for managing a powertrain in a vehicle determines a number of vehicle conditions, and compares them to predetermined conditions to determine whether a secondary axle of the vehicle should be automatically connected to or disconnected from the powertrain. In general, if the speed of the vehicle is above some predetermined speed threshold, the secondary axle is disengaged to increase fuel economy. Conversely, if the speed of the vehicle is below some predetermined threshold, the secondary axle is typically engaged to help maximize the capture of regenerative braking energy during a braking event. Additional vehicle conditions may be examined, and exceptions to the general rule utilized, to further enhance the control strategy.

System and method for managing a powertrain in a vehicle

A method for controlling operation of a transfer case in a motor vehicle driveline that includes by an engine controlled by a throttle having a variable position, and a transmission driveably connected to the engine for producing multiple ratios of the speed of a transmission input relative to the speed of a transmission output. The transfer case transmitting rotating power in response to an electric signal applied to a clutch. The method includes determining that the engine throttle position is less than a first reference throttle position during a period of predetermined length; determining that a speed of the vehicle speed is in a predetermined range; determining that the transmission is operating in a speed ratio greater than a reference speed ratio; determining that the engine throttle position is greater than a first reference throttle position; and increasing the torque capacity of the clutch for a predetermined period.

Prevention of inadvertent inertial engagement of a transfer case clutch

A method for controlling operation of a transfer case clutch in a motor vehicle driveline controlled by an engine throttle having a variable position. The transfer case transmits rotating power to a primary power path and to a secondary power path in response to an electric current duty cycle applied to a coil that actuates the clutch. The method includes the steps of determining that a current vehicle speed is less than a reference vehicle speed; determining that the engine throttle position is in a reference throttle position range; determining that a change in vehicle speed is greater than a reference change in vehicle speed; using a current magnitude of torque in the driveline to determine a desired duty cycle for the coil; and applying a duty cycle of the desired magnitude to the coil.

Torque based transfer case control

In a motor vehicle driveline having an automatic transmission driveably connected to a transfer case whose output is continually connected to a first output, a clutch, selectively engaged in response to a control signal, driveably connects a second output to the first output. A digital computer continually monitors the occurrence of a change of clutch slip, input torque and a torque rate change to control the torque transmitted by the clutch to the second output. The control causes the clutch to transmit torque to the second output having a constant fraction of the input clutch torque and another portion that is proportional to the clutch slip. This result simulates the torque slip characteristics produced by transfer case having both a center differential mechanism and a viscous clutch.

Method and apparatus for controlling a transfer case clutch to improve vehicle handling

A four wheel drive assemblyincluding a torque transfer assemblywhich operates under the control of the controllerand which receives and selectively transfers a certain desired amount of torque to a front axlesand to the rear axlesThe amount of transferred torque varies depending upon the occurrence of a sensed slip condition the use of a pre-emptive slip control mode of operation in which the controllerdetermines that it is likely that a slip may occur. Particularly, controlleris allowed to enter the preemptive mode of operation only after an actual slip has occurred and the controllerexits this preemptive mode of operation upon the occurrence of a certain event or condition or upon the passage of a certain amount of time.

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Farmington Hills, MI, United States of America

Ashok E Rodrigues