Continental Automotive Systems Corporation

Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation

Continental Teves, Inc.

Clinton Lee Schumann

Scott T Sanford

Michael S Wyciechowski

Joseph A Labarbera

Emmanuel Garcia

Geoffrey Burke Bauer

Brian L Hildebrand

Bo Ye

Christopher Allen Harrison

Geoff Bauer

Kurt Stouffer Lehmann

Michael Gerhard Schneider

Gregory J Katch

Andrew Knepper

Todd Bowman

Kurt Myers Branson

Karthik Rengarajan

Ying Yang

Seth Michael Taylor

Kurf Stouffer Lehmann

Disclosed is a method, product, and system including the use of or using differential braking to determine a surface type or friction level under a road wheel of a vehicle and communicating the determined surface type or friction level under the road when to another system or component of the vehicle.

Surface recognition during differential braking

A number of variations may include a method including pre-charging at least a portion of a vehicle brake system.

System and method of preemptively readying a brake system

A number of variations may include a method including using at least one of brakes or propulsion energy to steer an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle if a primary, secondary or other redundant steering system for an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle has failed or is insufficiently unhealthy to perform a desired function, the method including determining if a primary, secondary or other redundant steering system of an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle has failed or is not sufficiently healthy to perform a desired function, and if so, converting a steer request into a desired yaw rate, curvature, curvature over time, radius, radius or time or yaw rate acceleration, calculating a brake pressure sufficient to produce the desired yaw rate, curvature, curvature over time, radius, radius or time or yaw rate acceleration, delivering brake pressures signals via a lateral control module to an actuator for at least one brake connected to a wheel of the vehicle so that the brake pressure causes the vehicle yaw at the desired yaw rate, curvature, curvature over time, radius, radius or time or yaw rate acceleration.

Method of using brakes to steer a vehicle

A number of illustrative variations may include a system that may manage torque overlay scenarios in a vehicle where the brakes and propulsion system are providing both lateral and longitudinal movement commands and there is a change in longitudinal acceleration requested from a driver or autonomous driving system. The system may manage driver brake inputs and brake-to-steer brake inputs to maintain brake-to-steer functionality while also applying sufficient braking as requested by the driver.

Longitudinal overlay while using brake-to-steer

A number of illustrative variations may include the steps of providing a first vehicle including at least one sensor, a controller configured to process sensor data, and a vehicle communication system; providing a driving surface having an actual coefficient of friction; determining at least one estimated driving surface coefficient of friction; communicating the at least one estimated driving surface coefficient from the first vehicle to the vehicle communication system; and communicating the at least one estimated driving surface coefficient from the vehicle communication system to at least one other vehicle directly or indirectly.

Surface detection via a directed autonomous vehicle

Steering a vehicle may include applying a net brake-steering force to a steered wheel sufficient to affect a steering moment upon the steered wheel sufficient to move the steered wheel away from a zero steering angle, and resisting movement of the steered wheel back toward the zero steering angle.

Vehicle wheel steer control system and method

A number of illustrative variations may include a system including brake-to-steer algorithms may achieve lateral control of a vehicle without longitudinal compensation but may also force a vehicle to slow down too rapidly before appropriate lateral movement can be achieved and may deliver an unnatural driving experience for vehicle occupants. A more natural feeling deceleration may be achieved by optimally selecting appropriate transmission shifts to allow for optimal engine speed or electric motor speed and torque based on current vehicle speed thereby reducing undesirably longitudinal disturbance.

Longitudinal control feedback compensation during brake-to-steer

A number of illustrative variations may include a system and method of controlling vehicle slowing while implementing brake-to-steer functionality that may include providing a feed-forward gain on vehicle propulsion torque to achieve or maintain target longitudinal acceleration and replicate the behavior of a vehicle not using brake-to-steer. The system may manipulate propulsion of the vehicle to manage longitudinal acceleration disturbance and speed disturbance during brake-to-steer.

Feed-forward compensation to manage longitudinal disturbance during brake-to-steer

A number of illustrative variations may include a method or product for alerting or refocusing an inattentive driver.

Method and product for alerting or refocusing an inattentive driver

A vehicle brake system has front and rear wheel brakes with each brake including a caliper associated with a rotor. A master cylinder is activated by a brake pedal to which the wheel brakes are connected. An electrically controllable pressure generating device delivers a brake system pressure. A plurality of valves is fluidly coupled between the calipers and the master cylinder. A control unit has a processor circuit to determine if the vehicle is operating under a condition where brake noise can occur and if so, the control unit controls the pressure generating device and certain of the valves to selectively control caliper pressure by supplying pressure or releasing pressure to certain ones of the calipers to reduce the brake noise, while ensuring adequate braking of the vehicle.

System and method for reducing brake noise in a vehicle using electronic brake system

A method of detecting for primary circuit loss of an electronic stability control system for a vehicle comprises checking that a lateral acceleration sensor is installed and working properly, a yaw sensor is installed and working properly, and a steering wheel angle sensor is installed and working properly. An absolute value of the lateral acceleration sensor is compared with a first pre-defined threshold, an absolute value of the yaw sensor is compared with a second pre-defined threshold, and an absolute value of the steering wheel angle sensor is compared with a third pre-defined threshold. It is determined that primary circuit loss detection is not required when any of the three sensors are equal to and above the respective pre-defined thresholds and that primary circuit loss detection is required when all of the three sensors are below the respective pre-defined threshold.

Arrangement and method for preventing false detection of electronic stability control primary circuit loss

A method of operating a brake system comprises monitoring a vacuum pressure sensor with an ECU to determine an actual vacuum pressure in a vacuum booster for the brake system. The actual vacuum pressure is compared to a modeled vacuum pressure for the vacuum booster. When the actual vacuum pressure is different from the modeled vacuum pressure by a predetermined threshold difference the ECU determines either a booster leak to atmosphere or a booster checkball is malfunctioning. When the ECU determines that the booster is leaking to atmosphere or the booster checkball is malfunctioning an alert is provided.

Detection of vacuum booster leak to atmosphere or booster checkball malfunction

A display system for a vehicle comprises a display mounted within a passenger compartment of a vehicle and at least one camera mounted to the vehicle and facing at least partially in a rear direction. A sensor is connected to the display system for the vehicle. An ECU is controllably connected to the display and the at least one camera. The ECU provides an image from the at least one camera when a predetermined threshold of brake application is sensed or anti-lock brake activity is sensed.

Rear view camera display during braking

A method applying a line lock feature, i.e. a wheel hold mode, with a brake system for a vehicle comprises initiating a wheel hold mode for the brake system and applying pressure to the wheels of a non-driven axle. The wheel brake pressure is maintained at the wheels of the non-driven axle independent of application of the brake pedal. The wheel brake pressure at the wheels of the non-driven axle is released when a release trigger event occurs. The release trigger event may be an automatic trigger event or a driver actuated trigger event.

Electronic brake system line lock feature

The present invention features a system and method for estimating body states of a vehicle. The system includes at least two sensors mounted to the vehicle. The sensors generate measured vehicle state signals corresponding to the dynamics of the vehicle. A signal adjuster transforms the measured vehicle states from a sensor coordinate system to a body coordinate system associated with the vehicle. A filter receives the transformed measured vehicle states from the signal adjuster and processes the measured signals into state estimates of the vehicle, such as, for example, the lateral velocity, yaw rate, roll angle, and roll rate of the vehicle.

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Holly, MI, United States of America

Clinton Lee Schumann