Jaguar Land Rover Limited

Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

David Armstrong

Robert Burford

Charlotte Cooke

William Ward

James Kelly

Elliot Hemes

Sam Anker

Dan Dennehy

David Andrew Clare

Steve Liggins

Jan Pieter Prins

Derek Leslie Jones

Keith Gary Reginald Parsons

Nick Solomon

Adrian Berry

Tim Slaney

Adrie Breugelmans

Nick Moore

Richard Cook

David Inch

Scott Dicken

Phil Guest

Andrew Cotta

Christopher Johnson

An apparatus () and a method () for controlling steering of a vehicle () of a vehicle () are disclosed. The apparatus () comprises a device () configured to receive a first signal indicative of a requested steering angle and a second signal indicative of a roll angle of the vehicle (). The device is also configured to determine a proposed steering angle for steerable wheels of the vehicle () in dependence on the first signal and to provide an output signal configured to cause steering of the steerable wheels at the proposed steering angle. In dependence on a set of criteria being met, the device () is configured to determine the proposed steering angle in dependence on the second signal.

Apparatus and a method for controlling steering

An apparatus () and a method () for controlling steering of rear wheels () of a vehicle () are disclosed. The apparatus () comprises a control means () configured to receive a first signal indicative of a front wheel steering angle and a second signal indicative of a selected mode selected from at least a first mode and a second mode. The control means is also configured to determine a proposed rear wheel steering angle in dependence on the first signal and the second signal and to provide an output signal configured to cause steering of rear wheels () at the proposed rear wheel steering angle.

The invention provides a system () for a motor vehicle () that receives drive demand information (S) indicative of an amount of drive demanded of a powertrain () of the vehicle (), and controls an amount of drive torque applied by the powertrain () to one or more road wheels () in dependence on the drive demand information (S). The system also receives gradient information (GS) relating to the driving surface and vehicle speed information (Sv). The control system, in dependence on the gradient and speed information, automatically causes a braking system () to apply brake force to one or more of the wheels () to prevent vehicle rollback, and adjusts the amount of brake force applied in dependence on the drive demand information (S) to cause the amount of brake force applied to increase progressively as the amount of drive demand decreases.

Control system for a vehicle and method

The present application describes a method of controlling a vehicle, wherein the vehicle comprises a hybrid powertrain including an electric propulsion system, an engine and a drivetrain that is configurable in a low-range mode or a high-range mode. The method comprises determining whether the low-range mode for the drivetrain is selected, determining whether an electric mode for the powertrain is selected, and inhibiting operation of the engine if both the low-range mode and the electric mode are selected.

Method of controlling a hybrid vehicle

A vehicle control system for controlling at least one subsystem of a vehicle; the vehicle control system comprising: a subsystem controller for initiating control of the or each of the at least one vehicle subsystems in one of a plurality of baseline subsystem control modes by setting at least one control parameter of the or each of the at least one subsystems to a predetermined, stored, value or state applicable to that baseline subsystem control mode, each baseline subsystem control mode corresponding to one or more different driving conditions for the vehicle; and input means for permitting a user to provide an input to the control system, wherein, for at least one of the plurality of baseline subsystem control modes, the control system is configured to allow a user to define, via the input means, a user-configured subsystem control mode based on one said at least one baseline subsystem control mode by adjusting the value or state of at least one of said at least one control parameters to a value or state other than the predetermined stored value or state applicable to that baseline control mode, the subsystem being configured to cause the subsystem controller to initiate control of the or each of the at least one vehicle subsystems in the user-configured subsystem control mode.

A method for providing a steering recommendation for a vehicle for negotiating an obstacle includes receiving terrain information, the terrain information indicative of a surface of an obstacle, the surface facing an approaching wheel of the vehicle. The method further includes determining, from the terrain information, at least one characteristic of the facing surface of the obstacle and determining, in dependence on the determined at least one characteristic, a steering recommendation for the wheel to negotiate the obstacle. The method further includes providing the steering recommendation for use in negotiating the obstacle. A computer-readable medium, a controller, a system and a vehicle are also provided.

Vehicle controller and method

A method of controlling the deceleration of a vehicle to account for an increase in friction in the vehicle brake system as the vehicle decelerates. The method comprises receiving a signal indicative of a value of the speed of the vehicle and a signal indicative of a value of a brake pressure in the vehicle brake system. The method further comprises comparing the vehicle speed value and the brake pressure value to respective thresholds. The method still further comprises increasing the drive torque applied to one or more wheels of the vehicle when the vehicle speed value falls below the threshold to which it was compared and the brake pressure value exceeds the threshold to which it was compared, such that the increased drive torque acts against the braking of the vehicle as the vehicle is decelerated to a stop.

Controlling the deceleration of a vehicle

A vehicle mode controller, a driving mode collecting means, and a plurality of subsystem controllers including an engine management system, a transmission controller, a steering controller, a brakes controller and a suspension controller, provide an improved system and method of operating a vehicle control system in a host vehicle in a manner suitable for a respective driving surface in a plurality of different off-road surfaces and terrains such as might be encountered when driving off-road. An improved method is provided for controlling a vehicle control system by avoiding unplanned combinations of subsystem configuration modes and minimizing the transition time when changing between subsystem configuration modes.

Vehicle control method and apparatus

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Birmingham, United Kingdom

David Armstrong