Volvo Truck Corporation

Volvo Lastvagnar Ab

Volvo Autonomous Solutions Ab

Volvo Truck Company

Leo Laine

Leon Henderson

Adithya Arikere

Sidhant Ray

Mats Jonasson

Mattias Åsbogård

Ulf Stenbratt

Kristoffer Tagesson

Christian Oscarsson

Peter Nilsson

Mats Rydström

Johan Lindberg

Fredrik Sandblom

Hamid Yhr

Bengt Jacobson

José Vilca

Ray Sidhant

Lionel Farres

Jan-Inge Svensson

Karthik Ramanan Vaidyanathan

Anders Eriksson

Jonas Hellgren

Chidambaram Subramanian

Jesper Blomstrand

Lena Larsson

Filip Alm

Mats Sabelström

Esteban Gelso

Emil Klintberg

Mikael Askerdal

Niklas Fröjd

Mohammad Manjurul Islam

Jan Zachrisson

Sogol Kharrazi

Johanna Majqvist

Ramadan Salif

Gustav Neander

Andreas Jansson

Carl-Johan Hoel

Patrick Volz

Toheed Ghandriz

Rebecka Villiamsson

Joao Mendonca

Peter Hansson

Lance Higgins

Anders Magnusson

Sachin Janardhanan

Mukesh Pokaram Choudhary

Aditya Balkrishna Mapari

Robert Hjelte Ulmehag

Björn Källstrand

Nicolas Soulier

Hans-Martin Heyn

Björn KÄLLSTRAND

Morteza Haghir Chehreghani

Stefan Börjesson

Deepthi Pathare

Erik Börve

A method for controlling a vehicle brake system of a heavy duty vehicle, the brake system comprising a service brake system and an electrical machine brake system. The method includes determining a total brake torque request for braking a wheel of the vehicle, obtaining a brake torque capability of the electrical machine, determining if the total brake torque request exceeds the brake torque capability of the electrical machine, and if the total brake torque request exceeds the brake torque capability of the electrical machine but is below a threshold level, applying a baseline brake torque by the service brake system, wherein the baseline brake torque is configured to compensate for a difference between total brake torque request and brake torque capability of the electrical machine, and controlling wheel slip by the electrical machine brake system.

Method for controlling a vehicle brake system

A method of determining an allowable vehicle state space of an articulated vehicle for safely completing a maneuver is provided. The method includes monitoring a drivable area ahead of the articulated vehicle, predicting a potentially swept area ahead of the articulated vehicle, wherein the potentially swept area represents an area that may be traversed by the articulated vehicle during the maneuver with a probability, based on an initial vehicle state of the articulated vehicle, a geometry of the articulated vehicle, and on error characteristics associated with one or more sensor input signals used for positioning the articulated vehicle, and determining the allowable vehicle state space such that the predicted potentially swept area does not extend beyond the drivable area ahead of the vehicle.

Method of determining an allowable vehicle state space for an articulated vehicle

A control unit for controlling at least one torque generating MSD on a heavy-duty vehicle. The control unit receives a motion request indicative of a desired positive longitudinal tire force to be generated by the torque generating MSD, obtains an estimated applied torque indicative of a current torque generated by the torque generating MSD, determines a target wheel speed based on the motion request and on the estimated applied torque, and configures the torque generating MSD to maintain the target wheel speed. The control unit is arranged to decrease the target wheel speed in case an increase in configured wheel speed results in a decrease in the estimated applied torque.

Robust actuator control methods for heavy-duty vehicle motion management

A braking arrangement for decelerating a heavy duty vehicle, the arrangement including a control unit, at least one electric machine arranged for regenerative braking, an electrical energy absorption device, an eddy current braking device, and a power distribution network arranged to connect the electric machine to the energy absorption device and to the eddy current braking device, wherein the control unit is configured to distribute regenerated electrical power from the electric machine between the energy absorption device and the eddy current braking device by the power distribution network in dependence of a target deceleration value of the heavy duty vehicle.

Braking arrangement for heavy duty vehicles

A wheel brake arrangement for a vehicle, the wheel brake arrangement comprising an eddy current wheel brake configured to receive electric power from a source of electric power of the vehicle during braking, and a transmission arrangement comprising a first shaft connected to the eddy current wheel brake and a second shaft connectable to a wheel of the vehicle, wherein the transmission arrangement comprises a ratio varying arrangement, the ratio varying arrangement being configured to, for any rotational speed below a predetermined threshold speed of the second shaft during braking, control a rotational speed of the first shaft to be maintained within a predetermined rotational speed range.

Wheel brake arrangement for a vehicle

A road friction coefficient of a vehicle is estimated by obtaining substantially contemporaneous values associated with a steering angle for a steered axle of the vehicle, a lateral acceleration, a yaw acceleration, an alignment torque and an axle load on the steered axle; estimating a lateral tire force on the basis of the steering angle, lateral acceleration, and yaw acceleration; deriving a pneumatic trail from the alignment torque and estimated lateral tyre force; and estimating a road friction coefficient from the lateral tire force, the axle load, and the pneumatic trail. In embodiments, the derivation of the road friction coefficient includes evaluating a nonlinear function of the pneumatic trail.

On-board road friction estimation

A method for determining a slip limit value for a wheel of a vehicle. The slip limit value is used for controlling the operation of the vehicle. The method comprises setting the slip limit value to be smaller than a high slip limit value for a majority of an operating time of the vehicle. The method also determines whether or not the vehicle assumes an infrequent manoeuvre condition in which the vehicle carries out an infrequent manoeuvre and/or or is predicted to carry out an infrequent manoeuvre within a predetermined time range, and in response to determining that the vehicle assumes the infrequent manoeuvre condition, setting the slip limit value to the high slip limit value.

Method for determining a slip limit value for a wheel of a vehicle

A method for setting a heavy duty vehicle in motion. The method includes obtaining a motion instruction for setting the vehicle in motion, determining a target wheel slip value corresponding to a wheel slip suitable for executing to the motion instruction, and controlling wheel speed to maintain wheel slip of the vehicle at the target wheel slip value.

Methods for setting a heavy duty vehicle in motion

A computer system () has processing circuitry to assist in handling a set of differentials of a vehicle. The processing circuitry determines a required longitudinal force for driving the vehicle in a driving direction. The processing circuitry predicts a first longitudinal force of the vehicle according to a current configuration, and to predict second longitudinal forces of the vehicle using differential locking configurations associated with locking or unlocking the set of differentials. The processing circuitry is configured to, when the first longitudinal force is below the required longitudinal force, select one of the differential locking configurations for the vehicle to use, which selected differential locking configuration is associated with a second longitudinal force equal to, or greater than, the required longitudinal force.

Handling differentials in a vehicle

A method for controlling steering of a self-powered steerable dolly vehicle during a maneuver, the method comprising determining an articulation angle associated with a drawbar of the dolly vehicle, determining a longitudinal velocity of the dolly vehicle, and controlling the steering of the dolly vehicle based on the articulation angle and on the longitudinal velocity of the dolly vehicle, wherein the controlling comprises initially steering the dolly vehicle in a direction of the articulation angle direction in case the longitudinal velocity of the dolly vehicle is above a velocity threshold.

Methods for controlling a self-powered dolly vehicle during evasive maneuvering

A wheel module arranged to generate torque to accelerate and to decelerate a heavy-duty vehicle. The wheel module comprises at least one electric machine arranged for regenerative braking, an eddy current braking device, and an electronic control unit, ECU. The wheel module further comprises a communications port arranged for communication with an external control unit and a power distribution network arranged to connect the electric machine to the eddy current braking device and to a power port arranged to input and to output electrical power to and from the wheel module. The ECU is arranged to obtain configuration data via the communications port indicative of a maximum output power of the power port, and to control the power distribution network to maintain the output power of the power port below the maximum output power by distributing power from the at least one electric machine between the eddy current braking device and the power port.

Electrical wheel module for acceleration and braking of a heavy-duty vehicle

A single axle dolly vehicle unit for a heavy duty vehicle combination, the dolly vehicle unit comprising an electrical energy source arranged to power at least one electric machine configured to drive left and right wheels of the single axle, the dolly vehicle unit further comprising a drawbar and a fifth wheel connection for mating with first and second trailer units, respectively, wherein the fifth wheel connection is arranged to be adjusted in height over ground by a variable height suspension system, the dolly vehicle unit further comprising a control unit arranged to control the variable height suspension system.

Self-powered single axle dolly vehicle unit with auto-coupling ability

A method includes the steps of parking a trailer by means of a towing vehicle, which trailer is coupled to the towing vehicle via a coupling element of the trailer; the towing vehicle estimating position and heading of the coupling element of the parked trailer; transmitting the estimated position and heading of the coupling element of the parked trailer to a data storage device; and automatically uncoupling the trailer from the towing vehicle, so that the towing vehicle can drive away from the parked trailer.

Methods for assisting automatic uncoupling/coupling of a trailer

A vehicle motion management (VMM) system for a heavy-duty vehicle, configured to obtain a desired wheel force value of a wheel of the vehicle; determine a torque limit for a first motion support device (MSD) associated with the wheel based on the desired wheel force value; determine a tire model based on a relationship between wheel force and wheel speed of the wheel; determine a desired wheel speed for the first MSD based on the tire model; and determine a torque fill request for a second MSD of the vehicle based on the desired wheel force and on a torque capability of the first MSD. The VMM system determines the torque fill request for the second MSD in dependence of the torque limit for the first MSD in case the operating torque of the first MSD is limited by the torque limit, and to determine the torque fill request for the second MSD in dependence of an applied torque status signal in case the operating torque of the first MSD is not limited by the torque limit.

Vehicle motion management system and motion support device control system

A motion support device, MSD, control unit for a heavy duty vehicle, configured to control one or more MSDs associated with a wheel on the vehicle, wherein the MSD control unit is configured to be communicatively coupled to a vehicle motion management, VMM, unit for receiving control commands from the VMM unit comprising wheel speed and/or wheel slip requests to control vehicle motion by the one or more MSDs. The MSD control unit is configured to obtain a capability range indicating a range of wheel behaviors of the wheel for which the VMM unit is allowed to influence the behavior of the wheel by the control commands, monitor wheel behavior and to detect if wheel behavior is outside of the capability range, and trigger a control intervention function in case the monitored wheel behavior is outside of the capability range.

Vehicle motion management with a redundant wheel control safety net function

Growing community of inventors

Härryda, Sweden

Leo Laine