Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Lucian Lippok

Cyril Coerman

Ming Lang Kuang

Keith Weston

Yanan Zhao

Hai Yu

Marc Simon

Joseph Jay Torres

Jose Velazquez Alcantar

Andrew Monticello

Georg Johann Maurer

Joe Jay Torres

Robert Barend Ter Waarbeek

Methods and system are described for controlling wheel slip of a four wheel drive vehicle. The methods and system may be applied to an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle. The method and system provide for operating vehicle propulsion sources in speed and torque control modes to manage wheel slip.

System and method for coordinating independent axles for continuous wheel slip control

The disclosure concerns a tilting vehicle with at least one multi-wheel axle, a vehicle structure and a control unit that is arranged to detect a lateral acceleration acting on the tilting vehicle and actively adjust a tilt angle of the structure of the vehicle about the longitudinal axis thereof. In order to optimize adjustment of the tilt angle in a tilting vehicle, the control unit is arranged to adjust the tilt angle so that in a direction of a lateral axis of the structure of the vehicle, a Y component of the lateral acceleration is partially compensated by a Y component of acceleration due to gravity according to a specified compensation proportion. The compensation proportion increases as a function of the lateral acceleration to a global maximum value at a first acceleration, and decreases above the first acceleration.

Control unit that adjusts a tilt angle of a tilting vehicle

A method is described for controlling the automatic starting of a motor vehicle comprising an electronically controllable locking differential, uphill in a split mu situation. The method comprises the following steps: determining the positive gradient of the underlying surface; defining an initial locking torque on the basis of the determined positive gradient and on the basis of a component of the torque which the vehicle requires to travel uphill with only the first driven wheel powered; calculating the slip ratio SRfor the first driven wheel xx according to SR=(V&#x2212;V)/Vif the reference velocity Vis between 0 and a critical velocity V, and according to SR=(V&#x2212;V)/Vif the reference velocity Vis higher than the critical velocity V; and defining the locking torque of the electronically controllable locking differential on the basis of the slip ratio of the first driven wheel.

Controlling the automatic starting of a motor vehicle uphill in a &#x3bc; split situation

The invention concerns a method for operating a motor vehicle with selectable all-wheel drive. The all-wheel drive is implemented with no central differential and the rear axle is implemented with no axle differential. The motor vehicle includes first and second partial clutches for independently decoupling left and right rear wheels from the drive train of the motor vehicle motor vehicle. The method includes determining a value that is representative of a ratio of the speeds of the front wheels to each other, comparing the value with a reference value, and disengaging the partial clutch that is associated with an outer rear wheel when the motor vehicle is turning, when the value is greater than the reference value, in order to prevent negative torques on the outer rear wheel.

Method for operating a motor vehicle with selectable all-wheel drive

Methods and systems are provided for operating a driveline of a hybrid vehicle that includes an internal combustion engine, an electric machine, and a transmission are described. In one example, regenerative torque and torque of an electronically controlled differential clutch are adjusted to increase utilization of a vehicle's kinetic energy.

Methods and system for hybrid vehicle regenerative braking

A vehicle includes a trailer hitch, an axle having an electronic limited slip differential, and a controller. The electronic limited slip differential includes a variable torque capacity lockup clutch. The controller is programmed to, in response to detecting the presence of a trailer connected to the trailer hitch and an increase in vehicle speed, increase the lockup clutch torque by a first torque adjustment.

Tow damping system

Method for estimating the negative pressure in a motor vehicle brake force booster, and a stop/start control device is disclosed. One embodiment of the invention relates to a method for estimating the negative pressure in a motor vehicle brake force booster with reference to the hydraulic pressure in a brake master cylinder. According to the embodiment, the negative pressure is estimated solely on the basis of hydraulic pressure in the brake master cylinder and of the actual engine speed. One embodiment of the invention also relates to a stop/start control device for a motor vehicles.

Growing community of inventors

Cologne, Germany

Lucian Lippok