Jaguar Land Rover Limited

Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Paul Malcolm Darnell

Elliot Hemes

Stephen Stacey

William Burdock

David Andrew Clare

Jan Pieter Prins

Derek Leslie Jones

John Anthony Kellett

Anthony Francis Spillane

John Birch

Keith Gary Reginald Parsons

Robert Bird

Steve Liggins

Jason Walters

Mark Roberts

Ravindra Sabbella

Rob Bird

William Rudman

A vehicle control system has a plurality of subsystem controllers including an engine management systema transmission controllera steering controllera brakes controllerand a suspension controllerThese subsystem controllers are each operable in a plurality of subsystem modes, and are all connected to a vehicle mode controllerwhich controls the modes of operation of each of the subsystem controllers so as to provide a number of driving modes for the vehicle. Each of the modes corresponds to a particular driving condition or set of driving conditions, and in each mode each of the functions is set to the function in mode most appropriate to those conditions.

Vehicle control

The present invention relates to a vehicle recovery system () for a vehicle having at least one driven wheel. The vehicle recovery system () is operable to self-recover the vehicle from terrain having a deformable surface affording insufficient traction at the at least one driven wheel to mobilise the vehicle. A recovery controller () is provided to maintain at least substantially continuous rotation of said at least one driven wheel at a target recovery speed or within a target recovery speed range to increase the available traction at each driven wheel. The present invention also relates to a vehicle having a vehicle recovery system ().

Vehicle recovery system

The invention relates to a verification module () for verifying accuracy of a controller (). The controller () is arranged to generate a demand based on a first input and a second input. The verification module () comprises; a calculation module () arranged to calculate an expected demand; a correction module () arranged to calculate an error between the demand and the expected demand and modify the expected demand to reduce the error; and a limiter () arranged to limit the demand in response to the error being greater than a threshold.

Verification module for verifying accuracy of a controller

A method and system for blending between different torque maps of a vehicle in a smooth and progressive manner. Blending is delayed if the vehicle driver cannot detect that blending is taking place, for example, when the difference between a source map and target map is below a predetermined threshold.

Adaptive control of motor vehicle powertrain

A method and system for blending between different torque maps of a vehicle so that step changes of torque output are avoided as accelerator pedal position is changed. Different blending rates are provided so as to reduce the blending time if driver demand is in the direction of torque change.

A method and system for blending between torque maps of a source propulsion of a vehicle. The method and system are particularly applicable to automatic selection of an alternative torque map in response to a change of vehicle operating condition, for example, a change of terrain. Blending may substantially avoid a step change in response of the source of propulsion as accelerator position is changed.

The present invention relates to a powertrain control system () for a vehicle. The powertrain control system () includes a torque limit calculator () for generating a torque control signal based () on one or more vehicle operating parameters. A torque request module () is provided for generating a torque request signal () and a torque control module () controls the torque applied by the powertrain. The torque control module () is configured to receive the torque request signal () from the torque request module () and the torque control signal () from the torque limit calculator () and to control the torque applied by the powertrain in dependence on the torque request signal () and the torque control signal (). The present invention also relates to a control system; and a method of operating a powertrain control system.

Powertrain control system and method

In order to address turbo lag at altitude, a vehicle boosts output torque of an internal combustion engine with electric motor torque generated from a battery. The residual charge of the battery is increased at altitude to provide a sufficient reserve for the corresponding increase in turbo lag. The invention is typically applied to a parallel hybrid vehicle.

Altitude compensation for internal combustion engine

Embodiments of the present invention provide a vehicle having different operating modes, and for each such mode a different characteristic of output torque and accelerator pedal position. The rise of output torque in response to a propulsion request is more or less delayed according to the instant operating mode. The invention provides for blending of the response to a propulsion request so that the delay is progressively varied between a source and target operating mode.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a vehicle control system for at least one vehicle subsystem of a vehicle; the vehicle control system comprising: a subsystem controller for initiating control of the or each-of the vehicle subsystems in a selected one of a plurality of subsystem control modes, each of which corresponds to one or more different driving conditions for the vehicle, automatic control means configured to select automatically the most appropriate one of the subsystem control modes, the system being operable in a manual mode in which a user may select a required subsystem control mode or an automatic response mode in which the automatic control means selects the most appropriate control mode, wherein when the system is operating in the manual mode and not when the system is operating in the automatic response mode, the subsystem controller is configured automatically to impose a first set of one or more prescribed constraints on an amount of torque applied to one or more wheels of a vehicle when commanded to operate in a prescribed one or more of the control modes.

Vehicle control system and method

Embodiments of the present invention provide a vehicle control system for at least one vehicle subsystem of a vehicle, the system being operable to activate a vehicle launch assist (VLA) function to prevent excessive wheel slip, when the launch assist function is active the system being configured to impose a set of one or more prescribed constraints on an amount of torque applied to one or more wheels of a vehicle, wherein the set of one or more constraints ere determined by reference to information or data in respect of an amount of wheel torque that may be applied before the amount of wheel slip exceeds a prescribed value.

A method and system is disclosed for blending between torque maps of a source of propulsion of a vehicle. Embodiments of the present invention are particularly applicable to automatic selection of an alternative torque map in response to a change of vehicle operating condition, for example a change of terrain. Blending according to embodiments of the present invention may substantially avoid a step change in response of the source of propulsion as accelerator position is changed.

A system and method for use with a vehicle to provide a vehicle launch assist (VLA) function that reduces wheel slip at lower speeds and to provide a fraction control (TC) function that reduces wheel slip at higher speeds. Each function affects operation of one or more vehicle subsystems that control at least one powertrain parameter. The VLA and TC functions operate in response to a driver accelerator request to generate a drive signal that controls torque delivered to at least one driven vehicle wheel. The VLA function generates the drive signal at a first value that limits the torque to below a requested torque value representing the driver accelerator request. The TC function generates the drive signal at a second value that limits the torque to below the requested torque value. And the control system outputs a powertrain drive signal based on the lesser of first and second values.

Vehicle control system and method for switching between powertrain control functions

A method and system is disclosed for blending between different torque maps of a vehicle in a smooth and progressive manner. Blending is delayed if the vehicle driver cannot detect that blending is taking place, for example when the difference between a source map and target map is below a predetermined threshold.

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Warwickshire, United Kingdom

Paul Malcolm Darnell