Supervised control for e-awd and e-lsd

Abstract

A system for supervisory control of eAWD and eLSD in a motor vehicle includes a control module and sensors and actuators disposed on the motor vehicle. The sensors measure real-time motor vehicle data and the actuators change behavior of the motor vehicle. The control module receives the real-time data; receives one or more driver inputs to the motor vehicle; determines a state of a body of the motor vehicle; determines a state of an axle of the motor vehicle; determines a state of each wheel of the motor vehicle; and generates control signals to the actuators as a function of the driver inputs and the states of the body, the axle, and the wheels. The control module also implements supervisory control by actively adjusting constraints on the control signals to each of the actuators, wherein the active adjustment of the constraints on the control signals, in response to the one or more driver inputs, changes boundaries of the control actions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to control systems for motor vehicles, and more particularly to systems and methods for accurately modeling vehicle control actions and adjusting vehicle control actions when vehicle control actions differ from expected behavior. Background Technology

[0002] Static and dynamic vehicle control systems are increasingly used to manage various static and dynamic vehicle performance characteristics. This is especially true for challenging driving scenarios involving tire slippage. In such scenarios, control actions, such as wheel and / or axle torque and vehicle motion control, must be optimally distributed to fully utilize tire capacity in both the longitudinal and lateral directions. Vehicle motion control, wheel and / or axle torque are managed by onboard computing platforms or controllers, sensors, and actuators.

[0003] While current systems and methods for modeling vehicle control actions operate for their intended purposes, there is a need for new and improved systems and methods that enhance vehicle stability in complex driving scenarios and provide enhanced driver control, adjust vehicle control actions to maintain expected vehicle behavior, generate enhanced forces at the tire / road interface or contact surface, while maintaining or reducing cost and complexity, minimizing calibration operations, and improving simplicity, while also providing enhanced redundancy and robustness. Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to several aspects, a system for supervisory control of eAWD and eLSD in a motor vehicle includes one or more sensors disposed on the motor vehicle, the one or more sensors measuring real-time static and dynamic data about the motor vehicle. The system also includes one or more actuators disposed on the motor vehicle, the one or more actuators altering the static and dynamic behavior of the motor vehicle. The system further includes a control module having a processor, memory, and input / output (I / O) ports, the control module executing a portion of program code stored in the memory. The program code portion includes a first program code portion that receives real-time static and dynamic data from the one or more sensors via the I / O ports. The program code portion also includes a second program code portion that receives one or more driver inputs from the motor vehicle via the I / O ports. The program code portion further includes a third program code portion determining the state of the vehicle body. The program code portion further includes a fourth program code portion determining the state of the vehicle axles. The program code portion further includes a fifth code portion determining the state of each wheel of the motor vehicle. The program code section also includes a sixth program code section that generates control signals to one or more actuators based on driver input and the outputs of the third, fourth, and fifth program code sections. The program code section also includes a seventh program code section that actively adjusts the constraints on the control signals of each of the one or more actuators based on the state of the vehicle body, the state of the axles, and the state of each wheel, thereby providing supervisory control over at least the second and sixth program code sections. The active adjustment of the constraints on the control signals in response to one or more driver inputs alters the boundaries of the control action.

[0005] According to another aspect of this disclosure, the first program code portion further includes program code for receiving real-time static and dynamic data from one or more of the following: an inertial measurement unit (IMU) capable of measuring at least three-dimensional position, orientation, acceleration, and velocity; a wheel speed sensor capable of measuring the angular velocity of each of the wheels of the motor vehicle; a throttle position sensor capable of measuring the throttle position of the motor vehicle; an accelerator position sensor capable of measuring the position of the accelerator pedal of the motor vehicle; and a tire pressure monitoring sensor capable of measuring the tire pressure of the motor vehicle. The real-time static and dynamic data also include: the lateral velocity of the motor vehicle; the longitudinal velocity of the motor vehicle; the yaw rate of the motor vehicle; the wheel angular velocity; and the longitudinal force, lateral force, and normal force on each tire of the motor vehicle.

[0006] According to another aspect of this disclosure, the third program code section further includes program code sections for: communicating with the body control module via an I / O port; receiving data from one or more sensors by the body control module; and determining the stability state of the vehicle body. The stability state of the vehicle body includes at least: yaw rate, sideslip angle, and longitudinal velocity. When the stability state of the vehicle body is within a predefined stability margin, the body control module sends a positive indicator to the seventh program code section; and when the stability state of the vehicle body is not within the predefined stability margin, the body control module sends a negative indicator to the seventh program code section. In response to the positive indicator, the seventh program code section selectively commands the transmission of additional torque to one or more of the wheels or axles, and in response to the negative indicator, the seventh program code section stops the transmission of torque to one or more of the wheels or axles.

[0007] According to another aspect of this disclosure, the stability of the vehicle body is detected by comparing the measured yaw rate and sideslip angle. The stability margin of the vehicle body is defined by the following formula:

[0008] as well as

[0009]

[0010] Where r is the yaw rate, β is the sideslip angle, and v x It is the longitudinal velocity, l r It is the distance from the center of gravity of a motor vehicle to the rear axle. f is the distance from the center of gravity to the front axle, l is the distance between the front and rear axles, m is the total mass of the vehicle, μ is the coefficient of friction of the road, and C α It refers to the tire's cornering stiffness.

[0011] According to another aspect of this disclosure, the fourth program code section further includes a program code portion for communicating with the axle monitoring module via an I / O port. The program code portion also receives data from one or more sensors by the axle monitoring module and determines the stability state of the axles of the motor vehicle. Determining the axle stability state includes determining the tire slip angle and slip ratio of each tire of the motor vehicle. When these tires have exceeded predetermined tire slip angles and tire slip ratios, the program code portion determines that a predetermined tire stability margin has been exceeded. Similarly, when these tires have not exceeded predetermined tire slip angles and tire slip ratios, the program code portion determines that a predetermined tire stability margin has not been exceeded. When the tire stability margin is exceeded, the axle monitoring module sends a negative indicator to the seventh program code portion, and when the tires have not exceeded the predetermined tire stability margin, the axle monitoring module sends a positive indicator to the seventh program code portion. In response to the positive indicator, the seventh program code portion selectively commands the transmission of additional torque to one or more of the axles, and in response to the negative indicator, the seventh program code portion stops the transmission of torque to one or more of the axles.

[0012] According to another aspect of this disclosure, the stability state of the axle of a motor vehicle is defined by the tire slip angle α through the axle saturation level:

[0013]

[0014] Among them, F z It is the tire normal load, C α is the tire stiffness, and μ is the coefficient of friction of the road.

[0015] According to another aspect of this disclosure, the fifth program code portion further includes program code portions configured to: communicate with a wheel stability module via an I / O port; receive data from one or more sensors by the wheel stability module; and determine the stability state of the wheels of the motor vehicle. The wheel stability state includes an estimated slip rate for each tire of the motor vehicle.

[0016] According to another aspect of this disclosure, when the estimated slip ratio exceeds a predetermined stability margin, the wheel stability module sends a negative indicator to the seventh programming code section; and when the estimated slip ratio does not exceed the predetermined stability margin, the wheel stability module sends a positive indicator to the seventh programming code section. In response to the positive indicator, the seventh programming code section selectively commands the transmission of additional torque to one or more of the wheels. In response to the negative indicator, the seventh programming code section stops the transmission of torque to one or more of the wheels.

[0017] According to another aspect of this disclosure, the sixth program code portion further includes a program code portion configured to: receive driver input including steering and torque requests; receive stability states of the vehicle body, axles, and wheels; and, based on the actuator type of one or more actuators provided to the vehicle and based on the stability states of the vehicle body, axles, and wheels, generate control signals for one or more actuators.

[0018] According to another aspect of this disclosure, the seventh program code portion further includes program code portions configured to: proactively optimize the constraints of each of the one or more actuators to take into account the stability state of the vehicle body, axles, and wheels; and proactively adjust the control signals sent to the one or more actuators such that the control signals to the one or more actuators are within the boundaries of possible actuator outputs.

[0019] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a method for supervisory control of eAWD and eLSD in a motor vehicle includes processing static and dynamic motor vehicle information via a control module having a processor, memory, and I / O ports. The control module executes a portion of program code stored in the memory. The program code portion is configured to: measure real-time static and dynamic data via one or more sensors disposed on the motor vehicle, and modify the static and dynamic behavior of the motor vehicle using one or more actuators disposed on the motor vehicle. The program code portion is also configured to receive real-time static and dynamic data from one or more sensors via the I / O ports, and to receive one or more driver inputs input to the motor vehicle via the I / O ports. The program code portion is further configured to determine the state of the motor vehicle body, the state of the motor vehicle axles, the state of each wheel of the motor vehicle, and generate control signals for one or more actuators based on the driver inputs. Based on the states of the motor vehicle body, axles, and each wheel, the program code portion performs supervisory control over at least the driver inputs and the control signals to one or more actuators by actively adjusting constraints on the control signals to each of the one or more actuators. In response to one or more driver inputs, proactive adjustments to constraints on the control signals alter the boundaries of the control action.

[0020] According to another aspect of this disclosure, the method for supervisory control of eAWD and eLSD in a motor vehicle further includes receiving real-time static and dynamic data from one or more of the following devices: an inertial measurement unit (IMU) capable of measuring position, orientation, acceleration, and velocity in at least three dimensions; a wheel speed sensor capable of measuring the angular velocity of each of the wheels of the motor vehicle; a throttle position sensor capable of measuring the throttle position of the motor vehicle; an accelerator position sensor capable of measuring the position of the accelerator pedal of the motor vehicle; and a tire pressure supervisory control sensor capable of measuring the tire pressure of the motor vehicle. The real-time static and dynamic data also include: the lateral velocity of the motor vehicle; the longitudinal velocity of the motor vehicle; the yaw rate of the motor vehicle; the wheel angular velocity; and the longitudinal force, lateral force, and normal force on each tire of the motor vehicle.

[0021] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a method for supervisory control of eAWD and eLSD in a motor vehicle further includes communication with a body control module via an I / O port. The method also includes receiving data from one or more sensors by the body control module and determining the stability state of the vehicle body. The stability state of the body includes at least: yaw rate, sideslip angle, and longitudinal velocity. When the stability state of the body is within a predefined stability margin, the method involves the body control module sending a positive indicator to a control module; and when the stability state of the body is not within the predefined stability margin, the method involves the body control module sending a negative indicator to the control module. In response to a positive indicator, the control module selectively commands the transmission of additional torque to one or more of the wheels or axles; and in response to a negative indicator, the control module stops the transmission of torque to one or more of the wheels or axles.

[0022] According to another aspect of this disclosure, the method for supervised control of eAWD and eLSD in motor vehicles further includes determining the vehicle body stability state by comparing measured yaw rate and sideslip angle. The vehicle body stability margin is defined by the following formula:

[0023] as well as

[0024]

[0025] Where r is the yaw rate, β is the sideslip angle, and v x It is the longitudinal velocity, l r It is the distance from the center of gravity of the motor vehicle to the rear axle, and l f is the distance from the center of gravity to the front axle, l is the distance between the front and rear axles, m is the total mass of the vehicle, μ is the coefficient of friction of the road, and C α It refers to the tire's cornering stiffness.

[0026] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a method for supervisory control of eAWD and eLSD in a motor vehicle further includes: communicating with an axle monitoring module via an I / O port; receiving data from one or more sensors by the axle monitoring module; and determining the stability state of the axles of the motor vehicle. Determining the axle stability state includes: determining the tire slip angle and slip ratio of each of the tires of the motor vehicle; and determining that a predetermined tire stability margin has been exceeded when the tire has exceeded a predetermined tire slip angle and tire slip ratio; and determining that a predetermined tire stability margin has not been exceeded when the tire has not exceeded the predetermined tire slip angle and tire slip ratio. When the tire stability margin has been exceeded, the axle monitoring module sends a negative indicator to the control module; and when the tire has not exceeded the predetermined tire stability margin, the axle monitoring module sends a positive indicator to the control module. In response to the positive indicator, the control module selectively commands the transmission of additional torque to one or more of the axles; and in response to the negative indicator, the control module stops the transmission of torque to one or more of the axles.

[0027] According to another aspect of this disclosure, determining the stability state of the axle of a motor vehicle further includes defining the stability state of the axle of the motor vehicle based on the tire slip angle α through the axle saturation level:

[0028] Among them, F z It is the tire normal load, C α is the tire stiffness, and μ is the coefficient of friction of the road.

[0029]

[0030] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a method for supervisory control of eAWD and eLSD in a motor vehicle further includes communicating with a wheel stability module via an I / O port. The method also includes receiving data from one or more sensors by the wheel stability module; and determining the stability state of the wheels of the motor vehicle. The wheel stability state includes an estimated slip rate for each tire of the motor vehicle.

[0031] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a method for supervised control of eAWD and eLSD in a motor vehicle further includes: sending a negative indicator from a wheel stability module to a control module when the estimated slip ratio exceeds a predetermined stability margin; and sending a positive indicator from the wheel stability module to the control module when the estimated slip ratio does not exceed the predetermined stability margin. In response to the positive indicator, the control module selectively commands the transmission of additional torque to one or more of the wheels; and in response to the negative indicator, the control module stops the transmission of torque to one or more of the wheels.

[0032] According to another aspect of this disclosure, the method further includes receiving driver input including steering and torque requests, receiving stability states of the vehicle body, axles, and wheels, and generating control signals based on the type of one or more actuators equipped to the vehicle. The generation of the control signals is also based on the stability states of the vehicle body, axles, and wheels. The control signals are adjusted by actively optimizing the constraints of each of the one or more actuators to take into account the stability states of the vehicle body, axles, and wheels, as well as the driver input signals. The control signals input to the one or more actuators are within the boundaries of possible actuator outputs.

[0033] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a method for supervisory control of eAWD and eLSD in a motor vehicle includes processing static and dynamic motor vehicle information via a control module having a processor, memory, and I / O ports. The control module executes a portion of program code stored in the memory. The program code performs various tasks, including: measuring real-time static and dynamic data using one or more sensors mounted on the motor vehicle; and modifying the static and dynamic behavior of the motor vehicle using one or more actuators mounted on the motor vehicle. The program code also receives real-time static and dynamic data from one or more sensors via the I / O ports, receives one or more driver inputs from the motor vehicle via the I / O ports, and communicates with a body control module via the I / O ports. The program code further receives data from one or more sensors by the body control module and determines the stability state of the motor vehicle body. The stability state of the body includes at least: yaw rate, sideslip angle, and longitudinal velocity, and is obtained by comparing the measured yaw rate and sideslip angle, wherein the stability margin of the body is defined by the following formula:

[0034] as well as

[0035]

[0036] Where r is the yaw rate, β is the sideslip angle, and v x It is the longitudinal velocity, l r It is the distance from the center of gravity of the motor vehicle to the rear axle, and l f is the distance from the center of gravity to the front axle, l is the distance between the front and rear axles, m is the total mass of the vehicle, μ is the coefficient of friction of the road, and C αThis refers to tire cornering stiffness. When the vehicle's stability is within a predefined stability margin, the method involves the body control module sending a positive indicator to the control module; and when the vehicle's stability is outside the predefined stability margin, the method involves the body control module sending a negative indicator to the control module. In response to the positive indicator, the control module selectively commands the transmission of additional torque to one or more wheels or axles; and in response to the negative indicator, the control module stops the transmission of torque to one or more wheels or axles. The method also includes: communicating with an axle monitoring module via an I / O port; receiving data from one or more sensors by the axle monitoring module; and determining the stability state of the vehicle's axles. The stability state of the vehicle's axles is defined based on the tire's sideslip angle through the axle's saturation level, where the tire's sideslip angle α is defined by the following formula:

[0037]

[0038] Among them, F z It is the tire normal load, C αHere, μ is the tire stiffness, and μ is the road friction coefficient. Determining the axle stability state also includes: determining the tire slip angle and slip ratio of each tire of the vehicle; and determining that a predetermined tire stability margin has been exceeded when a tire has exceeded a predetermined tire slip angle and slip ratio; and determining that a predetermined tire stability margin has not been exceeded when a tire has not exceeded a predetermined tire slip angle and slip ratio. When the tire stability margin has been exceeded, the axle monitoring module sends a negative indicator to the control module; and when the tire has not exceeded the predetermined tire stability margin, the axle monitoring module sends a positive indicator to the control module. In response to the positive indicator, the control module selectively commands the transmission of additional torque to one or more of the axles; and in response to the negative indicator, the control module stops the transmission of torque to one or more of the axles. The method also includes communicating via I / O ports with a wheel stability module, whereby the wheel stability module receives data from one or more sensors and determines the wheel stability state of the vehicle. The wheel stability state includes the estimated slip ratio of each tire of the vehicle. The method further includes sending a negative indicator from the wheel stability module to the control module when the estimated slip ratio exceeds a predetermined stability margin; and sending a positive indicator from the wheel stability module to the control module when the estimated slip ratio does not exceed the predetermined stability margin. In response to the positive indicator, the control module selectively commands the transmission of additional torque to one or more wheels; and in response to the negative indicator, the control module stops the transmission of torque to one or more wheels. The method also includes generating control signals for one or more actuators based on driver input and the states of the vehicle body, axles, and each wheel. The method further includes supervisory control of at least the driver input and the control signals for one or more actuators by actively adjusting the constraints on the control signals for each of the one or more actuators based on the states of the vehicle body, axles, and each wheel. The active adjustment of the constraints on the control signals in response to one or more driver inputs alters the boundaries of the control action, such that the control signals to the one or more actuators are within the boundaries of possible actuator outputs.

[0039] Other application areas will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that the descriptions and specific examples are intended for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0040] The accompanying drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure in any way.

[0041] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a motor vehicle having a supervisory control system for eAWD and eLSD in a motor vehicle, according to one aspect of this disclosure.

[0042] Figure 2 This is based on one aspect of the disclosure. Figure 1 A partial functional block diagram of a part of a system for supervisory control of eAWD and eLSD;

[0043] Figure 3A It is a decision tree depicting a method for supervisory control of eAWD and eLSD according to one aspect of this disclosure;

[0044] Figure 3B A description of a first group of driving environments according to one aspect of this disclosure is provided. Figure 3A The first set of exemplary method steps executed in the decision tree; and

[0045] Figure 3C A description of a second group of driving environments according to one aspect of this disclosure is provided. Figure 3A The second set of exemplary method steps are executed in the decision tree. Detailed Implementation

[0046] The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit this disclosure, application, or use.

[0047] refer to Figure 1A system 10 for supervisory control of an electronically controlled or electric all-wheel drive (eAWD) and an electronically controlled or electric limited-slip differential (eLSD) in a motor vehicle 12 is shown. System 10 includes the motor vehicle 12 and one or more controllers 14. The motor vehicle 12 is shown as an automobile; however, it should be understood that without departing from the scope or intent of this disclosure, the motor vehicle 12 may be a truck, bus, tractor-trailer, semi-trailer, sport-utility vehicle (SUV), all-terrain vehicle (ATV), truck, tricycle, motorcycle, aircraft, amphibious vehicle, or any other vehicle in contact with the ground. The motor vehicle 12 includes one or more wheels having tires 18 and a powertrain 20. The powertrain may include various components, such as an internal combustion engine (ICE) 22 and / or an electric motor 24, and a transmission 26 capable of transmitting power generated by the ICE 22 and / or the motor 24 to the wheels 27 and ultimately to the tires 18 fixed to the wheels 27. In one example, the motor vehicle 12 may include an ICE 22 acting on the rear axle 28 of the motor vehicle 12 and one or more motors 24 acting on the front axle 30 of the motor vehicle 12. However, it should be understood that the motor vehicle 12 may use one or more ICEs 22 and / or one or more motors 24 configured in other ways without departing from the scope or intent of this disclosure. For example, the motor vehicle 12 may have an ICE 22 acting only on the front axle 30, while one or more motors 24 acting only on the rear axle 28. In other examples, the ICE 22 may act on both the front axle 30 and the rear axle 28, and the electric motor may act on both the front axle 30 and the rear axle 28.

[0048] In several aspects, the powertrain 20 includes one or more in-plane actuators 32. The in-plane actuators 32 may include an all-wheel drive (AWD) system (including an electronically controlled or electric AWD (eAWD) 34 system) and a limited-slip differential (LSD) (including an electronically controlled or electric LSD (eLSD) 36 system). The in-plane actuators 32, including the eAWD 34 and eLSD 36 systems, are capable of generating and / or altering the forces exerted by the tires 18 on the road surface contact patch 38 in the X and / or Y directions within a predetermined capacity. The eAWD 34 system can transmit torque from the front to the rear of the vehicle 12 and / or from one side of the vehicle 12 to the other. Similarly, the eLSD 36 system can transmit torque from one side of the vehicle 12 to the other. In some examples, the eAWD 34 and / or eLSD 36 can directly alter or manage the torque delivery from the ICE 22 and / or the motor 24, and / or the eAWD 34 and eLSD 36 can act on the braking system 40 to adjust the amount of torque delivered to each tire 18 of the motor vehicle 12.

[0049] In other examples, the motor vehicle 12 may include means for altering the normal force on each tire 18 of the motor vehicle 12 via one or more out-of-plane actuators 42, such as active aerodynamic actuators 44 and / or active suspension actuators 46. The active aerodynamic actuators 44 may actively or passively alter the aerodynamic profile of the motor vehicle via one or more active aerodynamic elements 48 (such as wings, spoilers, fans or other suction devices, actively managed venturi tunnels, etc.). The motor vehicle 12 also includes active suspension actuators 46, such as active dampers 50, etc. In several aspects, without departing from the scope or intent of this disclosure, the active damper 50 may be a magnetorheological damper or other such electro-, hydraulically, or pneumatically adjustable damper. For simplicity in the following description, ICE 22, motor 24, eAWD 34, eLSD 36, braking system 40, active aerodynamic element 48, active damper 46, etc., will be more broadly referred to as actuator 52.

[0050] The terms “forward,” “rearward,” “inner,” “inward,” “outer,” “outer,” “above,” and “below” are used relative to the orientation of the motor vehicle 12 as shown in the accompanying drawings of this application. Thus, “forward” refers to the direction forward toward the motor vehicle 12, and “rearward” refers to the direction backward toward the motor vehicle 12. “Left” refers to the direction relative to the front of the motor vehicle 12 toward the left-hand side of the motor vehicle 12. Similarly, “right” refers to the direction relative to the front of the motor vehicle 12 toward the right-hand side of the motor vehicle 12. “Inner” and “inward” refer to the direction toward the inside of the motor vehicle 12, “outer” and “outer” refer to the direction toward the outside of the motor vehicle 12, “below” refers to the direction toward the bottom of the motor vehicle 12, and “above” refers to the direction toward the top of the motor vehicle 12. Furthermore, the terms “top,” “above,” “bottom,” “side,” and “above” are used relative to the actuator 52 and, more broadly, the orientation of the motor vehicle 12 shown in the accompanying drawings of this application. Therefore, although the orientation of actuator 52 or motor vehicle 12 may vary relative to a given application, these terms are still intended to be applied relative to the orientation of the components of system 10 and motor vehicle 12 shown in the figure.

[0051] Controller 14 is a non-general-purpose electronic control device having a pre-programmed digital computer or processor 54, a non-transitory computer-readable medium or memory 56 for storing data such as control logic, software applications, instructions, computer code, data, lookup tables, etc., and input / output (I / O) ports 58. The computer-readable medium or memory 56 includes any type of media accessible by a computer, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), hard disk drive, compact disc (CD), digital video disc (DVD), or any other type of memory. The "non-transitory" computer-readable memory 56 does not include wired, wireless, optical, or other communication links for transmitting transient electrical or other signals. The non-transitory computer-readable memory 56 includes media that can permanently store data and media that can store data and subsequently rewrite it, such as rewritable optical discs or erasable storage devices. Computer code includes any type of program code, including source code, object code, and executable code. Processor 54 is configured to execute code or instructions. The motor vehicle 12 may have a controller 14, which includes an engine control module, a transmission control module, a body control module 15, an axle monitoring module 17, a dedicated Wi-Fi controller, or an infotainment control module, etc. The I / O port 58 may be configured to communicate via wired communication, wireless communication via the Wi-Fi protocol under IEEE 802.11x, etc., without departing from the scope or intent of this disclosure.

[0052] Controller 14 also includes one or more applications 60. An application 60 is a software program configured to perform a specific function or set of functions. Application 60 may include one or more computer programs, software components, instruction sets, procedures, functions, objects, classes, instances, associated data, or portions thereof, adapted to be implemented in suitable computer-readable program code. Application 60 may be stored in memory 56 or in additional or separate memory. Examples of applications 60 include audio or video streaming services, games, browsers, social media, etc. In other examples, application 60 is used to manage body control system functions or suspension control system functions in an exemplary motor vehicle 12.

[0053] Now for reference Figure 2 And continue to refer to Figure 1System 10 utilizes one or more applications 60 stored in memory 56 to manage the chassis and drivetrain actuators 52 of the motor vehicle 12. In several aspects, the applications 60 include computer control code sections that coordinate the actuators 52 to redistribute the forces of the tires 18 at the axle and / or wheel 27 level, and / or adjust the tire 18's capabilities to allow for enhanced forces at the tire 18 / road surface contact 38. The computer control code sections operate using a physics-based technique that models the function of each actuator 52 and its influence on the motion of the motor vehicle 12 through the dynamics of the vehicle body 62 and wheels 27, as well as through a combined tire 18 slip model. The combined tire 18 slip model calculates normalized longitudinal and lateral forces at the tire 18 / road surface contact 38 due to tire 18 deformation and characteristics. Subsequently, based on the available vertical forces, the forces of the tires 18 in the longitudinal and lateral directions are calculated and correlated with the dynamics of the wheels 27 and vehicle body 62 to understand the effect of the adjusted forces on the dynamics of the motor vehicle 12.

[0054] More specifically, at block 100, system 10 receives driver input 102 into driver control interpreter (DCI) 104. DCI 104 reads various driver inputs, such as steering input, throttle input, or brake input, and interprets the driver input before generating a desired dynamic signal 106 in the form of actuator outputs. In several respects, DCI 104 determines the boundaries of optimization and optimal coordination of actuator 52. In complex driving scenarios at or near the adhesion limits of tire 18, driver inputs may exceed predefined actuator 52 capabilities, tire 18 capabilities, etc. Therefore, system 10 utilizes constraint optimization to reallocate sufficient capabilities in the X and Y directions in real time, and redistributes the force of tire 18 within the functional and hardware limitations of each of the actuators 52. Out-of-plane actuator 42 can modify the normal force and alter the generation of forces in the X and / or Y directions at the adhesion limits of tire 18. The constraint optimization checks whether the current capability of tire 18 is sufficient to meet the functional and hardware limitations of actuator 52 to reallocate the force of tire 18 to achieve the desired movement of motor vehicle 12 using eAWD 34 and / or eLSD 36, or if the driver of motor vehicle 12 requests increased traction or lateral grip, then the capability of tire 18 must be increased. The constraint optimization is solved in real-time to optimally coordinate control commands from different actuators 52 to maximize the performance capability of motor vehicle 12 and minimize control intervention. That is, the performance capability of motor vehicle 12 is increased from a first level to a second level greater than the first level to reduce or substantially eliminate control interventions, such as traction control system (TCS) inputs, stability control system inputs, or antilock braking system (ABS) inputs.

[0055] System 10 includes several control devices, one or more of which can be integrated into a single controller 14, or can be integrated into different, independent controllers 14 that communicate electronically with each other. Controller 14 includes a feedforward controller 108 that commands actuator 52 to achieve certain transient response characteristics, provide optimal reference control action, and linearize the control response near the operating point. More specifically, feedforward controller 108 provides an eLSD 36 preemptive control signal and an eAWD 34 preemptive control signal. The preemptive control signals adjust the output of actuator 52 to match the control signal estimate from sensor / estimation module 110.

[0056] The sensor / estimation module 110 provides information to the optimized feedforward controller 108 and feedback controller 112. In several aspects, the sensor / estimation module 110 generates estimates 116 for each of the various active chassis and dynamic systems equipped on the motor vehicle 12. In a particular example, the sensor / estimation module 110 includes eLSD 36 model estimates, eAWD 34 model estimates, and vehicle dynamic estimates 116. Similarly, the eLSD 36 model estimates include clutch torque estimates and maximum clutch torque capacity estimates. The eAWD 34 model estimates produce a maximum electric motor 24 torque estimate. Finally, the vehicle dynamic estimates 116 include vehicle state, road surface information, tire 18 force calculations, and road angles.

[0057] The dynamic constraint calculator 114 applies the actual physical constraints, as well as the tire 18 and road grip constraints, to the signals from the sensor / estimation module 110.

[0058] Finally, the feedback controller 112 operates to achieve maximum feasibility, stability, handling, maneuverability, and steering capability of the vehicle 12 using in-plane and out-of-plane actuators 32, 42. The feedback controller 112 receives desired dynamic signals 106 from the DCI 104, reference control actions 120 from the feedforward controller 108, control action constraints 122 from the dynamic constraint calculator 114, and measurements 124 from various sensors 64 equipped to the vehicle 12. The feedback controller 112 then integrates the desired dynamic signals 106, reference control actions 120, control action constraints 122, and measurements 124 into a model that takes into account the dynamics of the vehicle body 62 and wheels 27, as well as the in-plane and out-of-plane actuators 32, 42. The feedback controller 112 models the torque of the motor 24, the output of the eLSD 36, the output of the eAWD 34, and combined tire slip data 18, as well as the front-rear and / or left-right interactions of the various actuators 52 of the vehicle.

[0059] Furthermore, a model predictive control (MPC) method is used in the feedback controller 112. The feedback controller 112 receives various state variables of the vehicle 12 from sensors 64 equipped on the vehicle 12. Sensors 64 can measure and record various data from the vehicle 12. In several examples, sensors 64 may include an inertial measurement unit (IMU) 66, a suspension control unit such as a semi-active damping suspension (SADS) 68, a global positioning system (GPS) sensor 70, wheel speed sensors 72, a throttle position sensor 74, an accelerator pedal position sensor 76, a brake pedal position sensor 78, a steering position sensor 80, a tire pressure monitoring sensor 82, an aerodynamic component position sensor 84, etc. The IMU 66 can measure movement, acceleration, etc., in several degrees of freedom. In one specific example, the IMU 66 can measure position, movement, acceleration, etc., in at least three degrees of freedom. Similarly, the SADS 68 sensor can be an IMU 66 capable of measuring in three or more degrees of freedom. In some examples, SADS 68 may be a suspension hub accelerometer, etc. Therefore, the state variables of the motor vehicle 12 may include any of a variety of data, including but not limited to: wheel 27 speed data, SADS and IMU data including attitude, acceleration, etc.

[0060] The MPC control logic or algorithm in the feedback controller 112 generates state predictions based on initial state variables measured or estimated by sensors 64 on the vehicle 12. Additional estimations 116 can also be performed to model the influence of different factors on the state variables. In cases where the prediction model is nonlinear, the state variable measurements and / or estimations 116 of the vehicle 12 and the reference control action 120 provide a linearized model for specific operating parameters. To generate feasible control commands for the various actuators 52, the capabilities of the actuators 52 and the tires 18 should be considered in the calculations. That is, a given actuator 52 in the vehicle 12 may have a limited range of outputs, including, but not limited to, a limited range of motion, speed and / or acceleration limitations, actuator torque, etc. Similarly, the capabilities of the tires 18 may be limited by tread depth, tire wear, tire pressure, tire compound, tire temperature, the coefficient of friction of the road surface at the contact patch 38, etc. Therefore, the feedback control part of the MPC in the feedback controller 112 includes an offline control logic part and an online optimization control logic part. The offline control logic part includes the formulas for the state variables of the motor vehicle 12 and the design of the control target.

[0061] The predictive model control logic predicts the evolution of the state variable (X) and evaluates the relationship between the control action sequence (U) and the output (Y) within a limited prediction range. This predictive model control logic includes core vehicle dynamics, such as a vehicle body dynamic model 62, including the longitudinal, lateral, yaw, bounce, and pitch characteristics of the vehicle 12. Similarly, the predictive model control logic includes a wheel 27 dynamic model, which includes angular velocity and relative velocity data, as well as the longitudinal slip and slip ratio characteristics of each wheel 27. The predictive model control logic also includes, for example, a tire 18 mechanics model, which contains a combined slip tire model of each tire 18 of the vehicle 12. Finally, the predictive model control logic includes an actuator 52 model, which includes the actuator 52 dynamics, constraints, and functions.

[0062] System 10 also includes a supervisory control module 200. Supervisory control module 200 is controller 14, which contains components substantially similar to those described above. However, the control logic portion of supervisory control module 200 operates by adjusting control commands in real time based on data from sensors 64 and actuators 52 of the vehicle 12 to enhance the overall performance and reliability of system 10 under complex driving conditions. In general, supervisory control module 200 performs one or more checks to determine the accuracy of calculated control actions and modifies any undesirable control actions that may be requested. Supervisory control module 200 operates in a real-time constrained manner to supervise multiple actuators 52 of the vehicle 12, thereby addressing multiple target vehicle control problems. In several aspects, supervisory control module 200 coordinates and prioritizes actuators 52 to achieve desired vehicle 12 dynamics, etc., within the limits of the tire 18's capacity actuators 52. Supervisory control module 200 performs rationality checks to evaluate the control actions commanded by driver input 102 and to assess the potential ability to maintain stability of vehicle 12 under the control actions given the driver's commands. If the control action calculated by the supervisory control module 200 exceeds the limits of the actuator 52 or the capabilities of the tire 18, the supervisory control module 126 adjusts and optimizes the constraints to disallow such control inputs. The supervisory control module 200 incorporates the desired effect of each control action into the control system, especially for actuators 52 with complex nonlinear mathematical models that may not directly affect the state of the vehicle 12. Furthermore, the supervisory control module 200 updates the priority of control actuation and control objectives in real time by monitoring the state of the vehicle body, wheels 27, and axles 28, 30 to ensure appropriate vehicle 12 performance. In several respects, the supervisory control module 200 acts as a filter between the following:

[0063] The supervisory control module 200 includes at least two main control logic sections: a high-level supervisory control section 202 and an actuator coordination and prioritization section 204. The supervisory control module 200 monitors the behavior of wheels 27, axles 28, 30, and the vehicle body 62 in real time. For a given environmental behavior of each wheel 27, axle 28, 30, and vehicle body 62 of the vehicle 12, the supervisory control module 200 defines an envelope of control actions. More specifically, the supervisory control module 200 begins real-time monitoring by examining the state of the vehicle body 62. Assuming that the stability of the vehicle body 62 has the highest priority, information from the body control module 15 is considered first in the logic of the supervisory control module 200. The body control module 15 detects the state of the vehicle body 62 by comparing the measured yaw rate and sideslip angle with a stability margin defined as:

[0064]

[0065]

[0066] Where r is the yaw rate, β is the sideslip angle, and v x It is the longitudinal velocity, l r is the distance from the center of gravity to the rear axle 30, and lf is the distance from the center of gravity to the front axle 28, l is the distance between the front axle 28 and the rear axle 30, m is the total mass of the vehicle 12, μ is the coefficient of friction of the road, and C α This refers to the cornering stiffness of tire 18. If the vehicle body 62 is in a stable state, that is, if the yaw rate, sideslip angle, and longitudinal velocity are within a predefined stability margin, the vehicle body control module 15 sends a green flag (or other such positive flag) to the supervisory control module 200. However, if the supervisory control module 200 receives a red flag (or other such negative flag) from the vehicle body control module 15, the supervisory control module 200 interprets the red flag as an indication that the vehicle 12 has exceeded the predefined stability margin.

[0067] Once the supervisory control module 200 has received a signal from the body control module 15, it checks the stability status of axles 28 and 30. More specifically, the supervisory control module 200 polls the axle monitoring module 17 to determine whether each axle 28 and 30 is laterally saturated. The front axle 28 and rear axle 30 are defined as saturated when the slip angle of the tire 18 is greater than the tire saturation limit defined by the following formula:

[0068]

[0069] Among them, F z This is the normal load for tire 18, C αHere, μ is the stiffness of tire 18, μ is the coefficient of friction of the road, and κ is the tire slip ratio. If axles 28 and 30 are already laterally saturated, the supervisory control module 200 understands that the torque of axles 28 and 30 should be constrained and will not be increased further from the current torque level of axles 28 and 30. That is, when axles 28 and 30 are laterally saturated, the vehicle 12 may be approaching, at, or even above the adhesion limit of tire 18. In contrast, when the axle monitoring module 17 reports that axles 28 and 30 of the vehicle 12 are not laterally saturated, the supervisory control module 200 may allow the execution of control logic that increases the torque of axles 28 and 30.

[0070] Since the state of the vehicle body 62 has now been checked via the body control module 15, and the state of each axle 28, 30 has been checked via the axle monitoring module 17, the supervisory control module 200 determines the state of each of the wheels 27 of the vehicle 12. More specifically, the supervisory control module 200 polls the sensor / estimation module 110 or the wheel stability module 110' to determine whether the estimated slip ratio of each tire 18 of the vehicle 12 indicates that the tire 18 is passing through or has exceeded the stability margin of the tire 18. That is, the wheel stability module 110' receives the estimated values ​​of the tire slip ratio and compares these estimates with the stability margin κ of the tire 18. max The comparison is performed. If tire 18 has exceeded its stability margin, the monitoring control module 200 sets a red flag (or other such negative flag); while if tire 18 is still within its stability margin, the monitoring control module 200 sets a green flag (or other such positive flag).

[0071] It should be understood that, in the above context, the concept of a "red mark" indicates that the stability limits of one or more components of the vehicle 12 have been exceeded; while a "green mark" indicates that the stability limits of one or more components of the vehicle 12 have not been exceeded. Furthermore, there is an additional control margin. In one example, when the red mark is set, no additional torque may be applied to the wheels 27 or axles 28, 30 of the vehicle 12; while when the green mark is set, some additional torque may be applied to the wheels 27 and / or axles 28, 30 of the vehicle until the predefined stability limits of the vehicle 12 are reached.

[0072] Based on the available actuator 52, stability information, and the objectives of the control system 10, the supervisory control module 200 determines whether any adjustments to the control action constraints are needed. At each time step, the optimization constraints are updated by a set of logic-based rules. The supervisory logic modifies the boundary Δu of the control action variation. min and Δu max If the control action must stop increasing, then: 14 However, if the control action must stop decreasing, then: The state-space form of the prediction model of the supervisory control module 200 can be expressed as: Wherein, the control variable u = [T] f T C ] T Output control: y = [βr] T Expected output: y des =[β des r des ] T Expected yaw rate: r des =sign(r) ss min(|r ss |,|r max |); Desired sideslip angle: β des =sign(β) ss min(|β) ss |,|β max |); Steady-state yaw rate: And steady-state sideslip angle:

[0073] However, it should be understood that the dynamics of actuator 52 should be considered in the prediction model, since actuator 52 typically includes a time delay τ during actuation. Therefore, the actuator dynamics can be modeled by the following equation:

[0074] as well as

[0075] Then, the actuator can be dynamically integrated into the prediction model using the following equation:

[0076] as well as

[0077] set up for B, [C 0] are as well as for The above actuator dynamic model equations can be expressed in both continuous-time and discrete-time forms. In continuous-time, the equations can be written as:

[0078] as well as The discrete-time form of the equation can be written as: as well as In several respects, the sampling time T of a typical actuator 52 sIt can be approximately 12.5 milliseconds; however, it should be understood that the sampling time of different actuators 52 can vary significantly without departing from the scope or intent of this disclosure. The supervisory control module 200 utilizes the control logic in the feedback controller 112 to define Δu. in As a new state in the integrated state-space model: Integrating the input increment Δur into the state-space model yields:

[0079] as well as

[0080] The constraint on the rate of change of the control input can be expressed as: Furthermore, the constraints on the control input itself can be expressed as: Finally, the cost function is applied to determine which control actions are suitable as the output of the feedback controller 112. The cost function can be expressed as:

[0081]

[0082] stx t+k+1，t =Ax t+k，t +Bu t+k，t +d, k = 0, ..., N-1

[0083] x0 = x(t)

[0084] u min ≤u t+k ≤u max k = 0, ..., N-1

[0085] Hx t+k+1，t ≤G t+k，t +s t+k，t k = 0, ..., N-1

[0086] Among them, y t+k，t and Correspondingly, u represents the predicted output and reference output in control / prediction. t+k，t and Accordingly, it represents the control action within the control / prediction range, and Δu t+k，t and This indicates the changes in control actions within the control / prediction range and their references.

[0087] Using the aforementioned series of equations, the MPC control logic or algorithm in the feedback controller 112 calculates the optimal eAWD 34 and eLSD 36 actions to improve yaw tracking performance and keep the sideslip angle of the tire 18 within a stable performance range. In several ways, the MPC control logic or algorithm in the feedback controller 112 sends torque to the front axle 28 to induce a yaw moment for understeer and improves yaw tracking response in response to light steering maneuvers. In light steering, the driver of the vehicle 12 induces oversteer by making large and rapid steering movements and simultaneously making large and aggressive torque requests. Since the MPC control logic or algorithm only intends to control the vehicle body dynamics of the vehicle 12, and the supervisory control module 200 is not yet involved in steering management, all torque is transmitted to the front axle 28, and the front wheels 27 become saturated, resulting in wheel flare (WF) with a large slip ratio, for example, slip = 0.8.

[0088] In response to steering input, torque request, torque delivery, and wheel spread (WF), the supervisory control module 200 detects front wheel 27 saturation and stops further increasing torque on the front axle 28. The reduction in torque decreases wheel spread (WF) on the front wheel 27. Therefore, the supervisory control module 200 reduces wheel spread (WF) at the front wheel 27. The controller 14 then sends torque to the rear axle 30 to generate oversteer yaw moment, but when the rear wheel 27 saturates, the supervisory control module 200 stops further increasing torque on the rear axle 30. The vehicle body 62 of the motor vehicle 12 is stable at this stage; however, the yaw rate response indicates that the vehicle requires understeer yaw moment. Due to front axle 28 saturation, the supervisory control module 200 does not allow further torque increase on the front axle 28. Therefore, the right rear wheel slip exceeds a predefined threshold for wheel spread (e.g., slip = 0.12). The supervisory control module 200 intervenes and gives control priority to the wheel 27 and enables eLSD 36, even if eLSD may generate oversteer yaw moment in the opposite direction to the yaw moment required to achieve yaw tracking target.

[0089] Turn now Figure 3A And continue to refer to Figures 1 to 2 A decision tree is shown illustrating an embodiment of a method 300 for a supervisory control module 200 of a motor vehicle 12 equipped with an eLSD 36 and an eAWD 34. Figure 3AIn the example, the method begins at block 302, where the current state of the vehicle body 62 of the motor vehicle 12 is determined. The state of the vehicle body 62 is determined by a set of sensors 64 and actuators 52 equipped on the motor vehicle 12 via the body control module 15. When the state of the vehicle body 62 is reported to exceed a predetermined stability parameter (i.e., a red marker is set) at block 302, method 300 proceeds to block 304, where torque transmission to the rear axle 30 of the motor vehicle 12 is stopped. In extreme driving conditions where the tires 18 of the motor vehicle 12 approach, are at, or exceed a grip threshold, the default reduction in torque at the rear axle 30 provides several benefits in increasing the predictability and controllability of the motor vehicle 12.

[0090] In contrast, when the vehicle body's condition is reported to be within predetermined stability parameters (i.e., a green indicator is set) at block 302, method 300 proceeds to block 306, where the condition of axles 28 and 30 is determined. More specifically, at block 306, the axle monitoring module 17 determines from the vehicle 12's sensors 64 and actuators 52 whether both axles 28 and 30 are within predefined axle stability parameters. If the vehicle 12's axles 28 and 30 are in a state exceeding predetermined axle stability parameters, method 300 proceeds to blocks 308 and 310, where torque transmission to both the forward axle 28 and the rear axle 30 is stopped. When method 300 determines at block 306 that axles 28 and 30 are below predefined stability parameters, method 300 proceeds to block 312.

[0091] At block 312, system 10 determines the stability state of each of the wheels 27 of the vehicle 12. More specifically, sensor / estimation module 110 or wheel stability module 110' determines whether the estimated slip ratio of each tire 18 of the vehicle 12 indicates that the tire 18 is at or has exceeded its stability margin. If at block 312, the tire 18 has exceeded its stability margin, method 300 proceeds to blocks 314 and 316, where torque transmission to both the front axle 28 and the rear axle 30 is stopped. Conversely, when it is determined at block 312 that the tire 18 is still within its stability margin, method 300 proceeds to block 318, where the yaw moment (YM) of the vehicle 12 is calculated. In several respects, the yaw moment YM of the vehicle 12 is conditional and depends on two factors: the stability parameters of the vehicle 12 as described above, and the driver input request. In some examples, under performance driving conditions, the driver input request may indicate a yaw moment YM equivalent to an oversteer request, as shown in the oversteer yaw moment OYM (OYM) at box 320. In contrast, under other driving conditions, the driver input request may indicate an understeer yaw moment (UYM), as shown in box 322.

[0092] Referring again to block 306, when torque transmission to both the front axle 28 and the rear axle 30 is stopped accordingly at blocks 308 and 310, method 300 takes additional steps to ensure that driver control is maintained. For example, once torque transmission to the front axle 28 is stopped at block 308, method 300 proceeds to block 324, where the state of wheel 27 is determined. When the sensor / estimation module 110 or the wheel stability module 110' determines at block 324 whether the estimated slip ratio of each tire 18 of the motor vehicle 12 indicates that the tire 18 is at or has exceeded the stability margin of the tire 18, the method proceeds to block 326, where the yaw moment YM is calculated and an understeer yaw moment UYM 328 is provided by torque transfer via eLSD 36 and / or eAWD 34, or an oversteer yaw moment OYM 330 is provided by torque transfer via eLSD 36 and / or eAWD 34.

[0093] At block 324, when the sensor / estimation module 110 or wheel stability module 110' determines that the estimated slip ratio of each tire 18 of the vehicle 12 indicates that the tire 18 has exceeded its stability margin, the method proceeds to blocks 332 and 334. From block 332, the activation of the eLSD 36 and / or eAWD 34 causes a yaw moment YM to transmit torque at the front axle 28, resulting in an understeer yaw moment UYM at block 336, where understeer is preferred for correcting tire 18 stability exceeding a threshold. Similarly, when the vehicle 12 is in a state where an oversteer yaw moment OYM is preferred to correct tire 18 stability exceeding a threshold, at block 338, the eLSD 36 and / or eAWD 34 participate in torque transmission at the front axle 28, thereby causing an oversteer yaw moment OYM.

[0094] From block 334, system 10 manages torque transmission to the rear axle 30 of vehicle 12. More specifically, torque transmission to the rear axle 30 of vehicle 12 is stopped. At block 340, when wheel spread (WF) is detected, system 10 prioritizes control of wheel 27, and at block 342 generates a yaw moment YM by applying torque transmission to the rear axle to cause an understeer yaw moment UYM at block 344 or an oversteer yaw moment OYM at block 346 by torque transmission to the rear axle 30 via eLSD 36 and / or eAWD 34.

[0095] When torque transfer to the rear axle 30 stops at block 310, method 300 proceeds to block 348, where the state of wheel 27 is determined. When sensor / estimation module 110 or wheel stability module 110' determines at block 348 whether the estimated slip ratio of each tire 18 of the vehicle 12 indicates that the tire 18 is at or has exceeded its stability margin, the method proceeds to block 350, where yaw moment YM is calculated and an understeer yaw moment UYM 352 is provided via torque transfer through eLSD 36 and / or eAWD 34, or an oversteer yaw moment OYM 354 is provided via torque transfer through eLSD 36 and / or eAWD 34.

[0096] When the sensor / estimation module 110 or wheel stability module 110' determines at block 348 that the estimated slip ratio of each tire 18 of the vehicle 12 indicates that the tire 18 has exceeded its stability margin, method 300 proceeds to blocks 356 and 358. At block 360, the activation of eLSD 36 and / or eAWD 34 induces a yaw moment YM to transmit torque at the front axle 28, generating an understeer yaw moment UYM when understeer is preferred for correcting tire 18 stability exceeding a threshold. Similarly, when the vehicle 12 is in a state where an oversteer yaw moment OYM is preferred to correct tire 18 stability exceeding a threshold, at block 362, eLSD 36 and / or eAWD 34 engage in torque transmission at the front axle 28, thereby inducing an oversteer yaw moment OYM.

[0097] From block 358, system 10 manages torque transmission to the rear axle 30 of vehicle 12. More specifically, torque transmission to the rear axle 30 of vehicle 12 is stopped. At block 364, when wheel spread (WF) is detected, system 10 prioritizes control of wheel 27 and generates yaw moment YM via torque transmission to the rear axle, causing understeer yaw moment UYM at block 366 or oversteer yaw moment OYM at block 368 via torque transmission to the eLSD 36 and / or eAWD 34 of the rear axle 30.

[0098] Referring again to block 304, once torque transmission to the rear axle 30 of the vehicle 12 ceases, method 300 proceeds to block 370, where the state of wheel 27 is determined via sensor / estimation module 110 or wheel stability module 110'. When sensor / estimation module 110 or wheel stability module 110' determines that the estimated slip ratio of each tire 18 of the vehicle 12 indicates that the tire 18 is within the stability margin of the tire 18, method 300 proceeds to block 372, where yaw moment YM is calculated and an understeer yaw moment UYM374 is provided via torque transmission of eLSD 36 and / or eAWD 34, or an oversteer yaw moment OYM 376 is provided via torque transmission of eLSD 36 and / or eAWD 34.

[0099] However, at block 370, when the sensor / estimation module 110 or wheel stability module 110' determines that the estimated slip ratio of each tire 18 of the vehicle 12 indicates that the tire 18 has exceeded its stability margin, the method proceeds to blocks 378 and 380. From block 378, torque transfer is performed at the front axle 28. More specifically, at block 382, ​​an understeer yaw moment UYM is induced by enabling the eLSD 36 and / or eAWD 34 to transfer torque at the front axle 28 when understeer is preferred for correcting tire 18 stability exceeding a threshold. Similarly, when the vehicle 12 is in a state where an oversteer yaw moment OYM is preferred to correct tire 18 stability exceeding a threshold, at block 384, the eLSD 36 and / or eAWD 34 participate in torque transfer at the front axle 28, thereby inducing an oversteer yaw moment OYM.

[0100] Furthermore, at block 378, the sensor / estimation module 110 or wheel stability module 110' also monitors the wheel spread (WF) of wheel 27, and when wheel spread (WF) is detected, torque transmission to the front axle 28 is stopped, and a yaw moment is induced at block 386. More specifically, at block 388, an understeer yaw moment UYM is induced by enabling eLSD 36 and / or eAWD 34 to transmit torque at the front axle 28 when understeer is preferred for correcting tire 18 stability exceeding a threshold. Similarly, when the vehicle 12 is in a state where an oversteer yaw moment OYM is preferred to correct tire 18 stability exceeding a threshold, at block 390, eLSD 36 and / or eAWD 34 participate in torque transmission at the front axle 28, thereby induced an oversteer yaw moment OYM.

[0101] At box 380, torque transfer is performed at the rear axle 30. More specifically, at box 392, an understeer yaw moment YM is induced by enabling eLSD 36 and / or eAWD 34 to transfer torque at the rear axle 30 when understeer is preferred for correcting tire 18 stability exceeding a threshold. Similarly, when the vehicle 12 is in a state where an oversteer yaw moment OYM is preferred to correct tire 18 stability exceeding a threshold, at box 394, eLSD 36 and / or eAWD 34 participate in torque transfer at the rear axle 30, thereby inducing an oversteer yaw moment OYM. In addition, at block 380, the sensor / estimation module 110 or wheel stability module 110' also monitors the wheel spread WF of wheel 27, and when wheel spread WF is detected, at block 396, the torque transmission to the front axle and rear axle 30 is managed via torque transmission through eLSD 36 and / or eAWD 34.

[0102] Referring again to block 312, when the sensor / estimation module 110 or wheel stability module 110' determines that the estimated slip ratio of each tire 18 of the vehicle 12 indicates that the tire 18 has exceeded its stability margin, method 300 proceeds to blocks 398 and 400. At block 398, torque transmission to the front axle 28 is stopped, method 300 and yaw moment YM are triggered. In some examples, yaw moment YM is understeer yaw moment UYM 402, which is triggered by the activation of eLSD 36 and / or eAWD 34 to transmit torque to the front axle 28 when understeer is preferred for correcting tire 18 stability exceeding a threshold. Similarly, when the vehicle 12 is in a state where the preferred oversteer yaw moment OYM is used to correct the tire 18 stability exceeding the threshold, at box 404, the eLSD 36 and / or eAWD 34 participate in torque transmission at the front axle 28, thereby causing the oversteer yaw moment OYM.

[0103] Similarly, when the sensor / estimation module 110 or the wheel stability module 110' determines that the estimated slip ratio of each tire 18 of the vehicle 12 has exceeded the tire 18 stability margin, the system 10 also stops transmitting torque to the rear axle 30 of the vehicle 12 at block 400. When the sensor / estimation module 110 or the wheel stability module 110' determines that wheel spread (WF) is occurring, method 300 proceeds to block 406, where the system 10 prioritizes control of the wheel 27.

[0104] At box 408, system 10 performs torque transfer at the inner rear wheel 27 of motor vehicle 12. When motor vehicle 12 is turning rather than traveling in a straight line, the inner wheel 27 is the wheel 27 closest to the inside of the turn. That is, when motor vehicle 12 turns, the inner wheel 27 rotates less frequently than the outer wheel 27. Therefore, it should be understood that when motor vehicle 12 turns, the inner wheel and the outer wheel 27 rotate at different angular velocities in both longitudinal and lateral unsaturated states. In some examples, at box 410, where understeer is preferred for correcting tire 18 stability exceeding a threshold, the torque transferred to the inner rear wheel 27 of motor vehicle 12 causes the understeer yaw moment UYM of eLSD 36 and / or eAWD 34 to be activated. Similarly, when the vehicle 12 is in a state where the preferred oversteer yaw moment OYM is used to correct tire 18 stability exceeding a threshold, at box 412, eLSD 36 and / or eAWD 34 participate in transmitting torque to or from the inside rear wheel to cause oversteer yaw moment OYM.

[0105] At box 414, system 10 performs torque transfer at the outer rear wheel 27 of motor vehicle 12. When motor vehicle 12 is turning rather than traveling in a straight line, the outer wheel 27 is one of those wheels 27 closest to the outside of the turn. That is, when motor vehicle 12 turns, the outer wheel 27 rotates fewer times than the inner wheel 27. Therefore, it should be understood that when motor vehicle 12 turns, the inner and outer wheels 27 rotate at different angular velocities in both longitudinal and lateral unsaturated states. In some examples, at box 416, where understeer is preferred for correcting tire 18 stability exceeding a threshold, the torque transferred to the outer rear wheel 27 of motor vehicle 12 causes the understeer yaw moment UYM of eLSD 36 and / or eAWD 34 to be activated. Similarly, when the vehicle 12 is in a state where the preferred oversteer yaw moment OYM is used to correct tire 18 stability exceeding a threshold, at box 418, eLSD 36 and / or eAWD 34 participate in transmitting torque to or from the inner rear wheel to cause oversteer yaw moment OYM.

[0106] Figure 3B and Figure 3C Depicting the use Figure 3A A specific example of method 300 for depicting a mid-scale view. In particular, Figure 3B The following scenario is described, where the body control module 15 detects that the body 62 is stable, while the front axle 28 is laterally saturated and one of the front wheels 27 is longitudinally saturated. Therefore, the torque constraint of the front axle 28 is updated to ensure that additional torque is not transmitted to the front axle 28. More specifically, if the body 62 is found to be stable at box 302, method 300 proceeds to box 306, where the front axle 28 is laterally saturated. Therefore, at box 308, the torque constraint of the front axle 28 is updated to ensure that additional torque is not sent to the front axle 28. If one of the rear wheels 27 is longitudinally saturated, the torque constraint of the rear axle 30 must be similarly updated to ensure that the torque of the rear axle 30 does not increase further at box 334. In addition, if there is wheel spread (WF) in the rear wheel at box 340, wheel 27 control is prioritized over yaw tracking, and eLSD 36 is eventually enabled to reduce wheel spread (WF). Enabling eLSD 36 at boxes 342 and 346 will also generate oversteer yaw moment (OYM).

[0107] In comparison, Figure 3CAn example is depicted where the body control module 15 detects instability in the body 62 at box 302. Therefore, when the body 62 is unstable, at box 304, the torque constraint of the rear axle 30 is updated to ensure that the torque of the rear axle 30 does not increase. If the front axle 28 is laterally saturated at box 378, and there is wheel spread (WF) in the front wheels 27, the torque constraint of the front axle 28 is also updated to ensure that the torque of the front axle 28 does not increase further. When the vehicle is in motion... Figures 3A to 3C Each of the methods 300 in the code operates sequentially and recursively. Furthermore, method 300 can operate both online and offline. As should be understood above, Figure 3B and Figure 3C The paths shown are merely non-limiting exemplary decision paths using the logic of method 300, and many other possible decision paths are possible and intended to be within the scope of this disclosure.

[0108] The system 10 and method 300 of this disclosure for the supervisory control of eAWD 34 and eLSD 36 in a motor vehicle 12 offer several advantages. These advantages include providing the driver or operator of the motor vehicle 12 with maximum feasibility, stability, handling, maneuverability, and controllability of the motor vehicle 12 under various conditions, including adverse weather, instances of tire 18 deformation, tire 18 wear, tire 18 temperature variations, tire 18 inflation levels, etc. Furthermore, the system 10 and method 300 can operate on the motor vehicle 12 in complex driving scenarios, including performance driving scenarios where the driver may attempt power coasting or drifting, and the system 10 and method 300 will operate to generate appropriate forces at the tire 18 / road interface or contact patch 38, while also providing maximum tire 18 / road interface or contact patch 38 adhesion in driving scenarios where maximum grip is desired. All these benefits can be obtained using the system 10 and method 300 described herein, while maintaining or reducing cost and complexity, reducing calibration work, and increasing simplicity, while also providing enhanced redundancy and robustness.

[0109] The descriptions in this disclosure are exemplary in nature only, and variations thereof are intended to be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Such variations should not be considered as departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A system for supervisory control of eAWD and eLSD in a motor vehicle, the system comprising: One or more sensors are mounted on the motor vehicle, the one or more sensors measuring real-time static and dynamic data about the motor vehicle; One or more actuators are disposed on the motor vehicle, the one or more actuators altering the static and dynamic behavior of the motor vehicle; A control module having a processor, memory, and input / output (I / O) ports, the control module executes a portion of program code stored in the memory, the program code including: The first program code portion receives the real-time static data and dynamic data from the one or more sensors via the I / O port; The second program code section receives input from one or more drivers of the motor vehicle via the I / O port; The third program code section determines the state of the vehicle body; The fourth program code section determines the state of the axles of the motor vehicle; The fifth code section determines the state of each wheel of the motor vehicle; The sixth program code section, based on the driver input and the outputs of the third, fourth, and fifth program code sections, generates control signals to the one or more actuators; and The seventh program code section, by actively adjusting the constraints on the control signals of each of the one or more actuators based on the state of the vehicle body, the state of the axles, and the state of each wheel, supervises at least the second program code section and the sixth program code section, wherein the active adjustment of the constraints on the control signals in response to the one or more driver inputs changes the boundaries of the control action.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The first program code section also includes: Receive real-time static and dynamic data from one or more of the following: An inertial measurement unit (IMU) capable of measuring position, orientation, acceleration, and velocity in at least three dimensions; A wheel speed sensor capable of measuring the angular velocity of each of the wheels of the motor vehicle; A throttle position sensor capable of measuring the throttle position of the motor vehicle; An accelerator position sensor capable of measuring the position of the accelerator pedal of the motor vehicle; and A tire pressure monitoring sensor capable of measuring the tire pressure of the motor vehicle, wherein the real-time static data and dynamic data further include: The lateral speed of the motor vehicle; The longitudinal speed of the motor vehicle; The yaw rate of the motor vehicle; Wheel angular velocity; and The longitudinal force, lateral force, and normal force on each tire of the motor vehicle.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The third program code section also includes a program code section, which: Communicating with the body control module via the I / O ports; The vehicle control module receives data from the one or more sensors; and The stability state of the vehicle body is determined, wherein the stability state of the vehicle body includes at least: yaw rate, sideslip angle, and longitudinal velocity; and wherein, when the stability state of the vehicle body is within a predefined stability margin, the vehicle body control module sends a positive indicator to the seventh program code section; and when the stability state of the vehicle body is not within the predefined stability margin, the vehicle body control module sends a negative indicator to the seventh program code section, wherein, in response to the positive indicator, the seventh program code section selectively commands the transmission of additional torque to one or more of the wheels or axles, and in response to the negative indicator, the seventh program code section stops the transmission of torque to one or more of the wheels or axles.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein, The stability state of the vehicle body is detected by comparing the measured yaw rate and sideslip angle, wherein the stability margin of the vehicle body is defined by the following formula: ;as well as in, It is the yaw rate, It is the sideslip angle, It is longitudinal velocity. It is the distance from the center of gravity of the motor vehicle to the rear axle, and It is the distance from the center of gravity to the front axle. The distance between the front axle and the rear axle is m, and the total mass of the vehicle is m. It is the coefficient of friction of the road, and It refers to the tire's cornering stiffness.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The fourth program code section also includes the following program code sections: Communicates with the axle monitoring module via the I / O port; The axle monitoring module receives data from the one or more sensors; and Determining the stability state of the axles of the motor vehicle, wherein the stability state of the axles includes: determining the tire slip angle and slip ratio of each of the tires of the motor vehicle, and determining that a predetermined tire stability margin has been exceeded when the tire has exceeded a predetermined tire slip angle and tire slip ratio, and determining that a predetermined tire stability margin has not been exceeded when the tire has not exceeded the predetermined tire slip angle and tire slip ratio; wherein, when the tire stability margin has been exceeded, the axle monitoring module sends a negative indicator to the seventh program code section, and when the tire has not exceeded the predetermined tire stability margin, the axle monitoring module sends a positive indicator to the seventh program code section; wherein, in response to the positive indicator, the seventh program code section selectively commands the transmission of additional torque to one or more of the axles, and in response to the negative indicator, the seventh program code section stops the transmission of torque to one or more of the axles.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein, Based on the tire's sideslip angle The stability state of the axle of the motor vehicle is defined by the saturation level of the axle: in, It is the tire normal load. It's tire stiffness, and It is the coefficient of friction of the road.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The fifth program code section also includes the following program code sections: Communicating with the wheel stability module via the I / O port; The wheel stability module receives data from the one or more sensors; and Determine the stability state of the wheels of the motor vehicle, wherein the stability state of the wheels includes an estimated slip ratio for each tire of the motor vehicle.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein, When the estimated slip ratio exceeds a predetermined stability margin, the wheel stability module sends a negative indicator to the seventh program code section, and when the estimated slip ratio does not exceed the predetermined stability margin, the wheel stability module sends a positive indicator to the seventh program code section, wherein, in response to the positive indicator, the seventh program code section selectively commands the transmission of additional torque to one or more of the wheels; and wherein, in response to the negative indicator, the seventh program code section stops the transmission of torque to one or more of the wheels.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The sixth program code section also includes the following program code sections: Receive driver input, including steering and torque requests; Receive the stability status of the vehicle body, the axles, and the wheels; and Based on the actuator type of the one or more actuators equipped to the motor vehicle, and based on the stability state of the vehicle body, the axles, and the wheels, the system generates the control signal to the one or more actuators.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein, The seventh program code section also includes the following program code sections: Actively optimize the constraints of each of the one or more actuators to take into account the stability states of the vehicle body, the axles, and the wheels; and Actively adjust the control signal to the one or more actuators such that the control signal to the one or more actuators is within the boundaries of possible actuator outputs.

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