Vehicle control method, computer program product and vehicle

Abstract

The invention provides a vehicle control method, a computer program product and a vehicle. The vehicle control method comprises the following steps that driving torque is output to driving wheels of the vehicle; detecting whether part of driving wheels of the vehicle enter a road surface with a small friction coefficient or not; if part of the driving wheels of the vehicle enter the road surface with the small friction coefficient, identifying the part of the driving wheels entering the road surface with the small friction coefficient; and applying a braking force to the identified part of the driving wheels. According to the vehicle control method, through cooperative work between the TCU and the EBS / ABS, a vehicle which adopts an eAxle system and is not provided with a mechanical differential lock can easily escape from a trapped scene.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of vehicle control, and more particularly to a control method for vehicle escape from stuck situation through the cooperation between transmission control unit (TCU) and brake system (EBS / ABS). BACKGROUND

[0002] During the driving of heavy-duty vehicles, wheel stuck phenomenon is very common, especially in bad road conditions such as snow or ice. In traditional internal combustion engine vehicles, inter-axle differential lock and inter-wheel differential lock will be used to overcome this critical application scenario, so that the vehicle can "escape" or "get out of stuck". However, in vehicles using eAxle system, the above-mentioned mechanical differential lock will not be available. Therefore, how to make the vehicle escape from the use scenario of partial drive wheel stuck becomes a challenge.

[0003] It is based on the above background that the present application is proposed. SUMMARY

[0004] In order to solve one or more problems existing in the prior art, the present disclosure proposes a vehicle control method, a computer program product and a vehicle. The vehicle control method cooperates between transmission control unit (TCU) and brake system (EBS / ABS), so that the vehicle without mechanical differential lock using eAxle system can easily escape from the "stuck situation". Considering that TCU and EBS / ABS are the conventional / standard configuration of commercial vehicles, this method will not introduce additional hardware / system cost. In addition, the eAxle system that has been put on the market can easily obtain this escape function through software update, which will provide great use flexibility for the client and the sales side.

[0005] Specifically, in one aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle control method is proposed, which comprises the following steps: outputting a driving torque to a drive wheel of the vehicle; detecting whether part of the drive wheels of the vehicle enters a road surface with a smaller friction coefficient; if part of the drive wheels of the vehicle enters a road surface with a smaller friction coefficient, identifying the part of the drive wheels that enters the road surface with a smaller friction coefficient; and applying a braking force to the identified part of the drive wheels.

[0006] In yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product is proposed, which comprises a computer program comprising instructions, characterized in that the instructions, when executed by a processor, perform the method of any one of the above aspects.

[0007] In yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle is provided, which comprises a transmission control unit and a brake system communicatively connected, wherein the transmission control unit and the brake system are configured to work cooperatively to perform the following method steps: the transmission control unit controls an electric machine of the vehicle to output driving torque to driving wheels of the vehicle; the brake system measures rotational speed or torque data of the driving wheels of the vehicle and transmits the measured rotational speed or torque data to the transmission control unit; the transmission control unit detects whether part of the driving wheels of the vehicle enters a road surface with a smaller friction coefficient based on the rotational speed or torque data; if part of the driving wheels of the vehicle enters a road surface with a smaller friction coefficient, the transmission control unit identifies the part of the driving wheels that enters the road surface with a smaller friction coefficient, generates a control signal and sends the control signal to the brake system; and the brake system applies a braking force to the identified part of the driving wheels.

[0008] Generally, the various embodiments of the present disclosure can be combined and coupled in any way possible in the scope of the present disclosure. These and other aspects, features, and / or advantages of the present disclosure will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0009] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described by way of example with reference to the following drawings, in which:

[0010] Figure 1 A use scenario in which part of the driving wheels of a vehicle is stuck is schematically illustrated;

[0011] Figures 2a-2b A use scenario in which part of the driving wheels of a vehicle is stuck is schematically illustrated; Figure 1 The variation of the electric machine torque distribution and the rotational speed of the driving wheels under the use scenario shown;

[0012] Figure 3 A flowchart of a vehicle control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0013] Figures 4a-4e The variation of the electric machine torque distribution and the rotational speed of the driving wheels corresponding to the steps of the vehicle control method shown; Figure 3 The variation of the electric machine torque distribution and the rotational speed of the driving wheels corresponding to the steps of the vehicle control method shown;

[0014] It should be understood that the drawings only show certain specific modes of implementing the present disclosure and should not be understood as limiting other possible embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims. The scope of protection of the present disclosure is only defined by the appended claims. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] The present disclosure proposes a control method for realizing vehicle escape from a stuck scene by the cooperation between a Transmission Control Unit (TCU) and an Electronic Brake System (EBS) or an Anti-locked Brake System (ABS). As described in the background section, there is no mechanical differential lock in an electric vehicle using an eAxle system, so the vehicle cannot escape from a use scenario where part of the driving wheels is stuck by means of a mechanical differential lock. The vehicle control method proposed by the present disclosure realizes the ability of the vehicle to escape from the "stuck scene" by the cooperation between the TCU and the EBS / ABS that the current vehicle usually has, without the need for a mechanical differential lock. The "stuck scene" referred to here refers to a scenario in which part of the driving wheels of the vehicle travels on a low-friction coefficient road surface such as snow or ice, so that the vehicle cannot continue to move forward.

[0016] The eAxle system described above is a driving motor system of an electric vehicle, which can be referred to as an "electric drive axle system" or an "electric axle system". When the eAxle system is installed on the vehicle body and connected to the drive shaft, it can generate a rotating torque to make the vehicle move. According to the degree of integration, the eAxle system can be divided into a "2-in-1" or "3-in-1" system. Among them, the "2-in-1" system refers to a system in which the motor is integrated with the inverter or the transmission, while the "3-in-1" system refers to a system in which the motor, the inverter and the transmission are integrated together. This integrated design helps to improve the efficiency and performance of electric vehicles, while reducing space occupation and weight. The eAxle system is considered one of the key technologies for the popularization of electric vehicles due to its small size, light weight and high power. With the increasing popularity of the eAxle system, it is self-evident that the importance of finding a solution to the technical problem of "how to make the vehicle escape from a use scenario where part of the driving wheels is stuck".

[0017] As known by those skilled in the art, the current vehicle is usually equipped with a TCU and a brake system. The TCU and the brake system will be described in detail below.

[0018] TCU is an important electronic control unit in current vehicles, which includes input / output and one or more memories and processors. The output / input is used to receive information from other components and send control instructions to other components; the memory is used to store program codes; and the processor is used to execute these program codes to achieve specific functions. The core function of TCU is to monitor and adjust the clutch, gearbox gear, gear shifter, etc. of automatic transmission, as well as other power controls of the whole vehicle. TCU is connected with various components in the transmission, collects various information of the transmission, and processes related data, so as to realize the linkage control of the motor and the transmission. In electric vehicles, the role of TCU is particularly important, which not only manages the power transmission between the motor and the transmission (including controlling the torque output of the motor), but also manages the energy flow between the battery pack and the motor, etc. In electric vehicles using eAxle system, TCU is responsible for controlling components such as motor, inverter and transmission to optimize vehicle performance. Specifically, TCU uses data from various sensors, such as vehicle speed, acceleration, battery status, etc. to make control decisions. TCU also controls the inverter and motor through electronic signals to achieve precise torque and power output. Further, the software algorithm built-in TCU dynamically adjusts control parameters according to the specific requirements of vehicle manufacturers and driving conditions. Through the above means, TCU can adjust the torque output of the motor according to the driving mode of the vehicle, the state of the battery and the demand of the driver, to provide the best power response and efficiency.

[0019] The brake system can be ABS or EBS. ABS is usually composed of a pressure regulating system and an anti-lock braking electronic control system. The pressure regulating system is composed of a conventional braking system and a brake pressure regulating system. The conventional braking system is mainly composed of a brake master cylinder, a brake booster, a brake wheel cylinder, a brake pipeline and a brake (disc or drum brake). The vehicle braking power source is divided into hydraulic and pneumatic, so the brake pressure regulating system accordingly includes hydraulic and pneumatic regulating systems. The anti-lock braking electronic control system is composed of a wheel speed sensor, a brake light switch, an anti-lock braking electronic control unit, an indicator light, etc. During vehicle braking, ABS can automatically adjust the braking force of the driving wheel to prevent the driving wheel from slipping and to obtain the best braking performance and reduce traffic accidents. EBS is an electronic braking system based on the evolution of ABS, which contains the functions of ABS and replaces the traditional mechanical control system with a more advanced electronic control system. To achieve braking, vehicles are usually equipped with one of ABS and EBS.

[0020] The inventive concept of the vehicle control method proposed in the present disclosure can be summarized as follows: while the brake system (EBS or ABS) applies braking force to the stuck (slipping) driving wheel, the TCU controls the motor to continuously output torque to the driving wheel, thereby providing sufficient traction to make the vehicle drive off the bad road.

[0021] The following will refer to Figure 1 and Figures 2a-2b The inventive concept of the vehicle control method according to this disclosure is described in detail. Among them, Figure 1 The illustration schematically depicts a scenario where some of the vehicle's drive wheels are stuck; and Figures 2a-2b A schematic diagram illustrates the situation in Figure 1 The diagram shows the changes in motor torque distribution and drive wheel speed in the application scenarios depicted.

[0022] exist Figure 1 The diagram schematically illustrates a scenario where a six-wheeled heavy-duty vehicle is stuck on one of its drive wheels. The four rear wheels of this six-wheeled heavy-duty vehicle are drive wheels, propelled by an eAxle system integrated with the drive axles. Specifically, these four drive wheels can be divided into two pairs, each pair connected by a separate drive axle. Furthermore, the two front wheels of this six-wheeled heavy-duty vehicle are driven wheels, used for controlling vehicle steering, etc. Figure 1 Irregularly shaped gray blocks are used to represent road surfaces with a low coefficient of friction, such as icy or snow-covered surfaces, or any road surface with a low coefficient of friction that a person skilled in the art would anticipate. Although in Figure 1 The image shows a six-wheeled heavy vehicle, but those skilled in the art will understand that the inventive concept of the vehicle control method according to this disclosure is applicable to various other types of vehicles, including small cars with two drive wheels, etc.

[0023] Figure 2a and Figure 2b The diagram illustrates the changes in motor torque distribution and drive wheel speed, using a pair of drive wheels as an example. Figure 2a and Figure 2b The gray boxes in the diagram represent motors configured to output drive torque to a pair of drive wheels under the control of a TCU (not shown). Furthermore, the pair of arrows inside the drive wheels indicate the drive torque flowing from the motor to the respective drive wheel, while the arrows outside the drive wheels indicate the rotational speed of the respective drive wheel. Figure 2a As shown, in normal driving mode, the drive torque output by the motor is evenly distributed between the left and right drive wheels, and the coefficients of friction between the left and right drive wheels and the ground are approximately equal. Therefore, the rotational speeds of the left and right drive wheels are also approximately the same. However, as... Figure 2b As shown, when encountering Figure 1In the scenario shown, the coefficient of friction between the right drive wheel and the ground is significantly reduced, leading to a marked increase in its rotational speed. Subsequently, the drive torque output from the motor will no longer be evenly distributed between the left and right drive wheels, but will primarily flow to the right drive wheel—the one with the higher rotational speed—because it experiences less resistance. This increased drive torque will cause the right drive wheel to rotate faster and faster, potentially trapping the vehicle because there isn't enough "forward torque" (i.e., frictional torque) to propel it forward. In fact, in this situation, the "forward torque" propelling the vehicle forward is roughly equal to the drive torque flowing to the left drive wheel. The process described above applies to every pair of drive wheels in the vehicle.

[0024] Based on the above findings, the inventors have proposed a vehicle control method, which will be described below with reference to... Figure 3 and Figures 4a-4e The specific steps of the vehicle control method according to this disclosure are described in detail. Among them, Figure 3 This is a flowchart of a vehicle control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figures 4a-4e The illustration shows the relationship with Figure 3 The steps of the vehicle control method shown correspond to the changes in motor torque distribution and drive wheel speed.

[0025] like Figure 3 As shown, the vehicle control method begins in step S101. In step S101, drive torque is output to the vehicle's drive wheels. This drive torque is the positive torque output by the motor to the vehicle's drive wheels under the control of the TCU. Under the action of this drive torque, the vehicle can start moving from a standstill, maintain its current speed, or accelerate while moving. In normal driving mode, this drive torque is evenly distributed, i.e., half to the left and half to the right drive wheels, and the coefficients of friction between the left and right drive wheels and the ground are approximately equal. Therefore, the rotational speeds of the left and right drive wheels are also approximately the same. As a result, the vehicle can move forward smoothly on the road surface.

[0026] Subsequently, the vehicle control method proceeds to step S103. In step S103, it is detected whether some of the vehicle's drive wheels have entered a surface with a low coefficient of friction, such as snow or ice (e.g., ...). Figure 4a (As illustrated schematically). Here, "smaller" means that the friction coefficient of this road surface is less than that of a normal road surface.

[0027] The phrase "partial drive wheels" referring to the engagement of a surface with a low coefficient of friction means, as the name suggests, that some drive wheels engage a surface with a low coefficient of friction, but not all drive wheels. When the vehicle has two drive wheels (i.e., the left and right drive wheels located at opposite ends of a drive axle), "partial drive wheels" engaging a surface with a low coefficient of friction includes either the left or right drive wheel engaging a surface with a low coefficient of friction. When the vehicle has four drive wheels (i.e., the first left and first right drive wheels located at opposite ends of a first drive axle, and the second left and second right drive wheels located at opposite ends of a second drive axle), "partial drive wheels" engaging a surface with a low coefficient of friction includes any one, any two, or any three of the first left, first right, second left, and second right drive wheels engaging a surface with a low coefficient of friction. This logic continues when the vehicle has more drive wheels. Drive wheels that do not engage a surface with a low coefficient of friction (i.e., drive wheels traveling on normal road surfaces) will be used to provide forward torque in subsequent steps of the vehicle control method, which will be described in further detail below.

[0028] As described above, when some of the vehicle's drive wheels enter a surface with a low coefficient of friction, the rotational speed of these drive wheels will increase significantly, and the driving torque flowing to these drive wheels will also increase significantly (e.g., Figure 4b (As illustrated schematically). Therefore, detecting whether some of the vehicle's drive wheels are engaged with a surface with a low coefficient of friction can include one or more of the following: detecting whether the difference in rotational speeds between the drive wheels exceeds a first rotational speed threshold; and detecting whether the difference in drive torque flowing to the drive wheels exceeds a first torque threshold. The specific values ​​of the first rotational speed threshold and the first torque threshold can be predetermined through testing. Specifically, the sensors included in the ABS / EBS can measure the rotational speed or torque data of each drive wheel and transmit the measured data to the TCU, which performs the aforementioned detection steps based on this data and according to a built-in algorithm. In other words, the TCU is communicatively connected to the braking system (ABS or EBS).

[0029] When a vehicle has two drive wheels (i.e., a left drive wheel and a right drive wheel located at opposite ends of a drive axle), detecting whether some of the vehicle's drive wheels have entered a surface with a low coefficient of friction can include one or more of the following: detecting whether the difference between the rotational speed of the left drive wheel and the rotational speed of the right drive wheel exceeds a first rotational speed threshold; and detecting whether the difference between the driving torque flowing to the left drive wheel and the driving torque flowing to the right drive wheel exceeds a first torque threshold. If either of these two conditions is met, it can be determined that some of the vehicle's drive wheels have entered a surface with a low coefficient of friction.

[0030] When a vehicle comprises four drive wheels (i.e., a first left drive wheel and a first right drive wheel located at both ends of a first drive axle, and a second left drive wheel and a second right drive wheel located at both ends of a second drive axle), detecting whether some of the vehicle's drive wheels have entered a surface with a low coefficient of friction can include one or more of the following: detecting whether the difference between the rotational speed of the first left drive wheel and the rotational speed of the first right drive wheel exceeds a first speed threshold; detecting whether the difference between the rotational speed of the second left drive wheel and the rotational speed of the second right drive wheel exceeds a first speed threshold; detecting whether the difference between the driving torque flowing to the first left drive wheel and the driving torque flowing to the first right drive wheel exceeds a first torque threshold; and detecting whether the difference between the driving torque flowing to the second left drive wheel and the driving torque flowing to the second right drive wheel exceeds a first torque threshold. As long as any one of the above four conditions is met, it can be determined that some of the vehicle's drive wheels have entered a surface with a low coefficient of friction.

[0031] Alternatively, when the vehicle comprises four drive wheels (i.e., a first left drive wheel and a first right drive wheel located at both ends of a first drive axle, and a second left drive wheel and a second right drive wheel located at both ends of a second drive axle), detecting whether some of the vehicle's drive wheels have entered a surface with a low coefficient of friction may include one or more of the following: detecting whether the standard deviation between the rotational speeds of the first left drive wheel, the first right drive wheel, the second left drive wheel, and the second right drive wheel exceeds a second rotational speed threshold; and detecting whether the standard deviation between the drive torque flowing to the first left drive wheel, the first right drive wheel, the second left drive wheel, and the second right drive wheel exceeds a second torque threshold. As long as either of the above two conditions is met, it can be determined that some of the vehicle's drive wheels have entered a surface with a low coefficient of friction. Similarly, the specific values ​​of the aforementioned second rotational speed threshold and second torque threshold can be predetermined through experimentation. Those skilled in the art will understand that the aforementioned standard deviation can also be variance (in which case the threshold will be adaptively adjusted); they are merely different mathematical expressions and are both statistical quantities used to measure the degree of data dispersion, describing the magnitude of fluctuation of data points relative to the mean, and therefore can both be used for the detection purposes of this disclosure.

[0032] The above method and steps are equally applicable when the vehicle includes more drive wheels, requiring only adaptive adjustments. These adjustments are within the capabilities of those skilled in the art.

[0033] When the judgment result of step S103 is "yes", the vehicle control method proceeds to step S105. When the judgment result of step S103 is "no", the vehicle control method returns to step S101. In step S105, the drive wheel that enters the road surface with a low coefficient of friction is identified. Corresponding to step S103, when the vehicle includes two drive wheels (i.e., the left drive wheel and the right drive wheel located at both ends of a drive axle), the drive wheel with the higher rotational speed or torque among the left and right drive wheels is identified as the drive wheel that enters the road surface with a low coefficient of friction. When the vehicle includes four drive wheels (i.e., the first left drive wheel and the first right drive wheel located at both ends of the first drive axle, and the second left drive wheel and the second right drive wheel located at both ends of the second drive axle), the rotational speed or torque of the first left drive wheel, the first right drive wheel, the second left drive wheel, and the second right drive wheel are sorted by magnitude, and one, two, or three drive wheels with the higher rotational speed or torque are identified as the drive wheels that enter the road surface with a low coefficient of friction. The identification step S105 described above can also be performed by the TCU based on the speed / torque data and according to the built-in algorithm.

[0034] Subsequently, the method proceeds to step S107. In step S107, braking force is applied to the identified drive wheel, such as... Figure 4c As illustrated in the schematic diagram. Specifically, the TCU can generate a control signal based on the recognition result and send the control signal to the ABS / EBS corresponding to the respective drive wheel (in...). Figure 4c (Illustrated schematically by the black square above the right drive wheel), and the ABS or EBS applies braking force according to the control signal. This braking force creates braking torque on the drive wheels, thereby reducing the speed of the drive wheels and breaking the vicious cycle of increasingly higher drive wheel speeds and increasingly higher drive torques distributed to those drive wheels. During the above steps S103-S107, the TCU control motor continuously outputs drive torque to the vehicle's drive wheels. As braking force is applied, the speeds of each drive wheel (whether driving on a normal road surface or entering a surface with a low coefficient of friction) tend to be similar (e.g., ...). Figure 4d (As illustrated schematically), the driving torque flowing to each drive wheel becomes nearly equal, with more driving torque flowing to the drive wheels traveling on the normal road surface and used to propel the vehicle forward. Thus, the vehicle is able to leave surfaces with a low coefficient of friction (such as...). Figure 4e (As schematically shown). In another embodiment according to this disclosure, the braking force can be further increased such that the speed of the drive wheel entering the road surface with a lower coefficient of friction is less than the speed of the drive wheel traveling on the normal road surface, thereby causing more driving torque to flow to the drive wheel traveling on the normal road surface and to propel the vehicle forward.

[0035] In step S107, a small braking force can be applied to the identified drive wheels initially, and then the braking force can be gradually increased until the vehicle leaves the surface with a low coefficient of friction. In other words, ABS or EBS can initially apply a small braking force and monitor the speed changes of each drive wheel and the overall vehicle speed in real time. Then, ABS or EBS can gradually increase the applied braking force in fixed increments until the vehicle leaves the surface with a low coefficient of friction.

[0036] Additionally, step S105 may further include reducing the drive torque output to the vehicle's drive wheels before identifying the drive wheel that has entered a surface with a low coefficient of friction. That is, once it is detected that part of the vehicle's drive wheels has entered a surface with a low coefficient of friction, the drive torque output to the vehicle's drive wheels is immediately reduced. This prevents vehicle instability. Furthermore, subsequent step 107 may further include increasing the drive torque output to the vehicle's drive wheels after applying braking force to the drive wheel that has entered the surface with a low coefficient of friction, thereby ensuring that a sufficiently large amount of drive torque flows to the drive wheels traveling on the normal surface. These method steps can be executed by a TCU-controlled motor. In this case, the TCU can couple and control the drive torque and braking force applied to the drive wheels, thereby achieving vehicle extrication in an efficient manner.

[0037] Using the vehicle control method described above, a vehicle can easily escape from "stuck scenarios" with an eAxle system design that does not include a mechanical differential lock. Through the coordinated operation of the vehicle's existing components, such as the TCU and EBS / ABS, the eAxle system design and the already marketed axle design remain unaffected; instead, the vehicle's escape capability can be directly configured via a software update. In other words, this vehicle control method does not introduce additional hardware / system costs.

[0038] Compared to mechanical differential lock solutions, the vehicle control method disclosed herein reduces costs associated with mechanical redesign / revalidation, system revalidation, and differential lock brake control software. The application of this new software functionality provides significant flexibility for both clients and retailers, enhancing the competitiveness of the eAxle system.

[0039] Although the above describes a vehicle control method performed by a TCU and ABS / EBS, those skilled in the art will understand that as technology advances, vehicle components will continue to evolve and present themselves in different integrated states. The vehicle control method disclosed herein is not limited to being performed by a TCU and ABS / EBS, but can be performed by any vehicle component capable of implementing the above method steps.

[0040] In another aspect of this disclosure, a computer program product is proposed. This computer program product includes a computer program comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the vehicle control method described above. The advantages described above for the vehicle control method also apply to this computer program product.

[0041] The aforementioned computer program product can be stored on a storage medium. The storage medium can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or a combination of both. The non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. The volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), which serves as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), Double Data Rate Synchronous DRAM (DDRSDRAM), Enhanced Synchronous DRAM (ESDRAM), Synchronous Link DRAM (SLDRAM), and Direct Rambus RAM (DRRAM). The storage media described in this disclosure are intended to include, but are not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0042] The processor according to various aspects of this disclosure can be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. In implementation, each step of the above method can be completed by integrated logic circuits in the processor's hardware or by instructions in software form. The processor can be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components. It can implement or execute the steps or logic block diagram of the method of this application. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the vehicle control method disclosed in this application can be directly embodied in the execution of a hardware decoding processor, or executed by a combination of hardware in the decoding processor and a computer program. The computer program can reside in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, or other storage media mature in the art.

[0043] It is understood that the aspects described herein can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, middleware, microcode, or a combination thereof. For hardware implementation, the processing unit can be implemented in one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), general-purpose processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, other electronic units for performing the functions described herein, or combinations thereof.

[0044] For software implementation, the techniques described herein can be achieved through modules (e.g., procedures, functions, etc.) that perform the functions described herein. Computer program instructions can be stored in memory and executed by a processor. Memory can be implemented in the processor or outside the processor.

[0045] In another aspect of this disclosure, a vehicle is proposed that includes a communication-connected TCU and a braking system (ABS or EBS). The TCU and braking system are configured to work together to perform the following steps: the TCU controls the vehicle's motor to output drive torque to the vehicle's drive wheels; the braking system measures the rotational speed or torque data of the vehicle's drive wheels and transmits the measured rotational speed or torque data to the TCU; the TCU detects, based on the rotational speed or torque data, whether some of the vehicle's drive wheels have entered a surface with a low coefficient of friction; if some of the vehicle's drive wheels have entered a surface with a low coefficient of friction, the TCU identifies the drive wheels that have entered the surface with a low coefficient of friction, generates a control signal, and sends the control signal to the braking system; and the braking system applies braking force to the identified drive wheels. The aforementioned vehicle can achieve vehicle extrication from difficult situations through the coordinated operation of the TCU and the braking system.

[0046] Although this disclosure has been described in conjunction with the specific embodiments described above, it should not be construed as limiting it in any way to the presented examples. The scope of this disclosure is defined by the appended claims. In the context of the claims, the terms "comprising" or "including" do not exclude other possible elements or steps. Furthermore, references such as "a" or "an" should not be construed as excluding multiple elements. The use of reference numerals for elements shown in the figures in the claims should also not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure. Moreover, various features mentioned in different claims may be advantageously combined, and mention of these features in different claims does not preclude the impossibility and advantage of such combinations. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., used in this disclosure are merely for distinguishing related components and are not intended to assign any attribute of priority.

Claims

1. A vehicle control method, characterized in that, The vehicle control method includes the following steps: Output drive torque to the drive wheels of the vehicle; Detect whether some of the vehicle's drive wheels have entered a surface with a low coefficient of friction; If some of the vehicle's drive wheels enter a surface with a low coefficient of friction, then the drive wheels that have entered the surface with a low coefficient of friction are identified; and Apply braking force to the identified portion of the drive wheel.

2. The vehicle control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The steps for detecting whether some of the vehicle's drive wheels have entered a surface with a low coefficient of friction include one or more of the following: Detect whether the difference between the drive wheels of the vehicle exceeds a first speed threshold; and Detect whether the difference between the drive torques flowing to the drive wheels of the vehicle exceeds a first torque threshold.

3. The vehicle control method according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the vehicle includes a left drive wheel and a right drive wheel located at both ends of a drive axle, the step of detecting whether part of the vehicle's drive wheels has entered a road surface with a low coefficient of friction includes one or more of the following: Detect whether the difference between the rotational speed of the left drive wheel and the rotational speed of the right drive wheel exceeds the first rotational speed threshold; and The difference between the driving torque flowing to the left drive wheel and the driving torque flowing to the right drive wheel is detected to see if it exceeds the first torque threshold.

4. The vehicle control method according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the vehicle includes a first left-side drive wheel and a first right-side drive wheel located at both ends of a first drive axle, and a second left-side drive wheel and a second right-side drive wheel located at both ends of a second drive axle, the step of detecting whether some of the vehicle's drive wheels have entered a road surface with a low coefficient of friction includes one or more of the following: Detect whether the difference between the rotational speed of the first left drive wheel and the rotational speed of the first right drive wheel exceeds the first rotational speed threshold. Detect whether the difference between the rotational speed of the second left drive wheel and the rotational speed of the second right drive wheel exceeds the first rotational speed threshold; Detect whether the difference between the driving torque flowing to the first left drive wheel and the driving torque flowing to the first right drive wheel exceeds the first torque threshold. as well as The difference between the driving torque flowing to the second left drive wheel and the driving torque flowing to the second right drive wheel is detected to see if it exceeds the first torque threshold.

5. The vehicle control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the vehicle includes a first left-side drive wheel and a first right-side drive wheel located at both ends of a first drive axle, and a second left-side drive wheel and a second right-side drive wheel located at both ends of a second drive axle, the step of detecting whether some of the vehicle's drive wheels have entered a road surface with a low coefficient of friction includes one or more of the following: Detect whether the standard deviation among the rotational speeds of the first left drive wheel, the first right drive wheel, the second left drive wheel, and the second right drive wheel exceeds a second rotational speed threshold; and The standard deviation between the drive torques flowing to the first left drive wheel, the first right drive wheel, the second left drive wheel, and the second right drive wheel is detected to see if it exceeds a second torque threshold.

6. The vehicle control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the vehicle includes a left drive wheel and a right drive wheel located at both ends of a drive shaft, the step of identifying the portion of the drive wheel that has entered a road surface with a low coefficient of friction includes: identifying the drive wheel with a higher rotational speed or higher torque among the left drive wheel and the right drive wheel as the drive wheel that has entered a road surface with a low coefficient of friction.

7. The vehicle control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the vehicle includes a first left-side drive wheel and a first right-side drive wheel located at both ends of a first drive shaft, and a second left-side drive wheel and a second right-side drive wheel located at both ends of a second drive shaft, the step of identifying the portion of the drive wheels that have entered the road surface with a low coefficient of friction includes: sorting the rotational speed or torque of the first left-side drive wheel, the first right-side drive wheel, the second left-side drive wheel, and the second right-side drive wheel by magnitude, and identifying one, two, or three drive wheels with a larger rotational speed or torque as drive wheels that have entered the road surface with a low coefficient of friction.

8. The vehicle control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of applying braking force to the identified portion of the drive wheel includes: first applying a small braking force to the identified portion of the drive wheel, and then gradually increasing the braking force until the vehicle leaves the road surface with a low coefficient of friction.

9. The vehicle control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vehicle control method further includes: Before identifying the portion of the drive wheel that has entered a surface with a low coefficient of friction, reduce the drive torque output to the drive wheels of the vehicle; and After applying braking force to the identified partial drive wheel, the drive torque output to the drive wheel of the vehicle is increased.

10. A computer program product, the computer program product comprising a computer program, the computer program comprising instructions, characterized in that, When the instruction is executed by the processor, the method according to any one of claims 1-9 is performed.

11. A vehicle, the vehicle including a transmission control unit and a braking system communicatively connected, characterized in that, The transmission control unit and the braking system are configured to work together to perform the following method steps: The transmission control unit controls the vehicle's motor to output drive torque to the vehicle's drive wheels; The braking system measures the speed or torque data of the vehicle's drive wheels and transmits the measured speed or torque data to the transmission control unit. The transmission control unit detects whether some of the vehicle's drive wheels have entered a surface with a low coefficient of friction based on the speed or torque data. If some of the vehicle's drive wheels enter a surface with a low coefficient of friction, the transmission control unit identifies the drive wheels that have entered the surface with a low coefficient of friction, generates a control signal, and sends the control signal to the braking system; and The braking system applies braking force to the identified portion of the drive wheel.

12. The vehicle according to claim 11, characterized in that, The transmission control unit is also configured to: Before identifying the portion of the drive wheel that has entered a surface with a low coefficient of friction, the motor is controlled to reduce the drive torque output to the drive wheels of the vehicle; and After applying braking force to the identified drive wheels, the motor is controlled to increase the drive torque output to the drive wheels of the vehicle.

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