Method and device for anticipatory all-wheel and four-wheel drive activation

Abstract

Method for predicting and activating AWD on a route, where a process - Receives weather data (401) and uses this data to determine whether AWD and / or 4WD should be automatically activated or deactivated, and at the - any areas on the route corresponding to gravel, dirt or otherwise unpaved roads are considered first (403), with a flag being set (405) for each of these areas, and - wherein a predetermined distance or time before reaching these areas the process activates AWD, wherein the process also checks whether any weather warnings indicating possible upcoming weather over regions of the route exist for the time the vehicle is predicted to travel (407), wherein the process sets a flag for AWD or 4WD for these areas (409) if there are any weather warnings for any regions of the route, and wherein if and when the vehicle encounters an area with a flag set (411), the process checks whether a timestamp is associated with the area (413), and if there is no timestamp, activates AWD (417) shortly before the vehicle enters the area with a flag set, or wherein alternatively, a point on the route is set at which AWD is to be activated and another point at which AWD is to be deactivated.

Description

TECHNICAL AREA

[0001] The exemplary embodiments generally relate to a method and a device for the anticipatory activation of all-wheel and four-wheel drive. STATE OF THE ART

[0002] Vehicle buyers often purchase all-wheel drive (AWD) and four-wheel drive (4WD) vehicles for better maneuverability in slippery road conditions, but the additional mechanical couplings involved when these drive mechanisms are engaged increase fuel consumption. Although systems exist to activate and deactivate AWD and 4WD, these systems require action from the vehicle occupants. Since people are forgetful, this can result in AWD remaining engaged, increasing fuel consumption, or 4WD remaining engaged, which is undesirable at high speeds. Conversely, a driver might forget to activate AWD or 4WD until experiencing a loss of vehicle control.

[0003] The document DE 10 2012 204 849 A1 relates to a method for controlling a hybrid drive of a hybrid-electric motor vehicle which has an electrical energy storage device, the method comprising defining criteria for switching on the electric drive and / or the internal combustion engine on the basis of an adjustable driving mode, wherein a portion of the battery capacity of the electrical energy storage device is reserved by means of a changeable setting, and wherein the method comprises controlling the switching on of the electric drive and / or the internal combustion engine of the hybrid-electric motor vehicle by means of the defined criteria and by means of the changeable setting.

[0004] The document DE 10 2012 020 906 A1 relates to a method and a system for operating a drive train of a motor vehicle, wherein the method comprises the steps of: detecting at least one quantity that quantifies and / or influences a movement of the motor vehicle and engaging an all-wheel drive of the motor vehicle depending on the quantity, and wherein, based on the at least one quantity, it is estimated whether a relevant driving situation is imminent, and in this case, the all-wheel drive is engaged before the relevant situation occurs.

[0005] The publication DE 10 2012 007 636 A1 relates to an agricultural harvesting machine, with at least one drive axle equipped with tires and at least one further axle equipped with tires, which can be used as a towed axle or driven axle by means of a switchable all-wheel drive, as well as a tire pressure control system, which includes means for changing the tire pressure and a control unit, wherein at least the further axle is equipped with tires whose tire pressure assumes a higher value when the all-wheel drive is switched on than when the all-wheel drive is switched off.

[0006] German patent application DE 10 2013 205 080 A1 relates to a drive train for a motor vehicle, comprising a main engine which drives the wheels of a drive axle of the motor vehicle via a main gearbox, and an auxiliary engine which is connected to the gearbox output shaft via an auxiliary gearbox to propel the motor vehicle at low speeds. The auxiliary engine is preferably an electric motor and is arranged coaxially with the gearbox output shaft.

[0007] German patent application DE 10 2010 002 779 A1 discloses a system for controlling a motor vehicle and a method for improving vehicle performance on an incline to prevent wheel slippage by preemptively diverting torque from a first to a second wheel before the first wheel slips. Based on static and dynamic weight distribution, taking into account acceleration, gravity, and incline, the control system determines the maximum torque that can be transmitted to the first wheel before it slips.

[0008] German patent application DE 10 2014 213 663 A1 discloses a traction control system for four-wheel / all-wheel drive vehicles with an on-board camera for switching a vehicle into 4WD / AWD mode before wheel slip occurs. For this purpose, an on-board camera system detects various operating conditions of the vehicle and its auxiliary components, as well as environmental conditions, weather data, or road conditions, and uses this information to control the vehicle's drivetrain. SUMMARY

[0009] Based on this prior art, a method with the features of independent claim 1 is created. An advantageous embodiment can be found in the dependent claim.

[0010] In an exemplary embodiment not covered by the invention, a system comprises a processor designed to automatically activate all-wheel drive (AWD) when a vehicle reaches areas on a route that have been previously identified as slippery in a memory in communication with the processor based on the existence of unpaved roads or precipitation in these areas. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. Figure 1 represents an illustrative vehicle data processing system; Fig. Figure 2 shows an illustrative example of a process for automatically and / or anticipatorily activating all-wheel drive (AWD); Fig. Figure 3 shows an illustrative example of a process for the automatic and / or anticipatory activation of four-wheel drive (4WD); and Fig. Figure 4 shows an illustrative example of predicting and activating AWD on a route. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] Fig. Figure 1 illustrates an exemplary block topology for a vehicle-based data processing system (VCS) 1 for a vehicle 31. An example of such a vehicle-based data processing system 1 is the SYNC system manufactured by THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY. A vehicle equipped with a vehicle-based data processing system may include an in-vehicle visual front-end interface 4. The user may also be able to interact with the interface if, for example, it is equipped with a touch-sensitive screen. In another exemplary embodiment, interaction is achieved through button presses, a voice dialogue system with automatic speech recognition, and speech synthesis.

[0012] At the in Fig. In the exemplary embodiment shown in Figure 1, a processor 3 controls at least part of the operation of the vehicle-based data processing system. The processor is located in the vehicle and allows for in-vehicle processing of instructions and routines. Furthermore, the processor is connected to both non-persistent memory 5 and persistent memory 7. In this exemplary embodiment, the non-persistent memory is random-access memory (RAM), and the persistent memory is a hard disk drive (HDD) or flash memory. In general, persistent (non-volatile) memory can include any form of storage that retains data when a computer or other device is switched off. This includes, but is not limited to, HDDs, CDs, DVDs, magnetic tapes, solid-state drives, portable USB drives, and any other suitable form of persistent storage.

[0013] The processor is also equipped with a number of different inputs that allow the user to communicate with it. In this illustrative embodiment, a microphone 29, an auxiliary input 25 (for input 33), a USB input 23, a GPS input 24, a screen 4 (which can be a touchscreen), and a BLUETOOTH input 15 are provided. An input selector 51 is also provided to allow the user to choose between different inputs. Inputs to both the microphone and the auxiliary input are converted from analog to digital by a converter 27 before being routed to the processor. Although not shown, many of the vehicle components and accessories connected to the VCS can use a vehicle network (such as a CAN bus, among others) to transmit data to and from the VCS (or components thereof).

[0014] Outputs to the system can include, among other things, a visual display 4 and a speaker 13 or a stereo system output. The speaker is connected to an amplifier 11 and receives a signal from the processor 3 via a digital-to-analog converter 9. Outputs can also be made to a remote BLUETOOTH device, such as a PND 54, or a USB device, such as the vehicle navigation device 60, along the bidirectional data streams shown at 19 and 21, respectively.

[0015] In an illustrative embodiment, the system 1 uses the BLUETOOTH transceiver 15 to communicate with a user's nomadic device 53 (e.g., a mobile phone, smartphone, PDA, or any other device that has wireless connectivity to remote networks). The nomadic device can then be used to communicate 59 with a network 61 outside the vehicle 31, for example, by communicating 55 with a cell tower 57. In some embodiments, the tower 57 can be a WiFi access point.

[0016] Example communication between the nomadic device and the BLUETOOTH transceiver is represented by signal 14.

[0017] Pairing a nomadic device 53 and the BLUETOOTH transceiver 15 can be initiated by pressing a key 52 or a similar input. Accordingly, the CPU is instructed to pair the vehicle's in-vehicle BLUETOOTH transceiver with a BLUETOOTH transceiver in a nomadic device.

[0018] Data can be communicated between the CPU 3 and the network 61, for example, using a data plan, data-over-voice, or DTMF tones associated with the nomadic device 53. Alternatively, it may be desirable to include an in-vehicle modem 63 with antenna 18 to transmit data between the CPU 3 and the network 61 over the voice band 16. The nomadic device 53 can then be used to communicate with a network 61 outside the vehicle 31 59, for example, by communicating 55 with a mobile phone mast 57. In some embodiments, the modem 63 can establish communication 20 with the mast 57 for communication with the network 61. As a non-restrictive example, the modem 63 can be a USB cellular modem, and the communication 20 can be cellular communication.

[0019] In one illustrative embodiment, the processor is equipped with an operating system that includes an API (Application Programming Interface) for communicating with modem application software. The modem application software can access an embedded module or firmware on the Bluetooth transceiver to complete wireless communication with a remote Bluetooth transceiver (such as one found in a mobile device). Bluetooth is a subset of the IEEE 802 PAN (Personal Area Network) protocols. IEEE 802 LAN (Local Area Network) protocols include Wi-Fi and share considerable functionality with IEEE 802 PAN. Both are suitable for wireless communication within a vehicle. Other communication methods that can be used in this area include free-space optical communication (such as IrDA) and non-standard consumer IR protocols.

[0020] In another embodiment, the nomadic device 53 includes a modem for voice-band or broadband data communication. In the data-over-voice embodiment, a method known as frequency-division multiplexing (FDM) may be implemented when the owner of the nomadic device can speak over the device while data is being transmitted. At other times, when the owner is not using the device, the data transfer can use the entire bandwidth (in one example, 300 Hz to 3.4 kHz). Although FDM may be common for analog cellular communication between the vehicle and the internet and is still used, it has been largely replaced by hybrid forms of CDMA (code-domain multiple access), TDMA (time-domain multiple access), and SDMA (space-domain multiple access) for digital cellular communication.These are all ITU IMT-2000 (3G) compliant standards and offer data rates of up to 2 Mbps for stationary or walking users and 385 kbps for users in a moving vehicle. 3G standards are now being replaced by IMT-Advanced (4G), which offers 100 Mbps for users in a vehicle and 1 Gbps for stationary users. If the user has a data plan associated with the nomadic device, it is possible that the data plan allows broadband transmission and that the system could use a much greater bandwidth (which speeds up data transmission). In yet another embodiment, the nomadic device 53 is replaced by a (not shown) cellular communication device installed in the vehicle 31. In yet another embodiment, the NE 53 can be a wireless local area network (WLAN) device, for example (and without limitation) via an 802.11g network (i.e.,WiFi) or a WiMax network can communicate.

[0021] In one embodiment, incoming data can be routed through the nomadic device via Data-over-Voice or data plan, through the vehicle's internal BLUETOOTH transceiver, and into the vehicle's internal processor 3. In the case of certain temporary data, the data can be stored, for example, on the HDD or another storage medium 7 until the data is no longer needed.

[0022] Additional sources that can be connected to the vehicle include a personal navigation device 54, which may have, for example, a USB connection 56 and / or an antenna 58; a vehicle navigation device 60 with a USB 62 or other connection; an in-vehicle GPS device 24; or a remote navigation system (not shown) that has connectivity to the network 61. USB is one of a class of serial networking protocols. IEEE 1394 (FireWire™ (Apple), i.LINK™ (Sony), and Lynx™ (Texas Instruments)), EIA (Electronics Industry Association) serial protocols, IEEE 1284 (Centronics Port), S / PDIF (Sony / Philips Digital Interconnect Format), and USB-IF (USB Implementers Forum) form the backbone of standards for device-to-device serial communication. Most of these protocols can be implemented for either electrical or optical communication.

[0023] Furthermore, the CPU could communicate with a variety of other auxiliary devices 65. These devices could be connected via a wireless 67 or wired 69 connection. The auxiliary device 65 could include, among other things, personal media players, wireless health devices, portable computers, and the like.

[0024] Alternatively, or in addition, the CPU could be connected to a vehicle-based wireless router 73, for example, using a WiFi transceiver (IEEE 803.11) 71. This could allow the CPU to connect to remote networks within range of the local router 73.

[0025] In addition to the exemplary processes being executed by a vehicle data processing system located in a vehicle, in certain embodiments the exemplary processes can be executed by a data processing system that communicates with a vehicle data processing system. Such a system would be, among other things, a wireless device (e.g., a mobile phone) or a remote data processing system (e.g., a server) connected via the wireless device. Collectively, such systems can be referred to as a vehicle-associated data processing system (VACS). In certain embodiments, depending on the specific implementation of the system, certain components of the VACS can perform specific parts of a process.As an example, and not a limitation, if a process involves a step of sending or receiving information with a paired wireless device, it is likely that the wireless device will not perform this part of the process, since the wireless device would not "send and receive" information with itself. An average professional knows when it is inappropriate to apply a particular data processing system to a given solution.

[0026] Each of the illustrative embodiments discussed herein presents an exemplary, non-limiting example of a process that can be performed by a data processing system. With respect to each process, the data processing system performing the process can be configured, for the limited purpose of executing the process, as a special-purpose processor. Not all processes need to be performed in their entirety and are to be understood as examples of types of processes that can be performed to achieve elements of the invention. Additional steps can be added to or removed from the exemplary processes as desired.

[0027] Many vehicles are equipped with various traction control operating modes that dictate how much power is delivered by the all-wheel drive. The exemplary embodiments propose methods and devices for selectively activating and deactivating these operating modes. Although all-wheel drive is typically "always on" in some sense, it may also be possible to design a vehicle in which the all-wheel drive itself can be deactivated, if necessary, to improve fuel economy.

[0028] Since users may forget to engage AWD or 4WD until it is too late, or forget to disengage these systems when they are no longer needed, the exemplary embodiments propose examples of methods and systems for automatically activating these systems when required (or anticipating them shortly before they are needed). A telematics system receives GPS (Global Positioning System) data and compares it with both existing road maps and real-time or near-real-time precipitation data from a weather service. The first comparison checks what type of road the vehicle is traveling on (paved, unpaved, or, with higher-resolution maps, concrete, rocks, gravel, dirt, asphalt, etc.). If the check fails (in this case, for example,If the vehicle is on an unpaved road, the powertrain control module (PCM) commands the activation of AWD to assist with driving on the unpaved road. If the check indicates that the vehicle has returned to a paved road, AWD is automatically deactivated (assuming that the subsequent check does not result in further activation).

[0029] The second check identifies whether the vehicle is entering a section of road that is experiencing or has recently experienced precipitation. If the road is likely to be wet or slippery (based on precipitation data), the power transmission control module reactivates AWD until the vehicle moves out of the slippery area. If the vehicle is kept below a certain speed threshold, 4WD may be activated instead of AWD.

[0030] The second check can be run under a variety of conditions. For example, the system can continuously scan the streets around a vehicle's position, examining a few blocks in any direction. This can be useful when no route is entered, allowing the system to be activated to assist with driving, regardless of the vehicle's direction of travel, especially if the vehicle is heading towards a street where navigation might be difficult.

[0031] In another example, the system can begin scanning roads when it receives a weather alert (specifying snow, sleet, hail, rain, icy conditions, etc.). This is useful for reducing the frequency of weather service pings for weather data, thereby decreasing bandwidth requirements and data transfer.

[0032] In another example, the system partially or fully analyzes an upcoming section of a route, assuming the vehicle will be traveling on the planned route. This can also be combined with any of the examples above, either by analyzing roads surrounding the route and / or by conducting the analysis when a weather warning is issued for a current area or a region along the route. This can be useful for identifying sections of the route where AWD or 4WD can assist the driver.

[0033] Fig. Figure 2 shows an illustrative example of a process for automatically and / or predictively activating all-wheel drive (AWD). With regard to the illustrative embodiments described in this figure, it is understood that a general-purpose processor can be temporarily configured as a special-purpose processor for the purpose of executing some or all of the example procedures shown. When executing code that provides instructions for performing some or all of the steps of the procedure, the processor can be temporarily reconfigured as a special-purpose processor until the procedure is completed. In another example, where appropriate, firmware acting according to a pre-configured processor can cause the processor to act as a special-purpose processor configured for the purpose of executing the procedure or any sensible variant thereof.

[0034] In this illustrative example, the process collects both vehicle GPS data, which shows the vehicle's current location (and possibly speed, direction, etc.), and route data. The GPS data can be used to compare the vehicle's location with a map database of road types to determine the type of road the vehicle is traveling on. This could be a simple determination of paved / unpaved, or a more advanced version if different road types are available (e.g., and without limitation, cobblestones, gravel, dirt, rocks, concrete, asphalt, etc.). Different speeds on different road types may require different AWD and 4WD states, so the more road data available, the better the decision the vehicle computer can make about which drive mode to activate.

[0035] If the road is unpaved 203, the process can automatically activate AWD 205. This can be paused as long as the road remains unpaved. Once the road is paved again 203, the process can continue using weather checks to determine whether AWD should be activated 207.

[0036] The current GPS location is compared with weather data, which can include weather information for a predetermined period (which could be varied based on temperature, for example). If the temperature were 95 degrees Celsius, any precipitation would likely evaporate quickly from a paved road, so it might be necessary to consider only the previous 30 minutes of weather data. However, if the temperature were 0 degrees Celsius, precipitation in the form of ice or snow could remain on the road for a long time, so several hours (or more) of previous weather data might need to be examined. Current weather data and future forecasts can also be analyzed.

[0037] If the weather data indicates that conditions may be slippery (209), AWD can be activated (211). Otherwise, the process can continue checking for unpaved roads and / or slippery conditions. If there is no unpaved road or slippery conditions, the process can deactivate AWD (213). In this way, AWD is automatically activated and deactivated as needed based on the forecast, and the driver can continue driving without having to remember to turn the system on and off (unless desired for a specific reason - if it is manually activated, the 'deactivate' step can be skipped until it is manually deactivated).

[0038] Fig. Figure 3 shows an illustrative example of a process for automatically and / or predictively activating four-wheel drive (4WD). With regard to the illustrative embodiments described in this figure, it is understood that a general-purpose processor can be temporarily configured as a special-purpose processor for the purpose of executing some or all of the procedures shown herein. When executing code that provides instructions for performing some or all of the steps of the procedure, the processor can be temporarily reconfigured as a special-purpose processor until the procedure is completed. In another example, if appropriate, firmware acting according to a pre-configured processor can cause the processor to act as a special-purpose processor configured for the purpose of executing the procedure or any sensible variant thereof.

[0039] This process demonstrates an example where 4WD drive can be activated as an alternative. In this example, 2WD was activated as a result of an environmental or operating condition 301. The process then examines the severity of the environmental conditions 303 (which may include road type, weather, and other critical factors that could be mitigated by 4WD). This process determines whether 4WD would be better than 2WD 305 for the given set of current conditions. If the conditions only require 2WD (which allows driving at significantly higher speeds), the process can continue with periodic rechecks for 4WD activation. This 4WD crossover can be run whenever 2WD is activated, and continuously or periodically during the course of 2WD activation.

[0040] If 4WD would be preferable, the vehicle must be below a certain speed to avoid damage to the drivetrain. In such a case, the system alerts the user that 4WD is preferable 309. This could be, for example, an audible alert through the speakers, a visual alert through a vehicle display or instrument panel, or some combination of both. Once the speed has dropped below the minimum threshold 311 (which may be specified as part of the alert so that the user knows to what speed the vehicle should be slowed down), the process can activate 4WD 315.

[0041] Once 4WD is activated, if at any point the vehicle speed exceeds the 4WD threshold 311, the process can revert to 2WD 313 to prevent damage to the vehicle's power transmission. At this point, and / or if the initial speed is too high, the process can further investigate the need for 4WD and activate it whenever conditions and speed make it desirable.

[0042] Fig. Figure 4 shows an illustrative example of predicting and activating AWD on a route. Regarding the illustrative embodiments described in this figure, it is understood that a general-purpose processor can be temporarily configured as a special-purpose processor for the purpose of executing some or all of the example procedures shown. When executing code that provides instructions for performing some or all of the steps of the procedure, the processor can be temporarily reconfigured as a special-purpose processor until the procedure is completed. In another example, where appropriate, firmware acting according to a pre-configured processor can cause the processor to act as a special-purpose processor configured for the purpose of executing the procedure or any sensible variant thereof.

[0043] In this demonstration, the process receives weather data 401. This data is used to determine whether AWD and / or 4WD should be automatically enabled or disabled. In this example, the process determines data for an upcoming route, which may allow AWD or 4WD to be enabled before a slippery or hazardous condition is actually encountered. Because icy or slippery conditions can cause loss of control almost immediately upon being encountered, this may even allow activation before the first encounter.

[0044] Any areas along the route corresponding to gravel, dirt, or otherwise unpaved roads are considered first (403). A flag is set for each of these areas (405), and a predetermined distance or time before reaching these areas, the AWD process can activate. This flag-setting can include setting a flag for any areas that are currently experiencing or have previously experienced a certain type of precipitation that could cause hazardous conditions. The flag could also be set for these regions so that AWD / 4WD can be activated some time before the conditions are encountered.

[0045] The process can also check if any weather warnings (indicating possible upcoming weather over regions of the route) are in place for the time the vehicle is predicted to travel (407). If any weather warnings exist for any regions of the route, the process can set a flag for those areas for AWD or 4WD considerations (409). In this example, the process can also include a timestamp in the flag. The timestamp can be useful because it may be predicted that the weather will not occur until a certain time (so that if the region is encountered before that time, AWD / 4WD may not be necessary).

[0046] If and when the vehicle encounters an area with flag 411 set, the process can check if a timestamp is associated with the area (413). If there is no timestamp, the process can activate AWD shortly before the vehicle enters the area with the flag set (for which, for example, a geofence could be set up to define a boundary around the area). Alternatively, a point on the route could be set where AWD is to be activated, and another point where AWD is to be deactivated. As in Fig. As shown in Figure 3, if 4WD is preferable to AWD, the process can recommend slowing the vehicle down at a specific point before activating 4WD. Additionally, if desired, the process could briefly recheck before activating each drive type to determine if the predicted need for 4WD is still valid.

[0047] This planning process can help identify areas requiring / desiring AWD / 4WD long before those areas are encountered. Since weather reports (and routes) change, the process could also be run intermittently or periodically. In one example, the process is restarted when a weather change forecast is issued for a region where the vehicle is traveling. In another example, the process is restarted if and when the vehicle deviates from its original route. Other examples simply run the process at predetermined intervals.

[0048] The exemplary embodiments provide systems and methods by which AWD and 4WD can be activated without explicit user instruction, allowing greater use of these features while simultaneously reducing any potential impact on fuel consumption and / or any potential damage to the power transmission resulting from the use of 4WD at excessively high speeds.

Claims

[1] Method for predicting and activating AWD on a route, in which a process - Receives weather data (401) and uses this data to determine whether AWD and / or 4WD should be automatically activated or deactivated, and at the - any areas on the route corresponding to gravel, dirt or otherwise unpaved roads are considered first (403), with a flag being set (405) for each of these areas, and - wherein a predetermined distance or time before reaching these areas the process activates AWD, wherein the process also checks whether any weather warnings indicating possible upcoming weather over regions of the route exist for the time the vehicle is predicted to travel (407), wherein the process sets a flag for AWD or 4WD for these areas (409) if there are any weather warnings for any regions of the route, and wherein if and when the vehicle encounters an area with a flag set (411), the process checks whether a timestamp is associated with the area (413), and if there is no timestamp, activates AWD (417) shortly before the vehicle enters the area with a flag set, or wherein, alternatively, a point on the route is set at which AWD is to be activated and another point at which AWD is to be deactivated. [2] Method according to claim 1, wherein the process - is run at predetermined intervals, or - when a weather change forecast is issued for a region where the vehicle is traveling, is restarted, or - if and when the vehicle is driven off its original route and restarted.

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