Heavy Vehicle Uphill Control With Mode-Switched Actuator Optimization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle control systems struggle to provide effective driver assistance in uphill conditions, particularly in managing abrupt changes in vehicle dynamics and optimizing actuator control across a wide range of vehicle speeds, often leading to potential loss of control and safety hazards.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle control method utilizing a control effectiveness matrix with different values in uphill and regular drive modes, combined with a weighting matrix that adjusts brake force distribution based on driver input, to optimize actuator control and enhance safety and energy efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a single control effectiveness matrix is used for all driving conditions, then the control system is simple, but the vehicle cannot provide optimal driver assistance in uphill conditions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriver assistance effectivenessVSAvoidcontrol system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The control effectiveness matrix is made dynamic by switching between different matrices based on driving conditions (uphill vs. regular mode). The system determines whether uphill drive mode should be activated based on vehicle speed and accelerator pedal position, then selects the appropriate control effectiveness matrix accordingly. This allows the control system to adapt to different driving conditions and provide optimal driver assistance while maintaining manageable complexity through conditional switching.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Stability of the object's composition

If brake force is applied early to prevent backward rolling, then vehicle stability is improved, but the driver may experience sudden loss of control during pedal transitions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevehicle stabilityVSAvoiddriver control
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by determining whether uphill drive mode should be activated before actual braking occurs. By evaluating vehicle speed and accelerator pedal position in advance, the system can prepare the appropriate control effectiveness matrix and brake force distribution strategy, ensuring stable vehicle dynamics while avoiding sudden control changes that would affect driver operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If the control effectiveness matrix elements have opposite signs in uphill vs. regular mode, then the system adapts to vehicle dynamics changes, but the control model becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevehicle dynamics adaptationVSAvoidcontrol model complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The control effectiveness matrix elements are configured with opposite signs specifically for uphill drive mode compared to regular mode, creating local quality differences that adapt to the changed vehicle dynamics. This allows the control model to account for the reversed relationship between brake force and vehicle motion when moving uphill versus moving in regular conditions, providing accurate adaptation while maintaining a relatively simple switching mechanism.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4540108B1Method and system for controlling a heavy commercial vehicle in uphill conditions
Publication Date: 2026.01.14 VOLVO TRUCK CORP
  • EP4540108B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4540108B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4540108B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A method (200) of controlling a vehicle with a plurality of motion actuators (121, 122, 123) comprises: determining (202) a longitudinal inclination (n) and speed (v x ) of the vehicle; selecting (204) an uphill drive mode if the longitudinal inclination is greater than an inclination threshold (α > α0) and the absolute speed is less than a speed threshold (|vx| < vx0), and otherwise selecting (206) a regular drive mode; obtaining (208) motion requests; in accordance with the selected drive mode, providing (210) a solution to an optimization problem related to optimal control of the motion actuators in accordance with the obtained motion requests; and controlling (212) the motion actuators in accordance with the solution to the optimization problem. The optimization problem is dependent on a control effectiveness matrix which is defined differently in the uphill drive mode and the regular drive mode.