A method for operating a speed control system of a vehicle is provided. The method comprises detecting an occurrence of a slip event, of a step encounter event, or of both events at a leading wheel of the vehicle. The method also comprises predicting that the occurrence of the detected event(s) will occur at a following wheel of the vehicle. The method yet further comprises automatically controlling vehicle speed, vehicle acceleration, or both vehicle speed and acceleration in response to the detection, the prediction, or both the detection and prediction. A speed control system comprising an electronic control unit (ECU) configured to perform the above-described methodology is also provided.

Model-based predictive control (MPC) of a motor vehicle involves an MPC algorithm, which comprises a high level solver module to calculate a high level longitudinal trajectory for an upcoming route segment, according to which the motor vehicle is to travel within a route-based high level prediction horizon. The high level longitudinal trajectory is sent to a tracker solver module in the MPC algorithm as an input value, which calculates a tracker longitudinal trajectory on the basis of the high level longitudinal trajectory, according to which the motor vehicle is to travel within the time-based tracker prediction horizon, wherein the tracker prediction horizon is shorter than the high level prediction horizon, such that the tracker prediction horizon only covers a portion of the high level prediction horizon.

A method for calculating a regenerative braking amount of a hybrid electric vehicle includes calculating a first possible available charging power of a motor when regenerative braking of the hybrid electric vehicle is required; calculating a second possible charging power of the motor by using the first possible charging power of the motor; converting the second possible charging power of the motor to a torque of a wheel axle; calculating an available amount of regenerative braking by reflecting a coasting torque on the torque of the wheel axle; generating a motor torque command based on the available amount of regenerative braking; and calculating a final regenerative braking amount by monitoring a real motor torque according to the motor torque command and correcting an error.

A travel control system for a vehicle provided with a drive source, a wheel having a wheel body connected to the drive source via a power transmission member and a tire mounted on the wheel body, and a braking device for braking the wheel includes: an estimation unit configured to estimate a tire torsional stiffness and a road surface friction coefficient based on at least the rotation speed of the drive source, the rotation speed of the wheel body, the vehicle body speed, and the torque applied to the wheel body; and a control unit configured to control at least one of the drive source and the braking device such that the tire does not exceed an adhesion limit derived from the tire torsional stiffness and the road surface friction coefficient.

A system and a method of controlling a power steering system of a vehicle are provided. A control system includes a control module operable to receive sensor data and control the power steering system. The control module is configured to determine whether the vehicle is operating in a low surface friction condition based on a handwheel angle and one of a handwheel torque and a pinion torque. The control module generates a control signal based on the determination and sends the control signal to the power steering system.

A motor vehicle controller comprising data processing apparatus, the data processing apparatus configured to carry out the steps of: receiving a surface friction signal indicative of a coefficient of friction between a road wheel and a driving surface; receiving an accelerator position signal indicative of a position of an accelerator control with respect to an allowable range of positions; determining a powertrain torque limit value corresponding to an amount of powertrain torque at which slip of a driving wheel is expected to exceed a predetermined amount, the powertrain torque limit value being determined at least in part in dependence on the surface friction signal; and determining and outputting a powertrain torque demand signal corresponding to an instant amount of torque to be developed by a powertrain, the powertrain torque demand signal being determined in dependence at least in part on the accelerator position signal according to a predetermined relationship.

Systems and methods for determining a maximum phase recovery envelope are disclosed herein. In one example, a system includes a processor and a memory having a vehicle control module. The vehicle control module includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine a critical point on a phase plane indicating a maximum defined recovery point a vehicle can recover from, perform forward and reverse simulations from the critical point to define outermost contours of a maximum phase recovery envelope using parameters and state of the vehicle, and cause the vehicle to operate within the maximum phase recovery envelope.

A computer system comprising processing circuitry configured to handle a motion of a vehicle combination is provided. The vehicle combination comprises a towing vehicle unit and a set of towed vehicle units. The processing circuitry is configured to detect that a reverse gear is a selected or current gear of the towing vehicle unit. The processing circuitry is configured to, in response to detecting that the reverse gear is the selected or current gear of the towing vehicle unit, trigger at least one self-propelled towed vehicle unit out of the set of towed vehicle units to apply a negative torque to wheels of the at least one self-propelled towed vehicle unit, thereby causing the at least one self-propelled towed vehicle unit to travel in a reverse travel direction.

The invention relates to a control unit for controlling torque applied to a vehicle wheel provided with a tyre, wherein the control unit comprises or is operatively connected to a data storage, which data storage has a stored tyre model for the tyre, wherein, in the tyre model, longitudinal tyre force is represented as at least a function of longitudinal wheel slip, longitudinal wheel slip being dependent on rotational speed of the wheel and velocity of the vehicle. The control unit is configured to correct said function based on a tyre parameter input and to convert a wheel torque request to a wheel rotational speed request based on the corrected function, and to send the wheel rotational speed request to an actuator for providing a rotational speed of the wheel corresponding to said wheel rotational speed request. The invention also relates to a method and to a kit.

Systems and processes described herein can use drive line actuators (DLAs) which can be implemented for one or more individual wheels of an electric vehicle (EV) permitting connection and disconnection of at least a portion of the axle and wheel from the electric motor suppling torque. A disconnected wheel and axle can experience less friction, and have less rotational mass then a wheel and axle that is connected to an electric motor, therefore the disconnecting wheels in which torque is not desired can result in increased efficiency and range in an EV.