A method for controlling propulsion of a heavy-duty vehicle includes. configuring a nominal shaft slip of the drive shaft in dependence of a desired longitudinal wheel force to be generated by the driven axle, wherein a shaft slip is indicative of a difference between a current vehicle velocity and a vehicle velocity corresponding to the rotation speed of the drive shaft, obtaining a rotation speed of the left wheel and a rotation speed of the right wheel, as function of a current shaft slip of the driven axle, estimating a peak shaft slip value associated with an open differential peak longitudinal force of the driven axle, based on the current shaft slip and on the corresponding obtained speeds of the left and right wheels, and controlling propulsion of the heavy-duty vehicle unit by setting the current shaft slip of the drive shaft based on the configured nominal shaft slip adjusted in dependence of the estimated peak shaft slip value.

A control apparatus for a vehicle includes an addition portion that outputs a post-compensation driver request torque, which is acquired by adding a driving torque (a loss compensation driving torque) lost due to a braking torque provided to a wheel on a low-μ road surface side according to a BLSD request hydraulic pressure calculated by a BLSD request hydraulic pressure calculation processing portion to a driver request torque calculated by a driver request torque calculation processing portion, to a motor.

In the present invention, when a road surface condition is determined based on information acquired by a camera installed in a vehicle, a route of a host vehicle is predicted and the is determined. A road surface condition determination method and device determines a road surface condition of a predicted route based on information acquired by a camera installed in a host vehicle. A controller predicts a route of the host vehicle by determining a road surface friction coefficient of the predicted route based on information acquired by the camera. The determining of the road surface friction coefficient of the predicted route includes: dividing an ahead-of-vehicle image acquired by the camera in a left-right direction and determining a road surface condition for each of the determination areas, and determining the road surface friction coefficient in the determination areas through which the predicted route will pass.

A method for controlling a powertrain system of a heavy-duty vehicle, the powertrain system having at least one differential arrangement for receiving torque from a propulsion unit of the powertrain system and delivering at least a part of the torque to a set of first and second wheels, the method being implemented by a control unit, the method comprising determining a split-friction condition indicative of a wheel slip difference between the first and second wheels, wherein one of the first and second wheels defines a high-friction side of the differential arrangement and the other one of the first and second wheels defines a low-friction side of the differential arrangement; determining a target wheel slip for the high-friction side; and in response to the determined split-friction condition; controlling a brake force on the low-friction side of the differential arrangement based on the target wheel slip on the high-friction side.

A wheel slip control method for a vehicle is provided, and includes estimating equivalent inertia information of a driving system based on operation information of the driving system while a vehicle travels, determining whether the slip of a drive wheel occurs from the estimated equivalent inertia information of the driving system, determining whether the drive wheel is in an uneven wheel slip state where the slip occurs only in one of a left wheel and a right wheel of the drive wheel from a left wheel speed and a right wheel speed detected by a sensor, if it is determined that the slip of the drive wheel occurs, and controlling an operation of a braking device such that a braking force is applied to the vehicle wheel in which the slip occurs, if it is determined that the vehicle wheel is in the uneven wheel slip state.

A stability control system of a vehicle utilizing an electronic control unit that minimizes rollback of a vehicle as a result of wheel slip immediately following a hill start assist operation. The electronic braking control module controls actuation and de-actuation of vehicle brakes on an inclined surface. Immediately following a hill start assist operation on the inclined surface after each wheel brake is de-actuated for allowing forward movement of the vehicle up the hill, a split-mu road surface condition is detected in response to sensing wheel slip for each of the wheels. The electronic control unit determines a respective undriven, or non-dominant driven, wheel having the highest coefficient of friction among the undriven, or less dominant driven wheels, as determined by the wheel speeds. The electronic braking control module actuates the vehicle brake of the undriven, or less dominant, driven wheels having the highest coefficient of friction relative to a tire/road surface interface for reducing rollback of the vehicle. The braking of the undriven, or less dominant, driven wheel is in addition to any standard stability control braking that may already be occurring.

In the present invention, when a road surface condition is determined based on information acquired by a camera installed in a vehicle, a route of a host vehicle is predicted and the is determined. A road surface condition determination method and device determines a road surface condition of a predicted route based on information acquired by a camera installed in a host vehicle. A controller predicts a route of the host vehicle by determining a road surface friction coefficient of the predicted route based on information acquired by the camera. The determining of the road surface friction coefficient of the predicted route includes: dividing an ahead-of-vehicle image acquired by the camera in a left-right direction and determining a road surface condition for each of the determination areas, and determining the road surface friction coefficient in the determination areas through which the predicted route will pass.

A method is described for determining a friction estimate between a road surface and a tire of a vehicle, the tire being arranged on a steerable wheel of the vehicle, and the vehicle having an axle rack pivotably attached to a linkage arm connected to the steerable wheel such that a translational motion of the axle rack causes the linkage arm to rotate about a kingpin element such that the linkage arm causes a turning motion of the steerable wheel. The method includes acquiring a plurality of rack force values; acquiring a plurality of lateral wheel force values; mapping a relation between the plurality of rack force values and the lateral wheel force values to a model; and determining the lateral friction estimate based on the mapping.

A method is described for computing a friction estimate between a road surface and a tire of a vehicle when the vehicle is in motion along a course, the tire being arranged on a steerable wheel of the vehicle, and the vehicle including two front wheels and two rear wheels and an axle rack pivotably attached to a linkage arm connected to the steerable wheel such that a translational motion of the axle rack causes the linkage arm to rotate about a kingpin element such that the linkage arm causes a turning motion of the steerable wheel. A corresponding system and vehicle are also described.

A control apparatus for a vehicle includes an addition portion that outputs a post-compensation driver request torque, which is acquired by adding a driving torque (a loss compensation driving torque) lost due to a braking torque provided to a wheel on a low- road surface side according to a BLSD request hydraulic pressure calculated by a BLSD request hydraulic pressure calculation processing portion to a driver request torque calculated by a driver request torque calculation processing portion, to a motor.