Patent · US Expired

Vehicle control apparatus and method therefor

US5369581A · kind A · utility

56Cited by
12References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 1, 1993
Grant dateNov 29, 1994
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 1, 2013

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB60W2556/50
  • WIPO fieldTransport
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A vehicle control apparatus and method therefor has a number of controllers (50, 63, 56) interconnected with one another by a data highway (10), the engine controllers being formed for example by a CPU. The engine controllers are each connected to a sensor for sensing a vehicle parameter and the controllers are also connected to a respective actuator (53, 58) for varying the associated vehicle parameter. The apparatus is arranged so that the controllers operate in cooperation with one another so that two or more controllers cooperate to control the same object or purpose. As an example (shown in FIG. 20) an engine controller (50) provides torque data to a transmission controller (63) which in turn provides data to a throttle controller (56), whereby a gear shift is effected by the transmission controller (63) in synchronism with the throttle controller (56) changing the position of a throttle actuator so that a jerk-free gear shift is effected. In another embodiment (shown in FIG. 33) an engine controller (50) cooperates with a throttle controller (56) and a suspension controller (64) whereby data from the engine controller determining whether the vehicle is accelerating or braking…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.