US 12,005,902 B2
System and method for situationally optimized turning assistance
Brendan Diamond, Grosse Pointe, MI (US); Keith Weston, Canton, MI (US); Matthew Johnson, Toledo, OH (US); and Andrew Monticello, Farmington Hills, MI (US)
Assigned to Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed by Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed on Apr. 9, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/226,258.
Prior Publication US 2022/0324452 A1, Oct. 13, 2022
Int. Cl. B60W 30/18 (2012.01); B60L 15/20 (2006.01); B60W 10/119 (2012.01)
CPC B60W 30/18145 (2013.01) [B60L 15/20 (2013.01); B60W 10/119 (2013.01); B60W 2420/403 (2013.01); B60W 2540/18 (2013.01); B60W 2540/215 (2020.02); B60W 2552/40 (2020.02); B60W 2720/26 (2013.01); B60W 2720/30 (2013.01); B60W 2720/403 (2013.01); B60W 2720/406 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle control system comprising:
electric motors associated with front and rear wheels of the vehicle;
a plurality of vehicle sensors to receive information including driving surface type, vehicle speed and handwheel position;
a controller operably coupled to the electric motors and the sensors to control wheel slip during a turn based on the driving surface type, the vehicle speed and the handwheel position; and
a torque control module operably coupled to the controller and to front wheels of the vehicle and rear wheels of the vehicle,
wherein the vehicle control system further comprises a plurality of operator selectable modes of operation that each define respective different functions,
wherein the torque control module applies different torque values during the turn responsive to operator selection of a corresponding one of the modes of operation and detection of a trigger event, and
wherein the trigger event comprises detecting that a limit of rotation of a handwheel is reached when a current steering wheel angle of the handwheel is equal to a maximum steering wheel angle, and responsive to the detecting the limit of rotation of the handwheel is reached, measuring additional torque placed on the handwheel to apply the different torque values based on the additional torque measured.