WO2009090459A1

WO2009090459A1 - Management device of the performance of a motor vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2009090459A1
Application number: PCT/IB2008/003286
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gentile Verri
Original assignee: Gentile Verri
Priority date: 2007-12-21
Filing date: 2008-12-01
Publication date: 2009-07-23
Also published as: DE212008000095U1; ITBO20070838A1

Abstract

A management device (1) of the performance of a motor vehicle (2) comprising performance measuring means (3-11), such as at least one vehicle speed sensor (3), engine control means (12-15, 33), such as an engine control unit (13) where the engine control means (12-15, 33) are connected to and actuated in response to the performance measuring means (3-11), driver category recognition and identification means (18) comprising at least one element (19) designed to make the recognition and identification completely automatic so that no intervention is required on the part of the driver.

Description

Management device of the performance of a motor vehicle

Technical field

The present invention relates to a device for managing the performance of a motor vehicle as a function of the skill and experience of the driver.

3n the description which follows reference is made to motor vehicles in general, it being understood that the present invention can be applied to any type of land vehicle driven by an engine and in particular can be applied to automobiles, motorcycles, quad bikes, three-wheelers and other motor vehicles.

Background Art

Statistically, the inexperience of a driver in relation to the performance of a vehicle is one of the most frequent causes of road accidents, Ih fact, a large number of traffic accidents are caused by drivers between the ages of IS and 25, i.e. drivers who have just obtained their licenses or who have little experience of driving. The numerous causes for these road accidents inchidef cultural factors; the psychological and physical condition of the driver; weather conditions; road surface conditions; poor visibility; darkness; speed and general vehicle performance. As regards speed and vehicle performance, road traffic regulations in many countries have rules limiting the use of high-performance vehicles by newly licensed or inexperienced drivers. For example, the current Italian highway code and other European road traffic regulations, specify that a driver over the age of 18 who has just obtained a license may initially only drive a motorcycle with a maximum power output of 25 KW (approximately 34 HP). After a specified number of years, usually after three years, the driver can drive a more powerful motorcycle but only after repeating the driving test on a more powerful motorcycle. In this case, the driving test must be taken on a motorcycle with a power rating of at least 35 KW (approximately 48 HP) in order for the test to be valid. This means that a driver who wishes to complete both license classes must change two motorcycles or, in the case where a driver has a motorcycle fitted with a power limiter, must modify the motorcycle to increase its power and then update the vehicle's official documents accordingly. Similar restrictions are also planned for motor vehicles and in the future drivers who have only had a license for a short period, for example less than a year, will be subject to restrictions based on the power to weight ratio of the vehicle concerned (for example, 50 KW per tonne or 6S HP per ton). In order to enable compliance with these restrictions, motor vehicle manufacturers have proposed fitting their vehicles with devices for limiting power. Motor vehicles with relatively high, powered engines, that is those with characteristics and performance higher than those permitted for beginners or inexpert drivers, are initially fitted with limiter devices which, for example, constantly decrease the power of the engine. These limiter devices can be mechanical or electronic and usually can only be removed or modified with some difficulty by skilled technicians during servicing in a motor vehicle workshop, This situation has given rise to the need for different levels of legally certifiable power output on the same vehicle. These levels of power must be easy to adjust to match the driver license class so that the vehicle can meet the safety and legal requirements for newly licensed drivers or those who do not yet have sufficient driving experience.

The United States patent US-5 172 785 describes a control system for motor vehicle's such as automobiles which can be regulated according to the age of the driver. The system comprises a memory device containing data for determining driver age, a set of sensors detecting the driving operations performed by the driver and a control system which measures the driver's driving characteristics on the basis of the information provided by the sensors.

The Italian patent IT-1 264 415 describes an electronic device for regulating and limiting the speed of a motor vehicle. The device comprises sensors for measuring the speed of the vehicle, actuators for modifying the power of the engine so as to limit the speed of the vehicle and a microprocessor unit which controls the engine actuators and compares the permitted maximum speed entered in the microprocessor memory with the speed measured by the sensors. A control panel such as an alphanumeric keypad allows the driver to access, using a password, the microprocessor memory in order to modify the maximum permitted speed value and other items of information.

The United States patent US-3 878 915 describes a programmable control unit for limiting the maximum speed of a motor vehicle to one of the speeds selected from a plurality of preset speeds and selected by an operator who has entered an access code.

The device in United States patent US-3 878 915 can only be programmed by one operator identified by an access code.

This access code can, for example, be supplied confidentially by insurance companies to certain classes of driver on the basis of age, insurance risk and other factors. The equipment comprises several parts. One part accepts and recognises the code entered by the operator. A programmable part, which cannot usually be accessed by the driver, enables the decoding circuit which permits starting of the motor vehicle and the selection of a preset maximum speed limit as a function of the access code entered by the operator. A control unit compares the signal for the actual vehicle speed with the signal corresponding to the maximum speed set previously. If the actual speed exceeds the preset speed, the control system interrupts or limits functioning of the vehicle's engine, A manual override device allows the driver to temporarily exceed the maximum speed setting in certain emergency situations. Once the operator has entered the access code and this has been accepted by the system, any attempt to enter another access code and repeat the recognition procedure will be prevented and will not be possible until the equipment is switched off and then on again. The equipment also has an acceleration controller which prevents the vehicle from exceeding a certain rate of acceleration.

The United States patent US-2 773 993 describes a speed control device coupled to electrical circuits where each electrical circuit is set for a particular vehicle limit speed, The speed control device is also connected to the closing circuit of an electrical contact which in turn is actuated by an electronic card with electrical contacts which operate together with the closing circuit. The electronic card can be inserted in a special housing visible from the outside of the vehicle and can hold data about the driver including driving license details. Some of the devices described and illustrated above have not been applied to motor vehicles while others have not proved to be effective in limiting the performance, speed and acceleration of vehicles driven by newly licensed or inexperienced drivers.

Disclosure of the Invention

An. aim of the present invention is to provide a improved version of a management device of the performance of a motor vehicle which permits various levels of legally certifiable performance on, the same vehicle and which can easily be activated automatically without intervention on the part of the driver. A further aim of the present invention is to provide a management device of the performance of a motor vehicle which is simple and inexpensive to fit to a motor vehicle either as original equipment on a new vehicle or as retrofit equipment on a used vehicle. The main claim 1 refers to a management device of the performance of a motor vehicle according to the present invention. The dependent claims refer to preferred and advantageous embodiments of the present invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description of preferred embodiments which follows with reference to the annexed drawings, given purely by way of a non-limiting example, in which:

Figure 1 is a block diagram of a management device of the performance of a motor vehicle according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a block diagram of a management device of the performance of a motor vehicle according to another embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the functional steps and some of the principal components of a management device of the performance of a motor vehicle according to the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments of the Invention

With reference to the annexed drawings, the numeral 1 refers to a management device of the performance of a motor vehicle (not shown) equipped with an engine 2, usually a petrol- or diesel-fuelled internal combustion engine. In the description which follows explicit reference is made to vehicles fitted with internal combustion engines but it is understood that the present invention can also be applied to vehicles with engines of different types such as hybrid engines equipped with at least one internal combustion engine and an electric motor, or also vehicles fitted with one or more electric motors. In order to be able to apply the present invention, the engine (or motors) of the vehicle in question must be fitted with suitable means for controlling typical operating parameters. These control means can act on both the fuel supply and the combustion air supply to the engine by regulating the passage of fuel or air in the inlet manifold of the internal combustion engine. These control means can act on the electrical power supply of vehicles driven by electric motors and can also act on both types of power supply in the case of vehicles powered by hybrid engines. When controlling motor vehicle performance, the management device according to the present invention takes into account the maximum speed, the acceleration and tαe overall performance of the vehicle.

The management device also takes into account the weight-to-power ratio according to a classification which defines at least four categories of vehicle as follows:

1) High-performance sports vehicles with a weight-to-power ratio of 6.8 kg/KW (i.e 5 kg/HP) or lower.

2) High-performance vehicles with a weight-to-power ratio of 13.6 kg/KW (i.e. 10 kg/HP) and which, for example, accelerate from 0 to 100 kph in approximately 9 seconds.

3) Standard performance vehicles with a weight-to-power ratio of 20.4 kg/KW (ie. 15 kg/HP); this weight-to-power ratio corresponds to a power- to-weight ratio of 49 KW per tonne which is a value close to the limits used in some road traffic regulations,

4) Low-performance vehicles with a weight-to-power ratio of 27.2 kg/KW (Le.20 kg/HP).

The performance management device for motor vehicles according to the present invention can be used to limit the power of engines or motors on motor vehicles and therefore make it possible to transform a vehicle in the high-performance sports category into a standard or low performance vehicle. The management device of the performance of a motor vehicle, in addition to limiting maximum speed, can also be used to limit speed in each of the vehicle gear ratios and to limit vehicle acceleration and performance in general. The performance management device 1 comprises at least one speed sensor 3 which in this case measures the angular speed of one or more of the vehicle wheels. This speed sensor 3 is usually already present on motor vehicles as part of the system preventing the blocking of the wheels during braking. Generally speaking, there are four sensors on vehicles with four wheels and two or three sensors on vehicles fitted with two or three wheels, respectively, The speed sensor 3 can be airy tachometer device for measuring the angular speed of a vehicle wheel. It is also possible to use the signals from other sensors measuring other parameters including vehicle acceleration and stability; these sensors are a longitudinal acceleration sensor 4, a crosswise acceleration sensor 5 and a yaw sensor 6. The signals from these sensors are optional for the functioning of the device 1 and, where present, make the management of vehicle performance more efficacious because they permit closed loop feedback control, ie. the sensors immediately check the effective driving and vehicle operating conditions. It should be added that the safety sensors 4, 5 and 6 are usually already present on vehicles fitted with a stability control device and it would therefore be relatively simple and inexpensive to connect and add the sensors 4, 5 and 6 to the management device 1 , In the case where the motor vehicle is a motorcycle or any other vehicle which can lean over when travelling through a bend in the road, some of these devices can and must be absent due to the different functioning and driving dynamics of this type of vehicle. It should be noted that, as already mentioned above, the performance management device according to the present invention, can in any case be applied to these types of vehicle and function normally even without the connection to these safety sensors.

The management device 1 also comprises other sensors designed to measure engine operating conditions; these are: an engine RPM sensor 7; an accelerator pedal position sensor 8 and/or, if the inlet manifold of the internal combustion engine is fitted with a partializing valve such as a throttle valve 12 mounted inside a throttle body, a sensor 9 for measuring the position of the throttle valve 12 on the engine fuel supply system; the device can also be connected to a torque sensor 11 on the drive side of the crankshaft. In the case of supercharging by means such as a turbocharger or a volumetric compressor, the system can be fitted with a turbocharger pressure sensor 10 and means for controlling turbocharging 33,

The sensors from 7 to 11 transmit signals which make it possible to measure the power delivered by the engine, to detect if the engine is accelerating or decelerating, to monitor the intentions of the driver from the accelerator position and other parameters, The signals about the fuel supply status of the internal combustion engine 2 are checked by means of a special connection with the engine control unit 13 which in turn acts on the engine fuel injectors 14 and, where these are present, on the ignition plug coils 15 and the tutbocharger management means 33. Figure 1 shows a version of the performance management device 1 on a new vehicle where all the sensors necessary for the functioning of the device are already present on the vehicle as part of original equipment Figure 2, on the other hand, shows a retrofit or after market version where an additional electronic module 16 is, for example, connected in series by means of an adapter cable between the original engine control unit 13 and the injectors 14 and the ignition plug coils 15 where present In this version, the connector 16 makes it possible for the management device 1 to act on the injectors 14 and on the ignition plug coils 15 so as to modify the functioning and power delivery of the engine 2. For this purpose, the module 16 is also connected with a cable 17 to the other components of the device 1. These are only some of the example embodiments and other connections and cabling methods are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. In particular, where the vehicle is fitted with CAN-BUS type cabling, the management device 1 according to the present invention can be equipped with a special section designed to dialog with the vehicle devices according to the standard used with CAN-BUS type cabling. Other complementary sensors and signals which can be present and used for the functioning of the management device 1 are as follows: a sensor indicating brake operation; a pressure sensor on the hydraulic brake circuit; functional signals from the various safety devices which are often already present on vehicles such as the brake anti-block system (ABS), the cornering brake control (CBC) which is a device operating during the critical stages of braking on a bend when weight tends to be transferred to the outer side of the vehicle; the CBC brakes the outer wheels to prevent the vehicle from spinning or skidding uncontrollably in a dangerous manner. The management device 1 can also be connected to other safely sensors already present on the vehicle such as the electronic brake distribution (BBD) system which distributes braking between the front and rear axles of the vehicle and the electronic stability program (ESP) which acts on the braking system and the fuel feed system to guarantee vehicle stability when a special sensor, usually a yaw sensor, and the steering angle measurement indicate that current centrifugal force is endangering vehicle safety or return to a straight line. Furthermore, if the vehicle is fitted with an automatic or sequential gearbox or an automatic speed governor such as a cruise control, the signals from these devices can be acquired by the performance management device according to the present invention. On the basis of the functional and safety sensors already present on the vehicle, the management device 1 checks and controls the overall -functioning and performance of a motor vehicle. An important characteristic of the management device 1 according to the present invention is a function which automatically recognises the driver category based in particular on the driver's experience and number of years driving. To do this the device has driver recognition and identification means 18 which in one embodiment of the present invention can be incorporated into the ignition key 19 of the vehicle. Other recognition means, according to further embodiments of the present invention, can be a personal starting access card,which can be magnetic or have a microprocessor or personal recognition means such as a fingerprint reader, a voice recognition device, an iris identification scanner and similar means.

In all cases, the driver recognition and identification means 18 are activated automatically at vehicle startup when, for example, an ignition key is inserted, a personal card is inserted, or when a special recognition procedure is completed. While the vehicle is running these driver recognition and identification means 18 are always active and monitor the category of the person driving the vehicle.

In the description which follows, while explicit reference is made to recognition means based on and incorporated in the vehicle ignition key it should be understood that the present invention can function with any device designed for driver recognition.

In order to obtain different levels of vehicle performance, there axe various types of key 19 comprising an electronic circuit or a microprocessor with a driver identification code where each key can be assigned a different level of vehicle performance.

The keys currently in use on motor vehicles already incorporate an electronic circuit or microprocessor which functions as an anti-theft: device known as an immobilizer. It is known that the immobilizer comprises inside the key a small circuit activated by a magnetic field. The circuit emits a code which is decoded by a special reader next to the key panel and is sent to the engine control unit 13 or any other vehicle performance management units present It would be sufficient therefore to add additional items of information about the driver category to the electronic circuit or microprocessor already in the key so that the information could be acquired automatically by a code reader 20. As an alternative, in those cases where the original key does not incorporate arx electronic circuit or microprocessor, it would be possible to provide new keys incorporating a circuit or microprocessor and the related code reader. To make the keys easy to identify during use it would be possible to use various external identification means 21 such as symbols, shapes, colours and other features, In the description which follows reference is made, by way of example only, to keys with covers of different colours. In a non-limiting example embodiment of the present invention, a red key could be used to identify a newly licensed driver, a yellow key could be used to identity a person who has had a license for three years, a green key could be used to identify a person who has had a license for six years and a standard key could be used to identify a person who has had a license for eight years. It would also be easy to personalise the key code to take into account details such as driver participation in safe driving courses, traffic violations, mileage travelled and other factors. The external identification means 21 of the key also provide legal proof of vehicle performance. For example, a key with a cover 21 coloured red indicating a newly licensed driver would make it easy for traffic police to establish that a newly licensed driver, the vehicle and the key are compatible, It would also be possible to equip traffic police and car dealers with a special code reader for checking the key code and ensuring that it has not been falsified. Figure 3 shows the principle sequence of operations which takes place when the management device 1 according to the present invention is activated. The block 23 represents the insertion of the key 19 in the starting panel of the vehicle, block 24 represents the recognition of the code of the key 19 by the engine control unit 13. Block 25 represents information about the key code. This information can come from, personalised recognition means such as a fingerprint reader, a voice recognition device or an iris reader and is sent to the engine control unit 13 which in turn comprises a microprocessor 22 which receives the information about the key code and uses this to select the engine performance map associated with the key code. Block 26 in the example in Figure 3 shows the four maps

27, 28, 29 and 30 contained in the memory of the engine control unit 13, The maps 27,

28, 29 and 30 can correspond to the four categories of the red key, the yellow key, the green key or the standard key described- previously. Block 31 represents the step for calculating the following engine and vehicle management parameters: injection time- ignition advance, throttle body control, turbocharging management, speed limits for each of the gear ratios engaged, maximum speed limit, and maximum acceleration limit The block 32 represents the implementation for the management of the various maps and the personalisation of the key, for example; driver's age, participation in safe driving courses, mileage travelled, traffic violations and other personal details. When the key 19 is inserted in the vehicle dashboard, the code reader 20 reads the code and sends a related signal to the engine control unit 13. For example, if the key 19 has a cover 21 coloured red indicating a newly licensed driver, the signal sent to the engine control unit 13 will be that for the lowest power level of the engine 2 and in general the signal for low vehicle performance or in. other words, map 27 in the example in Figure 3.

As already described above, the connections to the various vehicle sensors make it possible for the management device 1 according to the present invention to not only limit the power of the vehicle engine or engines but also to limit performance features of the vehicle such as maximum speed, speed in the various speed ratios, longitudinal acceleration, crosswise acceleration and yaw. This makes it possible to obtain a lower level of performance and thereby avoid situations where vehicle speed and stability would be potentially hazardous for a particular category of driver. To obtain this lower level of power and a lower vehicle perfoπnance level, the signal for a newly licensed driver activates the performance mapping in the engine control unit 13 which provides the lower level of power for the engine or motors of the vehicle in question,

In addition, the management device 1 can where required control vehicle performance using the sensors connected up and can where necessary intervene to further limit the functioning of the engine, limiting the speed, the acceleration and other performance features and, where necessary, operating the brakes, also separately for each wheel, so that the vehicle performance returns to within the performance levels specified for a particular category of driver. Given that this function is performed by the electronic stability program (ESP) unit it would be possible to prepare various management maps of the ESP device similar to those of the engine control unit

The various perfoπnance levels assigned to the various keys supplied with the vehicle will be calculated and defined during homologation and testing of the vehicle or during the homologation and testing of a kit for a particular type of used vehicle and will be a legally valid means recognised by the traffic police, insurance companies and other official bodies for reducing the performance of a high performance motor vehicle without the device.

On vehicles where the device 1 is fitted as part of original equipment, the engine control unit 13 must be fitted with additional memory space for storing the different engine performance maps and for managing the various safety devices; these vehicles must also be supplied with the additional keys for the various levels of vehicle performance.

In the case, on the other hand, of vehicles already on the market, the management device 1 must have an additional electronic module whose purpose is to recognise the code of the key inserted, to receive the vehicle speed signal, to receive the signals from any other sensors on the vehicle measuring driving conditions and stability, to interface with the vehicle's original engine control unit, to correct and modify the ignition advance, the ignition, the fuel injection and the engine RPM and thereby provide the performance defined for each driver category.

The cost of the management device 1 is particularly low, Ia the case where the device 1 is fitted as original equipment, additional electronic modules are practically unnecessary and the only extra cost is the time needed for setting up the performance mapping for the different power levels and for implementing the mapping management software.

The real cost of the device 1 is therefore limited to the cost of additional keys and the cost of fitting the larger memories needed to store all the engine performance maps and the overall vehicle performance maps.

In the case of vehicles already on the market, the real cost of the management device 1 will be the cost of the electronic module and the additional keys and the cost of the time needed for setting up the performance mapping for the different power levels of the engine. In this particular case the additional electronic module comprises substantially programmable memories, that is Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EPROM), of the type currently used to modify the power of engines.

The present invention permits the manufacturers of high-performance vehicles to maintain market shares also in those countries which have legislation limiting the performance of vehicles for certain categories of driver, such, as newly licensed or inexperienced drivers, or for other reasons.

The manufacturer of high-performance vehicles can define and demonstrate during vehicle homologation in the countries concerned that, thanks to the device according to the present invention, the vehicle to be homologated complies with the legal limits stipulated for the categories of driver mentioned above. Thanks to the present invention, the owner of a vehicle with performance higher than that permitted for a newly licensed driver does not need to change the vehicle or purchase a new vehicle in order to make it suitable for a newly licensed or inexperience driver to drive.

Clearly, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments illustrated and described herein and is susceptible to numerous modifications and variants without thereby departing from the scope of the inventive concept as described, illustrated and disclosed herein. In the claims, the references shown in brackets are intended as a guide only and in no way limit the protection claimed.

Claims

1. A management device (1) of the performance of a motor vehicle (2) comprising vehicle performance measuring means (3-11), such as at least one vehicle speed sensor (3), engine control means (12-15, 33), such as an engine control unit (13), where the engine control means (12-15, 33) are connected to and actuated by the vehicle performance measuring means (3-11), characterised in that it comprises driver recognition and identification means (18-21) and characterised in that the driver recognition and identification means (18) comprise at least one element (19) designed to make the recognition and identification completely automatic so that no intervention is required on the part of the driver.

2. The management device according to claim 1, wherein the driver recognition and identification means (18) comprise at least one vehicle ignition key (19) equipped with an electronic circuit or microprocessor incorporating a driver identification code.

3. The management device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the driver recognition and identification means (18) comprise a reader (20) designed to decode a driver recognition and identification code.

4. The management device according to any one of the foregoing claims, wherein the driver recognition and identification means (I8) comprise at least one vehicle ignition key (19) equipped with external identification means (21) designed to identify the performance level of the vehicle,

5. The management device according to claim 4, wherein the external identification means (21) comprise covers of different colours for the key (19).

6. The management device according to any one of the foregoing claims, wherein the means for measuring vehicle performance comprise one or more of the following Sensors, singly or in combination: a speed sensor (3), a longitudinal acceleration sensor (4), a crosswise acceleration sensor (5) and a yaw sensor (6).

7. The management device according to any one of the foregoing claims, wherein it comprises one or more of the following sensors designed to control functioning of the vehicle engine (2), singly or in combination: an RPM sensor (7), an accelerator pedal position sensor (8), a throttle valve (12) position sensor (9) on the engine (2) fuel supply system, a torque sensor (11) on the drive side of the engine (2) crankshaft and a turbocharger pressure sensor (10).

8, The management device according to any one of the foregoing claims, wherein the engine control means (2) comprise an engine control unit (13) which in turn acts on the engine fuel injectors (14) and, where present, on the ignition plug coils (15) and on the turbocharger management means (33).

9. The management device according to claim 8, wherein the management device (1) is connected directly by the same vehicle cable to the performance measuring means (3-11), to the engine control means (12-15) and to the driver recognition and identification means (18-21) of the vehicle.

10. The management device according to claim 8, wherein the management device (1) is connected to the performance measuring means (3-11), to the engine control means (12-15) and to the driver recognition and identification means (18-21) of the vehicle by means of aα additional electronic module (16) and an additional cable (17).

11. The management device according to claim 9 or 10. wherein the vehicle and/or additional vehicle cable (17) is of the CAN-BUS type.

12. The management device according to any one of the foregoing claims, wherein the management device (I), the performance measuring means (3-11) and the engine control means (12-15, 33) function according to the closed loop feedback principle, that is the performance measuring means (3-11) immediately check the effective driving and vehicle operating conditions,

13. The management device according to any one of the foregoing claims, wherein the driver recognition and identification means (18) comprise a personal starting access card which can be magnetic or have a microprocessor or personal recognition means such as a fingerprint reader, a voice recognition device, an iris scanner or similar means.

14. A vehicle comprising a management device (1) of performance according to any one of the foregoing claims.

15. The management device of the performance of a motor vehicle according to any one of the foregoing claims, substantially as described and illustrated for the purposes disclosed above.