Traction control method and apparatus

1. An electric motor controller adapted to provide anti-lock braking of an electric traction motor for an electric vehicle, the electric motor controller comprising:

a torque demand input for receiving a torque demand input signal based on a request from an operator of the electric vehicle;

a torque demand adjuster adapted to adjust the torque demand input signal and to provide an adjusted torque demand signal to a power provider, said adjusted torque demand signal indicating an adjusted torque demand, wherein the power provider is configured to control power provided to the electric traction motor based on the adjusted torque demand signal, and the torque demand adjuster comprises:

a motor speed input for obtaining a motor speed signal from said electric traction motor;

an accelerometer configured to provide an accelerometer signal;

a vehicle state estimator configured to determine a vehicle mass using the motor speed signal, the adjusted torque demand signal, and the accelerometer signal as input;

a tilt determiner configured to determine a vehicle tilt angle using the accelerometer signal; and

a vehicle speed estimator configured to determine an estimated speed of the electric vehicle that is determined using the motor speed signal, the adjusted torque demand signal, the vehicle tilt angle and the estimated vehicle mass;

wherein the vehicle speed estimator is operable in a closed loop mode in which the motor speed signal is used to determine the estimate of the vehicle speed, and in an open loop mode in which the weighting applied to the motor speed signal in the estimate of the vehicle speed is reduced, and the controller is configured to switch between the open loop mode and the closed loop mode according to the magnitude of a difference between the motor speed and the estimated speed of the electric vehicle;

wherein the controller is configured to switch the vehicle speed estimator from the open loop mode to the closed loop mode in response to a magnitude of an adjustment to the torque demand being reduced below a selected threshold level; and

wherein the torque demand adjuster is configured to adjust the torque demand signal such that the motor is controlled to reduce a difference between the motor speed and the estimated speed of the electric vehicle.

2. The controller of claim 1 wherein the torque demand adjuster is configured to adjust the torque demand signal by reducing a maximum torque demand that the controller is able to make of the electric motor.

3. The controller of claim 1 wherein the torque demand adjuster is configured to apply an initial torque demand adjustment in response to the difference and then to reduce the magnitude of the torque demand adjustment over time.

4. The controller of claim 1 wherein the torque demand adjuster is configured to limit the rate of change of the adjusted torque demand signal so that the torque demand made of the motor can be reduced more quickly than it can revert to the value of the torque demand input signal.

5. The controller of claim 1 comprising a low pass filter arranged to filter the difference between the motor speed and the estimated speed of the electric vehicle to provide a low pass filtered version of the difference.

6. The controller of claim 1 wherein the vehicle state estimator is configured to update the estimate of vehicle mass in the event that the estimated vehicle speed is less than a selected threshold speed.

7. The controller of claim 1 wherein the vehicle state estimator is configured to determine the estimate of vehicle mass obtained from an accelerometer signal as the vehicle moves off from rest wherein the vehicle state estimator is configured to fit a data model to the motor speed signal, the adjusted torque demand signal, and the accelerometer signal in order to estimate the vehicle mass.

8. The controller of claim 7 wherein the estimate of vehicle mass is further based on an estimate of a gradient on which the vehicle is being driven and an accelerometer signal obtained prior to the vehicle moving off from rest.

9. The controller of claim 1 wherein the vehicle state estimator is configured to estimate a gradient of a surface on which the vehicle is being driven based on using the estimate of vehicle mass when fitting the data model to the motor speed signal, the adjusted torque demand signal, and the accelerometer signal.

10. A method of providing anti-lock braking traction control in an electric vehicle driven by an electric traction motor, the method comprising:

obtaining an accelerometer signal indicating a lateral acceleration of the vehicle in a direction of travel and a tilt angle of the vehicle;

obtaining a motor speed signal indicating a motor speed;

obtaining an estimate of a vehicle mass of the electric vehicle based on the accelerometer signal and a motor speed;

determining an estimate of a vehicle speed;

obtaining a torque demand input signal indicating a torque request from an operator of the electric vehicle; and

adjusting the torque demand input signal to provide an adjusted torque demand signal, and controlling the electric traction motor with the adjusted torque demand signal,

wherein, adjusting the torque demand signal comprises selecting a torque demand adjustment that reduces a difference between the motor speed signal and the estimate of the vehicle speed, and wherein, in a closed loop mode, the estimate of the vehicle speed is determined based on the motor speed signal, the, the vehicle tilt angle and the estimated vehicle mass, and in an open loop mode the weighting applied to the motor speed signal in the estimate of the vehicle speed is reduced; the method further comprising:

switching between the open loop mode and the closed loop mode based on a magnitude of the difference between the motor speed and the estimated speed of the electric vehicle; and

switching from the open loop mode to the closed loop mode in response to a magnitude of an adjustment to the torque demand being reduced below a selected threshold level.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein adjusting the torque demand signal comprises selecting a torque demand adjustment that reduces a maximum torque demand that the electric motor controller is able to make of the electric motor.

12. The method of claim 10 comprising determining whether the vehicle has begun to move from a stationary position and, in the event that the vehicle has begun to move, obtaining the estimate of the mass of the electric vehicle and storing the estimate of the mass in memory.

13. The method of claim 10 comprising determining whether a vehicle mass estimate is stored in memory, and in the event that a vehicle mass estimate is stored in memory, obtaining the estimate of vehicle mass by retrieving it from memory.

14. The method of claim 10 comprising comparing the estimated vehicle speed with the motor speed estimate to obtain an error signal and determining whether or not to adjust the torque demand input signal based on at last least one of the sign and magnitude of the error signal, wherein the method comprises responding to determining to adjust the torque demand by obtaining at least one subsequent estimate of the vehicle speed in an open-loop mode.

15. The method of claim 14 in which the open loop estimate of vehicle speed is used in a subsequent adjustment of the motor torque demand, and the method comprises comparing the at least one subsequent estimate of vehicle speed with the motor speed signal to obtain a new error signal and determining, based on the magnitude of the new error signal, whether to continue to adjust the motor torque demand.

16. The method of claim 10 comprising controlling the adjustment of torque demand so that the motor torque demand can be reduced more quickly than it can be restored.

17. A non transitory tangible computer readable medium comprises program instructions to program a processor of an electric traction motor to perform the method of claim 10 .