IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,654,705
Granted Patent B2
US 12,654,705 · App. 17/018,619 · Granted Jun 16, 2026

Uphill vehicle launch in one-pedal driving mode

Inventors: Bryan Michael Bolger (Canton, MI); Sergey Gennadievich Semenov (Farmington Hills, MI)
Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
B60W30/18118B60W10/08B60W10/184B60W30/18027B60W30/18127B60W30/182B60W40/06B60W2540/10B60W2540/12B60W2552/15
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,654,705
App. No.
17/018,619
Granted
Jun 16, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicle includes a powertrain having an electric machine configured to power driven wheels and friction brakes. A vehicle controller is programmed to, with the vehicle being in a one-pedal driving mode and the friction brakes automatically engaged to hold the vehicle stationary, release the friction brakes absent input from a brake pedal in response to an estimated torque of the driven wheels exceeding a grade-compensation torque threshold that is based on road grade to launch the vehicle without rollback.

Claims (40)

1 . A vehicle comprising:

a powertrain including an electric machine configured to power driven wheels;

friction brakes; and

a controller programmed to, in response to the vehicle being in a one-pedal driving mode and the friction brakes automatically engaged to hold the vehicle stationary, release the friction brakes absent input from a brake pedal in response to an estimated torque of the driven wheels exceeding a grade-compensation torque threshold that is based on road grade to launch the vehicle without rollback.

2 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to, with the vehicle being in the one-pedal driving mode and the friction brakes automatically engaged to hold the vehicle stationary, release the friction brakes absent input from the brake pedal in response to an accelerator pedal being depressed for longer than a threshold time.

3 . The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the threshold time is between one and four seconds, inclusive.

4 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to, with the vehicle being in the one-pedal driving mode and the friction brakes automatically engaged to hold the vehicle stationary, release the friction brakes absent input from the brake pedal in response to (i) the estimated torque of the driven wheels being less than the grade-compensation torque threshold and (ii) an accelerator pedal being depressed for longer than a threshold time.

5 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the grade-compensation torque threshold is less than a grade-compensation torque required to prevent rollback.

6 . The vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the grade-compensation torque threshold is a percentage of the grade-compensation torque.

7 . The vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the grade-compensation torque threshold is zero when the grade-compensation torque is less than a predetermined value.

8 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the grade-compensation torque threshold is equal to a grade-compensation torque required to prevent rollback.

9 . The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising an accelerator pedal, and wherein the controller is further programmed to, with the vehicle being in the one-pedal driving mode, regeneratively brake the vehicle in response to the accelerator pedal being released, and engage the friction brakes in response to a speed of the vehicle being zero.

10 . A vehicle comprising:

an accelerator pedal;

a brake pedal;

a powertrain including an electric machine configured to power driven wheels;

friction brakes; and

a controller programmed to, during a one-pedal driving mode:

command the electric machine to propel and regeneratively brake the vehicle based on a position of the accelerator pedal only,

in response to the vehicle becoming stationary, command engagement of the friction brakes and end regenerative braking, and

in response to, the vehicle being stationary, the position of the accelerator pedal exceeding a predefined threshold position and an estimated torque of the driven wheels exceeding a grade-compensation torque threshold that is based on road grade, release the friction brakes, absent input from the brake pedal, to launch the vehicle without rollback.

11 . The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further programmed to, during the one-pedal driving mode, release the friction brakes absent input from the brake pedal in response to the position of the accelerator pedal exceeding the predefined threshold position for longer than a threshold time.

12 . The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further programmed to:

receive a signal indicative of the road grade,

determine a grade-compensation torque based on the road grade, wherein the grade-compensation torque is equal to a torque at the wheels required to prevent rollback of the vehicle, and

determine the grade-compensation torque threshold based on the grade-compensation torque.

13 . The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the grade-compensation torque threshold is a lesser percentage of the grade-compensation torque.

14 . The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the grade-compensation torque threshold is zero when the grade-compensation torque is less than a predetermined value.

15 . The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further programmed to, during the one-pedal driving mode, in response to (i) the estimated torque of the driven wheels being less than the grade-compensation torque threshold and (ii) the accelerator pedal being depressed for longer than a threshold time, release the friction brakes absent input from the brake pedal.

16 . The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the threshold time is between one and four seconds, inclusive.

17 . The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the grade-compensation torque threshold is less than a grade-compensation torque required to prevent rollback.

18 . A method of launching a vehicle when in a one-pedal driving mode, comprising:

commanding an electric powertrain to propel and regeneratively brake the vehicle based on a position of an accelerator pedal only;

in response to the vehicle becoming stationary, commanding engagement of friction brakes; and

releasing the friction brakes in response to an estimated wheel torque exceeding a grade-compensation torque threshold that is based on road grade to launch the vehicle without rollback.

19 . The method of claim 18 further comprising releasing the friction brakes in response to the accelerator pedal being depressed for longer than a threshold time.

20 . The method of claim 18 further comprising:

receiving a signal indicative of the road grade;

determining a grade-compensation torque based on the road grade, wherein the grade-compensation torque is equal to a torque at the wheels required to prevent rollback of the vehicle; and

determining the grade-compensation torque threshold based on the grade-compensation torque.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 14, 2020
From: BOLGER, BRYAN MICHAEL; SEMENOV, SERGEY GENNADIEVICH
To: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 053756/0623 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220080971A1 · Mar 17, 2022
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