Apparatus and method for controlling motor vehicle movement

1. A method of controlling an automatic take-off of a motor vehicle comprising:

providing a brake system, the brake system including a brake holding mode wherein a brake of the brake system generates a brake holding force that prevents movement of a wheel of the motor vehicle;

providing an engine, the engine including an engine driving mode wherein the engine generates a driving force that rotates a wheel of the motor vehicle;

providing a human machine interface;

using said human machine interface to set a vehicle target speed;

checking whether an automatic take-off is requested by a driver of the vehicle;

checking whether at least one condition for the use of the automatic take-off is present; and

when an automatic take-off is requested by a driver of the vehicle and the at least one condition for the use of the automatic take-off are both present, controlling the engine of the vehicle and the braking system of the vehicle to transition the vehicle from a brake holding mode to an engine driving mode, accelerating the vehicle until the vehicle target speed is reached and maintaining the speed of the vehicle at the vehicle target speed until there is an intervention by the driver.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein transitioning the vehicle from a brake holding mode to an engine driving mode includes increasing the driving force produced by the engine as the holding force produced by the braking system is reduced.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the vehicle has a multi-speed transmission coupled to the engine by a torque converter and increasing the driving force produced by the engine includes increasing the rotational speed of the engine to increase the torque transmitted by the torque converter to the multi-speed transmission.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the vehicle has a multi-speed transmission coupled to the engine by an electronically controlled friction clutch and increasing the driving force produced by the engine comprises engaging the clutch to increase the torque transmitted by the friction clutch to the multi-speed transmission.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein increasing the driving force produced by the engine further comprises increasing the torque output from the engine.

6. The method of claim 1 including the step of detecting presence of wheel slip during vehicle take-off and reducing engine driving force to reduce wheel slip.

7. The method of claim 1 including the step of detecting presence of wheel slip during vehicle take-off and applying a holding force to reduce wheel slip.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein one of the conditions for the use of the automatic take-off includes the braking system of the vehicle holding the vehicle stationary by the use of one or more electronically releasable brakes.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein a driver of the vehicle uses the human machine interface to cancel the automatic take-off.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the automatic take-off is cancelled when a driver of the vehicle intervenes by depressing a control pedal.

11. An apparatus for controlling motor vehicle movement comprising:

a plurality of wheels;

an engine connected to and providing power to at least one of said wheels:

a braking system including at least one electronically controllable braking device for selectively preventing movement of the vehicle;

a human machine interface for selecting an automatic take-off from rest and a vehicle target speed;

a control unit, said control unit receiving input from said human machine interface and a status of vehicle system condition, said control unit determining based on said input whether at least one condition for the use of the automatic take-off are present; and

said control unit controlling the engine output and the braking system to transition the vehicle from a brake holding mode to an engine driving mode, controlling the acceleration of the vehicle until the vehicle target speed is reached, and maintaining engine control to maintain the vehicle at the vehicle target speed until there is an intervention by the driver.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the control unit includes a launch assist manager to increase engine output as the brake system holding force is reduced.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the vehicle has a multi-speed transmission coupled to the engine by a torque converter and increasing the engine output includes increasing the rotational speed of the engine to increase the torque transmitted by the torque converter to the multi-speed transmission.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the vehicle has a multi-speed transmission coupled to the engine by an electronically controlled friction clutch and increasing the engine output includes engaging the friction clutch to increase the torque transmitted by the friction clutch to the multi-speed transmission.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein increasing the engine output includes increasing the torque output from the engine.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the launch assist manager controls engine output to reduce the torque output from the engine when wheel slip is detected during the take-off.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the braking system includes a braking system module operable to electronically control the application of service brakes used to brake the wheels and, when wheel slip is produced during the take-off from rest, the launch assist manager cooperates with the braking system module to apply a braking torque to one or more slipping wheels to reduce the slip.

18. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein one condition for the use of automatic take-off is the vehicle held stationary by one or more electronically releasable brakes.

19. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the driver uses the human machine interface to cancel the automatic take-off when a driver indicates that they wish to stop the vehicle.

20. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the automatic take-off is cancelled when a driver of the vehicle indicates that they wish the vehicle to exceed the vehicle target speed.

21. An apparatus for controlling motor vehicle movement comprising:

a plurality of wheels;

an engine;

a propeller shaft connected to the engine and the wheels:

a braking system including an electronically controlled parking brake, the parking brake engaging and preventing rotation of the propeller shaft and thereby preventing movement of the vehicle;

a human machine interface for selecting an automatic take-off from rest and a vehicle target speed;

a control unit, said control unit receiving input from said human machine interface and a status of vehicle system condition, said control unit determining based on said input whether at least one condition for the use of the automatic take-off are present; and

said control unit controlling the engine output and the braking system to transition the vehicle from a brake holding mode to an engine driving mode, controlling the acceleration of the vehicle until the vehicle target speed is reached, and maintaining engine control to maintain the vehicle at the vehicle target speed until there is an intervention by the driver.