Patent ID: 9008915
Filing Date: 2015-04-14
Classification: B60W,B62D

Abstract:
1. A method for controlling torque distribution to steerable rear wheels of a vehicle, the method comprising: generating rear wheel steering data, by a first controller, to facilitate steering of at least one of the steerable rear wheels; generating a theoretical standard torque bias ratio value, by a second controller, for controlling the distribution of torque to the steerable rear wheels without rear steering; transmitting the rear wheel steering data from the first controller to the second controller along a bidirectional communication bus; determining, by the second controller, a vehicular speed; determining, by the second controller, a lateral acceleration; calculating, by the second controller, a scaling factor based at least in part upon one or more of the vehicular speed and the lateral acceleration; calculating, by the second controller, a enhanced torque bias ratio value based at least in part upon the theoretical standard torque bias ratio value and the scaling factor; transmitting the enhanced torque bias ratio value from the second controller to the first controller along the bidirectional communication bus; allocating a first control authority to the first controller in response to the enhanced torque bias ratio value; allocating a second control authority to the second controller in response to the enhanced torque bias ratio value; controlling steering of the steerable rear wheels, by the first controller, in response to the first control authority; and controlling distribution of torque among the steerable rear wheels, by the second controller, in response to the second control authority; wherein the first control authority and the second control authority are inversely proportional to one another.