Patent ID: 7497297

Claim:
An adaptive drive system for a motor vehicle comprising, in combination, a first drive line having a first drive shaft, a first differential, a first pair of axles, a first pair of wheels and at least one first speed sensor for providing a first drive line speed signal, a second drive line having a second drive shaft, a second differential, a second pair of axles, a second pair of wheels and at least one second speed sensor for providing a second drive line speed signal, a transfer case having an input, a first output adapted to drive said first drive line, a second output adapted to drive said second drive line and a clutch that is capable of being variably engaged and is operably disposed between said first output and said second output, wherein said clutch is capable of engagement levels between a predetermined minimum engagement and a predetermined maximum engagement, and a microcontroller that receives said first driveline speed signal from said first speed sensor and said second driveline speed signal from said second speed sensor and determines speed differences between said first and said second speed signals at a plurality of predetermined times, wherein said speed differences may vary at said plurality of times, wherein at one of said plurality of predetermined times said clutch engagement increases if a speed difference is greater than a predetermined value and said clutch engagement is less than the predetermined maximum engagement level at said one of said plurality of predetermined times, wherein said predetermined value may vary at said plurality of predetermined times, and wherein at another of said plurality of predetermined times said clutch engagement decreases if said speed difference is less than another predetermined value and said clutch engagement is greater than said predetermined minimum engagement level at said another of said plurality of predetermined time; and a throttle position sensor providing a signal to said microcontroller and wherein said predetermined value is reduced in magnitude as said signal from said throttle position sensor increases.