Integrated powertrain system

• US 10,113,637 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2015
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cummins Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cummins Incorporated
• Inventors: Sujan, Vivek A., Kolhouse, J. Steven, Salemme, Gary C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Holmes, Justin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Morris, David R
• Application Number:
  US14/711,977
• Publication Number:
  US 20150330503A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,265 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/743 using engine performance or power for control of gearing transmission input torque F16H2059/147
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/0232 Selecting ratios for bringing engine into a particular state, e.g. for fast warming up or for reducing exhaust emissions
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/0234 Adapting the ratios to special vehicle conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/163 Holding the gear for delaying gear shifts under unfavorable conditions, e.g. during cornering
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/60 Inputs being a function of ambient conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/74 Inputs being a function of engine parameters F16H59/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/02 characterised by the signals used for shift actuators F16H61/28, for continuously variable gearings F16H61/66
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/0213 characterised by the method for generating shift signals
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/16 Inhibiting or initiating shift during unfavourable conditions, e.g. preventing forward reverse shift at high vehicle speed, preventing engine over speed unintentional control input F16H61/18

Abstract

A system for a vehicle includes a powertrain system including an engine, a transmission, a drive shaft, and a final drive; and a controller communicably coupled to the powertrain system. The controller is structured to: receive a shift schedule for the transmission of a vehicle, the shift schedule indicating when shift events occur based on operation of the vehicle; receive vehicle operation data during operation of the vehicle, the vehicle operation data including a current combustion recipe for the engine; determine a predicted impact of a scheduled shift event on a fuel consumption rate of the vehicle based on the current combustion recipe for the engine; determine an adjustment to the scheduled shift event based on the predicted impact; and provide a command to implement the adjustment to the scheduled shift event to the transmission of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a predetermined shift schedule for a transmission of a vehicle from a remote source;

interpreting vehicle operation data regarding operation of the vehicle;

interpreting a desired operating characteristic of a vehicle operating parameter;

determining a predicted impact of a scheduled shift event of the predetermined shift schedule on the vehicle operating parameter based on the vehicle operation data; and

selectively adjusting the scheduled shift event in response to the desired operating characteristic and the predicted impact on the vehicle operating parameter,

wherein selectively adjusting the scheduled shift event includes at least one of a delay of the scheduled shift event, an early implementation of the scheduled shift event, and a skipping of the scheduled shift event, and implementing the adjusted shift event with the transmission.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predicted impact includes determining an engine torque and an engine speed by implementing the scheduled shift event and using the determined engine torque and engine speed to determine the predicted impact on the vehicle operating parameter.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selective adjustment to the scheduled shift event is in response to the predicted impact indicating that the vehicle operating parameter is outside the desired operating characteristic for the vehicle operating parameter.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle operating parameter is a fluid consumption rate of the vehicle and the desired operating characteristic is one of a reduction and a minimization of the fluid consumption rate.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the fluid consumption rate includes at least one of a fuel consumption rate and a diesel exhaust fluid consumption rate.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle operating parameter is an exhaust emissions characteristic, the exhaust emissions characteristic including at least one of a NOx emissions rate, a particulate matter emissions rate, and an exhaust aftertreatment catalyst conversion efficiency.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle operating parameter is a noise level of the vehicle and the desired operating characteristic is one of a reduction and a minimization of the noise level.

8. A system for a vehicle, comprising:

a powertrain system including an engine and a transmission; and

a controller communicably coupled to the powertrain system, the controller structured to;

receive a predetermined shift schedule for the transmission from a remote source;

receive vehicle operation data during operation of the vehicle, the vehicle operation data including a current combustion recipe for the engine;

determine a predicted impact of a scheduled shift event of the predetermined shift schedule on a fuel consumption rate of the vehicle based on the current combustion recipe for the engine;

determine an adjustment to the scheduled shift event based on the predicted impact, wherein the adjustment to the shift event includes at least one of a delay to the scheduled shift event, an early implementation of the scheduled shift event, and a skipping of the scheduled shift event; and

provide a command to implement the adjustment to the scheduled shift event to the transmission of the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the determined predicted impact includes determining an engine torque and an engine speed by implementing the scheduled shift event and using the engine torque and engine speed to determine the predicted impact on the fuel consumption rate.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the adjustment to the scheduled shift event is in response to the predicted impact indicating that the fuel consumption rate is outside a desired fuel consumption rate.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

a vehicle operation circuit structured to receive operation data regarding operation of a vehicle;

a vehicle parameter circuit structured to receive a desired operating characteristic of one or more vehicle parameters;

a communications circuit structured to receive dynamic data from at least one of another vehicle and an external network;

a prediction circuit structured to interpret a predetermined shift schedule for the transmission and to determine an impact on the one or more vehicle parameters based on

an implementation of a scheduled shift event within the predetermined shift schedule with a transmission of the vehicle,

the operation data, and

the dynamic data from the at least one of another vehicle and the external network; and

a transmission circuit structured to selectively adjust the scheduled shift event in response to the desired operating characteristic and the determined impact on the one or more vehicle parameters,

wherein the selective adjustment includes at least one of a delay to the scheduled shift event of the predetermined shift schedule, an early implementation of the scheduled shift event of the predetermined shift schedule, and a skipping of the scheduled shift event of the predetermined shift schedule.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a route circuit structured to receive a designation of a route for the vehicle and route data responsive to the designation, wherein the route data provides an indication of a terrain of the route at a future location for the vehicle.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the prediction circuit is structured to determine the impact on the one or more vehicle parameters based on implementation of the shift schedule and the route data.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the impact is based on determining an engine torque and an engine speed from implementing the shift schedule.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more vehicle parameters include at least one of a lugback management feature, a fluid consumption rate, a noise emissions level, and an exhaust emissions level.