Load management to extend electric vehicle range

• US 10,377,389 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2017
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Bryan, Seth Anthony, Bolger, Bryan Michael, Hancasky, Robert David, Porras, Angel Fernando
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith-Stewart, Demetra R
• Application Number:
  US15/453,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20180257666A1
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00385 for vehicles having an electrical drive, e.g. hybrid or fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00764 the input being a vehicle driving condition, e.g. speed B60H1/00828, B60H1/00864 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00964 Control systems or circuits characterised by including features for automatic and non-automatic control, e.g. for changing from automatic to manual control
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00985 Control systems or circuits characterised by display or indicating devices, e.g. voice simulators characterised by the input of sound using a voice synthesizer B60H1/00757; B60H1/00978 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/00733 Computational models modifying user-set values
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/169 Remaining operating distance or charge
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/02 to electric heating circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/18 by enquiring driving style
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/52 drive range estimation, e.g. of estimation of available travel distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/54 Energy consumption estimation
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/00 Input parameters relating to occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/086 Power
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/30 Auxiliary equipments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/146 Speed limiting
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/085 : Changing the parameters of the control units, e.g. changing limit values, working points by control input
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/10 : Interpretation of driver requests or demands
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

A vehicle includes a controller that prompts a user to confirm a willingness to accept a reduced maximum acceleration or speed responsive to user confirmation of a desire to increase an electric drive range by a user selected amount. The controller further operates a propulsion system with the reduced maximum acceleration or speed to increase the electric drive range responsive to user confirmation of the willingness.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a propulsion system; and

a controller configured to,

responsive to user confirmation of a desire to increase an electric drive range by a user selected amount, prompt a user to confirm a willingness to accept a reduced maximum acceleration or speed, and

responsive to user confirmation of the willingness, operate the propulsion system with the reduced maximum acceleration or speed to increase the electric drive range.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a climate system, wherein the controller is further configured to, responsive to the user confirmation of the desire, prompt the user to confirm a willingness to accept a reduced maximum power for the climate system, and responsive to user confirmation of the willingness to accept the reduced maximum power, operate the climate system with the reduced maximum power to increase the electric drive range.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein an amount of the reduced maximum power is defined by the user.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to prompt the user to select which of the maximum acceleration, maximum speed, or both is to be reduced.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein an amount of the reduced maximum acceleration or speed is defined by the user.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the user selected amount is a distance.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the distance has units of miles.

8. A method comprising:

by a controller,

responsive to user confirmation of a desire to increase an electric drive range of a vehicle by a user selected amount, prompting a user to confirm a willingness to accept a reduced maximum power for a climate system; and

responsive to user confirmation of the willingness to accept the reduced maximum power, operating the climate system with the reduced maximum power to increase the electric drive range.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising, responsive to the user confirmation of the desire, prompting the user to confirm a willingness to accept a reduced maximum acceleration or speed of the vehicle, and responsive to user confirmation of the willingness to accept the reduced maximum acceleration or speed, operating the vehicle with the reduced maximum acceleration or speed to increase the electric drive range.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein an amount of the reduced maximum acceleration or speed is defined by the user.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising prompting the user to select which of the maximum acceleration, maximum speed, or both is to be reduced.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein an amount of the reduced maximum power is defined by the user.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the user selected amount is a distance.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the distance has units of miles.

15. A control system for an electric vehicle comprising:

a propulsion system including a propulsion motor; and

a controller configured to,

receive a user-requested target miles increase;

responsive to the target miles increase, prompt a user to confirm a willingness to accept a reduced maximum acceleration or speed, and

responsive to user confirmation of the willingness, operate the propulsion system with the reduced maximum acceleration or speed to increase the electric drive range.

16. The control system of claim 15, wherein the propulsion motor is configured to operate at a torque and a power, and the controller is further configured to proportion available energy among torque and power.

17. The control system of claim 15 further comprising a climate system, wherein the controller is further configured to, responsive to the user confirmation of the willingness, prompt the user to confirm a willingness to accept a reduced maximum power for the climate system, and responsive to user confirmation of the willingness to accept the reduced maximum power, operate the climate system with the reduced maximum power to increase the electric drive range.

18. The control system of claim 17, wherein the climate system includes a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heating element and an air conditioning (A/C) compressor, and the controller is further configured to proportion available energy among the PTC heating element and the A/C compressor.

19. The control system of claim 15 further comprising a user interface configured to solicit the target miles increase.

20. The control system of claim 19, wherein the user interface is a graphical user interface.