METHOD OF MANAGING POWER FLOW IN A VEHICLE

• US 20100042277A1
• Filed: 08/13/2008
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Krupadanam, Ashish S., Naik, Sanjeev M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,260,481 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/547 the transmission being a stepped gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/115 with planetary gears
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0666 Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/083 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18018 Start-stop drive, e.g. in a traffic jam
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/188 Controlling power parameters of the driveline, e.g. determining the required power
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• 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 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

A vehicle includes a powertrain system and a traffic sensing system. Power flow in the vehicle is managed by determining a present location and a trajectory of the vehicle, and determining traffic level information based on the present location and trajectory. A speed profile for the vehicle is predicted based upon the traffic level information of the vehicle and the powertrain is operated to manage power flow in the vehicle based upon on the predicted speed profile.

Claims

1. A method for managing a power flow in a vehicle including a powertrain system and a traffic sensing system, comprising:

determining a present location and a trajectory of the vehicle;

determining traffic level information based on the present location and trajectory;

predicting a speed profile for the vehicle based upon the traffic level information of the vehicle; and

operating the powertrain to manage power flow in the vehicle based upon on the predicted speed profile.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

controlling one of ignition timing and injection timing of an engine of the powertrain system based upon the predicted speed profile.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

controlling a gear ratio of a transmission of the powertrain system based upon the predicted speed profile.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

controlling torque of an electric machine of the powertrain system and torque of an engine of the powertrain system based upon the predicted speed profile.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising determining the current trajectory of the vehicle and the current location of the vehicle utilizing geographic coordinates measured by a global positioning system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining traffic level information comprises detecting vehicles utilizing a radar device of the traffic sensing system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining traffic level information comprises detecting vehicles utilizing a lidar device of the traffic sensing system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining traffic level information comprises determining a distance between the present location and a predetermined location on a travel route.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining traffic level information comprises detecting traffic in a lane adjacent to the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein predicting a speed profile for the vehicle based upon the traffic level information comprises predicting a speed profile over a predetermined time based on the traffic level information.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising predicting a powertrain output torque profile associated with the predicted speed profile.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein operating the powertrain to manage the power flow comprises managing the power flow of a hybrid electric powertrain.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

controlling torque of an electric machine of the powertrain system and torque of an engine of the powertrain system based upon the predicted powertrain output torque profile.

13. A method for managing a power flow in a vehicle including a powertrain system and a traffic sensing system, comprising:

determining a present location and a trajectory of the vehicle;

determining traffic level information of the vehicle for the present location and trajectory utilizing the traffic sensing system;

predicting a powertrain output torque profile for the vehicle based upon the traffic level information of the vehicle;

operating a non-combustion, tractive power generating device to manage power flow in the vehicle based upon on the predicted powertrain output torque profile; and

operating the powertrain to manage power flow in the vehicle based upon the predicted powertrain output torque profile.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein operating the powertrain to manage power flow in the vehicle based upon the predicted powertrain output torque profile comprises operating the powertrain to manage power flow based on a maximum torque level of the predicted powertrain output torque profile.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein determining traffic level information comprises utilizing one of a radar device, a lidar device, and a camera-based device.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

controlling one of injection timing and ignition timing of an engine of the powertrain system based upon the predicted powertrain output torque profile.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

controlling a gear ratio of a transmission of the powertrain system upon the predicted powertrain output torque profile.

19. A method for managing a power flow in a vehicle including a powertrain system including a non-combustion tractive power generating device and a traffic sensing system, comprising:

determining a present location and a trajectory of the vehicle;

determining traffic level information of the vehicle for the present location and trajectory;

predicting a speed profile for the vehicle based upon the traffic level information of the vehicle; and

operating the non-combustion, tractive power generating device to manage power flow in the vehicle based upon the predicted speed profile.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

controlling torque of the non-combustion tractive power generating device of the powertrain system and torque of an engine of the powertrain system based on the predicted speed profile.