KNOWN ROUTE HV CONTROL COMPENSATION

• US 20140257608A1
• Filed: 03/05/2013
• Published: 09/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Dufford, Mohammad E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,266,529 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/12 using control strategies taking into account route information estimation or calculation of non-directly measurable driving parameters B60W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/40 Controlling the engagement or disengagement of prime movers, e.g. for transition between prime movers power-up or power-down of the driveline B60W30/192
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/93 Conjoint control of different elements

Abstract

A system and method for optimizing a fuel efficiency of a hybrid vehicle by learning from a route history. The system may be a hybrid vehicle including an engine, a motor-generator, a battery, a battery module, a GPS unit, a memory, and a processor. The method may include detecting a current route of the hybrid vehicle, calculating a confidence value corresponding to a probability that the current route has a match in the route history, detecting a battery state of charge (SOC), determining a target SOC based on the confidence value and the route history, and adjusting an engine start/stop threshold and/or an engine power request to achieve the target SOC. They system may learn and improve fuel efficiency over successive trips along the route.

Claims

1. A system for optimizing fuel efficiency of a hybrid vehicle comprising:

an engine;

a motor-generator;

a battery connected to the motor-generator, and configured to be recharged by the engine through the motor-generator;

a route identification module configured to detect a current route;

a memory for storing a route history; and

a processor configured to control the engine based on an engine start/stop threshold, to control the engine to recharge the battery based on an engine power request, to determine a state of charge (SOC) of the battery, to determine a target SOC based on comparing the current route with the route history, and to adjust the engine start/stop threshold and/or the engine power request based on the target SOC.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the route identification module calculates a confidence value corresponding to a probability of the current route having a match in the route history and the processor further adjusts the engine start/stop threshold and/or the engine power request based on the confidence value.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor does not adjust the engine start/stop threshold and/or the engine power request when the confidence value is below a confidence threshold.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the route identification module updates the route history by storing the current route and the SOC.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor further adjusts the engine start/stop threshold and/or the engine power request to avoid an SOC overflow.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor further adjusts the engine start/stop threshold and/or the engine power request to avoid a force charge.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor further adjusts the engine start/stop threshold and/or the engine power request to minimize a system loss.

8. A hybrid vehicle comprising:

an engine;

a motor-generator;

a battery connected to the motor-generator, and configured to be recharged by the engine through the motor-generator;

a battery module configured to determine a state of charge (SOC) of the battery;

a route identification module configured to detect a current route;

a memory for storing a route history; and

a processor configured to control the engine based on an engine start/stop threshold, to control the engine to recharge the battery based on an engine power request, to determine a target SOC based on comparing the current route with the route history, and to adjust the engine start/stop threshold and/or the engine power request based on the target SOC.

9. The hybrid vehicle of claim 8, wherein the route history includes an SOC history.

10. The hybrid vehicle of claim 9, wherein the route identification module updates the route history by storing the route and updates the SOC history by storing the SOC.

11. The hybrid vehicle of claim 8, wherein the processor further adjusts the engine start/stop threshold and/or the engine power request based on a feed forward adjustment.

12. The hybrid vehicle of claim 11, wherein the feed forward adjustment is based on a current grade.

13. The hybrid vehicle of claim 11, wherein the feed forward adjustment is based on a current traffic condition.

14. The hybrid vehicle of claim 8, wherein the route identification module requests a confirmation that the current route matches the route.

15. A method for optimizing fuel efficiency of a hybrid vehicle comprising:

detecting a current route of the hybrid vehicle;

calculating a confidence value corresponding to a probability that the current route matches a route in a route history;

detecting a battery state of charge (SOC);

determining a target SOC based on the confidence value and the route; and

adjusting an engine start/stop threshold to achieve the target SOC.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising adjusting an engine power request to achieve the target SOC.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the determining the target SOC is further based on avoiding an SOC overflow or a forced charge predicted by the route.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the determining the target SOC is further based on minimizing a system loss predicted by the route.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising updating the route history by storing the current route and the SOC.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the route history further comprises at least one of an altitude, a grade, a vehicle speed, and a vehicle acceleration.