Vehicle Propulsion Systems And Methods

• US 20180057001A1
• Filed: 08/25/2016
• Published: 03/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Hu, Yiran, Muldoon, Steven E., Kang, Jun-mo, Chang, Chen-fang, Li, Dongxu, Zhao, Junfeng, Sim, Jay H.
• Granted Patent: US 10,081,360 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 37/00 Dashboards as road-vehicle superstructure sub-units B62D25/14
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0236 for economical driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/11 Stepped gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0644 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0666 Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/103 Speed profile
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18018 Start-stop drive, e.g. in a traffic jam
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18027 Drive off, accelerating from standstill
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18072 Coasting
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/181 Preparing for stopping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18154 Approaching an intersection
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/182 Selecting between different operative modes, e.g. comfort and performance modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/1882 characterised by the working point of the engine, e.g. by using engine output chart
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/04 : Traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 : Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 : Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/16 : Tactile feedback to the driver, e.g. vibration or force feedback to the driver on the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/1412 : using a predictive controller
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/12 : for deceleration F02D41/0005, F02D41/107 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/123 : the fuel injection being cut-off
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0837 : Environmental conditions thereof, e.g. traffic, weather or road conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/123 : Information about vehicle position, e.g. from navigation systems or GPS signals
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/125 : Information about other vehicles, traffic lights or traffic congestion
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 : exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0137 : for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 : having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096805 : where the transmitted instructions are used to compute a route
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 : Engine management systems

Abstract

A vehicle engine system includes a combustion engine configured to provide a propulsion torque to satisfy a propulsion demand in response to a driver input. The engine system also includes a controller programmed to receive data indicative of at least one upcoming driving event, and issue a command to impart a predetermined velocity profile based on the upcoming driving event. The predetermined velocity profile is arranged to optimize a performance attribute of the combustion engine and preempt the driver input.

Claims

1. A vehicle engine system comprising:

a combustion engine configured to provide a propulsion torque to satisfy a propulsion demand in response to a driver input; and

a controller programmed to receive data indicative of at least one upcoming driving event, and issue a command to impart a predetermined velocity profile based on the upcoming driving event, wherein the predetermined velocity profile is arranged to optimize a performance attribute of the combustion engine and preempt the driver input.

2. The vehicle engine system of claim 1 wherein the at least one upcoming drive event is a traffic creep condition and the predetermined velocity profile limits a vehicle acceleration based on movement of at least one preceding vehicle.

3. The vehicle engine system of claim 1 wherein the at least one upcoming driving event is a stopping event, and the predetermined velocity profile is configured to minimize fuel consumption during a vehicle deceleration toward the stopping event.

4. The vehicle engine system of claim 1 wherein the at least one upcoming driving event is a congested traffic flow condition and the received data is a broadcast homogenous speed, and wherein the predetermined velocity profile limits vehicle speed to be less than the broadcast homogeneous speed.

5. The vehicle engine system of claim 1 wherein the at least one upcoming drive event is a change in an intersection condition, and the controller is further programmed to deactivate the engine in response to a forecasted duration at an intersection that is greater than a predetermined time threshold.

6. The vehicle engine system of claim 5 wherein the controller is further programmed to generate the forecasted duration at the intersection based on a pedestrian traversal speed across the intersection.

7. The vehicle engine system of claim 1 wherein the controller is further programmed to generate a user display indicative of at least one of a target RPM and a target vehicle speed corresponding to the predetermined velocity profile.

8. A method of controlling a vehicle propulsion system comprising:

receiving a driver input indicative of torque demand;

receiving data indicative of at least one of static route data and dynamic route data;

forecasting an upcoming driving event based on the received data; and

adjusting an engine output torque to optimize a performance parameter according to a selected propulsion mode and preempt the driver input.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein adjusting an output torque of the engine includes imparting a predetermined torque profile based on the upcoming driving event.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the upcoming driving event is a vehicle stopping event and the predetermined torque profile causes operation of the engine substantially near an ideal operating point.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the dynamic route data includes information regarding a traffic creep condition and the predetermined torque profile limits a vehicle acceleration based on movement of a preceding vehicle.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the dynamic route data includes information regarding a traffic flow condition and the predetermined torque profile is based on operating the engine to synchronize vehicle speed with a traffic flow speed.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the dynamic route data includes a broadcast homogeneous speed target.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising providing an indicator to a driver for at least one of a target speed and the target RPM corresponding to the predetermined torque profile.

15. The method of claim 8 further wherein adjusting the engine output includes at least one of (i) cutting off a fuel supply during deceleration, (ii) modifying a transmission gear ratio shift schedule, and (iii) deactivating at least one cylinder of the engine.

16. A vehicle comprising:

a combustion engine to provide a propulsion torque to satisfy a driver propulsion demand;

at least one sensor to detect an object within a vicinity of the vehicle; and

a controller programmed to

detect an intersection condition prompting the vehicle to stop,

detect a presence of a moving object in a vicinity of the vehicle,

calculate a first duration of time that the moving object will remain within the vicinity while the vehicle is stopped, and

deactivate the engine in response to the duration of time being greater than a predetermined time threshold.

17. The vehicle of claim 16 wherein the controller is further programmed to detect an intersection condition by at least one of communicating with a traffic device and detecting a traffic sign.

18. The vehicle of claim 17 wherein the controller is further programmed to calculate an upcoming second duration of time when the vehicle will remain stopped based on communication with a traffic device, and deactivate the engine based on the greater of the first duration of time and the second duration of time.

19. An engine control system for a combustion engine of a motor vehicle, the combustion engine being configured to output torque in response to driver input indicative of a propulsion demand, the engine control system comprising:

a controller programmed to receive data indicative of at least one upcoming driving event, and generate user guidance according to a predetermined torque profile based on the upcoming driving event, wherein the predetermined torque profile is adapted to optimize a performance attribute of the combustion engine and the user guidance instructs a driver of driving actions to adhere to the predetermined torque profile.

20. The engine control system of claim 19 wherein user guidance is a user display indicative of at least one of a target RPM and a target vehicle speed corresponding to the predetermined torque profile.

21. The engine control system of claim 19 wherein the user guidance is a haptic feedback to a driver.

22. The engine control system of claim 19 wherein the user guidance is an audible message instructing a driver to perform a particular behavior.