Control of a vehicle powertrain
First Claim
1. A method of controlling a powertrain of a hybrid electric vehicle, the powertrain including an electric motor and an internal combustion engine which supply torque in varying contributions to a transmission, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a fuzzy controller utilizing fuzzy logic operating means comprising fuzzy rules;
b) representing a fuel flow rate controlling output and a motor current controlling output as a function of a drive demand input signal and a powertrain speed input signal;
c) using said fuzzy rules to relate the drive demand input signal and the powertrain speed input signal to said outputs;
d) defining a set of input reference points for each input signal which varies over time, said sets together forming an input reference grid;
e) defining an output map over the input reference grid, said map relating each output value to the input values, interpolating within the output map using the input reference grid to obtain an actual output value corresponding to a pair of actual input values;
f) distinguishing driving points in the input reference grid which have a greater effect in powertrain performance, from following points in the input reference grid which have a lesser effect on powertrain performance;
g) adjusting the values in the output map corresponding to the driving points in the input reference map;
h) adjusting the values in the output map corresponding to the following points in the input reference map in order to obtain a desired relationship between said contributions;
i) replacing the actual output value with an altered value corresponding to the adjusted values in steps g) and h).
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A controller 20 for a vehicle powertrain, the powertrain comprising an electric motor 16 powered by a battery and an engine 14 powered by fossil fuel. The engine 14 is typically an internal combustion petrol engine. The controller 20 is operative to use maps stored in memory to control the torque contributions from the engine and the motor so as to maintain a desired relationship between the contributions of the electric motor 16 and the engine 14 towards the powering of the vehicle, and the controller is adaptive in that it is arranged to adapt said maps by altering one or more values stored therein to obtain a desired relationship.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method of controlling a powertrain of a hybrid electric vehicle, the powertrain including an electric motor and an internal combustion engine which supply torque in varying contributions to a transmission, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) providing a fuzzy controller utilizing fuzzy logic operating means comprising fuzzy rules; b) representing a fuel flow rate controlling output and a motor current controlling output as a function of a drive demand input signal and a powertrain speed input signal; c) using said fuzzy rules to relate the drive demand input signal and the powertrain speed input signal to said outputs; d) defining a set of input reference points for each input signal which varies over time, said sets together forming an input reference grid; e) defining an output map over the input reference grid, said map relating each output value to the input values, interpolating within the output map using the input reference grid to obtain an actual output value corresponding to a pair of actual input values; f) distinguishing driving points in the input reference grid which have a greater effect in powertrain performance, from following points in the input reference grid which have a lesser effect on powertrain performance; g) adjusting the values in the output map corresponding to the driving points in the input reference map; h) adjusting the values in the output map corresponding to the following points in the input reference map in order to obtain a desired relationship between said contributions; i) replacing the actual output value with an altered value corresponding to the adjusted values in steps g) and h). - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A controller for a powertrain where the powertrain comprises a transmission, an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, where the engine and the motor supply torque in a varying contribution to the transmission, a battery providing an energy resource for the electric motor and a fuel supply providing an energy resource for the internal combustion engine;
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the controller comprising a measuring means for measuring the ratio in which the fuel supply and the battery are used; and a memory having a plurality of stored maps comprising a plurality of values stored therein with at least one value obtained from the measuring means; wherein the controller can adapt the maps by updating one or more of the plurality of stored values with one or more altered values to reach a desired relationship between the contributions and then replacing said one or more stored values with said altered values. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A fuzzy logic controller for a powertrain where the powertrain comprises a transmission, an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, where the engine and the motor supply torque in varying contributions to the transmission, a battery providing an energy resource for the electric motor and a fuel supply providing an energy resource for the internal combustion engine;
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the controller, operating by means of fuzzy logic, comprising a measuring means for measuring the ratio in which the fuel supply and the battery are used; a memory having a plurality of stored maps comprising a plurality of values stored therein with at least one value obtained from the measuring means; a plurality of fuzzy rules, for use within the fuzzy logic, which relate a drive demand input signal and a powertrain speed input signal to at least one output signal where the output signal acts to control the contributions; and a set of input reference points defined for each input signal which varies over time, said sets together forming an input reference grid; wherein said fuzzy rules are combined in such a way that an output map having output values is defined over the input reference grid, said map relating each output value to the input signals with an actual output value, corresponding to a pair of actual input signals, being found by interpolation within the output map using the input reference grid; and the controller can adapt the maps by updating one or more of the plurality of stored values with one or more altered values, while maintaining a constant output torque, to reach a desired relationship between the contributions and then replacing the one or more stored values with said altered values. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. A method of controlling the powertrain of a hybrid electric vehicle, the powertrain having a transmission, an internal combustion engine and an electric motor which supply torque in a varying contributions to the transmission, a battery providing an energy resource for the electric motor and a fuel supply providing an energy resource for the internal combustion engine, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) defining a desired relationship between the contributions of the motor and the engine; b) measuring the ratio in which the fuel supply and the battery are used by the steps of; (i) defining a performance measurement function in terms of said battery current and said fuel flow rates; (ii) measuring an instantaneous value of said battery current; (iii) measuring an instantaneous value of said fuel flow rate; (iv) combining said instantaneous values using said performance measurement function to obtain an instantaneous value of said performance measurement function; (v) repeating steps (ii), (iii) and (iv) to produce a number of instantaneous values of said function; and (vi) combining the instantaneous values of said function to produce a moving average value of said function; c) providing a controller to interpret and adjust the measured ratio with the aid of a plurality of stored maps, each stored map having a plurality of values stored therein; and d) adapting the maps by updating one or more of the plurality of values stored therein with one or more altered values to obtain a desired relationship between the contributions and then replacing the one or more stored values with said altered values. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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24. A method of controlling the powertrain of a hybrid electric vehicle, the powertrain having a transmission, an internal combustion engine and an electric motor which supply torque in varying contributions to the transmission, a battery providing an energy resource for the electric motor and a fuel supply providing an energy resource for the internal combustion engine, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) defining a desired relationship between the contributions of the motor and the engine; b) measuring the ratio in which the fuel supply and the battery are used by observing a fuel flow rate to the internal combustion engine and a battery current to the electric motor; c) providing a controller to interpret and adjust the measured ratio with the aid of more than one stored maps, each stored map having a plurality of values stored therein; and d) adapting the maps by updating one or more of the plurality of values stored therein with one or more altered values to obtain a desired relationship between the contributions and then replacing the one or more stored values with said altered values.
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Specification