Drivetrain controller for a motor vehicle with at least two power units and a gear-box

• US 7,017,692 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2001
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Probst, Gregor, Gutknecht-Stöhr, Florian, Rampeltshammer, Martin, Grassl, Georg
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SWENSON, BRIAN L
• Application Number:
  US10/381,896
• Publication Number:
  US 20040035618A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,650 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.1, 180/65.2, 180/65.3, 180/65.4, 180/65.6, 180/65.7
• US Class Current: 180/65.25
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2006/268 Electric drive motor starts the engine, i.e. used as starter motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/485 Motor-assist type
• 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 2250/26 by pedal actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/12 of exhaust
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/26 Controlling the braking effect
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• 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 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• 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 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/00 Purposes of road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub-unit, e.g. of systems using conjoint control of vehicle sub-units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18072 Coasting
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/1819 : Propulsion control with control means using analogue circuits, relays or mechanical links
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/188 : Controlling power parameters of the driveline, e.g. determining the required power
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

A torque set value is determined in a pedal interpretation unit (20) from a parameter which characterizes the drivers command. Operating parameters for the vehicle are evaluated and classified in a driver and situation recognition unit (21). A set operating status for the drivetrain is fixed in a status manager (22), depending upon the torque set value and the output signals from the driver and situation recognition unit. Control signals for remote control units (2, 5, 8) for the drive units and for the gearbox (7) are then generated in a torque manager (23), dependent upon the torque set value and the set operating status.

Claims

1. A drivetrain controller for a motor vehicle, the motor vehicle including an energy store and a drivetrain having two drive units and a gearbox, said drivetrain controller comprising:

decentralized control units for generating setting signals for the two drive units and the gearbox of the drivetrain;

a pedal interpretation unit for receiving a driver command parameter characterizing a driver'"'"'s command and determining a torque set value in response to the driver command parameter;

a status manager having a plurality of stored set operating states for the drivetrain, each of said plurality of stored set operating states being associated with control signals characterizing said each of said plurality of stored set operating states, said status manager receiving a signal indicating a charge state of the energy store and being connected to said pedal interpretation unit for selecting a selected set operating state from said plurality of set operating states for the drivetrain in response to the torque set value and the charge state of the energy store; and

a torque manager connected to said status manager and said pedal interpretation unit for controlling each of the decentralized control units in response to the torque set value and the control signals associated with the selected set operating state for the drivetrain.

2. The drivetrain controller of claim 1, further comprising a driver and situation recognition unit for evaluating and classifying operating parameters of the vehicle, said status manager connected to the driver and situation recognition unit wherein said status manager selects the selected set operating state of the drivetrain in response to the torque set value, the charger state of the energy store, and the output signals of the driver and situation recognition unit.

3. The drivetrain controller of claim 1, wherein said status manager further comprises a configuration recognizer arranged and dimensioned for detecting a configuration of the drivetrain and generating a signal in accordance with the detected configuration of the drive train, said status manager inhibiting or releasing a subset of said plurality of set operating states of the drivetrain from being selected in response to the configuration recognizer.

4. The drivetrain controller of claim 1, wherein said decentralized control units generate setting signals for an internal combustion engine and an electric motor.

5. The drivetrain controller of claim 4, wherein the drivetrain of the motor vehicle includes a clutch, a first operating state of said plurality of set operating states comprising a “

freewheeling”

set operating state, the decentralized control units generating a setting signal to open the clutch in the drivetrain of the motor vehicle in the “

freewheeling”

set operating state.

6. The drivetrain controller of claim 5, wherein a second operating state of said plurality of set operating states comprises an “

extended freewheeling”

set operating state, the decentralized control units generating a setting signal to switch off the internal combustion engine in the “

extended freewheeling”

set operating state.

7. The drivetrain controller of claim 4, a first operating state of said plurality of set operating states comprises a “

start”

set operating state, the decentralized control units generating a setting signal to start the internal combustion engine in the “

start”

set operating state.

8. The drivetrain controller of claim 7, wherein the drivetrain of the motor vehicle includes a clutch, a second operating state of said plurality of set operating states comprising a “

freewheeling”

set operating state, the decentralized control units generating a setting signal to open the clutch in the drivetrain of the motor vehicle in the “

freewheeling”

set operating state.

9. The drivetrain controller of claim 8, wherein a third operating state of said plurality of set operating states comprises an “

extended freewheeling”

set operating state, the decentralized control units generating a setting signal to switch off the internal combustion engine in the “

extended freewheeling”

set operating state.

10. The drivetrain controller of claim 9, wherein the motor vehicle includes an accelerator pedal, said status manager comprising means for initiating a switch from the “

extended freewheeling”

set operating state to the “

start”

set operating state in response to a depression of the accelerator pedal.

11. The drivetrain controller of claim 9, wherein the motor vehicle includes a brake pedal, said status manager comprising means for initiating a switch from the “

extended freewheeling”

set operating state to the “

start”

set operating state in response to a release of the brake pedal.

12. The drivetrain controller of claim 9, wherein the motor vehicle includes a selector lever for the gearbox having a neutral position and at least one other position, said status manager comprising means for initiating a switch from the “

extended freewheeling”

set operating state to the “

start”

set operating state in response to movement of the selector lever from the neutral position.

13. The drivetrain controller of claim 9, wherein said status manager comprises means for initiating a switch from the “

extended freewheeling”

set operating state to the “

start”

set operating state when the charge state of the energy store falls below a threshold value.

14. The drivetrain controller of claim 9, further comprising a driver and situation recognition unit for evaluating and classifying operating parameters of the vehicle including a topology of the route being traveled, wherein said status manager comprises means for initiating a switch from the “

extended freewheeling”

set operating state to the “

start”

set operating state in response to the charge state of the energy store and the topology of the route being traveled.