Methods and apparatus for dynamic powertrain management

• US 8,386,091 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2011
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kristinsson, Johannes Geir, McGee, Ryan Abraham, Tseng, Fling, Filev, Dimitar Petrov, Phillips, Anthony Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARC-COLEMAN, MARTHE Y
• Application Number:
  US13/103,539
• Publication Number:
  US 20110270468A1
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 701/123, 701/1, 701/33, 701/36, 701/213, 701/65, 701/99, 701/43, 701/54, 701/48, 701/101, 701/110, 701/70, 705/13, 180/338, 709/203, 709/208, 709/212, 709/213, 709217-219, 709/238, 709/248, 714/4.1, 7311452-11454
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/046 involving external transmission of data to or from the vehicle, e.g. via telemetry, satellite, Global Positioning System [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/55 using telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18 Propelling the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

A computer-implemented method includes determining that a vehicle powertrain feature is engaged. The method further includes relaying, to a remote computing source, a request for a computation to be performed relating to the engaged powertrain feature. The method additionally includes receiving a result of the computation at a vehicle computing system and transferring the result of the computation to a powertrain for use in controlling the powertrain feature.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a requested powertrain control strategy at a vehicle computing system (VCS), including high-level directives for an upcoming route portion, which provide varying guidance for powertrain control under a variety of potential vehicle states; and

utilizing the VCS to automatically control a powertrain based at least in part on a present vehicle state and the strategy aspects coincident with the state, including devising and implementing control-level commands for the powertrain.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the powertrain control strategy is a cruise control optimization strategy.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the cruise control optimization strategy includes a fuel usage optimization strategy.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the fuel usage optimization strategy includes instructing the cruise control to deviate from a set speed.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, relaying one or more pieces of vehicle data usable in devising the optimization strategy.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the vehicle data includes a vehicle route.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the method further includes predicting a vehicle route if no route is currently available for relaying to the remote source.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a change in the state of the vehicle;

and

initiating a new session with the remote computing source to receive a new powertrain control strategy based at least in part on the change in vehicle state.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising repeating the requesting, receiving and utilizing steps periodically over the course of a route until at least one of a destination is reached or the powertrain feature is disabled.

10. A system comprising:

a vehicle computing system (VCS) operable to communicate with at least a remote server to obtain cloud based computing services;

wherein the VCS is configured to receive a requested powertrain control optimization strategy, including high-level directives for an upcoming route portion, which provide varying guidance for powertrain control under a variety of potential vehicle states, and

wherein the VCS is further configured to automatically control a powertrain based at least in part on a present vehicle state and the strategy aspects coincident with the state, including being configured to devise and implement control-level commands for the powertrain.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the powertrain control strategy is a cruise control optimization strategy.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the cruise control optimization strategy includes a fuel usage optimization strategy.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the vehicle computing system is configured to relay one or more pieces of vehicle data usable in devising the one or more optimization strategies.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the vehicle data includes vehicle route information.

15. A computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause a vehicle computing system to perform the method comprising:

receiving a requested powertrain control strategy at a vehicle computing system (VCS), including high-level directives for an upcoming route portion, which providing provide varying guidance for powertrain control under a variety of potential vehicle states; and

utilizing the VCS to automatically control a powertrain based at least in part on a present vehicle state and the strategy aspects coincident with the state, including devising and implementing control-level commands for the powertrain.

16. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein the powertrain control strategy is a cruise control optimization strategy.

17. The storage medium of claim 16, wherein the cruise control optimization strategy includes a fuel usage optimization strategy.