Method for determining states of hybrid drive train of a vehicle

• US 8,388,492 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2008
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Kaltenbach, Johannes, Wallner, Stefan, Dreibholz, Ralf, Tenbrock, Friedrich
• Primary Examiner(s): YOUNG, EDWIN
• Application Number:
  US12/739,244
• Publication Number:
  US 20100304921A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,601 Days
• Field of Search: 477/3, 477/5, 903/930
• US Class Current: 477/3
• 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: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• 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 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/19 for achieving enhanced acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18027 Drive off, accelerating from standstill
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/035 Bringing the control units into a predefined state, e.g. giving priority to particular actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/045 Monitoring control system parameters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

A method for determining conditions of a hybrid drive train of a motor vehicle. The method determines, the actual conditions (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) of the drive train from predetermined condition parameters of the actuating device of the hybrid control. The condition parameters include whether or not a flow of force is present between a combustion engine (VM) and an electrical engine (EM), whether or not the combustion engine (VM) is operating, and whether or not a flow of force to the output is present.

Claims

1. A method of determining conditions of a hybrid drive train of a motor vehicle via an actuating device of a hybrid control for the motor vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

determining, as a first condition parameter, whether or not a first clutch that is located between a combustion engine and an electrical engine is engaged;

determining, as a second condition parameter, whether or not the combustion engine is operating;

determining, as a third condition parameter, whether or not a second clutch that is located between the electrical engine and a transmission is engaged; and

determining actual conditions (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) of the hybrid drive train from the first, the second and the third condition parameters of the hybrid control.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of

determining, as the first condition parameter, whether or not a flow of force is present between a combustion engine (VM) and an electrical engine (EM),

determining, as the second condition parameter, whether or not the combustion engine (VM) is operating, and

determining, as the third condition parameter, whether or not a flow of force to an output is present.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of determining eight actual conditions (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) of the drive train from a logical combination of the first, the second and the third condition parameters of the actuating device.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of maintaining each actual condition (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) of the drive train, determined by the first, the second and the third condition parameter of the actuating device, in dependency with an active operating function.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of storing the actual condition (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) of the drive train for a predetermined time interval.

6. The method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of establishing, for each of the first, the second and the third operating function, predetermined conditions.

7. The method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of using the determined actual condition (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) as one of a start identification and an end identification for an operating process of the active operating function.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps

determining that the hybrid drive train is in one of four 4-actual conditions when a flow of force is present between the combustion engine (VM) and the electrical engine (EM),

subsequently determining that the hybrid drive train is in one of two actual conditions when the combustion engine (VM) is operating, and

then determining the actual condition of the hybrid drive train when a flow of force to an output is present.

9. A method of determining an actual condition of hybrid drive train a motor vehicle, the hybrid drive train including a combustion engine, an electrical motor, a transmission and first and second clutches, the first clutch being located, with respect to a flow of power, between the combustion engine and the electrical motor and the second clutch being located, with respect to the flow of power, between the electrical motor and the transmission, the method comprising the steps of:

determining, as a first condition parameter, an engagement condition of the first clutch;

determining, as a second condition parameter, an operating condition of the combustion engine;

determining, as a third condition parameter, an engagement condition of the second clutch; and

considering the first, the second and the third condition parameters of the first clutch, the combustion engine and the second clutch, respectively, to determine the actual condition of the hybrid drive train.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of determining, as the first condition parameter, if the first clutch is fully engaged.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the steps of

concluding that the hybrid drive train is in a first actual condition, if the first clutch is disengaged, the combustion engine is off and the second clutch is disengaged;

concluding that the hybrid drive train is in a second actual condition, if the first clutch is disengaged, the combustion engine is running and the second clutch is disengaged;

concluding that the hybrid drive train is in a third actual condition, if the first clutch is engaged, the combustion engine is off and the second clutch is disengaged;

concluding that the hybrid drive train is in a fourth actual condition, if the first clutch is engaged, the combustion engine is running and the second clutch is disengaged;

concluding that the hybrid drive train is in a fifth actual condition, if the first clutch is disengaged, the combustion engine is off and the second clutch is engaged;

concluding that the hybrid drive train is in a sixth actual condition, if the first clutch is disengaged, the combustion engine is running and the second clutch is engaged;

concluding that the hybrid drive train is in a seventh actual condition, if the first clutch is engaged, the combustion engine is off and the second clutch is engaged; and

concluding that the hybrid drive train is in an eighth actual condition, if the first clutch is engaged, the combustion engine is running and the second clutch is engaged.