Control system for a vehicle having two axle drive devices and method for operating a control system

• US 8,812,182 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2011
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dr Ing hc F Porsche AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Dr Ing hc F Porsche AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Hennings, Stephan, Unger, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): BEHNCKE, CHRISTINE M
• Application Number:
  US13/012,872
• Publication Number:
  US 20110196555A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,302 Days
• Field of Search: 701/82, 701/89, 701/22, 701/36, 701/37, 703/8, 180/65.21, 180/65.25, 180/65.265, 180/242
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/356 having fluid or electric motor, for driving one or more wheels disposition of motor in, or adjacent to, traction wheel B60K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/30 characterised by chargeable mechanical accumulators, e.g. flywheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/52 Driving a plurality of drive axles, e.g. four-wheel drive
• 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 2540/215 Selection or confirmation of options
• 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 50/082 Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/085 Changing the parameters of the control units, e.g. changing limit values, working points by control input
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

A control system (1) for a vehicle (10) with two axle drive devices (5, 12) has an engine control device (28) for controlling a first axle drive device (5) for driving a first axle of the vehicle (10) by a connected combustion engine (14) in a two-wheel drive mode and by a four-wheel drive mode. The control system (1) also has a control device (26) for controlling a second electric axle drive device (12) for driving a second axle of the vehicle in a four-wheel drive mode. The control device (26) is connected to the engine control device (28) for passing on at least one characteristic diagram to the engine control device (28).

Claims

1. A method for operating a control system of a vehicle, the control system having an engine control device for controlling a first axle drive device by means of a connected combustion engine to drive a first axle of the vehicle, and an electric axle control device for controlling a second electric axle drive device to drive a second axle of the vehicle, the method comprising:

simulating travel of the vehicle on the route in a two-wheel drive mode in which only the first axle is driven, and then in a four-wheel drive mode in which both axles are driven for determining a route section suitable for a four-wheel drive mode in which the vehicle axles are driven by the first and second axle drive devices;

comparing the simulations for the two-wheel drive mode and the four-wheel drive mode;

determining a route section in which the vehicle passes more quickly in the simulation in the four-wheel drive mode than in the two-wheel drive mode; and

storing the route section for the four-wheel drive mode and at least one characteristic diagram for driving the first axle drive device in the four-wheel drive mode;

calling the characteristic diagram by the electric axle control device when the second axle drive device is actuated by the electric axle control device to drive the second axle; and

passing the characteristic diagram to the engine control device for the controlling the first axle drive device on the basis of the characteristic diagram to drive the first axle.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

traveling along either a previously travelled route or a route specified by a GPS system with the vehicle while the engine control device controls the first axle drive device for driving the first vehicle axle;

determining on the basis of either the previous travel on the route or GPS data for the route whether a route section is present that is suitable for an additional drive of the second axle drive device;

actuating the second axle drive device by the control device if such a route section is present for driving the second vehicle axle;

having the control device call the at least one characteristic diagram assigned to the route section; and

passing the characteristic diagram to the engine control device for controlling the first axle drive device on the basis of the at least one characteristic diagram in the four-wheel drive mode.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic diagram depends on a lambda value.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a load point of the internal combustion engine is raised based on the characteristic diagram in a four-wheel drive mode in which the first and second axle drive devices drive the first and second axles.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the control device controls the second axle drive device in the four-wheel drive mode so that the second axle drive device operates the second vehicle axle in a generator mode.