Methods and systems for operating a vehicle driveline responsive to external conditions

• US 8,882,634 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2013
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Banker, Adam Nathan, Doering, Jeffrey Allen, Gibson, Alex O'Connor, Reed, Dennis Craig, Oshinsky, David
• Primary Examiner(s): YOUNG, EDWIN
• Application Number:
  US13/776,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20130296122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: 477/3, 477/5, 477/8, 477/167, 477/174, 477/901
• US Class Current: 477/5
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2009 for braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2081 for drive off on a slope
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/441 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/443 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/507 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/72 Charging station selection relying on external data
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/26 by pedal actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/52 drive range estimation, e.g. of estimation of available travel distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/54 Energy consumption estimation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 Preventing overcharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/18 Controlling the braking effect B60L7/12, B60L7/14, B60L7/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 8/003 Converting light into electric energy, e.g. by using photo-voltaic systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/00 Conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function for propulsion of purely electrically-propelled vehicles with power supplied within the vehicle B60L50/00 - B60L58/00
• 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 10/10 : including control of change-speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/11 : Stepped gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/115 : with planetary gears
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/196 : acting within the driveline, e.g. retarders
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 : including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• 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 20/12 : using control strategies taking into account route information estimation or calculation of non-directly measurable driving parameters B60W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/14 : in conjunction with braking regeneration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/20 : Control strategies involving selection of hybrid configuration, e.g. selection between series or parallel configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/30 : Control strategies involving selection of transmission gear ratio control of change speed gearings, together with other vehicle sub-units B60W10/10; HEV transmission gearing B60K6/36; gearings and control thereof F16H
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/40 : Controlling the engagement or disengagement of prime movers, e.g. for transition between prime movers power-up or power-down of the driveline B60W30/192
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 : Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 : Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/06 : Combustion engines, Gas turbines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/08 : Electric propulsion units
• 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 30/18027 : Drive off, accelerating from standstill
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18127 : Regenerative braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18136 : Engine braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/216 : by solar panels
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/90 : Energy harvesting concepts as power supply for auxiliaries' energy consumption, e.g. photovoltaic sun-roof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/902 : Prime movers comprising electrical and internal combustion motors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/93 : Conjoint control of different elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/946 : Characterized by control of driveline clutch
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/947 : Characterized by control of braking, e.g. blending of regeneration, friction braking

Abstract

Systems and methods for improving operation of a hybrid vehicle are presented. In one example, external data are a basis for operating a driveline disconnect clutch. For example, a vehicle destination may be a basis for opening a driveline disconnect clutch and beginning to discharging an energy storage device so that fewer hydrocarbons may be consumed by the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for operating a hybrid vehicle, comprising:

operating a driveline disconnect clutch in response to a vehicle destination.

2. The method of claim 1, where operating the driveline disconnect clutch includes opening the driveline disconnect clutch in response to information that a charging device is available at the vehicle destination.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising stopping an engine and reducing an amount of charge stored in an energy storage device in response to an estimate of energy the hybrid vehicle driveline will use to reach the vehicle destination.

4. The method of claim 3, where the amount of charge is reduced via operating a driveline integrated starter/generator.

5. The method of claim 1, where operating the driveline disconnect clutch includes closing the driveline disconnect clutch in response to information indicating that a charging device is not available at the destination.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising closing the driveline disconnect clutch and charging an energy storage device in response to a location of the vehicle destination.

7. A method for operating a hybrid vehicle, comprising:

receiving driving route information at a controller; and

selectively operating a driveline disconnect clutch in response to the driving route information.

8. The method of claim 7, where the driving route information includes whether or not a charging station is available at a destination, and where selectively operating the driveline disconnect clutch includes opening the driveline disconnect clutch in response to an amount of energy the hybrid vehicle is expected to consume to reach the destination.

9. The method of claim 7, where the driving route information includes an indication of a downhill grade, and where the driveline disconnect clutch is held open in response to the indication of the downhill grade.

10. The method of claim 7, where the driving route information is stored in the controller from a previous trip over the driving route.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising accessing the driving route information based on a present route of a vehicle and opening or closing the driveline disconnect clutch in response to availability of charging facilities at a destination.

12. The method of claim 7, where selectively operating the driveline disconnect clutch includes opening and closing the driveline disconnect clutch in response to a number of expected vehicle stops during a driving routes.

13. The method of claim 7, where selectively operating the driveline disconnect clutch includes opening and closing the driveline disconnect clutch in response to a number of moving vehicle accelerations not including vehicle accelerations from vehicle stop.

14. The method of claim 7, where selectively operating the driveline disconnect clutch includes opening and closing the driveline disconnect clutch in response to a number of vehicle accelerations from vehicle stop.

15. The method of claim 7, where the driving route information includes road grade information, and further comprising storing charge in an electric energy storage device in response to the driving route information.

16. A method for operating a hybrid vehicle, comprising:

assessing a state of charge (SOC) of an electric energy storage device;

receiving driving route information at a controller; and

scheduling charging the electrical energy storage device at a first location in response to the SOC and the driving route information before reaching the first location.

17. The method of claim 16, where the hybrid vehicle receives driving route information from a different vehicle other than the hybrid vehicle.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising operating a driveline disconnect clutch in response to the driving route information.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising updating the scheduling of the charging of the electric energy storage device in response to a change in driving conditions.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising scheduling discharging of the electrical energy storage device at a second location before reaching the second location.