Method for actuating the cruise control function in a vehicle equipped with hybrid driving, especially an industrial or commercial vehicle

• US 9,174,635 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2011
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iveco SPA (Iveco Group NV)
• Original Assignee: Iveco SPA (Iveco Group NV)
• Inventors: Boot, Marco Aimo
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Tuan C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, ISAAC G
• Application Number:
  US13/990,568
• Publication Number:
  US 20130245912A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,428 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 701/93, 180/179, 180/65.225
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2310/00 Arrangements, adaptations or methods for cruise controls
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2310/30 Mode switching, e.g. changing from one cruise control mode to another
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• 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 20/15 Control strategies specially adapted for achieving a particular effect
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/10 Weight
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake 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 2710/105 Output torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/143 Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/182 Selecting between different operative modes, e.g. comfort and performance modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/902 Prime movers comprising electrical and internal combustion motors

Abstract

The present invention describes a method for actuating the cruise control function in a vehicle equipped with hybrid driving, comprising at least a primary driving and an electric driving. The method comprises the steps of: —cyclic check of the possibility of activation of the cruise control function; if positive—activation of the electric driving of the type “electric cruise-control” (ElCC), and deactivation of the primary driving, if a cyclic check of the conditions of activation of the electric driving is positive; otherwise—activation of the primary driving of the type “engine cruise-cruise control” (EnCC), and deactivation of the electric driving.

Claims

1. Method for actuating the cruise control function in a vehicle equipped with hybrid driving, especially an industrial or commercial vehicle, said hybrid driving comprising at least a primary driving and an electric driving, the method comprising the steps of:

cyclic check of the possibility of activation of said cruise control function, wherein said cyclic check of the possibility of activation of the cruise control function comprises;

check if the vehicle'"'"'s speed exceeds a speed threshold value (VS);

check if the vehicle is moving forward;

if positive

activation of said electric driving of the type “

electric cruise-control”

(ElCC), and deactivation of said primary driving, if a cyclic check of the conditions of activation of the electric driving is positive, wherein said cyclic check of the activation conditions of the electric driving comprises;

if a road slope is lower than a slope threshold value (Pmax);

if a target speed (Vset) set for the activation of the cruise control function is lower than a speed threshold value (Vmax);

if the state of charge (SOC) of the driving battery of said electric driving is higher than a state of charge threshold value (SOC_s);

if an instant power required to said electric driving is lower than a power limit value P_LIMIT-Mot deliverable by said electric driving

wherein the state of charge threshold value (SOCs) and one or more values of said slope threshold values (Pmax), speed threshold value (Vmax), deliverable power limit value (P_LIMIT-Mot), are variable within respective tolerated percentage variations around the respective values;

otherwise

activation of said primary driving of the type “

engine cruise-cruise control”

(EnCC), and deactivation of said electric driving;

wherein when said cruise control function is actuated, said vehicle is configured to transition between “

electric cruise-control”

(ElCC) and “

engine cruise-cruise control”

(EnCC) without combining “

electric cruise-control”

(ElCC) and “

engine cruise-cruise control”

(EnCC).

2. Method for actuating the cruise control function according to claim 1, wherein the tolerated percentage variation SOC_Hyst of the battery state of charge (SOCs) is variable as a function of indications and data deriving from a vehicular navigation system (NS) of the three-dimensional type, comprising both an instant and a predictive road slope indication, and an indication of the weight of the vehicle.

3. Method for actuating the cruise control function according to claim 1, wherein when said primary driving of the type “

engine cruise-control”

(EnCC) is enabled, said electric driving is controlled so that it provides a negative torque in order to decelerate the vehicle when the speed exceeds said target speed value (Vset).

4. An industrial or commercial vehicle, comprising a hybrid driving system comprising at least a primary driving (1), an electric driving (2), at least a clutch (3) between said primary and electric driving, and an automated manual transmission (6), and comprising control means configured to realize the method according to claim 1.

5. Method for actuating the cruise control function according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said speed threshold values (Vmax), of battery state of charge (SOCs), of the threshold speed (VS), is variable as a function of indications and data deriving from a vehicular navigation system (NS) of the three-dimensional type, comprising both an instant and a predictive road slope indication, and an indication of the weight of the vehicle.