Methods and systems for a vehicle driveline

• US 9,421,976 B2
• Filed: 11/11/2014
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• 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: Doering, Jeffrey Allen, Gibson, Alex O'Connor, Pietron, Gregory Michael, McCallum, James William Loch, Fujii, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Wright, Dirk
• Application Number:
  US14/538,713
• Publication Number:
  US 20150065298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/28 characterised by arrangement, location, or type of power take-off
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2006/4825 Electric machine connected or connectable to gearbox input shaft
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/52 Driving a plurality of drive axles, e.g. four-wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/023 Fluid clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/026 of lock-up 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 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/10 Controlling the power contribution of each of the prime movers to meet required power demand
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/13 in order to stay within battery power input or output limits; in order to prevent overcharging or battery depletion
• 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 2510/1005 Transmission ratio engaged
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/403 between front and rear axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/16 Ratio selector position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/021 Clutch engagement state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/024 of torque converter lock-up clutch
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/027 : Clutch torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/065 : Idle condition
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/083 : Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/02 : Control of vehicle driving stability
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18 : Propelling the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18018 : Start-stop drive, e.g. in a traffic jam
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18045 : Rocking, i.e. fast change between forward and reverse
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18063 : Creeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/92 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2300/188 : Controlling power parameters of the driveline, e.g. determining the required power
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2300/42 : Control of clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2300/421 : Control of lock-up type clutches, e.g. in a torque converter
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2300/43 : Control of engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2300/60 : Control of electric machines, e.g. problems related to electric motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 3/00 : Liquid cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/065 : at hot start or restart F02D41/067 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/003 : said electric motor being also used as a drive for auxiliaries, e.g. for driving transmission pumps or fuel pumps during engine stop
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/04 : the motors being associated with current generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0833 : Vehicle conditions F02N11/0822, F02N11/0825 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/084 : State of vehicle accessories, e.g. air condition or power steering
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/124 : Information about road conditions, e.g. road inclination or surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 : Engine management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 477/90 : Control signal is vehicle weight
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/916 : with plurality of drive axles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/93 : Conjoint control of different elements

Abstract

Systems and methods for improving operation of a hybrid vehicle are presented. In one example, driveline disconnect clutch operation is adjusted in response to vehicle mass so that the vehicle may operate similarly at lower and higher vehicle masses.

Claims

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

adjusting operation of a driveline disconnect clutch in response to a change in vehicle mass;

adjusting engine stopping timing of an engine coupled to the driveline disconnect clutch in response to the change in vehicle mass; and

adjusting an engine torque output by adjusting turbocharger boost of the engine coupled to the driveline disconnect clutch.

2. The method of claim 1, where adjusting operation of the driveline disconnect clutch includes delaying driveline disconnect clutch opening timing in response to an increase in vehicle mass.

3. The method of claim 2, where adjusting operation of the driveline disconnect clutch includes advancing driveline disconnect clutch opening timing in response to a decrease in vehicle mass.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting an energy storage device state of charge threshold in response to vehicle mass.

5. The method of claim 4, were adjusting the energy storage device state of charge threshold includes increasing the energy storage device state of charge threshold in response to vehicle mass.

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

adjusting operation of a driveline disconnect clutch in response to a change in vehicle mass and a driver demanded torque; and

automatically stopping an engine at a time that is responsive to the change in vehicle mass.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising creeping the vehicle at low vehicle speeds even as vehicle mass increases by holding the driveline disconnect clutch in an open state until an increased driver demand torque is requested.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising not restarting the engine in response to the vehicle mass when the vehicle mass is a first vehicle mass;

and restarting the engine in response to the vehicle mass when the vehicle mass is a second vehicle mass.

9. The method of claim 8, where the second vehicle mass is greater than the first vehicle mass.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising supplying at least a portion of a creep torque via the engine after restarting the engine.

11. The method of claim 7, where a creep torque is supplied solely via a DISG when the engine is not restarted and when the hybrid vehicle is moved.

12. The method of claim 6, further comprising adjusting a desired torque converter impeller torque in response to the change in vehicle mass.

13. The method of claim 12, where adjusting the desired torque converter impeller torque includes increasing the desired torque converter impeller torque when the change in vehicle mass increases vehicle mass.

14. The method of claim 12, where adjusting the desired torque converter impeller torque includes decreasing the desired torque converter impeller torque when the change in vehicle mass decreases vehicle mass.

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

adjusting operation of a driveline disconnect clutch that is in communication with an engine in response to a change in vehicle mass;

automatically stopping the engine in response to a first energy storage device state of charge being greater than a first threshold state of charge, the first threshold state of charge based on a first vehicle mass before the change in vehicle mass;

automatically stopping the engine in response to a second energy storage device state of charge being greater than a second threshold state of charge, the second threshold state of charge based on a second vehicle mass after the change in vehicle mass; and

in response to an engine start that is transmission shift related, starting the engine during transmission shifting.

16. The method of claim 15, where the second threshold state of charge is greater than the first threshold state of charge.

17. The method of claim 15, where the second vehicle mass is greater than the first vehicle mass.

18. The method of claim 15, where the driveline disconnect clutch is open when the engine is stopped.

19. The method of claim 15, where the driveline disconnect clutch is closed when the engine is stopped.