System and method for improved control, response and energy management of a vehicle

• US 9,539,998 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2015
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Geller, Benjamin M.
• Primary Examiner(s): ANTONUCCI, ANNE MARIE
• Application Number:
  US14/682,000
• Publication Number:
  US 20160297416A1
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution 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 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• 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 2050/0088 Adaptive recalibration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/105 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0098 Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/06 Improving the dynamic response of the control system, e.g. improving the speed of regulation or avoiding hunting or overshoot
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/93 Conjoint control of different elements

Abstract

A hybrid vehicle for providing improved control, response and energy management. The vehicle including a first sensor configured to determine base data corresponding to an estimated age of the vehicle, a second sensor configured to determine feedback data corresponding to a response to a driver request for acceleration, braking or steering and a third sensor configured to determine variable data corresponding to a drag, a current environment or a weight of the vehicle. The vehicle including an electronic control unit configured to calculate an estimate of a present condition of the vehicle based on the base data, the feedback data and the variable data, adjust an energy management control data based on the estimate of the present condition of the vehicle and control at least one of a battery, a transmission, a motor or a fuel converter of the vehicle based on the energy management control data.

Claims

1. A hybrid vehicle for providing improved control, response and energy management, the hybrid vehicle comprising:

a memory configured to store energy management control data used to augment operations of the hybrid vehicle, and at least one of an acceleration target value, a braking target value or a steering target value;

a first sensor configured to determine base data corresponding to an estimated age of the hybrid vehicle;

a second sensor configured to determine at least one of acceleration data corresponding to the hybrid vehicle'"'"'s responsiveness to a driver request for acceleration, braking data corresponding to the hybrid vehicle'"'"'s responsiveness to a driver request for braking or steering data corresponding to the hybrid vehicle'"'"'s responsiveness to a driver request for steering;

a third sensor configured to determine variable data corresponding to a drag, a current environment or a weight of the hybrid vehicle; and

an electronic control unit configured to;

determine feedback data based on at least one of comparing the acceleration data to the acceleration target value, comparing the braking data to the braking target value or comparing the steering data to the steering target value;

calculate an estimate of a present condition of the hybrid vehicle based on the base data, the feedback data and the variable data;

adjust the energy management control data based on the estimate of the present condition of the hybrid vehicle; and

control at least one of a battery, a transmission, a motor or a fuel converter of the hybrid vehicle based on the energy management control data.

2. The hybrid vehicle of claim 1, wherein the base data is determined based on at least one of a time, driven miles or kilometers from an odometer or a counter indicating high degradation instances.

3. The hybrid vehicle of claim 2, wherein the high degradation instances include high power usage, high temperature, high frequency or prolonged use of the battery, the motor or the fuel converter.

4. The hybrid vehicle of claim 1, wherein the fuel converter is an internal combustion engine or a fuel cell.

5. The hybrid vehicle of claim 1, wherein the energy management control data is increased when the estimate of the present condition of the hybrid vehicle is less than an energy target value.

6. The hybrid vehicle of claim 1, wherein the base data is given more weight than the feedback data when calculating the estimate of the present condition of the hybrid vehicle.

7. The hybrid vehicle of claim 1, wherein the variable data is given more weight than the feedback data when calculating the estimate of the present condition of the hybrid vehicle.

8. The hybrid vehicle of claim 1, wherein the feedback data is adjusted when the responsiveness to the driver request for acceleration, braking or steering is less than a respective target value.

9. A hybrid vehicle for providing improved control, response and energy management, comprising:

a transmission;

a battery for storing energy;

a memory configured to store energy management control data used to augment operations of the hybrid vehicle, and at least one of an acceleration target value, a braking target value or a steering target value;

a motor for receiving energy from the battery and for providing power to the transmission;

a fuel converter for providing energy to the battery and for providing power to the transmission;

a first sensor configured to determine variable data corresponding to a drag, a current environment or a weight of the hybrid vehicle;

a second sensor configured to determine at least one of acceleration data corresponding to the hybrid vehicle'"'"'s response to a driver request for acceleration, braking data corresponding to the hybrid vehicle'"'"'s response to a driver request for braking or steering data corresponding to the hybrid vehicle'"'"'s response to a driver request for steering; and

an electronic control unit configured to;

determine feedback data based on at least one of comparing the acceleration data to the acceleration target value, comparing the braking data to the braking target value or comparing the steering data to the steering target value,

calculate an estimate of a present condition of the hybrid vehicle based on the variable data and the feedback data,

adjust the energy management control data based on the estimate of the present condition of the hybrid vehicle, and

control at least one of the battery, the transmission, the motor or the fuel converter of the hybrid vehicle based on the energy management control data.

10. The hybrid vehicle of claim 9, further comprising a third sensor configured to determine base data corresponding to an estimated age of the hybrid vehicle and wherein the electronic control unit is configured to calculate the estimate of the present condition of the hybrid vehicle based on the base data, the feedback data and the variable data.

11. The hybrid vehicle of claim 9, wherein the fuel converter is an internal combustion engine or a fuel cell.

12. A method for providing improved control, response and energy management for a hybrid vehicle having a battery, a transmission, a motor, a fuel converter and an electronic control unit, the method comprising:

storing, by a memory, energy management control data used to augment operations of the hybrid vehicle, and at least one of an acceleration target value, a braking target value or a steering target value;

receiving, by the electronic control unit, base data corresponding to an age of the hybrid vehicle;

receiving, by the electronic control unit, at least one of acceleration data corresponding to the hybrid vehicle'"'"'s responsiveness to acceleration, braking data corresponding to the hybrid vehicle'"'"'s responsiveness to a driver request for braking or steering data corresponding to the hybrid vehicle'"'"'s responsiveness to a driver request for steering;

receiving, by the electronic control unit, variable data corresponding to a drag, a current environment or a weight of the hybrid vehicle;

determining, by the electronic control unit, feedback data based on at least one of comparing the acceleration data to the acceleration target value, comparing the braking data to the braking target value or comparing the steering data to the steering target value;

calculating, using the electronic control unit, an estimate of a present condition of the hybrid vehicle based on the base data, the feedback data and the variable data;

adjusting, using the electronic control unit, the energy management control data based on the estimate of the present condition of the hybrid vehicle; and

controlling at least one of the battery, the transmission, the motor or the fuel converter based on the energy management control data.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the base data is determined based on at least one of a time, driven miles or kilometers from an odometer or a counter indicating high degradation instances.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the high degradation instances include high power usage, high temperature, high frequency or prolonged use of the battery, the motor or the fuel converter.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the fuel converter is an internal combustion engine or a fuel cell.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the energy management control data is increased when the estimate of the present condition of the hybrid vehicle is less than an energy target value.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the base data is given more weight than the feedback data when calculating the estimate of the present condition of the hybrid vehicle.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the variable data is given more weight than the feedback data when calculating the estimate of the present condition of the hybrid vehicle.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the feedback data is adjusted when the hybrid vehicle'"'"'s responsiveness to acceleration, braking or steering is less than a respective target value.