Adjusting a hybrid vehicle cruise control speed

• US 9,630,622 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2014
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kava, Chris Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): PAIGE, TYLER D
• Application Number:
  US14/329,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20160009277A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 701 22, 701 93, 477 3
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/20 the prime-movers consisting of electric motors and internal combustion engines, e.g. HEVs
• 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 20/10 Controlling the power contribution of each of the prime movers to meet required power demand
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/143 Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18072 Coasting
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/076 Slope angle of the road
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/93 Conjoint control of different elements

Abstract

An example method includes controlling a hybrid vehicle to maintain a set speed, and adjusting the set speed from a first value to a different, second value in response to a change in a road grade.

Claims

1. A method of adjusting a speed, comprising:

controlling a hybrid vehicle to maintain a set speed;

adjusting the set speed from a first value to a different, second value in response to a detected amount of change in a road grade; and

in response to a time elapsed since a last start-up of the engine, varying the detected amount required to cause the adjusting.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting comprises automatically adjusting.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting is in response to a decreasing of the road grade.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second value is less than the first value.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising coasting the hybrid vehicle when the hybrid vehicle moves from the set speed corresponding to the first value to the set speed corresponding to the second value.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising increasing the speed to a third value in response to the road grade increasing, the third value greater than the second value.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising decreasing the detected amount required to cause the adjusting as the time elapsed increases.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising increasing the second value back to the first value in response to the road grade increasing.

9. The method of claim 1, shutting off an internal combustion engine of the hybrid vehicle in response after the adjusting and maintaining the hybrid vehicle at the speed corresponding to the second value using exclusively an electric machine.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling is during a cruise control operation of the hybrid vehicle.

11. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the change in the road grade required to illicit the response decreases as the time elapsed increases.

12. A hybrid vehicle assembly, comprising:

a road grade detector to monitor a road grade; and

a speed controller that maintains a set speed of a hybrid vehicle and adjusts the set speed from a first value to a different, second value in response to a detected amount of change in the road grade,

wherein the speed controller, in response to a time elapsed since a last start-up of an engine, varies the detected amount required to cause the speed controller to adjust the set speed.

13. The assembly of claim 12, wherein the change is a decrease in the road grade.

14. The assembly of claim 13, wherein the speed controller adjusts the speed to a third value in response to another change in the road grade, the third value greater than the second value.

15. The assembly of claim 12, wherein the second value is lower than the first value.

16. The assembly of claim 12, wherein the set speed is a cruise control set speed.