Vehicle controls including dynamic vehicle mass and road grade estimation during vehicle operation
First Claim
1. A method of controlling a vehicle system including an engine and a controller, the method comprising:
- operating the vehicle system to propel the vehicle;
during operation of the vehicle system;
determining with the controller a vehicle mass estimate and an uncertainty of the vehicle mass estimate,evaluating with the controller the uncertainty of the vehicle mass estimate relative to at least one criterion,if the uncertainty of the vehicle mass estimate satisfies the criterion, determining with the controller a road grade estimate by recursively predicting a road grade based upon a model of the vehicle system and the vehicle mass estimate, correcting the prediction based upon a measurement of operation of the vehicle system, and providing the corrected prediction as the road grade estimate; and
controlling with the controller utilizing the road grade estimate at least one of a vehicle speed and an engine output, wherein the criterion comprises an uncertainty threshold and the acts of determining with the controller the vehicle mass estimate and the uncertainty of the vehicle mass estimate and evaluating with the controller the uncertainty of the vehicle mass estimate relative to the criterion are repeated until the uncertainty of the vehicle mass estimate is below the uncertainty threshold.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatuses, methods and systems including dynamic estimations of vehicle mass and road grade estimation are disclosed. One exemplary embodiment is a method including operating a vehicle system to propel a vehicle, determining with a controller a vehicle mass estimate and an uncertainty of the vehicle mass estimate, evaluating with the controller the uncertainty of the vehicle mass estimate relative to at least one criterion, if the uncertainty of the vehicle mass estimate satisfies the criterion, determining with the controller a road grade estimate, and controlling with the controller utilizing the road grade estimate at least one of a vehicle speed and an engine output.
-
Citations
23 Claims
-
1. A method of controlling a vehicle system including an engine and a controller, the method comprising:
-
operating the vehicle system to propel the vehicle; during operation of the vehicle system; determining with the controller a vehicle mass estimate and an uncertainty of the vehicle mass estimate, evaluating with the controller the uncertainty of the vehicle mass estimate relative to at least one criterion, if the uncertainty of the vehicle mass estimate satisfies the criterion, determining with the controller a road grade estimate by recursively predicting a road grade based upon a model of the vehicle system and the vehicle mass estimate, correcting the prediction based upon a measurement of operation of the vehicle system, and providing the corrected prediction as the road grade estimate; and controlling with the controller utilizing the road grade estimate at least one of a vehicle speed and an engine output, wherein the criterion comprises an uncertainty threshold and the acts of determining with the controller the vehicle mass estimate and the uncertainty of the vehicle mass estimate and evaluating with the controller the uncertainty of the vehicle mass estimate relative to the criterion are repeated until the uncertainty of the vehicle mass estimate is below the uncertainty threshold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 9)
-
-
5. A method of controlling a vehicle system including an engine and a controller, the method comprising:
-
operating the vehicle system to propel the vehicle; during operation of the vehicle system; determining with the controller a vehicle mass estimate and an uncertainty of the vehicle mass estimate, evaluating with the controller the uncertainty of the vehicle mass estimate relative to at least one criterion, if the uncertainty of the vehicle mass estimate satisfies the criterion, determining with the controller a road grade estimate by recursively predicting a road grade based upon a model of the vehicle system and the vehicle mass estimate, correcting the prediction based upon a measurement of operation of the vehicle system, and providing the corrected prediction as the road grade estimate; and controlling with the controller utilizing the road grade estimate at least one of a vehicle speed and an engine output, wherein the corrected prediction provided as the road grade estimate is combined with at least one additional estimate and the combined estimate is provided as an input for subsequent recursive determination of the road grade estimate. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
-
-
10. A system comprising:
-
a vehicle system including an engine structured to propel the vehicle; and a controller structured to receive input signals from the vehicle system and provide output signals to control the vehicle system, the controller being structured to; repeatedly determine a vehicle mass estimate and an uncertainty of the vehicle mass estimate during operation of the vehicle system, when the uncertainty of the vehicle mass estimate is below an uncertainty threshold determine a road grade estimate by operating a digital filter to repeatedly predict a road grade using the vehicle mass estimate and a model of the vehicle system, correct the prediction using information of actual operation of the vehicle system, and set the corrected prediction as the road grade estimate, and control at least one of a vehicle speed and an engine output using the road grade estimate, wherein the controller is structured to stop the repeated determination of the vehicle mass estimate and the uncertainty of the vehicle mass estimate once the uncertainty of the vehicle mass estimate is below the uncertainty threshold until a re-start condition is satisfied.
-
-
11. A system comprising:
-
a vehicle system including an engine structured to propel the vehicle; and a controller structured to receive input signals from the vehicle system and provide output signals to control the vehicle system, the controller being structured to; repeatedly determine a vehicle mass estimate and an uncertainty of the vehicle mass estimate during operation of the vehicle system, when the uncertainty of the vehicle mass estimate is below an uncertainty threshold determine a road grade estimate by operating a digital filter to repeatedly predict a road grade using the vehicle mass estimate and a model of the vehicle system, correct the prediction using information of actual operation of the vehicle system, and set the corrected prediction as the road grade estimate, and control at least one of a vehicle speed and an engine output using the road grade estimate, wherein the digital filter is structured to dynamically change a first weighting factor for the prediction and a second weighting factor for the for information of actual operation. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
-
-
14. A method comprising:
-
operating an electronic control system to determine a vehicle mass estimate during operation of the vehicle using a first Kalman filter; operating the electronic control system to determine whether an error associated with the vehicle mass estimate satisfies a first criterion; if the first criterion is satisfied, operating the electronic control system to determine a road grade estimate using a second Kalman filter, the second Kalman filter utilizing the vehicle mass estimate in determining the road grade estimate, wherein the first Kalman filter and the second Kalman filter are structured as extended Kalman filters; and operating the electronic control system to set at least one of a vehicle speed limit and an engine output limit utilizing the road grade estimate. - View Dependent Claims (17)
-
-
15. A method comprising:
-
operating an electronic control system to determine a vehicle mass estimate during operation of the vehicle using a first Kalman filter; operating the electronic control system to determine whether an error associated with the vehicle mass estimate satisfies a first criterion; if the first criterion is satisfied, operating the electronic control system to determine a road grade estimate using a second Kalman filter, the second Kalman filter utilizing the vehicle mass estimate in determining the road grade estimate; and operating the electronic control system to set at least one of a vehicle speed limit and an engine output limit utilizing the road grade estimate, wherein the second Kalman filter dynamically varies a relative weighting of a prediction associated with road grade and a measurement input to the second Kalman filter associated with road grade. - View Dependent Claims (16)
-
-
18. A method of controlling a vehicle system including an engine and a controller, the method comprising:
-
operating the vehicle system to propel the vehicle; determining with the controller during operation of the vehicle system a vehicle mass estimate and an uncertainty of the vehicle mass estimate, evaluating with the controller the uncertainty of the vehicle mass estimate relative to at least one criterion, and if the uncertainty of the vehicle mass estimate satisfies the criterion, setting a value of the vehicle mass estimate and interrupting the determination of the vehicle mass estimate and the uncertainty of the vehicle mass estimate; determining with the controller during operation of the vehicle system a road grade estimate by recursively predicting a road grade based upon a model of the vehicle system, correcting the prediction based upon a measurement of operation of the vehicle system, and setting the corrected prediction as the road grade estimate; and controlling with the controller utilizing the road grade estimate at least one of a vehicle speed and an engine output, wherein the criterion comprises an uncertainty threshold and the acts of determining with the controller the vehicle mass estimate and the uncertainty of the vehicle mass estimate and evaluating with the controller the uncertainty of the vehicle mass estimate relative to the criterion are repeated until the uncertainty of the vehicle mass estimate is below the uncertainty threshold. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
-
-
19. A method of controlling a vehicle system including an engine and a controller, the method comprising:
-
operating the vehicle system to propel the vehicle; determining with the controller during operation of the vehicle system a vehicle mass estimate and an uncertainty of the vehicle mass estimate, evaluating with the controller the uncertainty of the vehicle mass estimate relative to at least one criterion, and if the uncertainty of the vehicle mass estimate satisfies the criterion, setting a value of the vehicle mass estimate and interrupting the determination of the vehicle mass estimate and the uncertainty of the vehicle mass estimate; determining with the controller during operation of the vehicle system a road grade estimate by recursively predicting a road grade based upon a model of the vehicle system, correcting the prediction based upon a measurement of operation of the vehicle system, and setting the corrected prediction as the road grade estimate; and controlling with the controller utilizing the road grade estimate at least one of a vehicle speed and an engine output, wherein the determining with the controller during operation of the vehicle system a road grade estimate is suspended if at least one of a vehicle acceleration condition and a vehicle braking condition is satisfied. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
-
Specification