Hybrid electric vehicle controller and method of controlling a hybrid electric vehicle
First Claim
1. A controller for a hybrid electric vehicle, the vehicle having an internal combustion engine and an electric machine operable to drive a driveline of the vehicle, the vehicle having a clutch that releasably couples the internal combustion engine to the driveline, wherein the clutch comprises an input portion coupled to the engine and an output portion, wherein the clutch is operable between an open condition, in which the internal combustion engine is substantially disconnected from the driveline, and a closed condition, in which the internal combustion engine is substantially connected to the driveline, wherein the controller is configured to:
- control the vehicle to transition between a first mode, in which the clutch is in the open condition, and a second mode, in which the clutch is in the closed condition; and
provide, when a transition from the first mode to the second mode is required, a control signal to the internal combustion engine to control a speed thereof to achieve a target speed, wherein the target speed is greater than a speed of the output portion of the clutch, and wherein the control signal is responsive to the speed of the internal combustion engine and an amount of torque transfer provided by the clutch.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention provide a controller for a hybrid electric vehicle having a first actuator and a second actuator operable to drive a driveline of the vehicle, the vehicle having releasable torque transmitting means operable releasably to couple the first actuator to the driveline, the releasable torque transmitting means being operable between a first condition in which the first actuator is substantially disconnected from the driveline and a second condition in which the first actuator is substantially connected to the driveline, the controller being operable to control the vehicle to transition between a first mode in which the releasable torque transmitting means is in the first condition and a second mode in which the releasable torque transmitting means is in the second condition, when a transition from the first mode to the second mode is required the controller being arranged to provide a control signal to the first actuator to control the speed thereof, the control signal being responsive to the speed of the first actuator and the amount of torque transfer provided by the releasable torque transmitting means.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A controller for a hybrid electric vehicle, the vehicle having an internal combustion engine and an electric machine operable to drive a driveline of the vehicle, the vehicle having a clutch that releasably couples the internal combustion engine to the driveline, wherein the clutch comprises an input portion coupled to the engine and an output portion, wherein the clutch is operable between an open condition, in which the internal combustion engine is substantially disconnected from the driveline, and a closed condition, in which the internal combustion engine is substantially connected to the driveline, wherein the controller is configured to:
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control the vehicle to transition between a first mode, in which the clutch is in the open condition, and a second mode, in which the clutch is in the closed condition; and provide, when a transition from the first mode to the second mode is required, a control signal to the internal combustion engine to control a speed thereof to achieve a target speed, wherein the target speed is greater than a speed of the output portion of the clutch, and wherein the control signal is responsive to the speed of the internal combustion engine and an amount of torque transfer provided by the clutch. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 25)
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20. A hybrid electric vehicle comprising:
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a controller; an internal combustion engine and an electric machine operable to drive a driveline of the vehicle; and a clutch that releasably couples the internal combustion engine to the driveline, wherein the clutch is operable between an open condition, in which the internal combustion engine is substantially disconnected from the driveline, and a closed condition in which the internal combustion engine is substantially connected to the driveline such that substantially all of the torque generated by the internal combustion engine is transmitted to the driveline; wherein the controller is configured to control the vehicle to transition between a first mode, in which the clutch is in the open condition, and a second mode, in which the clutch is in the closed condition, and wherein the controller is configured to provide, when a transition from the first mode to the second mode is required, a control signal to the internal combustion engine to control a speed thereof to achieve a target speed, wherein the target speed is greater than a speed of an output portion of the clutch, and wherein the control signal is responsive to the speed of the internal combustion engine and an amount of torque transfer provided by the clutch. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method of controlling a hybrid vehicle during a transition from a first mode, in which an electric machine is coupled to a driveline and an internal combustion engine is decoupled from the driveline by a clutch, to a second mode, in which the internal combustion engine is coupled to the driveline by the clutch, wherein the clutch comprises an input portion coupled to the engine, and an output portion coupled to the electric machine, wherein the clutch is operable between an open condition, in which the internal combustion engine is substantially disconnected from the driveline, and a closed condition, in which the internal combustion engine is substantially connected to the driveline, the method comprising:
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controlling the vehicle to transition between the first mode, in which the clutch is in the open condition and the internal combustion engine is substantially disconnected from the driveline, to the second mode, in which the clutch is in the closed condition and the internal combustion engine is substantially connected to the driveline; and providing, when transition from the first mode to the second mode is required, a control signal to the internal combustion engine to control a speed thereof to achieve a target speed, wherein the target speed is greater than that of a speed of the output portion of the clutch, and wherein the control signal is responsive to the speed of the internal combustion engine and an amount of torque transfer provided by the clutch. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32)
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Specification