Vehicle driver-model controller with energy economy rating adjustments

• US 9,744,974 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2015
• Issued: 08/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Rose, Lawrence M., Pence, Benjamin L., Tsou, Poyu, Che, Judy H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Bao Long T
• Application Number:
  US14/870,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20160016592A1
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• Field of Search: 701 93- 94, 701110, 701115, 701123
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0063 Manual parameter input, manual setting means, manual initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/30 Driving style
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/00 Details of control systems for road vehicle drive control not related to the control of a particular sub-unit , e.g. process diagnostic or vehicle driver interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

A controller with energy economy rating (EER) calibration logic is configured to adjust a look-ahead time and feed-forward mapping window for vehicle controls according to EER.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of operating a vehicle, comprising:

storing vehicle dynamic information (VDI) during vehicle operation;

defining a relationship between VDI over a look-ahead time window;

controlling the vehicle according to the defined relationship;

wherein when a target energy economy rating (EER) is less than a predetermined value, controlling the vehicle over a larger look-ahead time window than when the target EER is less than the predetermined value.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the target EER.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

correlating EER with a driving style;

wherein an EER greater than or equal to zero is correlated with an aggressive driving style;

wherein an EER less than zero is correlated with a smooth driving style.

4. A controller with energy economy rating (EER) calibration logic configured to adjust a look-ahead feed-forward mapping window for vehicle controls according to EER, wherein the EER calibration logic is configured to output driver pedal commands to achieve an EER that corresponds to a desired driving style.

5. The controller of claim 4, further comprising:

EER calculation logic, configured to calculate a desired energy economy rating.

6. A system for controlling a vehicle, comprising:

vehicle dynamic sensors collecting vehicle dynamic information (VDI);

memory storing the VDI;

a controller which controls a first vehicle subsystem associated with a first VDI based on relationship data between the first VDI and a second VDI over a flexible time-mapping window;

an energy economy rating calibrator, altering the flexible time-mapping window in which control over the first vehicle subsystem is based.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the first vehicle subsystem is a driver vehicle interface.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the energy economy rating calibrator is configured to correlate energy economy rating with a predetermined driving style;

wherein a target energy economy rating greater than or equal to zero is correlated with an aggressive driving style; and

wherein a target energy economy rating less than zero is correlated with a smooth driving style.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the energy economy rating calibrator is configured to reduce the flexible time-mapping window where the target energy economy rating is greater than or equal to zero.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the energy economy rating calibrator is configured to correlate energy economy rating with a predetermined driving style;

wherein a target energy economy rating greater than or equal to zero is correlated with an aggressive driving style; and

wherein a target energy economy rating less than zero is correlated with a smooth driving style.

11. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

a user interface for receiving a target energy economy rating.