Systems and methods to improve fuel economy using adaptive cruise in a hybrid electric vehicle when approaching traffic lights

• US 9,827,955 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2015
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Miller, Kenneth James, Martin, Douglas Raymond, Perkins, William Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH-STEWART, DEMETRA R
• Application Number:
  US14/640,334
• Publication Number:
  US 20160257288A1
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/10 for automatic control superimposed on human control to limit the acceleration of the vehicle, e.g. to prevent excessive motor current electric devices for safety purposes B60L3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2009 for braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/12 for vehicles propelled by dc motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/18 Controlling the braking effect B60L7/12, B60L7/14, B60L7/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 1/10 by utilising wheel movement for accumulating energy, e.g. driving air compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/02 Active or adaptive cruise control system; Distance control
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2270/604 Merging friction therewith; Adjusting their repartition
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/17 Using electrical or electronic regulation means to control braking detecting or indicating faulty operation B60T8/885
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• 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 20/12 using control strategies taking into account route information estimation or calculation of non-directly measurable driving parameters B60W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/105 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/802 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/083 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/18 Braking system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/103 : Speed profile
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/106 : Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 : Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18072 : Coasting
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18109 : Braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18127 : Regenerative braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 : Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 61/00 : Brakes with means for making the energy absorbed available for use F16D57/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/60 : Other road transportation technologies with climate change mitigation effect
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/947 : Characterized by control of braking, e.g. blending of regeneration, friction braking

Abstract

A method for controlling a vehicle includes automatically controlling vehicle brakes to decelerate the vehicle at a braking deceleration rate in response to an anticipated stop at a traffic signal and an adaptive cruise control system being active. The method further includes, in response to the vehicle decelerating to an intermediate speed, releasing the vehicle brakes. The intermediate speed is determined such that, at the intermediate speed, a coasting distance to a full stop is approximately equal to a distance to the traffic signal.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a vehicle, comprising:

in response to an anticipated stop at a traffic signal, automatically controlling vehicle brakes to decelerate the vehicle at a braking deceleration rate;

in response to the vehicle decelerating to an intermediate speed, releasing the vehicle brakes, wherein at the intermediate speed a coasting distance to a full stop is approximately equal to a distance to the traffic signal; and

in response to the traffic signal being a traffic light and the traffic light turning green while the vehicle brakes are automatically controlled, releasing the vehicle brakes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at the intermediate speed the coasting distance to a full stop is equal to a sum of the distance to the traffic signal and a calibratable distance threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the braking deceleration rate is the least of a calculated comfortable deceleration rate limit, a calculated permissible deceleration rate limit, and a regenerative braking deceleration rate associated with a regenerative braking limit.

4. A vehicle comprising:

traction wheels;

a regenerative braking system; and

a controller configured to, in response to an anticipated stop, control the regenerative braking system to decelerate the wheels at a first deceleration rate, and in response to the wheels being decelerated to an intermediate speed at the first deceleration rate, control the regenerative braking system to decelerate the wheels at a second deceleration rate less than the first deceleration rate.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein at the intermediate speed a coasting distance to a full stop is equal to or less than a sum of a distance to the anticipated stop and a calibratable distance threshold.

6. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the first deceleration rate is the least of a calculated comfortable deceleration rate limit, a calculated permissible deceleration rate limit, and a regenerative braking deceleration rate associated with a limit of the regenerative braking system.

7. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the second deceleration rate is a coasting deceleration rate.

8. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the anticipated stop is based on a detected traffic signal.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to the detected traffic signal being a traffic light and the traffic light turning green while the controller is controlling the regenerative braking system to decelerate the wheels, deactivate the regenerative braking system.

10. A vehicle comprising:

an adaptive cruise control system;

a regenerative braking system; and

a controller configured to;

in response to an anticipated stop at a traffic signal and the adaptive cruise control system being active, automatically control the regenerative brakes to decelerate the vehicle at a braking deceleration rate, and

in response to the vehicle decelerating to a speed having a coasting distance approximately equal to a distance to the traffic signal, deactivate the regenerative brakes to decelerate the vehicle at a coasting deceleration rate.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the braking deceleration rate is the least of a calculated comfortable deceleration rate limit, a calculated permissible deceleration rate limit, and a regenerative braking deceleration rate associated with a limit of the regenerative brakes.

12. The vehicle of claim 10, further comprising in response to the traffic signal being a traffic light and the traffic light turning green while the regenerative brakes are automatically controlled, automatically deactivating the regenerative brakes.

13. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein a magnitude of the braking deceleration rate is greater than a magnitude of the coasting deceleration rate.