Vehicle coasting systems and methods

• US 9,868,432 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2015
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cummins Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cummins Incorporated
• Inventors: Sujan, Vivek A., Dempsey, Daniel R.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, HUAN G
• Application Number:
  US14/711,991
• Publication Number:
  US 20150329119A1
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2030/18081 With torque flow from driveshaft to engine, i.e. engine being driven by vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2030/1809 Without torque flow between driveshaft and engine, e.g. with clutch disengaged or transmission in neutral
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0638 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0657 Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/065 Idle condition
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18 Propelling the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18072 Coasting
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0625 Fuel consumption, e.g. measured in fuel liters per 100 kms or miles per gallon
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/02 peculiar to engines driving vehicles; peculiar to engines driving variable pitch propellers
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0225 in relation with the gear ratio or shift lever position
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/042 for stopping the engine
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/08 for idling F02D41/06, F02D41/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/123 the fuel injection being cut-off
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/60 Other road transportation technologies with climate change mitigation effect
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A system for a vehicle includes a transmission, an engine, and a controller communicably coupled to the transmission and the engine. The controller is structured to receive a vehicle operating parameter, receive vehicle operation data during operation of the vehicle, determine that the vehicle is in a coasting state based on the vehicle operation data, and provide a command to control at least one of an engine and the transmission during the coasting state to at least one of optimize the vehicle operating parameter and facilitate and maintain the coasting state.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a transmission;

an engine operatively coupled to the transmission; and

a controller communicably coupled to the transmission and the engine, the controller structured to;

receive vehicle operation data during operation of the vehicle;

determine that the vehicle is in a coasting state based on the vehicle operation data;

determine that the engine is providing a negative torque responsive to the vehicle operation data;

provide a command to at least one of the engine and the transmission to maintain the coasting state for the vehicle; and

facilitate a net zero power output from the engine in connection with a powertrain in the vehicle by adjusting a transmission setting of the transmission.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the command includes putting the transmission into an idle state and maintaining the idle state while the vehicle is in the coasting state.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein deactivation of the idle state is based on the vehicle operation data indicating at least one of an end to the coasting state and an upcoming end to the coasting state, wherein the vehicle operation data indicating the at least one of the end and the upcoming end to the coasting state includes at least one of a vehicle speed decrease below a predefined threshold, an engine speed reduction below a predefined threshold, and an engine torque reduction below a predefined threshold.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the command includes shutting down the engine during the coasting state and selectively restarting the engine.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein restarting the engine is based on at least one of an operator input and the vehicle operation data indicating at least one of an end to the coasting state and an upcoming end to the coasting state, wherein the vehicle operation data indicating the at least one of the end and the upcoming end to the coasting state includes at least one of a vehicle speed decrease below a predefined threshold, an engine speed reduction below a predefined threshold, and an engine torque reduction below a predefined threshold.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is structured to increase fueling in the engine to facilitate the net zero power output from the engine in connection with a remaining torque output from the powertrain in the vehicle.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the negative torque is based on the vehicle operation data indicating an engine torque that is less than at least one of a torque at a driveshaft, a torque at a wheel, and a torque at a differential in the vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the coasting state is based on the vehicle operation data indicating at least one of an accelerator pedal depression less than a threshold, an input from an operator of the vehicle, and a downhill road grade within a predefined range.

9. A method, comprising:

interpreting vehicle operation data regarding operation of a vehicle;

determining that the vehicle is in a coasting state based on the vehicle operation data;

controlling at least one of a transmission and an engine of the vehicle at least partially during the coasting state to at least one of facilitate and maintain the coasting state;

receiving route data indicative of an upcoming terrain for a designated route of the vehicle;

identifying a coasting state opportunity responsive to the route data;

receiving dynamic data from at least one of another vehicle and an external network; and

at least one of canceling the identified coasting state opportunity identified from the route data and adding a coasting state opportunity to the identified coasting state opportunity from the route data.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising interpreting a vehicle operating parameter for the vehicle and controlling the at least one of the transmission and the engine responsive to the vehicle operating parameter.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the vehicle operating parameter includes at least one of a fuel consumption rate and an emissions characteristic from the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising identifying a negative torque from the engine during the coasting state and adjusting fueling to the engine to substantially cancel the negative torque to maintain the coasting state.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a coasting state module structured to receive vehicle operation data and determine that the vehicle is in a coasting state based on the vehicle operation data;

an active idle state management module structured to place a transmission of the vehicle into an idle state in response to the determined coasting state for the vehicle; and

an engine stop/start module structured to selectively turn an engine on and off, wherein the engine stop/start module is structured to turn the engine off responsive to the determined coasting state for the vehicle;

wherein the active idle state management module and the engine stop/start module are utilized at least one of independent of and in combination with each other during the determined coasting state for the vehicle.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

a route module structured to receive route data for a designated route of the vehicle, wherein the coasting state module is structured to identify a coasting state opportunity for the vehicle for one or more segments of the route based on the route data in advance of the vehicle traversing the one or more segments; and

a network communications structured to receive dynamic data from at least one of another vehicle and an external network, wherein the coasting state module is structured to at least one of identify an additional coasting state opportunity and modify the identified coasting state opportunity for the vehicle responsive to the dynamic data.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising an engine zero load control module structured to identify a negative engine torque and increase fueling for the engine to facilitate a substantially net zero power output from a powertrain of the vehicle to maintain the coasting state for the vehicle.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a gear-based coast down module structured to adjust a transmission setting for the transmission to substantially achieve net zero power output from a powertrain of the vehicle to maintain the coasting state for the vehicle.