Device and method for adjusting vehicle fuel efficiency based on an altered vehicle surface area

• US 9,884,627 B1
• Filed: 07/31/2016
• Issued: 02/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Gage, Sergei I., Sato, Arata
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hung Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoang, Johnny H
• Application Number:
  US15/224,558
• Publication Number:
  US 20180029597A1
• Time in Patent Office: 555 Days
• Field of Search: 701 49, 701 99, 701102-104, 701115, 29610011, 29610015, 29610016, 29613603, 2961801-1805, 29619004, 296217
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/11 Stepped gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/12 Trucks; Load vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2400/00 Indexing codes relating to detected, measured or calculated conditions or factors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2422/00 Indexing codes relating to the special location or mounting of sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/16 Driving resistance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0605 Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/1005 Transmission ratio engaged
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/182 Selecting between different operative modes, e.g. comfort and performance modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/02 related to ambient conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/1005 Driving resistance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/12 related to parameters of the vehicle itself , e.g. tyre models
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 13/02 during engine operation
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 13/0215 changing the valve timing only
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/1433 using a model or simulation of the system
• 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 2200/50 said parameters being related to the vehicle or its components
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/02 peculiar to engines driving vehicles; peculiar to engines driving variable pitch propellers
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0002 Controlling intake air
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/021 : Introducing corrections for particular conditions exterior to the engine conjoint control of vehicle sub-units for propelling the vehicle B60W30/18
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/2422 : Selective use of one or more tables
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 9/08 : Throttle valves specially adapted therefor; Arrangements of such valves in conduits

Abstract

A device and method for adjusting vehicle fuel efficiency to responsive to an altered vehicle surface area are disclosed. An operation of the method receives vehicle surface data, which indicates a transition from a first vehicle drag coefficient value relating to a vehicle surface area to a second vehicle drag coefficient value relating to the altered vehicle surface area. A second plurality of powertrain parameter values associated with the second vehicle drag coefficient value are determined, and the method operates to transmit the second plurality of powertrain parameter values for adjusting of the vehicle fuel efficiency.

Claims

1. A method in a vehicle control unit for adjusting vehicle fuel efficiency to address an altered vehicle surface area, the method comprising:

receiving vehicle surface data indicating a transition from a first vehicle drag coefficient value relating to a vehicle surface area to a second vehicle drag coefficient value relating to the altered vehicle surface area, wherein a first plurality of powertrain parameter values are associated with the first vehicle drag coefficient value;

determining a second plurality of powertrain parameter values associated with the second vehicle drag coefficient value; and

transmitting the second plurality of powertrain parameter values for the adjusting of the vehicle fuel efficiency.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of powertrain parameter values comprising at least two of:

an engine throttle control parameter value,

an engine variable valve timing (VVT) parameter value;

a transmission shift schedule parameter value; and

a transmission shift timing parameter value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle surface data comprising tonneau sensor data.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the tonneau sensor data being provided by at least one of:

a moisture sensor activation data operable to remotely operate a tonneau cover;

proximity sensor data indicating a transition of the vehicle surface are;

a user input operation by a vehicle user to operate the tonneau cover; and

a remote user input operation by a vehicle user to operate the tonneau cover.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first vehicle drag coefficient value being associated with an opened tonneau drag coefficient; and

the second vehicle drag coefficient value being associated with a closed tonneau drag coefficient value.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the second plurality of powertrain parameter values associated with the second vehicle drag coefficient value comprising:

accessing a powertrain parameter lookup table, wherein the powertrain parameter lookup table indexed by the second vehicle drag coefficient value; and

retrieving the second plurality of powertrain parameter values associated with the second vehicle drag coefficient value.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second plurality of powertrain parameter values comprising at least two of:

an engine throttle control parameter value,

an engine variable valve timing (VVT) parameter value;

a transmission shift schedule parameter value; and

a transmission shift timing parameter value.

8. A method in a vehicle control unit for controlling vehicle fuel efficiency based on a plurality of vehicle surface area configurations, the method comprising:

receiving vehicle surface data including a vehicle drag coefficient value;

determining whether the vehicle surface data indicates a transition from a first vehicle surface area configuration to a second vehicle surface area configuration of the plurality of vehicle surface area configurations;

when the vehicle surface data indicating the transition;

retrieving the vehicle drag coefficient value from the vehicle surface data;

retrieve a plurality of powertrain parameter values associated with the vehicle drag coefficient value, wherein the plurality of powertrain parameters values are configured to optimize the vehicle fuel efficiency based at least in part on the vehicle drag coefficient value for the second vehicle surface area configuration; and

transmitting the plurality of powertrain parameter values for the controlling of the vehicle fuel efficiency.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving subsequent vehicle surface data including another vehicle drag coefficient value;

determining whether the subsequent vehicle surface data indicates another transition from the second vehicle surface area configuration of the plurality of vehicle surface area configurations to third vehicle surface area configuration of the plurality of vehicle surface area configurations;

when the another vehicle surface data indicates the transitioning;

retrieving the another vehicle drag coefficient value from the another vehicle surface data;

retrieve a subsequent plurality of powertrain parameter values associated with the another vehicle drag coefficient value, wherein the subsequent plurality of powertrain parameters values are configured to optimize the vehicle fuel efficiency based at least in part on the another vehicle drag coefficient value for the third vehicle surface area configuration; and

transmitting the subsequent plurality of powertrain parameter values for the controlling of the vehicle fuel efficiency.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of powertrain parameter values comprising at least two of:

an engine throttle control parameter value,

an engine variable valve timing (VVT) parameter value;

a transmission shift schedule parameter value; and

a transmission shift timing parameter value.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the vehicle surface data comprising proximity sensor data.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the proximity sensor data being generated based on at least one of:

a moisture sensor activation data operable to remotely operate a tonneau cover;

proximity sensor data indicating a transition of the vehicle surface area configuration;

a user input operation by a vehicle user to operate the tonneau cover; and

a remote user input operation by a vehicle user to operate the tonneau cover.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the first vehicle area configuration including an opened tonneau vehicle surface area configuration;

the second vehicle area configuration including a closed tonneau vehicle surface area configuration; and

the third vehicle area configuration including a transitional tonneau vehicle surface area configuration.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining the plurality of powertrain parameter values associated with the vehicle drag coefficient value further comprising:

accessing a powertrain parameter lookup table, the powertrain parameter lookup table being indexed by the vehicle drag coefficient value; and

retrieving from the powertrain parameter lookup table the plurality of powertrain parameter values associated with the vehicle drag coefficient value.

15. A vehicle control unit for controlling vehicle fuel efficiency responsive to an altered vehicle surface area, the vehicle control unit comprising:

a wireless communication interface to service communication with a vehicle network and user equipment of a vehicle user;

a processor coupled to the wireless communication interface, the processor for controlling operations of the vehicle control unit; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory for storing data and program instructions used by the processor, the processor configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to;

receive, via the wireless communications interface, vehicle surface data indicating a transition from a first vehicle drag coefficient value to a second vehicle drag coefficient value, wherein a first plurality of powertrain parameter values being associated with the first vehicle drag coefficient value;

determine a second plurality of powertrain parameter values associated with the second vehicle drag coefficient value; and

transmit the second plurality of powertrain parameter values for the controlling the vehicle fuel efficiency.

16. The vehicle control unit of claim 15, wherein each of the first and the second plurality of powertrain parameter values comprising at least two of:

an engine throttle control parameter value,

an engine variable valve timing (VVT) parameter value;

a transmission shift schedule parameter value; and

a transmission shift timing parameter value.

17. The vehicle control unit of claim 15, wherein the vehicle surface data comprising tonneau sensor data.

18. The vehicle control unit of claim 17, wherein the tonneau sensor data being generated based on at least one of:

a moisture sensor activation data operable to remotely operate a tonneau cover;

proximity sensor data indicating a transition of the vehicle surface area;

a user input operation by a vehicle user to operate the tonneau cover; and

a remote user input operation by a vehicle user to operate the tonneau cover.

19. The vehicle control unit of claim 15, wherein:

the first vehicle drag coefficient value includes an opened tonneau vehicle drag coefficient value; and

the second vehicle drag coefficient value includes a closed vehicle tonneau drag coefficient value.

20. The vehicle control unit of claim 15, wherein the processor being further configured to execute further instructions stored in the memory to determine the second plurality of powertrain parameter values associated with the second vehicle drag coefficient value by:

accessing a powertrain parameter lookup table, wherein the powertrain parameter lookup table indexed by the second vehicle drag coefficient value; and

retrieving the second plurality of powertrain parameter values associated with the second vehicle drag coefficient value.