Deceleration control in a hybrid vehicle

• US 10,300,907 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2017
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2017
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Hawley, Thomas S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elchanti, Hussein
• Application Number:
  US15/669,832
• Publication Number:
  US 20190039597A1
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2006/4825 Electric machine connected or connectable to gearbox input shaft
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/387 Actuated clutches, i.e. clutches engaged or disengaged by electric, hydraulic or mechanical actuating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/11 Stepped gearings
• 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 20/14 in conjunction with braking regeneration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/15 Control strategies specially adapted for achieving a particular effect
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/40 Torque distribution
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/10 Weight
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/16 Driving resistance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/20 Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0666 Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/083 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/1005 Transmission ratio engaged
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/12 Lateral speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/40 Torque distribution
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18127 : Regenerative braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18136 : Engine braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/06 : Road conditions
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/905 : Combustion engine
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/906 : Motor or generator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/93 : Conjoint control of different elements

Abstract

Systems and methods provide power to augment that of an electric motor in a hybrid electric vehicle to control deceleration of the hybrid electric vehicle. When a hybrid electric vehicle is going to encounter some road condition that may require deceleration, e.g., a downgrade, the hybrid electric vehicle may turn off the engine to take advantage of the regenerative braking properties of the hybrid electric vehicle while traversing the downgrade. However, in situations where the electric motor is unable to provide sufficient negative motor torque to control deceleration, the engine can be connected to the drivetrain in a fuel-cut off mode allowing the engine to generate negative engine torque that can augment the negative motor torque.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a vehicle is approaching a road condition that will require the vehicle to decelerate;

determining an amount of negative torque needed to meet a desired rate of deceleration;

determining if, based upon the desired rate of deceleration, negative motor torque generated by a motor of the vehicle should be augmented with negative engine torque generated by an engine of the vehicle; and

operating the engine of the vehicle in a fuel-cut off mode to generate the negative engine torque upon a determination that the negative motor torque should be augmented with the negative engine torque.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the vehicle is approaching the road condition comprises determining a location of the vehicle and obtaining road condition information relevant to the location of the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the road condition comprises a section of road including a downgrade.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the amount of negative torque needed to meet the desired rate of deceleration comprises determining relevant mass of the vehicle and determining road load associated with the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining the amount of negative torque needed to meet the desired rate of deceleration further comprises determining one or more factors characterizing the road condition.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the amount of negative torque needed to meet the desired rate of deceleration further comprises characterizing operational characteristics of the vehicle based upon the relevant mass of the vehicle, the road load associated with the vehicle, and the one or more factors characterizing the road condition.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining the amount of negative torque needed to meet the desired rate of deceleration further comprises obtaining a desired rate of deceleration associated with operational characteristics matching the operational characteristics of the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the amount of negative torque needed to meet the desired rate of deceleration further comprises calculating a target drive force commensurate with the desired rate of deceleration.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the negative motor torque generated by the motor of the vehicle should be augmented with the negative engine torque generated by the engine of the vehicle comprises determining possible amounts of negative motor torque that the motor is capable of providing at one or more wheels of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the possible amounts of negative motor torque that the motor is capable of providing at the one or more wheels of the vehicle comprise negative motor torque achieved subsequent to shifting a transmission of the vehicle into a gear lower than a current gear.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein determining if the negative motor torque generated by the motor of the vehicle should be augmented with the negative engine torque generated by the engine of the vehicle further comprises comparing the possible amounts of negative motor torque with the amount of negative torque needed to meet the desired rate of deceleration.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein operating the engine of the vehicle in a fuel-cut off mode to generate the negative engine torque comprises connecting the engine to a power transmission path of the vehicle while prohibiting fuel from being supplied to the engine.

13. A hybrid electric vehicle, comprising:

an internal combustion engine;

an electric motor operatively connected in parallel to the internal combustion engine; and

an electronic control unit adapted to control operation of the internal combustion engine to augment negative motor torque generated by the electric motor while the hybrid electric vehicle is traveling a portion of roadway having at least one of a downgrade and a turn upon determining that the amount of negative motor torque generated by the electric motor is insufficient to meet a desired rate of deceleration.

14. The hybrid electric vehicle of claim 13, wherein the electronic control unit operates the hybrid electric vehicle in an electric motor-only travel mode prior to or upon traveling the portion of the roadway having the at least one of the downgrade and the turn.

15. The hybrid electric vehicle of claim 14, wherein the electronic control unit, based upon road condition logic, is adapted to calculate a relevant mass and road load associated with the hybrid electric vehicle.

16. The hybrid electric vehicle of claim 15, wherein the electronic control unit obtains the desired rate of deceleration based upon the relevant mass and road load associated with the hybrid electric vehicle, and one or more characteristics of the at least one of the downgrade and the turn.

17. The hybrid electric vehicle of claim 16, wherein the electronic control unit calculates an amount of negative torque required to meet the desired rate of deceleration based upon a speed of the hybrid electric vehicle.

18. The hybrid electric vehicle of claim 17, wherein the electronic control unit compares one or more possible amounts of negative motor torque capable of being generated by the electric motor to the calculated amount of negative torque required to meet the desired rate of deceleration.

19. The hybrid electric vehicle of claim 15, wherein the electronic control unit controls the internal combustion engine to operate in a fuel-cut off mode.

20. The hybrid electric vehicle of claim 19, wherein the electronic control unit connects the internal engine to power transmission path including at least the electric motor by engaging the electronic control unit with the power transmission path through a clutch mechanism.