SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETERMINING SPEED CONTROL MANAGEMENT SETTINGS

• US 20150278430A1
• Filed: 04/06/2015
• Published: 10/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PACCAR Incorporated
• Original Assignee: PACCAR Incorporated
• Inventors: Johnson, Erik S., Hampson, Richard, Slaton, Zachary
• Granted Patent: US 9,659,144 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0067 Confirmation by the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0082 for initialising the control system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/184 Preventing damage resulting from overload or excessive wear of the driveline
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/1843 Overheating of driveline components B60W30/186 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/085 Changing the parameters of the control units, e.g. changing limit values, working points by control input
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/022 Calculation or estimation of optimal gear ratio, e.g. best ratio for economy drive or performance according driver preference, or to optimise exhaust emissions
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/0223 Generating of new shift maps, i.e. methods for determining shift points for a schedule by taking into account driveline and vehicle conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2063/426 with means for advising the driver for proper shift action, e.g. prompting the driver with allowable selection range of ratios
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/0213 characterised by the method for generating shift signals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/15 Vehicle, aircraft or watercraft design
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

Methods and devices for determining speed control management settings are provided. A vehicle configuration is obtained, specifying at least a transmission, including a number of gears present in the transmission. One or more speed control management modules, such as progressive shift and/or gear down protection modules, are selected by a customer. One or more default progressive shift limits and a default gear down protection limit are calculated, along with gears for which they are active. Performance of the vehicle using the default speed control management settings is simulated and compared to typical vehicle performance. The customer may alter the speed control management settings within dynamically determined valid ranges. The speed control management settings are used in the manufacture or other configuration of the vehicle for the customer.

Claims

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

receiving, by a computing device, a vehicle configuration;

determining, by the computing device, at least one progressive shift limit or at least one gear down protection shift limit based on the vehicle configuration; and

storing, by the computing device in an order data store, the determined at least one progressive shift limit or the determined at least one gear down protection shift limit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle configuration includes a transmission configuration, an engine model, a rear axle ratio, and a tire size.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the transmission configuration includes a number of gears and a set of gear ratios.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle configuration includes an optimization goal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle configuration includes a typical cruise speed and typical shift points for each gear of a transmission.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating a valid progressive shift limit range based on the vehicle configuration;

receiving a selection of at least one progressive shift limit within the valid progressive shift limit range; and

replacing the calculated at least one progressive shift limit with the selected at least one progressive shift limit.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the computing device, a set of transmission gears for each progressive shift limit in which the progressive shift limit is active, based on the vehicle configuration; and

storing, by the computing device in the order data store, the determined sets of transmission gears.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the at least one progressive shift limit includes retrieving at least one progressive shift limit from a look-up table based on the vehicle configuration.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the at least one progressive shift limit includes calculating the at least one progressive shift limit based on performance data associated with components identified in the vehicle configuration.

10. A computing device, comprising:

at least one processor;

a memory; and

a computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to provide components for configuring a vehicle, the components comprising;

a setting calculation component configured to;

obtain a vehicle configuration, the vehicle configuration including at least a set of typical shift points; and

calculate one or more speed control management settings based on the vehicle configuration; and

a vehicle simulation component configured to;

obtain a set of vehicle drive cycles;

determine a typical simulated performance for each vehicle drive cycle in the set of vehicle drive cycles based on the vehicle configuration and the set of typical shift points;

determine a speed control management simulated performance for each vehicle drive cycle in the set of vehicle drive cycles based on the vehicle configuration and the speed control management settings; and

present at least one comparison of the typical simulated performance and the speed control management simulated performance to a customer.

11. The computing device of claim 10, wherein determining a typical simulated performance includes determining a typical fuel economy for each vehicle drive cycle in the set of vehicle drive cycles based on the vehicle configuration and the set of typical shift points.

12. The computing device of claim 11, wherein determining a speed control management simulated performance includes determining a speed control management fuel economy for each vehicle drive cycle in the set of vehicle drive cycles based on the vehicle configuration and the calculated speed control management settings.

13. The computing device of claim 12, wherein presenting at least one comparison of the typical simulated performance and the speed control management simulated performance to the customer includes:

determining a fuel economy delta based on the typical fuel economy and the speed control management fuel economy; and

presenting the fuel economy delta to the customer.

14. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the vehicle simulation component is further configured to:

determine a modified speed control management simulated performance for each vehicle drive cycle in the set of vehicle drive cycles based on the vehicle configuration and modified speed control management settings; and

present at least one comparison of the speed control management simulated performance, the modified speed control management simulated performance, and the typical simulated performance to the customer.

15. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the speed control management settings include a progressive shift limit or a gear down protection limit.

16. A computer-implemented method for configuring a vehicle, the method comprising:

obtaining a vehicle configuration, the vehicle configuration including at least a set of typical shift points;

calculating one or more speed control management settings based on the vehicle configuration, wherein the speed control management settings include at least one of a progressive shift limit and a gear down protection limit;

obtaining a set of vehicle drive cycles;

determining a typical simulated performance for each vehicle drive cycle in the set of vehicle drive cycles based on the vehicle configuration and the set of typical shift points;

determining a speed control management simulated performance for each vehicle drive cycle in the set of vehicle drive cycles based on the vehicle configuration and the speed control management settings; and

presenting at least one comparison of the typical simulated performance and the speed control management simulated performance to a customer.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein determining a typical simulated performance includes determining a typical fuel economy for each vehicle drive cycle in the set of vehicle drive cycles based on the vehicle configuration and the set of typical shift points.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein determining a speed control management simulated performance includes determining a speed control management fuel economy for each vehicle drive cycle in the set of vehicle drive cycles based on the vehicle configuration and the calculated speed control management settings.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein presenting at least one comparison of the typical simulated performance and the speed control management simulated performance to the customer includes:

determining a fuel economy delta based on the typical fuel economy and the speed control management fuel economy; and

presenting the fuel economy delta to the customer.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining a modified speed control management simulated performance for each vehicle drive cycle in the set of vehicle drive cycles based on the vehicle configuration and modified speed control management settings; and

presenting at least one comparison of the speed control management simulated performance, the modified speed control management simulated performance, and the typical simulated performance to the customer.