ELECTRIC CREEP TORQUE CONTROL IN VEHICLES HAVING A MANUAL/MECHANICAL TRANSMISSION

• US 20170072943A1
• Filed: 09/09/2016
• Published: 03/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: PEDLAR, Christopher Edward, HESKETH, David
• Granted Patent: US 10,293,673 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2006/4825 Electric machine connected or connectable to gearbox input shaft
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/36 characterised by the transmission gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/485 Motor-assist type
• 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 2510/101 Transmission neutral state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/14 Clutch pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/16 Ratio selector position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/215 Selection or confirmation of options
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/083 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18063 Creeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2300/18058 Creeping
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/915 Specific drive or transmission adapted for hev

Abstract

A system for providing electric creep in a manual transmission vehicle having an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, and an engine uses an electric motor configured to provide creep torque to a transmission output shaft when the manual transmission is in neutral, the electric creep mode is activated and the engine is auto-stopped. The system may provide forward or reverse creep torque. The system may cancel the electric creep in response to a vehicle door opening, a driver unbuckling a seatbelt, or depressing the accelerator pedal or the clutch pedal, or shifting the manual transmission out of neutral.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

an engine;

a manual transmission having an output shaft;

an electric machine configured to rotate the output shaft when the manual transmission is in neutral; and

a controller programmed to auto-stop the engine in response to release of an accelerator pedal and a clutch pedal, and to operate the electric machine to provide creep torque in response to a brake pedal position while the vehicle is operating in a creep mode.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the controller is further programmed to operate the electric machine to provide reverse creep torque in response to a corresponding reverse selection signal.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the controller is further programmed to modulate the creep torque in response to the brake pedal position.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the controller is further programmed to cancel the creep mode in response to depressing the accelerator pedal or the clutch pedal.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a control button configured to active the creep mode.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the controller is further programmed to provide creep torque only when the manual transmission is in neutral.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising:

a gear lever configured to place the manual transmission in neutral; and

an input on the gear lever configured to activate the creep mode.

8. The vehicle of claim 7 wherein the input comprises a control button.

9. The vehicle of claim 7 wherein the input is configured to select one of forward creep torque and reverse creep torque.

10. The vehicle of claim 7 wherein the controller is configured to cancel the creep mode in response to unbuckling of a driver seat belt.

11. A controller for providing electric creep in a vehicle comprising a manual transmission, an engine, and an electric machine configured to be controlled by accelerator, brake and clutch pedals, the controller configured to:

switch off the engine when the electric creep is activated;

control the electric machine to provide the electric creep based on extent of depression of the brake pedal; and

cancel the electric creep responsive to activation of the accelerator pedal.

12. The controller of claim 11 wherein the controller is further configured to cancel the electric creep in response to depression of the clutch pedal.

13. The controller of claim 11 further configured to cancel the electric creep in response to opening of a vehicle door.

14. The controller of claim 11 further configured to activate the electric creep in response to release of the accelerator pedal and the clutch pedal after activation of a dedicated electric creep button.

15. A vehicle comprising:

an engine;

a mechanical transmission;

an electric machine configured to provide forward or reverse torque to an output shaft of the mechanical transmission based on a creep torque mode; and

a controller programmed to control forward and reverse creep torque in response to modulation of a brake pedal when the mechanical transmission is in neutral and accelerator and clutch pedals are not depressed.

16. The vehicle of claim 15 further comprising a dedicated electric creep mode selector.

17. The vehicle of claim 16 wherein the selector is configured to select one of the forward and the reverse creep torque.

18. The vehicle of claim 16 wherein the selector is disposed on a gear selector for the mechanical transmission.

19. The vehicle of claim 15 wherein the controller is further programmed to cancel the creep torque mode in response to opening of a vehicle door.

20. The vehicle of claim 15 wherein the controller is further programmed to cancel the creep torque mode in response to unbuckling of a driver seat belt.