DRAFTING DETECTION AND VEHICLE OPERATION OPTIMIZATION SYSTEM

• US 20180079405A1
• Filed: 09/22/2016
• Published: 03/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Gaither, Geoffrey D., Aoki, Takanori
• Granted Patent: US 10,059,330 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0161 mainly during straight-line motion B60G17/0164 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0165 to an external condition, e.g. rough road surface, side wind
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/01908 Acceleration or inclination sensors characterised by the use of gyroscopes B60G21/08
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0195 characterised by the regulation being combined with other vehicle control systems conjoint control of vehicle sub-units including control of suspension systems B60W10/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/204 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2401/174 Radar
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2401/28 Gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/30 Height or ground clearance
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/0192 longitudinal with regard to vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/06 with air cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/085 with adjustable shutters or blinds
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/024 including control of torque converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/026 of lock-up clutches
• 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 10/22 including control of suspension systems
• 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 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/16 Driving resistance
• 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 2552/20 : Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 : Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/024 : of torque converter lock-up clutch
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0622 : Air-fuel ratio
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/182 : Selecting between different operative modes, e.g. comfort and performance modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/188 : Controlling power parameters of the driveline, e.g. determining the required power
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 : Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 37/02 : by aerodynamic means
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/50 : said parameters being related to the vehicle or its components
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0047 : Controlling exhaust gas recirculation [EGR] temperature control with cooler in recirculation circuit F02M26/33
• 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: Y02T 10/40 : Engine management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 : Data processing systems or methods, management, administration
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/88 : Optimized components or subsystems, e.g. lighting, actively controlled glasses

Abstract

A system for improving performance or efficiency of operation of a vehicle. The system includes a sensor configured to detect current vehicle speed data and current vehicle slope data. The system includes a pedal control unit configured to detect current pedal position data. The system includes an electronic control unit (ECU) configured to determine expected driving power demand based on current vehicle speed data and vehicle slope data. The ECU is configured to determine detected driving power demand based on current pedal position data. The ECU is configured to detect a drafting condition when the expected driving power demand exceeds the detected driving power demand. The ECU is configured to adjust, when the drafting condition is detected, at least one of a chassis control setting, an engine control setting, a transmission control setting, or a hybrid control setting to improve performance or efficiency of operation of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for improving performance or efficiency of operation of a vehicle, the system comprising:

a sensor configured to detect current vehicle speed data and current vehicle slope data;

a pedal control unit configured to detect current pedal position data; and

an electronic control unit (ECU) configured to;

determine an expected driving power demand based on the current vehicle speed data and the vehicle slope data,

determine a detected driving power demand based on the current pedal position data,

detect a drafting condition when the expected driving power demand exceeds the detected driving power demand, and

adjust, when the drafting condition is detected, at least one of a chassis control setting, an engine control setting, a transmission control setting, or a hybrid control setting to improve performance or efficiency of operation of the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the drafting condition is detected when the expected driving power demand exceeds the detected driving power demand by a demand difference percentage threshold.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the drafting condition is determined when the expected driving power demand exceeds the detected driving power demand for a period of time exceeding a demand difference time threshold.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein adjusting the chassis control setting includes at least one of adjusting grille shutters to improve vehicle aerodynamics, adjusting cooling air flow from a vehicle engine to one or more other vehicle components, adjusting vehicle height to improve vehicle aerodynamics, or adjusting vehicle spoiler position to improve vehicle aerodynamics.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein adjusting the engine control setting includes at least one of adjusting spark plug ignition timing to increase fuel efficiency, adjusting air-to-fuel ratio to increase fuel efficiency, or adjusting exhaust gas recirculation to improve vehicle emissions.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein adjusting the transmission control setting includes at least one of adjusting shift controls to increase fuel efficiency, locking a torque converter to increase fuel efficiency, or adjusting a transmission mode to increase fuel efficiency.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein adjusting the hybrid control setting includes adjusting a hybrid mode transition threshold to increase use of an electric operation mode to increase fuel efficiency.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit is further configured to:

determine an updated expected driving power demand based on updated vehicle speed data and updated vehicle slope data;

determine an updated detected driving power demand based on updated pedal position data;

detect a change from the drafting condition to a non-drafting condition when the updated expected driving power demand does not exceed the updated detected driving power demand; and

temporarily increase driving power when the change from the drafting condition to the non-drafting condition is detected, to mitigate effects of the change from the drafting condition to the non-drafting condition.

9. A vehicle with improved performance or efficiency of operation, the vehicle comprising:

a sensor configured to detect current vehicle speed data and current vehicle slope data; and

an electronic control unit (ECU) configured to;

determine an expected driving power demand based on the current vehicle speed data and the vehicle slope data,

determine a current driving power demand,

detect a drafting condition when the expected driving power demand exceeds the current driving power demand, and

adjust, when the drafting condition is detected, at least one of a chassis control setting, an engine control setting, a transmission control setting, or a hybrid control setting to improve performance or efficiency of the vehicle.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the current driving power demand is determined based on an autonomous driving protocol for controlling the vehicle.

11. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the current driving power demand is determined based on current pedal position data detected by a pedal control unit.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the drafting condition is detected when the expected driving power demand exceeds the detected driving power demand by a demand difference percentage threshold for a period of time exceeding a demand difference time threshold.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein adjusting the chassis control setting includes at least one of adjusting grille shutters to improve vehicle aerodynamics, adjusting cooling air flow from a vehicle engine to one or more other vehicle components, adjusting vehicle height to improve vehicle aerodynamics, or adjusting vehicle spoiler position to improve vehicle aerodynamics.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein adjusting the engine control setting includes at least one of adjusting spark plug ignition timing to increase fuel efficiency, adjusting air-to-fuel ratio to increase fuel efficiency, or adjusting exhaust gas recirculation to improve vehicle emissions.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein adjusting the transmission control setting includes at least one of adjusting shift controls to increase fuel efficiency, locking a torque converter to increase fuel efficiency, or adjusting a transmission mode to increase fuel efficiency.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein adjusting the hybrid control setting includes adjusting a hybrid mode transition threshold to increase use of an electric operation mode to increase fuel efficiency.

17. A method for improving performance or efficiency of operation of a vehicle, the method comprising:

detecting, by a sensor, current vehicle speed data and current vehicle slope data;

detecting, by a pedal control unit, current pedal position data;

determining, by an electronic control unit (ECU), an expected driving power demand based on the current vehicle speed data and the vehicle slope data;

determining, by the ECU, a detected driving power demand based on the current pedal position data;

detecting, by the ECU, a drafting condition when the expected driving power demand exceeds the detected driving power demand by a demand difference percentage threshold for a period of time exceeding a demand difference time threshold; and

adjusting, by the ECU, when the drafting condition is detected, at least one of a chassis control setting, an engine control setting, a transmission control setting, or a hybrid control setting to improve performance or efficiency of operation of the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein adjusting the chassis control setting includes at least one of adjusting grille shutters to improve vehicle aerodynamics, adjusting cooling air flow from a vehicle engine to one or more other vehicle components, adjusting vehicle height to improve vehicle aerodynamics, or adjusting vehicle spoiler position to improve vehicle aerodynamics.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein adjusting the engine control setting includes at least one of adjusting spark plug ignition timing to increase fuel efficiency, adjusting air-to-fuel ratio to increase fuel efficiency, or adjusting exhaust gas recirculation to improve vehicle emissions,

wherein adjusting the transmission control setting includes at least one of adjusting shift controls to increase fuel efficiency, locking a torque converter to increase fuel efficiency, or adjusting a transmission mode to increase fuel efficiency, and

wherein adjusting the hybrid control setting includes adjusting a hybrid mode transition threshold to increase use of an electric operation mode to increase fuel efficiency.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

determining, by the ECU, an updated expected driving power demand based on updated vehicle speed data and updated vehicle slope data;

determining, by the ECU, an updated detected driving power demand based on updated pedal position data;

detecting, by the ECU, a change from the drafting condition to a non-drafting condition when the updated expected driving power demand does not exceed the updated detected driving power demand; and

temporarily increasing, by the ECU, driving power when the change from the drafting condition to the non-drafting condition is detected, to mitigate effects of the change from the drafting condition to the non-drafting condition.