Optimizing shift strategies through driving simulation

• US 7,949,452 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2007
• Issued: 05/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Volvo Lastvagnar AB (AB Volvo)
• Original Assignee: Volvo Lastvagnar AB (AB Volvo)
• Inventors: Steen, Marcus, Eriksson, Anders
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner; Mark
• Application Number:
  US11/878,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20080027612A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,404 Days
• Field of Search: 701/54, 701/55, 701/201, 701/56
• US Class Current: 701/55
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline 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 10/11 Stepped gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/111 with separate change-speed gear trains arranged in series
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0025 Transfer function weighting factor
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0031 Mathematical model of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/106 Rate of change
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/30 Driving style
• 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 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: F02D 2200/701 Information about vehicle position, e.g. from navigation system or GPS signal
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/702 Road conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0215 in relation with elements of the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/023 in relation with the gear ratio shifting conjoint control for improving gear change B60W30/19
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/663 Road slope
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/666 Determining road conditions by using vehicle location or position, e.g. from global navigation systems [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/0015 : Transmission control for optimising fuel consumptions
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/0018 : Transmission control for optimising exhaust emissions
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/0227 : Shift map selection, i.e. methods for controlling selection between different shift maps, e.g. to initiate switch to a map for up-hill driving
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2300/14 : Selecting a state of operation, e.g. depending on two wheel or four wheel drive mode
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/66 : Road conditions, e.g. slope, slippery
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/0213 : characterised by the method for generating shift signals
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/70 : specially adapted for change-speed gearing in group arrangement, i.e. with separate change-speed gear trains arranged in series, e.g. range or overdrive-type gearing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 : Engine management systems

Abstract

A motor vehicle includes a clutch and an automated transmission between the engine and the drive wheels of the vehicle. A method for shift control in the motor vehicle when starting off or under way includes continuously performing computer simulations of the future driving of the vehicle, at least in response to information on road incline and throttle opening position, for a set of different shift schedules with combinations of engine speeds when shifting and shift steps, and selecting a shift schedule from the set of shift schedules which is optimal with regard to a selected criterion.

Claims

1. A method for optimizing the shifting of transmission gears (gear ratios) in a motor vehicle for a given route along which the motor vehicle is being driven, comprising:

conducting a plurality of simulations of driving the motor vehicle along the given route for a period of time extending into the future, wherein a different, non-previously-assigned or non-previously-fixed gear-shifting strategy comprising one or more combinations of engine speed and from/to gear-shift sequence according to which the motor vehicle potentially could be operated while being driven along the given route for the period of time extending into the future is tested or gamed out in each of the simulations;

selecting from among the various gear-shifting strategies that have been tested or gamed out one which is specifically tailored to the given route to optimize a preselected driving-related criterion; and

implementing the selected gear-shifting strategy while the motor vehicle is being driven along the given route.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the various gear-shifting strategies that are tested or gamed out includes a non-sequential skip-shifting sequence in which one or more transmission gears are skipped.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a current position of the motor vehicle is determined using the Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite system and is used in conducting the simulations.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein electronic map data, which includes topographical information, is used in conducting the simulations.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the driving-related criterion is selected by a controller.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the driving-related criterion is selected by a driver of the motor vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the driving-related criterion is based on fuel consumption (gas mileage).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the driving-related criterion is based on vehicle velocity.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the driving-related criterion is based on vehicle emissions.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the driving-related criterion is based on a weighted combination of driving-related parameters.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the driving-related parameters comprise two or more parameters selected from the group consisting of fuel consumption (gas mileage), vehicle velocity, and vehicle emissions.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a stored engine model is used to conduct the simulations.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the engine model includes information pertaining to vehicle emissions at various transients.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the engine model includes information pertaining to engine torque.