Mountain compensation for hybrid vehicles

• US 8,335,605 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2010
• Issued: 12/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Mueller, Jonas, Schloen, Oliver
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming, Faye M.
• Application Number:
  US12/776,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20110130908A1
• Time in Patent Office: 953 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 701/23, 701/25, 701/27
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/486 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/13 in order to stay within battery power input or output limits; in order to prevent overcharging or battery depletion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0052 Filtering, filters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/105 Output torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/105 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/244 Charge state

Abstract

A method for adjusting a preset desired state of charge of an electric energy accumulator of a vehicle, in particular a hybrid vehicle, while traveling uphill and downhill, determines whether the condition for a vehicle traveling uphill or downhill is met according to a preset decision logic. It also determines whether an actual state of charge of the energy accumulator lies within a preset range of the state of charge, and adjusts the desired state of charge according to a preset adjustment logic, if the condition for a vehicle traveling uphill or downhill is met, and the actual state of charge of the energy accumulator lies within the preset range of the state of charge.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting a preset desired state of charge of an electric energy accumulator of a hybrid vehicle, the method comprising the acts of:

determining, according to a preset decision logic, whether a condition for a vehicle traveling uphill or downhill is met;

determining whether an actual state of charge of the energy accumulator lies within a preset range of the state of charge; and

adjusting the desired state of charge according to a preset adjustment logic, if

(i) the condition for the vehicle traveling uphill or downhill is met, and

(ii) the actual state of charge of the energy accumulator lies within the preset range of the state of charge,

wherein the act of adjusting the desired state of charge comprises the act of decreasing the desired state of charge if the condition for the vehicle traveling uphill is met.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of adjusting the desired state of charge comprises the act of increasing the desired state of charge if the condition for the vehicle traveling downhill is met.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein a gradient of the at least one of an increase and a decrease in the desired state of charge is selected in terms of amount to be larger, the greater the downward slope and/or the inclination of a road last traveled by the vehicle.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of determining whether the condition for the vehicle traveling uphill or downhill is met comprises the act of evaluating by the decision logic at least one of an absolute or relative altitude signal and an inclination signal.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the at least one of the absolute or relative altitude signal and the inclination signal is determined by at least one of:

measuring the ambient air pressure,

evaluating an altitude signal of a navigation system,

a drive torque,

evaluating a vehicle acceleration, and

evaluating an inclination of the vehicle in relation to a horizontal plane.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the at least one of the absolute or relative altitude signal and the inclination signal generate:

a first signal, which reflects the time-based or distance-based changes in at least one of the altitude and the inclination in no more than a minimally filtered manner;

a second signal, which reflects the time-based or distance-based changes in a more filtered manner relative to the first signal; and

a detection of the condition for the vehicle traveling uphill and/or downhill if an amount of a difference between the first and second signals exceeds a preset value.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the at least one of the absolute or relative altitude signal and the inclination signal generate:

a first signal, which reflects the time-based or distance-based changes in at least one of the altitude and the inclination in no more than a minimally filtered manner;

a second signal, which reflects the time-based or distance-based changes in a more filtered manner relative to the first signal; and

a detection of the condition for the vehicle traveling uphill and/or downhill if an amount of a difference between the first and second signals exceeds a preset value.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the desired state of charge is at least one of increased and decreased as a function of said amount of the difference between the first and second signals.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the desired state of charge is at least one of increased and decreased as a function of said amount of the difference between the first and second signals.

10. A method for controlling an actual state of charge of an electric energy accumulator of a hybrid vehicle, the method comprising the acts of:

presetting a desired state of charge as a reference value;

determining the desired state of charge in accordance with the following;

determining, according to a preset decision logic, whether a condition for a vehicle traveling uphill or downhill is met;

determining whether an actual state of charge of the energy accumulator lies within a preset range of the state of charge; and

adjusting the desired state of charge according to a preset adjustment logic, if

(i) the condition for the vehicle traveling uphill or downhill is met, and

(ii) the actual state of charge of the energy accumulator lies within the preset range of the state of charge,

wherein the act of adjusting the desired state of charge comprises the act of decreasing the desired state of charge if the condition for the vehicle traveling uphill is met.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the act of adjusting the desired state of charge comprises the act of increasing the desired state of charge if the condition for the vehicle traveling downhill is met.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the act of determining whether the condition for the vehicle traveling uphill or downhill is met comprises the act of evaluating by the decision logic at least one of an absolute or relative altitude signal and an inclination signal.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the at least one of the absolute or relative altitude signal and the inclination signal is determined by at least one of:

measuring the ambient air pressure,

evaluating an altitude signal of a navigation system,

a drive torque,

evaluating a vehicle acceleration, and

evaluating an inclination of the vehicle in relation to a horizontal plane.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the at least one of the absolute or relative altitude signal and the inclination signal generate:

a first signal, which reflects the time-based or distance-based changes in at least one of the altitude and the inclination in no more than a minimally filtered manner;

a second signal, which reflects the time-based or distance-based changes in a more filtered manner relative to the first signal; and

a detection of the condition for the vehicle traveling uphill and/or downhill if an amount of a difference between the first and second signals exceeds a preset value.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the desired state of charge is at least one of increased and decreased as a function of said amount of the difference between the first and second signals.