Systems and methods for improving vehicle driveline operation

• US 9,771,064 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2014
• Issued: 09/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Nefcy, Bernard D., Kraska, Marvin P., Colvin, Daniel S., Shelton, Matthew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Siconolfi, Robert A
• Assistant Examiner(s): DODD, RYAN P
• Application Number:
  US14/225,324
• Publication Number:
  US 20150274155A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,281 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2006/4825 Electric machine connected or connectable to gearbox input shaft
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/387 Actuated clutches, i.e. clutches engaged or disengaged by electric, hydraulic or mechanical actuating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/547 the transmission being a stepped gearing
• 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 10/11 Stepped gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/115 with planetary gears
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/30 Control strategies involving selection of transmission gear ratio control of change speed gearings, together with other vehicle sub-units B60W10/10; HEV transmission gearing B60K6/36; gearings and control thereof F16H
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/40 Controlling the engagement or disengagement of prime movers, e.g. for transition between prime movers power-up or power-down of the driveline B60W30/192
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/022 Clutch actuator position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/1005 Transmission ratio engaged
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/1083 pressure of control fluid
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/192 Mitigating problems related to power-up or power-down of the driveline, e.g. start-up of a cold engine
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/93 Conjoint control of different elements

Abstract

Systems and methods for improving operation of a hybrid vehicle driveline are presented. In one example, pressures applied to two different clutches are coordinated such that a pressure boost phase of a driveline disconnect clutch does not occur at a same time as a pressure boost phase of a transmission shifting clutch.

Claims

1. A driveline operating method, comprising:

supplying a first pressure sequence to apply a driveline disconnect clutch, the first pressure sequence including a first boost phase, a first constant pressure phase, and a first ramp phase;

supplying a second pressure sequence to apply a transmission shifting clutch, the second pressure sequence including a second boost phase, a second constant pressure phase, and a second ramp phase; and

delaying one of the first boost phase or the second boost phase in response to the other of the first boost phase or the second boost phase.

2. The method of claim 1, where the driveline disconnect clutch is positioned between an engine and an electric machine, where a pressure of the first boost phase is greater than a pressure of the first constant pressure phase, and where a pressure of the second boost phase is greater than a pressure of the second constant pressure phase.

3. The method of claim 1, where the transmission shifting clutch is a transmission gear clutch, and further comprising:

not applying the driveline disconnect clutch immediately preceding the first boost phase in the first pressure sequence; and

not applying the transmission shifting clutch immediately preceding the second boost phase in the second pressure sequence.

4. The method of claim 1, where the first boost phase is delayed until an end of the second boost phase, and further comprising:

assigning a higher priority to the second pressure sequence than the first pressure sequence during a condition of driver demand less than a threshold so that the second boost phase precedes the first boost phase, and closing the transmission shifting clutch before the driveline disconnect clutch based on the higher priority.

5. The method of claim 1, where the first boost phase is delayed until a predetermined transmission shifting clutch volume is displaced.

6. The method of claim 1, where the second boost phase is delayed until a predetermined driveline disconnect clutch volume is displaced.

7. The method of claim 1, where the second pressure sequence is provided in response to a power on upshift or downshift.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning a higher priority to the first pressure sequence than the second pressure sequence during a condition of driver demand greater than a threshold so that the first boost phase precedes the second boost phase, and closing the driveline disconnect clutch before the transmission shifting clutch based on the higher priority.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising simultaneous requests to close the driveline disconnect clutch and close the transmission shifting clutch.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising beginning the second boost phase when the first constant pressure phase begins.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising inhibiting closing of transmission clutches during filling of the driveline disconnect clutch.

12. The method of claim 1, where delaying one of the first boost phase or the second boost phase in response to the other of the first boost phase or the second boost phase includes delaying either the first boost phase or the second boost phase until a pressure of the other of the first boost phase and the second boost phase is reduced after increasing pressure of the first boost phase or pressure of the second boost phase to supply the first pressure sequence to apply the driveline disconnect clutch or to supply the second pressure sequence to apply the transmission shifting clutch.