Adaptive control of motor vehicle powertrain

Abstract

A method and system for blending between different torque maps of a vehicle so that step changes of torque output are avoided as accelerator pedal position is changed. Different blending rates are provided so as to reduce the blending time if driver demand is in the direction of torque change.

Claims

1. A method of blending between different characteristics of accelerator position and output torque in a vehicle, the method comprising: detecting a first operating mode of a vehicle and applying a source torque characteristic associated with the first operating mode to determine a required output torque and control one or more sources of motive power of the vehicle to provide the required output torque; changing to a second operating mode of the vehicle and selecting a target torque characteristic associated with the second operating mode; blending, by an electronic control system of the vehicle, the characteristic applied to determine the required output torque and control the one or more sources of motive power of the vehicle to provide the required output torque from the first operating mode source torque characteristic to the second operating mode target torque characteristic at a base blending rate, the blending rate being increased during blending when the position of the accelerator pedal is moved in the direction of torque change due to blending.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the base blending rate is variable according to a difference between the source torque characteristic and the target torque characteristic.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the increase in the blending rate is variable according to a difference between the source torque characteristic and the target torque characteristic.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the amount by which the base blending rate is increased is dependent upon the instant position of the accelerator pedal.

5. The method according to claim 1 comprising detecting a change to the second operating mode.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first operating mode source torque characteristic comprises a source torque map associated with the first operating mode, and the second operating mode target torque characteristic comprises a target torque map associated with the second operating mode.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first operating mode source torque characteristic comprises a source torque value associated with the first operating mode and the instant position of the accelerator pedal, and the second operating mode target torque characteristic comprises a target torque value associated with the second operating mode and the instant position of the accelerator pedal.

8. A method of blending between different characteristics of accelerator position and output torque in a vehicle, the method comprising: detecting a first operating mode of a vehicle and applying a source torque characteristic associated with the first operating mode to determine a required output torque and control one or more sources of motive power of the vehicle to provide the required output torque; changing to a second operating mode of the vehicle and selecting a target torque characteristic associated with the second operating mode; blending, by an electronic control system of the vehicle, the characteristic applied to determine the required output torque and control the one or more sources of motive power of the vehicle to provide the required output torque from the first operating mode source torque characteristic to the second operating mode target torque characteristic at a base blending rate, the blending rate being reduced during blending when the position of the accelerator pedal is not substantially moved, or is moved oppositely to the direction of torque change due to blending.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the reduction in the blending rate is variable according to a difference between the source torque characteristic and the target torque characteristic.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the amount by which the base blending rate is reduced dependent upon the instant position of the accelerator pedal.

11. The method according to claim 8 comprising detecting a change to the second operating mode.

12. An electronic control system of a vehicle for blending between different characteristics of accelerator pedal position and output torque by reference to a plurality of torque characteristics held within a memory, the system being configured to: detect a first operating mode of the vehicle and apply a source torque characteristic associated with the first operating mode to determine a required output torque and control one or more sources of motive power of the vehicle to provide the required output torque; detect a change in the operating mode of the vehicle from the first operating mode to a second operating mode, and select a target torque characteristic associated with the second operating mode; and blend the torque characteristic applied to determine the required output torque and control the one or more sources of motive power of the vehicle to provide the required output torque from the first operating mode source torque characteristic to the second operating mode target torque characteristic at a base blending rate, the base blending rate being increased during blending when the torque change due to blending is in the direction of driver demand.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the base blending rate is determined according to a difference between the source torque characteristic and the target torque characteristic.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein the increase in the blending rate is variable according to a difference between the source torque characteristic and the target torque characteristic.

15. The system according to claim 12, wherein the first operating mode source torque characteristic comprises a source torque map associated with the first operating mode, and the second operating mode target torque characteristic comprises a target torque map associated with the second operating mode.

16. The system according to claim 12, wherein the first operating mode source torque characteristic comprises a source torque value associated with the first operating mode and the instant position of the accelerator pedal, and the second operating mode target torque characteristic comprises a target torque value associated with the second operating mode and the instant position of the accelerator pedal.

17. A vehicle having the control system according to claim 12, and a system for automatically changing the operating mode of the vehicle according to different conditions of use, whereby one of the plurality of torque characteristics is selected for each operating mode.

18. An electronic control system of a vehicle for blending between different characteristics of accelerator pedal position and output torque by reference to a plurality of torque characteristics held within a memory, the system being configured to: detect a first operating mode of the vehicle and apply a source torque characteristic associated with the first operating mode to determine a required output torque and control one or more sources of motive power of the vehicle to provide the required output torque; detect a change in the operating mode of the vehicle from the first operating mode to a second operating mode, and select a target torque characteristic associated with the second operating mode; and blend the torque characteristic applied to determine the required output torque and control the one or more sources of motive power of the vehicle to provide the required output torque from the first operating mode source torque characteristic to the second operating mode target torque characteristic at a base blending rate, the base blending rate being reduced during blending when the torque change due to blending is not in the direction of driver demand.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the reduction in the blending rate is variable according to a difference between the source torque characteristic and the target torque characteristic.

20. A vehicle having the control system according to claim 18, and a system for automatically changing the operating mode of the vehicle according to different conditions of use, whereby one of the plurality of torque characteristics is selected for each operating mode.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a known motor vehicle;

(3) FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 illustrate graphically blending of torque between different operating modes of a vehicle;

(4) FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of a motor vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

(5) FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 illustrate modified blending according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

(6) FIGS. 7 to 11 illustrate the effect of embodiments of the invention for a method of increased blending rate with corresponding change of driver intention;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(7) FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of a motor vehicle 201 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Like features of the vehicle 201 of FIG. 4 to those of the vehicle 101 of FIG. 1 are shown with like reference numerals prefixed numeral 2 instead of numeral 1. Thus engine 121 of the vehicle 101 of FIG. 1 corresponds to engine 221 of the vehicle 201 of FIG. 4.

(8) The vehicle 201 has a VCU 201 programmed with accelerator pedal progression maps that are used to determine engine torque T as a function of accelerator pedal position P.

(9) FIG. 5 is a plot of engine torque (T) against time(t) over a period of changing accelerator pedal position for the vehicle 201 of FIG. 4. Two vehicle modes M1, M2 are illustrated, each mode having a different output torque from the engine 221 in response to a given accelerator pedal position. Mode M1 may be characterized as cautious, corresponding to program A of FIG. 1, whereas mode M2 corresponds to program B of FIG. 1, and is more aggressive.

(10) Accelerator pedal position is not shown, but torque increases and decreases can be assumed to follow a similar change to accelerator pedal position.

(11) Thus at time t.sub.0, the accelerator pedal 161 is not advanced (and is therefore in a substantially released position, at a substantially undepressed or neutral position) and engine torque output may be considered to be substantially zero even if the engine 221 is running at idle speed.

(12) At t.sub.1 the accelerator pedal position is advanced. Two possible torque paths are possible, following the traces M1 and M2, depending on whether mode M1 or mode M2 are selected. The vehicle is assumed to be in mode M1 so that output torque follows the trace M1.

(13) At t.sub.2, movement of the accelerator pedal 161 is paused, and in consequence there is no further rise in engine output torque.

(14) At t.sub.3, the VCU 201C automatically changes the mode of operation of the vehicle to mode M2, for example due to detection of a change of terrain by means not described here. Blending of engine output torque T to that required for operation in mode M2 commences at a fixed base rate determined empirically as the maximum rate which a vehicle driver will accept without becoming disconcerted during an automatic mode change.

(15) At t.sub.3, the instant torque (mode M1) is about 80 Nm, and the target torque (mode M2) is about 200 Nm. The difference is thus 120 Nm, and a typical base blending rate is 7 Nm/s although other values may be used instead. If accelerator position remains unchanged, blending from M1 to M2 at the base rate will thus take about 17 seconds, in this example.

(16) After t.sub.3 the engine output torque T, shown by trace E in FIG. 5, thus begins progressively to increase above the trace of mode M1.

(17) At t.sub.4 the accelerator pedal position is retracted; engine output torque reduces in consequence, but blending at the base rate continues so that when the accelerator pedal is paused at t.sub.5 a further upward divergence of trace E from trace M1 is apparent.

(18) The accelerator pedal 161 is paused until t.sub.6, and further upward divergence at the base blending rate is apparent in this period.

(19) At t.sub.6 the accelerator pedal 161 is again advanced. Since driver demand for increased torque is in the direction of blending from M1 to M2, the rate of blending is increased above the base blending rate, so that by the time the accelerator pedal is again paused at t.sub.7, engine output torque T has rapidly approached M2. Thus in this example, the period from t.sub.3 to t.sub.6 at the base blending rate provided for about 25% of blending to be completed. The shorter period from t.sub.6 to t.sub.7 at the increased blending rate allowed blending to reach about 60% completion.

(20) At t.sub.7 the accelerator pedal is again paused, and blending is resumed at the base blending rate. If no further change of accelerator position is made before blending is completed, the time for blending will have reduced from about 17 seconds to about 12 seconds.

(21) Similarly, as shown in FIG. 6, a change in vehicle mode at time t.sub.8 to a more cautious engine torque map (from map M2 to map M1) causes blending at the base rate from t.sub.8 to t.sub.9in this period the accelerator pedal position is not changing.

(22) At t.sub.9, the accelerator pedal 261 is backed-off, to demand a lower torque from the engine 221. Since this action is in the direction of mode change from M2 to M1, the base blending rate is increased, so that by t.sub.10 when movement of the accelerator pedal 261 is paused, 50% of the blend is completed.

(23) After t.sub.10, blending continues at the base rate, and does so during a period of an advancing accelerator pedal position from t.sub.11 to t.sub.12, and at a paused position after t.sub.12.

(24) Special measures may be employed when the accelerator pedal is moved rapidly towards the maximum and minimum positions. In this case, in the vehicle 201 of the embodiment of FIG. 4 if the pedal 261 is advanced to a maximum position (which may be defined as greater than 95% of full travel of the accelerator pedal 261) at a rate greater than a prescribed rate, the VCU 201C is arranged to command substantially immediately the application of substantially the full amount of engine torque T corresponding to position U of FIG. 2.

(25) In some embodiments, blending is determined by the VCU 201C to be complete substantially immediately when the accelerator pedal 261 is advanced to the maximum position (corresponding to position U) or retreated to the minimum position (which may be defined as less than 5% of the full travel of the accelerator pedal 261 and corresponds to position L). No further blending is therefore required, and further accelerator pedal movement results in engine response according to the mode trace to which blending was being performed. The prescribed rates for advancement or backing of the pedal 261 may be substantially the same or different.

(26) In the embodiment of FIG. 4, if blending is still incomplete when the accelerator pedal 261 is advanced to the maximum position or backed to the minimum position, the VCU 201C may be configured to apply maximum or minimum available torque respectively, but blending may continue at a prescribed rate (such as the base blending rate) whilst the pedal is at the maximum or minimum positions. If however the pedal is subsequently moved away from the maximum or minimum positions, before blending is complete, the blending rate may be increased if the pedal is moved in the direction of blending, as described above.

(27) It will be appreciated that definition and recognition of the minimum and maximum accelerator positions may be selected according to the nature and precision of the accelerator pedal mechanism, and in particular to the accuracy, noise and hysteresis present in the output of a potentiometer indicative of pedal position. Selection and adjustment of these parameters is within the ability of an appropriately skilled person.

(28) Likewise, the rate of change of accelerator pedal position may be sensed in some embodiments in order to determine whether movement to the maximum and minimum positions is in progress, and thereby give an early indication that engine output torque should be maximized or minimized substantially immediately.

(29) In the present embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, a method of blending is implemented whereby the blending rate is increased when driver demand is in the direction of blend. The same effect may be realized in a method where blending rate is reduced, typically to zero, when driver demand is unchanging or opposite to the direction of blend.

(30) These two methods may be combined so that a base blending rate is applied for a substantially constant position of accelerator pedal, is increased when driver demand is in the direction of blend, and is reduced when driver demand is opposite to the direction of blend.

(31) FIGS. 7 to 10 illustrate the effect of one embodiment of the invention in which the rate of blending is increased when driver intention is to change the amount of engine torque in the direction of the blend.

(32) FIG. 7 is a plot of vehicle mode as a function of time. The plot indicates a change of mode from M1 to M2 at time t.sub.13. Mode M2 corresponds to trace B of FIG. 2 and is a more aggressive torque mapping than mode M1, which corresponds to trace A of FIG. 2.

(33) FIG. 8 is a plot of accelerator pedal position as a function of time between two exemplar positions or levels P1, P2 between 0 and 100% of full travel of the accelerator pedal 261. At time t.sub.14 a backing accelerator is advanced, and at t.sub.15 a steady condition is assumed. At t.sub.16 backing is again initiated until a steady state is reached at t.sub.17.

(34) FIG. 9 is a plot of blending rate B as a function of time. It can be seen that at the moment the mode change is initiated, a base blending rate Bbase is applied. Bbase is substantially equal to half the maximum available blending rate Bmax that may be applied in the present embodiment although other proportions or other absolute values are also useful. The base blending rate is applied between time t.sub.13 and time t.sub.14 whilst the accelerator pedal 261 is not advancing.

(35) Between times t.sub.14 and t.sub.15, the maximum blending rate Bmax is applied, whilst the accelerator pedal position is advancing. During the period from t.sub.15 to t.sub.16 the accelerator pedal is substantially stationary whilst during the period from t.sub.16 to t.sub.17 the accelerator pedal 261 is backed (moved towards a less depressed position). From time t.sub.17 the accelerator pedal 261 remains substantially stationary. Accordingly, the VCU 201C reduces the blending rate from Bmax to Bbase during the period from t.sub.15 onwards, until blending is complete at time t.sub.18 as described below.

(36) FIG. 10 is a plot of percent completion of blending B.sub.T as a function of time. It can be seen that the rate of blending increases significantly between times t.sub.14 and t.sub.15 compared with the base rate before and after this period, which reduces the overall time for completion of blending from M1 to M2. Blending can be seen to be complete at time t.sub.18.

(37) FIG. 11 is a plot of percent completion of blending B.sub.T for an embodiment in which the blending rate B remains substantially equal to a base blending Bbase throughout the period during which blending takes place. It can be seen that the time required to complete blending between modes M1 and M2 is much longer than that in the case of the embodiment described with respect to FIGS. 7 to 10, having the blending rate profile of FIG. 9. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 11, the base blending rate Bbase is initiated at t.sub.13, so that the engine torque mapping gradually changes to meet M2. At time t18 blending is still incomplete as can be seen from FIG. 11.

(38) Embodiments of the present invention have the advantage that blending can be completed more quickly than in some alternative systems. This is at least in part because the blending rate may be varied according to movement of the accelerator pedal by the driver. In some embodiments, if the accelerator pedal 261 is moved in the direction of torque change due to the mode change, the blending rate may be increased. Alternatively or in addition if the accelerator pedal 261 is held stationary or moved in a direction against the direction of torque change due to the mode change, the blending rate may be reduced, optionally substantially to zero.

(39) Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the words comprise and contain and variations of the words, for example comprising and comprises, means including but not limited to, and is not intended to (and does not) exclude other moieties, additives, components, integers or steps.

(40) Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the singular encompasses the plural unless the context otherwise requires. In particular, where the indefinite article is used, the specification is to be understood as contemplating plurality as well as singularity, unless the context requires otherwise.

(41) Features, integers, characteristics, compounds, chemical moieties or groups described in conjunction with a particular aspect, embodiment or example of the invention are to be understood to be applicable to any other aspect, embodiment or example described herein unless incompatible therewith.