Granted Patent B2

US 8,195,349 · App. 12/236,578 · Granted Jun 5, 2012

Abstract

Claims (71)

1. A method for controlling a powertrain comprising an electro-mechanical transmission coupled to an internal combustion engine and first and second electric machines to transmit power to an output member, wherein a microprocessor performs the following steps:

determining an operator torque request;

determining a time-based derivative of the operator torque request;

determining a first future time comprising an instant in time after a predetermined elapsed time interval from a present instant in time, the predetermined elapsed time interval comprising an elapsed time for executing a control scheme associated with controlling the powertrain; and

predicting a change in the operator torque request at the first future time after the predetermined elapsed time interval based upon the operator torque request, the time-based derivative of the operator torque request, and the first future time.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining an operator torque request comprises:

monitoring an accelerator pedal position;

monitoring a brake pedal position; and

determining the operator torque request based upon the accelerator and brake pedal positions.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operator torque request is determined based upon an output of an adaptive cruise control system.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predicted change in the operator torque request comprises the product of the operator torque request derivative and the first future time.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

predicting an operator torque request at the first future time based upon the predicted change in the operator torque request and the operator torque request.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the predicted operator torque request at the first future time comprises the sum of the predicted change in the operator torque request and the operator torque request.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

determining road loads; and

predicting a total torque request at the first future time based upon the road loads and the predicted operator torque request at the first future time.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the predicted total torque request for the first future time is the sum of the road loads and the predicted operator torque request at the first future time.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

determining a vehicle inertia at the first future time; and

predicting an angular acceleration of the output member at the first future time based upon the predicted total torque request and the vehicle inertia.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the vehicle inertia is determined by a dynamic vehicle inertia simulator.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the predicted angular acceleration of the output member at the first future time comprises the predicted total torque request divided by the vehicle inertia.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

predicting a change in angular speed of the output member from the present time to the first future time based upon the predicted angular acceleration of the output member at the first future time, and the first future time.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the predicted change angular speed of the output member comprises a product of the predicted angular acceleration of the output member at the first future time, and the first future time.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

monitoring an angular speed of the output member; and

predicting an angular speed of the output member at the first future time based upon the predicted angular speed change of the output member from the present time to the first future time, and the angular speed of the output member.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the predicted angular speed of the output member at the first future time comprises a sum of the angular speed of the output member and the predicted change in angular speed of the output member.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the predicted change in the operator torque request, the predicted operator torque request, the predicted total torque request, the predicted angular acceleration of the output member, the predicted angular speed change of the output member, and the predicted angular speed of the output member are determined for each of a plurality of future times.

17. A method for controlling a powertrain including an internal combustion engine mechanically connected to a transmission device to transmit tractive power to a driveline, wherein a microprocessor performs the following steps

monitoring an accelerator pedal position;

monitoring a brake pedal position;

determining an operator torque request based upon the accelerator and brake pedal positions;

determining a first future time comprising an instant in time after a predetermined elapsed time interval from a present instant in time, the predetermined elapsed time interval comprising an elapsed time for executing a control scheme associated with controlling the powertrain;

determining road loads;

determining a vehicle inertia at the first future time; and

predicting an angular acceleration of the output member at the first future time after the predetermined elapsed time interval based upon the operator torque request, the first future time, the road loads, and the vehicle inertia.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein predicting the angular acceleration of the output member (NopotPrdct) takes the form of

NoDotPrdct

=

(

A

×

B

)

+

C

+

D

E

wherein A is a time-based derivative of the operator torque request,

B is the first future time,

C is the operator torque request,

D is the road loads, and

E is the vehicle inertia at the first future time.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

monitoring an angular speed of the output member; and

predicting an angular speed of the output member at the first future time based upon the predicted angular acceleration of the output member at the first future time, the first future time, and the monitored angular speed of the output member.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the predicted angular speed of the output member (NoPrdct) at the first future time takes the form

NoPrdct=NoDotPrdct×B+F

wherein F is the angular speed of the output member.

21. A method for controlling an internal combustion engine mechanically-operatively connected to an electro-mechanical transmission, wherein a microprocessor performs the following steps

monitoring an accelerator pedal position;

monitoring a brake pedal position;

determining an operator torque request based upon the accelerator and brake pedal positions;

determining a first future time comprising an instant in time after a predetermined elapsed time interval from a present instant in time, the predetermined elapsed time interval comprising an elapsed time for executing a control scheme associated with controlling the powertrain;

determining road loads;

determining a vehicle inertia at the first future time; and

predicting an angular acceleration of an output member at the first future time after the predetermined elapsed time interval based upon the operator torque request, the first future time, the road loads, and the vehicle inertia.

Assignments (18)