Granted Patent B2

US 8,285,432 · App. 12/250,250 · Granted Oct 9, 2012

Abstract

Claims (66)

1. A method for controlling a powertrain system including a transmission mechanically coupled to an engine and an electric machine to transfer power to an output member, said transmission selectively operative in one of a plurality of operating range states, said method comprising:

monitoring operator inputs to an accelerator pedal;

determining a preferred operating point of said powertrain based upon said operator inputs, wherein said determining a preferred operating point of said powertrain comprises utilizing a strategic optimization control scheme;

determining a preferred operating range state of said transmission based upon said preferred operating point, wherein said determining a preferred operating range state of said transmission comprises selecting one of said plurality of operating range states according to inputs from vehicle sensors and a lookup table;

determining lead control signals for said engine and said transmission based upon said preferred operating point and said preferred operating range state of said transmission;

determining immediate control signals for said electric machine and said transmission, wherein said immediate control signals are based upon said preferred operating point, said preferred operating range state of said transmission, and a lead period calibrated to a difference in control signal reaction times of said engine and said electric machine in order to effect changes to an actual electric machine output simultaneously with changes to an actual engine output; and

coordinating parallel control of said engine and said electric machine, comprising:

simultaneously providing power from said engine and said electric machine to said output member, comprising:

controlling operation of said engine based upon said lead control signals for said engine and said transmission; and

controlling operation of said electric machine based upon said immediate control signals for said electric machine and said transmission;

wherein said parallel control of said engine and said electric machine synchronizes torque transfer from said engine and said electric machine to said output member to preserve vehicle drivability.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising monitoring operator inputs to a brake pedal.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising monitoring operator inputs from a cruise control system.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising controlling operation of said transmission to said preferred operating range state to transfer power between said engine and said electric machine and said output member based upon said lead control signals for said engine and said transmission and said immediate control signals for said electric machine and said transmission.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein controlling operation of said transmission includes operating said transmission in a continuously variable state.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining lead control signals for said engine and said transmission comprises determining an input acceleration lead predicted based upon said preferred operating point of said powertrain and said preferred operating range state of said transmission.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising monitoring current input speeds of said engine and said electric machine, wherein said determining lead control signals for said engine and said transmission further comprises determining an input acceleration lead immediate based upon said input acceleration lead predicted, said preferred operating point, and said preferred operating range state.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein determining immediate control signals for said electric machine and said transmission comprises determining an input acceleration immediate based upon said input acceleration lead immediate and an input acceleration lead period.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining lead control signals for said engine and said transmission comprises:

when said determining said preferred operating point of said powertrain based upon said operator inputs indicates said preferred operating point of said powertrain is different from a current operating point of said powertrain, immediately issuing control signals to said engine requesting an engine operating point based upon said preferred operating point of said powertrain and said preferred operating range state of said transmission.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising monitoring current input speeds of said engine, wherein said determining lead control signals for said engine and said transmission comprises determining a target input speed of said engine based upon said preferred operating point of said powertrain and said preferred operating range state of said transmission and determining control signals to said engine required to achieve said target speed of said engine.

11. The method of claim 10 ,

wherein said determining lead control signals for said engine and said transmission further comprises determining a input acceleration lead predicted based upon said preferred operating point of said powertrain and said preferred operating range state of said transmission, and

wherein said determining control signals to said engine required to achieve said target speed of said engine further comprises determining control signals to said engine required to achieve said input acceleration lead predicted.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

monitoring a current operating range state; and

when said preferred operating range state is different from said current operating range state, initiating a shift of said transmission.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein initiating a shift of said transmission comprises transitioning a clutch comprising:

when said transitioning a clutch includes changing a locked clutch to an unlocked state, imposing a clutch reactive torque lead immediate minimum and maximum constraining said lead control signal to said engine from an initially unconstrained lead control signal to zero;

when said transitioning a clutch includes changing an unlocked clutch to an locked state, imposing said clutch reactive torque lead immediate minimum and maximum constraining said lead control signal to said engine from an initial lead control signal of zero to an unconstrained level; and

imposing a clutch reactive torque immediate minimum and maximum corresponding to said clutch reactive torque lead immediate minimum and maximum after said lead period calibrated to a difference in control signal reaction times of said engine and said electric machine.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein transitioning said clutch further comprises:

maintaining a clutch capacity torque above said clutch reactive torque immediate minimum and maximum to avoid clutch slip.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein said preferred operating range state is a neutral range state and further comprising determining a clutch slip acceleration lead predicted,

wherein said determining lead control signals for said engine and said transmission comprises determining a clutch slip acceleration lead immediate; and

wherein said determining immediate control signals for said electric machine and said transmission comprises determining a clutch slip acceleration immediate.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein said determining immediate control signals for said electric machine and said transmission includes modulating said immediate control signals if a systemic constraint is applied.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining immediate control signals for a second electric machine mechanically coupled to said transmission.

18. A method for controlling a powertrain system including a transmission mechanically coupled to an engine and two electric machines to transfer power to an output member, said transmission selectively operative in one of a plurality of operating range states, said method comprising:

monitoring operator inputs describing an operator torque request;

determining a preferred operating point of said powertrain based upon said operator inputs;

determining a preferred operating range state of said transmission based upon said preferred operating point;

determining lead control signals for said engine and said transmission based upon said preferred operating point and said preferred operating range state of said transmission;

determining immediate control signals for said electric machines and said transmission, wherein said immediate control signals are based upon said preferred operating point, said preferred operating range state of said transmission, and a lead period calibrated to a difference in control signal reaction times of said engine and said electric machines in order to effect changes to actual electric machine outputs simultaneously with changes to an actual engine output; and

coordinating parallel control of said engine and one of said electric machines, comprising:

simultaneously providing power from the engine and said electric machine to the output member, comprising:

controlling operation of said engine based upon said lead control signals for said engine and said transmission; and

controlling operation of said electric machine based upon said immediate control signals for said electric machine and said transmission;

wherein said parallel control of said engine and said electric machine synchronizes torque transfer from said engine and said electric machine to said output member to preserve vehicle drivability.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein determining lead control signals for said engine and said transmission comprises:

when said determining said preferred operating point of said powertrain based upon said operator inputs indicates said preferred operating point of said powertrain is different from a current operating point of said powertrain, immediately issuing control signals to said engine requesting an engine operating point based upon said preferred operating point of said powertrain and said preferred operating range state of said transmission.

20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising monitoring current input speeds of said engine, wherein said determining lead control signals for said engine and said transmission comprises determining a target input speed of said engine based upon said preferred operating point of said powertrain and said preferred operating range state of said transmission and determining control signals to said engine required to achieve said target speed of said engine.

21. The method of claim 20 ,

wherein said determining lead control signals for said engine and said transmission further comprises determining a input acceleration lead predicted based upon said preferred operating point of said powertrain and said preferred operating range state of said transmission, and

wherein said determining control signals to said engine required to achieve said target speed of said engine further comprises determining control signals to said engine required to achieve said input acceleration lead predicted.

22. An apparatus for controlling a powertrain system including a transmission mechanically coupled to an engine and an electric machine to transfer power to an output member, said transmission selectively operative in one of a plurality of operating range states, said apparatus comprising:

a strategic control module including logic to determine a preferred operating point of said powertrain and a preferred operating range state of said transmission based upon an operator input;

a shift execution module including logic generating lead control signals for said engine and said transmission and immediate control signals for said electric machine and said transmission, wherein said control signals are based upon said preferred operating point of said powertrain and said preferred operating range state of said transmission, and wherein said immediate control signals are based upon a lead period calibrated to a difference in control signal reaction times of said engine and said electric machine in order to effect changes to an actual electric machine output simultaneously with changes to an actual engine output;

an engine control module controlling said engine based upon said lead control signals for said engine and said transmission;

an electric machine module controlling said electric machine in parallel with said engine control module controlling said engine based upon said immediate control signals for said electric machine and said transmission;

said engine providing power to said output member; and

said electric machine providing power to said output member simultaneously to said engine;

wherein said lead control signals and said immediate control signals provide parallel control of said engine and said electric machine synchronizing torque transfer from said engine and said electric machine to said output member to preserve vehicle drivability.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 , further comprising a transmission control module for controlling said transmission based upon said lead control signals for said engine and said transmission and said immediate control signals for said electric machine and said transmission.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 , further comprising a clutch capacity control module for controlling hydraulically-activated clutches within said transmission based upon said lead control signals for said engine and said transmission and said immediate control signals for said electric machine and said transmission.

25. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein said lead control signals for said engine and said transmission, when said preferred operating point of said powertrain is different from a current operating point of said powertrain, comprise an engine operating point based upon said preferred operating point of said powertrain and said preferred operating range state of said transmission.

Assignments (19)