IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,457,271
Granted Patent B2
US 10,457,271 · App. 15/377,260 · Granted Oct 29, 2019

Enhanced engine and battery operation

Inventor: William Paul Perkins (Dearborn, MI)
Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
B60W20/14B60W10/06B60W10/26B60W10/30B60W20/12B60W20/13B60W30/1882B60W30/18127B60W50/0097B60W2050/0089B60W2550/143B60W2550/402B60W2710/244B60W2710/305
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,457,271
App. No.
15/377,260
Granted
Oct 29, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

Information of a plurality of locations on a route for a vehicle is received. A plurality of segments of the route is identified based at least in part on the information. A specified state of charge of a vehicle battery and a specified power output of an engine are determined for each of the segments based at least in part on the information. One or more vehicle subsystems is actuated to navigate each of the segments to change a current state of charge of the vehicle battery to the specified state of charge.

Claims (30)

1. A system comprising a computer including a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:

receive information of a plurality of locations on a route for a vehicle;

identify a plurality of segments of the route based at least in part on the information;

specify a speed to be attained by the vehicle for each of the plurality of segments;

specify a state of charge of a vehicle battery and a power output of an engine, which the vehicle is to attain, for each of the plurality of segments based at least in part on the specified speed; and

actuate one or more vehicle subsystems to navigate each of the plurality of segments to change a current state of charge of the vehicle battery to the specified state of charge for each of the plurality of segments.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to actuate a powertrain subsystem with one of the vehicle battery and the engine based at least in part on the information to change the current state of charge of the vehicle battery to the specified state of charge.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to increase the specified power output of the engine for at least one of the plurality of segments based at least in part on the information to increase the current state of charge of the vehicle battery.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to identify one or more segments where the specified state of charge of the vehicle battery will increase and to actuate one or more of the one or more vehicle subsystems to keep the current state of charge of the vehicle battery below a charge threshold prior to entering the one or more segments.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to identify a segment where a brake subsystem is predicted to increase the current state of charge of the battery with regenerative braking and to actuate one or more of the one or more vehicle subsystems to reduce the current state of charge of the vehicle battery below the charge threshold prior to entering the segment.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to predict a regenerated state of charge produced by the brake subsystem in the segment and to reduce a power output of the engine prior to entering the segment to reduce the current state of charge of the battery below the charge threshold by the regenerated state of charge predicted by the processor.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to identify one or more segments where a vehicle speed is predicted to be above a speed threshold and to increase a power output of the engine when the vehicle is in the one or more segments.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to actuate the one or more vehicle subsystems with the vehicle battery when the vehicle is not in the one or more segments in which the vehicle speed is predicted to be above the speed threshold.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to actuate the one or more vehicle subsystems to reduce the state of charge of the battery to reach a depletion threshold concurrently with completion of the route.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to receive new information about the plurality of segments while the vehicle is moving along the route and to adjust the specified state of charge of the vehicle battery and the specified power output of the engine for one or more upcoming segments based on the new information.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving information of a plurality of locations on a route for a vehicle;

identifying a plurality of segments of the route based at least in part on the information;

specifying a speed to be attained by the vehicle for each of the plurality of segments;

specifying a state of charge of a vehicle battery and a specified power output of an engine, which the vehicle is to attain, for each of the plurality of segments based at least in part on the specified speed; and

actuating one or more vehicle subsystems to navigate each of the plurality of segments to change a current state of charge of the vehicle battery to the specified state of charge for each of the plurality of segments.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising actuating a powertrain subsystem with one of the vehicle battery and the engine based at least in part on the information to change the current state of charge of the vehicle battery to the specified state of charge.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising increasing the specified power output of the engine for at least one of the plurality of segments based at least in part on the information to increase the current state of charge of the vehicle battery.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising identifying one or more segments where the specified state of charge of the vehicle battery will increase and actuating one or more of the one or more vehicle subsystems to keep the current state of charge of the vehicle battery below a charge threshold prior to entering the one or more segments.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising identifying a segment where a brake subsystem is predicted to increase the current state of charge of the battery with regenerative braking and actuating one or more of the one or more vehicle subsystems to reduce the current state of charge of the vehicle battery below the charge threshold prior to entering the segment.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising predicting a regenerated state of charge produced by the brake subsystem in the segment and reducing a power output of the engine prior to entering the segment to reduce the current state of charge of the battery below the charge threshold by the regenerated state of charge predicted by a processor.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising identifying one or more segments where a vehicle speed is predicted to be above a speed threshold and to increase a power output of the engine when the vehicle is in the one or more segments.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising actuating the one or more vehicle subsystems with the vehicle battery when the vehicle is not in the one or more segments in which the vehicle speed is predicted to be above the speed threshold.

19. The method of claim 11 , further comprising actuating the one or more vehicle subsystems to reduce the state of charge of the battery to reach a depletion threshold concurrently with completion of the route.

20. The method of claim 11 , further comprising receiving new information about the plurality of segments while the vehicle is moving along the route and to adjust the specified state of charge of the vehicle battery and the specified power output of the engine for the upcoming segments based on the new information.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 13, 2016
From: PERKINS, WILLIAM PAUL
To: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 040908/0202 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180162359A1 · Jun 14, 2018