Control system for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10486715-B2
Application number	US-201616065655-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2016
Priority date	Dec 23, 2015
Publication date	Nov 26, 2019
Grant date	Nov 26, 2019

Abstract

A control system for a vehicle having an electric motor for providing drive torque to at least one wheel of the vehicle, an internal combustion engine for providing drive torque to at least one wheel of the vehicle, a manual transmission unit having a user selectable gear ratio that includes at least one user selectable forward gear and/or reverse gear, and a clutch actuator, the control system comprising a controller arranged to have three user selectable modes of operation, wherein in a first mode of operation the controller is arranged to allow the clutch actuator to engage and disengage the internal combustion engine from the manual transmission unit based upon a user selection, wherein when the clutch actuator is arranged to engage the internal combustion engine with the manual transmission unit, torque generated by the internal combustion engine is applied to the at least one wheel, and the electric motor is arranged to provide drive torque to the at least one wheel of the vehicle based on whether the user has selected the at least one forward gear or the at least one reverse gear; and in a second mode of operation the controller is arranged to allow the clutch actuator to engage and disengage the internal combustion engine from the manual transmission unit based upon a user selection, and to prevent the electric motor from providing drive torque to the at least one wheel of the vehicle; and in a third mode of operation the controller is arranged to allow the electric motor to provide drive torque to the at least one wheel of the vehicle based on whether the user has selected the at least one forward gear or the at least one reverse gear and to configure the clutch actuator to disengage the internal combustion engine from the manual transmission unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control system for a vehicle having an electric motor for providing drive torque to at least one wheel of the vehicle, an internal combustion engine for providing drive torque to at least one wheel of the vehicle, a manual transmission unit having at least one user selectable forward gear and/or reverse gear, and a clutch actuator, the control system comprising a controller arranged to have three user selectable modes of operation, wherein in a first mode of operation the controller is arranged to allow the clutch actuator to engage and disengage the internal combustion engine from the manual transmission unit based upon a user selection, wherein when the clutch actuator is arranged to engage the internal combustion engine with the manual transmission unit, torque generated by the internal combustion engine is applied to the at least one wheel, and the electric motor is arranged to provide drive torque to the at least one wheel of the vehicle based on whether the user has selected the at least one forward gear or the at least one reverse gear; and in a second mode of operation the controller is arranged to allow the clutch actuator to engage and disengage the internal combustion engine from the manual transmission unit based upon a user selection, and to prevent the electric motor from providing drive torque to the at least one wheel of the vehicle; and in a third mode of operation the controller is arranged to allow the electric motor to provide drive torque to the at least one wheel of the vehicle based on whether the user has selected the at least one forward gear or the at least one reverse gear and to configure the clutch actuator to disengage the internal combustion engine from the manual transmission unit.

2. A control system according to claim 1 , wherein the manual transmission unit includes a plurality of user selectable gear ratios and the controller is arranged to allow the torque generated by the electric motor to be determined by the gear ratio selected by the user in the manual transmission unit.

3. A control system according to claim 1 , wherein, when the controller is in the first mode of operation the controller is arranged to substantially maintain a predetermined relationship between the torque generated by the internal combustion engine and the electric motor.

4. A control system according to claim 1 , wherein the manual transmission unit includes a plurality of user selectable gear ratios, wherein, when the controller is in the first mode of operation or the third mode of operation, the controller is arranged to limit the maximum speed of the vehicle based upon the gear ratio selected by the user.

5. A control system according to claim 1 , wherein the manual transmission unit includes a plurality of user selectable gear ratios, wherein, the controller is arranged to switch from the first mode of operation to the third mode of operation if the speed of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined threshold value for a selected gear ratio.

6. A control system according to 1 , wherein the manual transmission unit includes a plurality of user selectable gear ratios, wherein, when the controller is in the third mode of operation, the controller is arranged to prevent a user selection of the first mode of operation or the second mode of operation if the speed of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined threshold value for a selected gear ratio.

7. A vehicle having an electric motor for providing drive torque to at least one wheel of the vehicle, an internal combustion engine for providing drive torque to at least one wheel of the vehicle, a manual transmission unit having at least one user selectable forward gear and/or reverse gear, a clutch actuator and a control system having an electric motor for providing drive torque to at least one wheel of the vehicle, an internal combustion engine for providing drive torque to at least one wheel of the vehicle, a manual transmission unit having at least one user selectable forward gear and/or reverse gear, and a clutch actuator, the control system comprising a controller arranged to have three user selectable modes of operation, wherein in a first mode of operation the controller is arranged to allow the clutch actuator to engage and disengage the internal combustion engine from the manual transmission unit based upon a user selection, wherein when the clutch actuator is arranged to engage the internal combustion engine with the manual transmission unit, torque generated by the internal combustion engine is applied to the at least one wheel, and the electric motor is arranged to provide drive torque to the at least one wheel of the vehicle based on whether the user has selected the at least one forward gear or the at least one reverse gear; and in a second mode of operation the controller is arranged to allow the clutch actuator to engage and disengage the internal combustion engine from the manual transmission unit based upon a user selection, and to prevent the electric motor from providing drive torque to the at least one wheel of the vehicle; and in a third mode of operation the controller is arranged to allow the electric motor to provide drive torque to the at least one wheel of the vehicle based on whether the user has selected the at least one forward gear or the at least one reverse gear and to configure the clutch actuator to disengage the internal combustion engine from the manual transmission unit.

8. A vehicle according to claim 7 , further comprising a plurality of in-wheel electric motors.

9. A vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein the clutch actuator is arranged to engage and disengage the internal combustion engine from the manual transmission unit via a clutch.

10. A vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein the clutch actuator is arranged to engage and disengage the internal combustion engine from the manual transmission unit based upon the operation of a clutch pedal by the user.

Assignees

• Protean Electric Ltd

Inventors

• Lucas Tom
• Whitehead Andrew
• Potter Mark

Classifications

• B60W2540/16

  Ratio selector position · CPC title

• B60W10/08

  including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators · CPC title

• F16D48/06

  Control by electric or electronic means, e.g. of fluid pressure · CPC title

• B60Y2200/92

  Hybrid vehicles · CPC title

• B60K6/52

  Driving a plurality of drive axles, e.g. four-wheel drive · CPC title