Electric drive vehicle with low speed creep

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11273811-B2
Application number	US-201716470442-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2017
Priority date	Dec 29, 2016
Publication date	Mar 15, 2022
Grant date	Mar 15, 2022

Abstract

Systems and methods to control the vehicle speed of a vehicle includes a controller communicatively coupled to a motor and a brake mechanism. The controller is structured to receive an indication of a desired change in the vehicle speed, activate a motor speed governor responsive to the brake mechanism being in a released state, adjust an output torque responsive to the vehicle speed, wherein as a load corresponding to the motor increases the vehicle speed decreases.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a motor;
a brake mechanism, the brake mechanism structured to receive an indication of a desired change in vehicle speed; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the motor and the brake mechanism, the controller structured to:
receive the indication of the desired change in the vehicle speed;
determine that the vehicle speed is at or above a predetermined speed limit;
activate a motor speed governor responsive to the brake mechanism being in a released state, wherein the motor speed governor is structured to control the vehicle speed; and
adjust an output torque based on the vehicle speed being at or above the predetermined speed limit.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle comprises a direct-drive electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the motor speed governor is operable between a first speed and a second speed, and wherein the first speed comprises a speed rate of zero miles per hour and the second speed comprises a calibratable speed.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the adjustment of the vehicle speed responsive to the brake mechanism in the released state comprises adjusting the vehicle speed in proportion to a load increase on the motor.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the motor is operably coupled to a battery and a charge system.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the output torque is increased responsive to an adjustment of the vehicle speed.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle speed is adjusted in proportion to an application of the brake mechanism.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to deactivate the motor speed governor responsive to at least one of the vehicle speed comprising a speed rate of zero miles per hour or receiving an indication of a desired change in vehicle acceleration.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the brake mechanism moves between a depressed state and the released state.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is operable in at least one of a reverse direction or a non-reverse direction.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the motor speed governor is operable between a first speed and a second speed, wherein the first speed comprises a speed rate of zero miles per hour and the second speed comprises a calibratable speed, wherein the calibratable speed corresponds to a rate of speed between zero miles per hour and 2.5 miles per hour.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the motor speed governor is activated via a gear selectable by an operator.

13. An apparatus comprising:
a speed management circuit, the speed management circuit structured to:
receive, via a brake mechanism of a vehicle, an indication of a desired change in vehicle speed;
determine that the vehicle speed is at or above a predetermined speed limit; and
activate a motor speed governor responsive to the brake mechanism being in a released state, wherein the motor speed governor is structured to control the vehicle speed; and

a response management circuit, the response management circuit structured to:
adjust, via the motor speed governor, an output torque based on the vehicle speed being at or above the predetermined speed limit.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the motor speed governor is operable between a first speed and a second speed, and wherein the first speed comprises a speed rate of zero miles per hour and the second speed comprises a calibratable speed.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the adjustment of the vehicle speed responsive to the brake mechanism in the released state comprises adjusting the vehicle speed in proportion to a load increase on a motor.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein a command is generated to cause the motor speed governor to control the vehicle speed between a first speed and a second speed.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the apparatus is further structured to deactivate the motor speed governor responsive to at least one of the vehicle speed comprising a speed rate of zero miles per hour or receiving an indication of a desired change in vehicle acceleration.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the brake mechanism moves between a depressed state and the released state.

19. A method comprising:
receiving, via a brake mechanism communicatively coupled to a motor of a vehicle, an indication of a desired change in vehicle speed;
determining that the vehicle speed is at or above a predetermined speed limit;
activating a motor speed governor responsive to the brake mechanism being in a released state, wherein the motor speed governor is structured to control the vehicle speed; and
adjusting, via the motor speed governor, an output torque based on the vehicle speed being at or above the predetermined speed limit.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the motor speed governor is operable between a first speed and a second speed, and wherein the first speed comprises a speed rate of zero miles per hour and the second speed comprises a calibratable speed.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the calibratable speed corresponds to a rate of speed between zero miles per hour and 2.5 miles per hour.

22. The method of claim 19 , wherein the vehicle speed is adjusted in proportion to a load increase on the motor.

23. The method of claim 19 , further comprising deactivating the motor speed governor responsive to at least one of the vehicle speed comprising a speed rate of zero miles per hour or receiving an indication of a desired change in vehicle acceleration.

Assignees

• Cummins Inc

Inventors

• Books Martin T
• Booth Richard A
• Rauch Jeffrey S
• Paquette Joseph E

Classifications

• B60T8/3255 Primary

  Systems in which the braking action is dependent on brake pedal data · CPC title

• B60T8/172 Primary

  Determining control parameters used in the regulation, e.g. by calculations involving measured or detected parameters {(B60T8/17551 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B60L2250/26

  by pedal actuation · CPC title

• B60L2240/423

  Torque · CPC title

• B60L2240/421

  Speed · CPC title