Traction-battery control in hybrid powertrain

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12472925-B2
Application number	US-202217822296-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 25, 2022
Priority date	Mar 21, 2018
Publication date	Nov 18, 2025
Grant date	Nov 18, 2025

Abstract

A computer includes a processor and a memory storing processor-executable instructions. The processor is programmed to prevent a traction battery from providing power to a vehicle powertrain below a charge threshold, and then, upon one of (a) receiving an acceleration demand above an acceleration threshold and (b) predicting that a planned maneuver classified as high acceleration will occur within a time threshold, permit the traction battery to provide power to the vehicle powertrain below the charge threshold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A computer comprising a processor and a memory storing processor-executable instructions, the processor programmed to:
prevent a traction battery from providing power to a vehicle powertrain when a state of charge of the traction battery is below a charge threshold; receive a planned maneuver from an autonomous-driving algorithm; and then, upon (1) classifying the planned maneuver as a high-acceleration maneuver listed on a prestored list of high-acceleration maneuvers and (2) predicting that the planned maneuver will occur within a time threshold, permit the traction battery to provide power to the vehicle powertrain when the state of charge of the traction battery is below the charge threshold.

2 . The computer of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further programmed to instruct a generator to charge the traction battery in response to the state of charge of the traction battery falling below the charge threshold.

3 . The computer of claim 2 , wherein the charge threshold is a first charge threshold, and the processor is further programmed to, after instructing the generator to charge the traction battery, instruct the generator to cease charging the traction battery in response to the state of charge of the traction battery increasing above a second charge threshold.

4 . The computer of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further programmed to prevent the generator from starting to charge the traction battery in response to the state of charge of the traction battery being above the charge threshold.

5 . The computer of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further programmed to instruct an autonomous-driving computer of the vehicle to put the vehicle in a minimal risk condition in response to the state of charge of the traction battery falling below the charge threshold and a generator being unavailable.

6 . The computer of claim 5 , wherein putting the vehicle in a minimal risk condition is driving the vehicle to a roadside.

7 . The computer of claim 1 , wherein the planned maneuver is classified as a high-acceleration maneuver if a type of the planned maneuver is listed in a lookup table stored in the memory.

8 . A method comprising:
preventing a traction battery from providing power to a vehicle powertrain when a state of charge of the traction battery is below a charge threshold; receiving a planned maneuver from an autonomous-driving algorithm; and then, upon (1) classifying the planned maneuver as a high-acceleration maneuver listed on a prestored list of high-acceleration maneuvers and (2) predicting that the planned maneuver will occur within a time threshold, permitting the traction battery to provide power to the vehicle powertrain when the state of charge of the traction battery is below the charge threshold.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising instructing a generator to charge the traction battery in response to the state of charge of the traction battery falling below the charge threshold.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the charge threshold is a first charge threshold, the method further comprising, after instructing the generator to charge the traction battery, instructing the generator to cease charging the traction battery in response to the state of charge of the traction battery increasing above a second charge threshold.

11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising preventing the generator from starting to charge the traction battery in response to the state of charge of the traction battery being above the charge threshold.

12 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising instructing an autonomous-driving computer of the vehicle to put the vehicle in a minimal risk condition in response to the state of charge of the traction battery falling below the charge threshold and a generator being unavailable.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein putting the vehicle in a minimal risk condition is driving the vehicle to a roadside.

14 . A vehicle comprising:
a vehicle powertrain; a traction battery electrically coupled to the vehicle powertrain; and a computer programmed to
prevent the traction battery from providing power to the vehicle powertrain below when a state of charge of the traction battery is a charge threshold;
receive a planned maneuver from an autonomous-driving algorithm; and
then, upon (1) classifying the planned maneuver as a high-acceleration maneuver listed on a prestored list of high-acceleration maneuvers and (2) predicting that the planned maneuver will occur within a time threshold, permit the traction battery to provide power to the vehicle powertrain when the state of charge of the traction battery is below the charge threshold.

15 . The vehicle of claim 14 , further comprising a generator electrically coupled to the traction battery, wherein the computer is programmed to instruct the generator to charge the traction battery in response to the state of charge of the traction battery falling below the charge threshold.

16 . The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the charge threshold is a first charge threshold, and the computer is further programmed to, after instructing the generator to charge the traction battery, instruct the generator to cease charging the traction battery in response to the state of charge of the traction battery increasing above a second charge threshold.

17 . The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the computer is further programmed to prevent the generator from starting to charge the traction battery in response to the state of charge of the traction battery being above the charge threshold.

18 . The vehicle of claim 14 , further comprising a generator electrically coupled to the traction battery, and an autonomous-driving computer communicatively coupled to the computer, wherein the computer is programmed to instruct the autonomous-driving computer to put the vehicle in a minimal risk condition in response to the state of charge of the traction battery falling below the charge threshold and the generator being unavailable.

19 . The vehicle of claim 18 , wherein putting the vehicle in a minimal risk condition is driving the vehicle to a roadside.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Symanow David Anthony
• Venkiteswaran Prasad
• Siciak Ray C

Classifications

• B60L58/13

  Maintaining the SoC within a determined range · CPC title

• B60K6/46

  Series type · CPC title

• B60W20/11

  using model predictive control [MPC] strategies, i.e. control methods based on models predicting performance {(utilising navigation and traffic information in the control strategy B60W20/12)} · CPC title

• B60L3/12

  Recording operating variables {; Monitoring of operating variables} · CPC title

• B60K6/48

  Parallel type · CPC title