Method of controlling a powertrain of a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016272191-A1
Application number	US-201514663553-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 20, 2015
Priority date	Mar 20, 2015
Publication date	Sep 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of controlling a powertrain of a vehicle includes opening and/or closing one or more of a first switching device, a second switching device, a third switching device, and engaging and/or disengaging at least one of a pair of actuators for a starter mechanism or a motor/generator clutch. Many different control modes are provided for the powertrain by changing the operation of a motor-generator between a motor or a generator, and changing the electrical connections between a first energy storage device, a second energy storage device, an auxiliary electric system, the starter mechanism, and the motor-generator.

First claim

1 . A method of controlling a powertrain of a vehicle, the powertrain including an internal combustion engine, a motor-generator coupled to the engine and having at least one actuator for connecting the motor-generator with the engine, a starter mechanism coupled to a crankshaft of the engine and having at least one actuator for engaging the starter mechanism with the crankshaft, at least one energy storage device, and at least one switch for connecting the at least one energy storage device to the motor-generator or the starter mechanism, the method comprising:
sensing a plurality of operating conditions of the vehicle with a vehicle controller; sensing an operating mode of a transmission with the vehicle controller to determine if the transmission is currently disposed in one of either a reverse drive mode or a forward drive mode, or if the transmission is not currently disposed in either of the reverse drive mode or the forward drive mode; selecting a desired control mode from a plurality of available control modes based on the current operating conditions of the vehicle, with the vehicle controller, when the transmission is currently disposed in one of the reverse drive mode or the forward drive mode; controlling a position of the at least one switch, engagement of the at least one actuator of the starter mechanism, and engagement of the at least one actuator of the motor-generator, with the vehicle controller, to configure the powertrain in the desired control mode; sensing movement of the vehicle and a fueling state of the engine, with the vehicle controller, when the transmission is not currently disposed in either of the reverse drive mode or the forward drive mode, to determine if the vehicle is executing an autostop in which the vehicle is not moving and the engine is not being fueled and is not running, or if the vehicle is not currently executing an autostop; controlling a position of the at least one switch, engagement of the at least one actuator of the starter mechanism, and engagement of the at least one actuator of the motor-generator, with the vehicle controller, when the transmission is not currently disposed in one of the reverse drive mode or the forward drive mode and the vehicle is executing an autostop, to configure the powertrain in an autostop control mode; and controlling a position of the at least one switch, engagement of the at least one actuator of the starter mechanism, and engagement of the at least one actuator of the motor-generator, with the vehicle controller, to configure the powertrain in a discharge control mode to off-load the motor-generator when the transmission is not currently disposed in either of the reverse drive mode or the forward drive mode, and when the vehicle is not currently executing an autostop.

2 . The method set forth in claim 1 wherein the plurality of available control modes includes: an acceleration control mode, a deceleration control mode, an autostop control mode, an idlestop control mode, an autostart control mode, a sailing control mode, a regenerative charging control mode, a cruising control mode, the autostop control mode, and the discharge control mode.

3 . The method set forth in claim 2 wherein sensing the plurality of operating conditions of the vehicle with the vehicle controller includes sensing a speed of the vehicle, an acceleration of the vehicle, a deceleration of the vehicle, a fueling state of the engine, a throttle position of the engine, and a brake fluid pressure at each brake caliper of the vehicle.

4 . The method set forth in claim 3 wherein selecting the desired control mode based on the current operating conditions of the vehicle when the transmission is currently disposed in one of the reverse drive mode or the forward drive mode includes selecting the acceleration control mode when the vehicle controller determines that the vehicle is accelerating.

5 . The method set forth in claim 3 wherein selecting the desired control mode based on the current operating conditions of the vehicle when the transmission is currently disposed in one of the reverse drive mode or the forward drive mode includes selecting the deceleration control mode when the vehicle controller determines that the vehicle is decelerating.

6 . The method set forth in claim 3 wherein selecting the desired control mode based on the current operating conditions of the vehicle when the transmission is currently disposed in one of the reverse drive mode or the forward drive mode includes selecting the autostop control mode when the vehicle controller determines that the vehicle is not moving, and the engine is not being fueled and is not running.

7 . The method set forth in claim 3 wherein selecting the desired control mode based on the current operating conditions of the vehicle when the transmission is currently disposed in one of the reverse drive mode or the forward drive mode includes selecting the idlestop control mode when the vehicle controller determines that the vehicle is not moving, and the engine is being fueled and is running.

8 . The method set forth in claim 3 further comprising sensing if the vehicle is currently executing an autostart, with the vehicle controller, in which the engine is automatically started after an autostop without any input from an operator.

9 . The method set forth in claim 8 wherein selecting the desired control mode based on the current operating conditions of the vehicle when the transmission is currently disposed in one of the reverse drive mode or the forward drive mode includes selecting the autostart control mode when the vehicle controller determines that the vehicle is not moving, and the vehicle is currently executing an autostart.

10 . The method set forth in claim 8 wherein selecting the desired control mode based on the current operating conditions of the vehicle when the transmission is currently disposed in one of the reverse drive mode or the forward drive mode includes selecting the sailing control mode when the vehicle controller determines that the vehicle is not currently executing an autostart, the speed of the vehicle is greater than a threshold sailing speed value, a throttle position of the vehicle is less than a threshold sailing throttle position value, and a brake fluid pressure at each brake caliper of the vehicle is less than a threshold sailing brake pressure value.

11 . The method set forth in claim 8 wherein selecting the desired control mode based on the current operating conditions of the vehicle when the transmission is currently disposed in one of the reverse drive mode or the forward drive mode includes selecting the cruising control mode when the vehicle controller determines that the vehicle is not currently executing an autostart, the speed of the vehicle is not greater than a threshold sailing speed value, a throttle position of the vehicle is not less than a threshold sailing throttle position value, or a brake fluid pressure at each brake caliper of the vehicle is not less than a threshold sailing brake pressure value.

12 . The method set forth in claim 2 wherein the powertrain further includes, an auxiliary electric system in electrical communication with the motor-generator, and wherein:
the at least one actuator of the starter mechanism includes a first actuator, and a second actuator;
the at least one actuator of the motor-generator includes a motor/generator clutch defined as a third actuator;
the at least one energy storage device includes a first energy storage device disposed in a parallel electrical relationship with the motor-generator and the auxiliary electric system, and a second energy storage device disposed in a parallel elect

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Atluri Venkata Prasad
• Gopalakrishnan Suresh
• Reynolds Michael G
• Namuduri Chandra S
• Shoemaker Kenneth J
• Walters David W

Classifications

• B60W20/40 Primary

  Controlling the engagement or disengagement of prime movers, e.g. for transition between prime movers {(power-up or power-down of the driveline B60W30/192)} · CPC title

• Y10S903/93

  Conjoint control of different elements · CPC title

• B60W2510/0604

  Throttle position · CPC title

• B60W2510/1005

  Transmission ratio engaged · CPC title

• B60W2510/182

  Brake pressure, e.g. of fluid or between pad and disc · CPC title