Methods and systems for cruise control velocity tracking

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020164745-A1
Application number	US-201816202014-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 27, 2018
Priority date	Nov 27, 2018
Publication date	May 28, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for cruise control velocity tracking. In one example, the method or system may generate a torque command output via a velocity controller that allows for an error within bounds to reduce a fuel consumption amount, the torque command output selected from outcomes of a leader and follower game.

First claim

1 . A method for a vehicle, comprising:
in a cruise control mode, generating a torque command output via a velocity controller that allows for an error within bounds to reduce a fuel consumption amount, the torque command output selected from outcomes of a leader and follower game; and adjusting operation of vehicle torque actuators responsive to the torque command output.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the outcomes of the leader and follower game are based on cost weights calculated by a leader agent and predicted fuel consumption calculated by a follower agent of the leader and follower game.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the predicted fuel consumption calculated by the follower agent is based on the cost weights calculated by the leader agent.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the leader agent calculates the cost weights via a model predictive controller (MPCC) weight tuning function, and wherein the follower agent calculates the predicted fuel consumption via an MPCC cost function.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the leader and follower game is a Stackelberg game.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the error is based on a difference between a filtered vehicle velocity and a set-point velocity.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the bounds include relaxing variables.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the leader and follower game minimizes cost weights for all terms of cost function except for a fuel consumed term.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the cost weights are calculated by a leader agent of the leader and follower game, and wherein a follower agent of the leader and follower game then utilizes the cost weights to solve for a model predictive cruise control (MPCC) cost function.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising adapting the MPCC weight tuning function and the MPCC cost function via closed-loop control.

11 . A method for a vehicle, comprising:
via a velocity controller, minimizing cost weights for all terms of a model predictive cruise control (MPCC) cost function except for a fuel consumed term with a leader and follower game; generating a torque command output based on outcomes of the leader and follower game with the MPCC cost function; and adjusting operation of vehicle torque actuators responsive to the torque command output.

12 . The method of claim 11 , where minimizing the cost weights includes calculating cost weights with a leader agent of the leader and follower game via an MPCC weight tuning function.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein a follower agent of the leader and follower game utilizes the cost weights to weight each term of the MPCC cost function except for the fuel consumed term.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein each of the MPCC cost function and the MPCC weight tuning function are updated via closed-loop control.

15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the outcomes are bound within a predetermined interval about a set-point vehicle velocity, and wherein the torque command output generated is based on fuel consumption costs of the outcomes.

16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the MPCC cost function includes a grade preview term, the grade preview term based on a vehicle route and grade preview information associated with the vehicle route.

17 . A vehicle system, comprising:
an engine coupled to one or more wheels of the vehicle; a speed sensor to measure a current vehicle speed; a torque sensor to measure a current wheel torque; and a controller with computer readable instructions stored in a non-transitory memory configured to:
generate a torque command output that allows for an error within bounds to reduce a fuel consumption amount, the torque command output selected from outcomes of a leader and follower game; and
adjust operation of the engine based on the torque command.

18 . The vehicle system of claim 17 , further comprising a GPS device communicatively coupled to the vehicle, and wherein the MPCC cost function takes into account a grade preview of a vehicle route in generating the torque command, the grade preview of the vehicle route based on an output received from the GPS device.

19 . The vehicle system of claim 17 , wherein a minimum cost weight value is calculated via the MPCC weight tuning function, and wherein each term of the MPCC cost function is weighted with the minimum cost weight value except for the fuel consumed term.

20 . The vehicle system of claim 17 , wherein the controller is further configured to update an MPCC weight tuning function responsive to an output from the speed sensor.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Mohan Shankar Narayan
• Michelini John Ottavio
• Szwabowski Steven J

Classifications

• F02D29/02

  peculiar to engines driving vehicles; peculiar to engines driving variable pitch propellers · CPC title

• F02D2250/18

  Control of the engine output torque · CPC title

• F02D2200/501

  Vehicle speed · CPC title

• B60Y2200/91

  Electric vehicles · CPC title

• B60K31/0066 Primary

  responsive to vehicle path curvature · CPC title