Systems and methods for providing towing acceleration assistance during in-flight charging of electrified vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022324433-A1
Application number	US-202117224165-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 7, 2021
Priority date	Apr 7, 2021
Publication date	Oct 13, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods for coordinating and providing towing acceleration assistance between towing vehicles and towed vehicles during vehicle towing events are disclosed. The towing acceleration assistance may be provided by the towed vehicle in the form of an assistive propulsive torque to assist the towing vehicle with acceleration during the towing event when one or more vehicle conditions indicate a need for the towing acceleration assistance. The towing acceleration assistance may end when the one or more vehicle conditions no longer indicate the need for the towing acceleration assistance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A vehicle-to-vehicle in-flight energy transfer system, comprising:
a towing vehicle; a towed vehicle; and a control module programmed to request a torque assistance from the towed vehicle for assisting with acceleration of the towing vehicle in response to a predefined torque condition, a predefined throttle condition, or a wheel slip condition of the towing vehicle.

2 . The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the towing vehicle is a smaller vehicle than the towed vehicle.

3 . The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the towed vehicle is coupled to the towing vehicle by a towing device during a towing event in which the torque assistance is requested.

4 . The system as recited in claim 3 , wherein the towing event is an in-flight bidirectional charging towing event.

5 . The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the control module is a component of the towing vehicle.

6 . The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the control module is programmed to request an end to the torque assistance when the predefined torque condition, the predefined throttle condition, or the wheel slip condition ceases.

7 . The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the predefined torque condition is a condition in which a torque output of an electric machine of the towing vehicle exceeds a predefined maximum torque threshold.

8 . The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the predefined throttle condition is a condition in which a position of an accelerator pedal of the towing vehicle exceeds a predefined maximum throttle pedal position.

9 . The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the wheel slip condition is a condition in which a wheel of the towing vehicle is slipping while the towing vehicle is either stopped or operating on a graded portion of a roadway.

10 . The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the control module is programmed to communicate a torque assist request signal to the towed vehicle for requesting the torque assistance.

11 . The system as recited in claim 10 , wherein the control module is programmed to communicate a torque assist end signal to the towed vehicle for ending the torque assistance.

12 . The system as recited in claim 11 , wherein the torque assist end signal is communicated when a torque output of an electric machine of the towing vehicle falls below a predefined maximum torque, when a position of an accelerator pedal is less than a predefined maximum throttle pedal position, when the towing vehicle reaches a predefined speed, or when wheel slippage of the towing vehicle has not been detected for a predefined amount of time.

13 . The system as recited in claim 11 , wherein the torque assist end signal is communicated when the acceleration of the towing vehicle is within a predefined percentage of a normal acceleration of the towing vehicle for a given torque output of an electric machine of the towing vehicle.

14 . An electrified vehicle, comprising:
a wheel; an electric machine for selectively providing a propulsive torque for propelling the wheel; and a control module programmed to control the electric machine for providing the propulsive torque in response to receiving a torque assistance request signal during a towing event.

15 . The electrified vehicle as recited in claim 14 , wherein the torque assistance request signal is received from a second electrified vehicle.

16 . The electrified vehicle as recited in claim 15 , comprising a telecommunications module configured for establishing bidirectional communications between the electrified vehicle and the second electrified vehicle.

17 . The electrified vehicle as recited in claim 14 , wherein the control module is a component of the electrified vehicle being towed during the towing event.

18 . The electrified vehicle as recited in claim 14 , wherein the torque assistance request signal is indicative of a torque condition, a throttle condition, or a wheel slip condition of a towing vehicle involved in the towing event.

19 . The electrified vehicle as recited in claim 14 , wherein the control module is programmed to control the electric machine for stopping the propulsive torque in response to receiving a torque assistance end signal during the towing event.

20 . A method, comprising:
during a towing event in which a towing vehicle is towing a towed vehicle, providing a torque assistance from the towed vehicle for aiding acceleration of the towing vehicle in response to a predefined torque condition, a predefined throttle condition, or a wheel slip condition of the towing vehicle.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Salter Stuart C
• O'Gorman Ryan J
• Blischke Michael
• Howard-Cone Katherine
• Dellock Paul Kenneth
• Berry Hussein

Classifications

• B60L15/20 Primary

  for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed · CPC title

• B60L53/14

  Conductive energy transfer · CPC title

• B62D49/0621 Primary

  comprising traction increasing arrangements, e.g. all-wheel traction devices, multiple-axle traction arrangements, auxiliary traction increasing devices (anti-skid or anti-slip devices fitted onto the wheels B60B15/02, B60B39/12; arrangements of transmission for driving both front and rear wheels or tandem wheels of vehicles B60K17/34, B60K17/36) · CPC title

• B60L50/53

  in combination with an external power supply, e.g. from overhead contact lines · CPC title

• B60L2250/28

  Accelerator pedal thresholds · CPC title