Visteon Global Technolgoies, Inc.

Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Fca US LLC

Ford Motor Company Limited

Chrysler Group LLC

Behrouz Ashrafi

Dinu Petre Madau

Feisel F Weslati

Yixin Yao

Sathya Manivasagam

Darrel Alan Recker

Hongtei Eric Tseng

Chandan Lakshmanaiah

Timothy A Coatesworth

Hyeongcheol Lee

Salim Hamam

Ann Larsen

Jaihyun Lee

Control systems and methods for an electrified powertrain of an electrified vehicle include performing, by a main control system, a sequence of first processes based on an initial input including a set of signals indicative of at least one of a driver torque request and expected vehicle behavior and other intermediary inputs to generate a sequence of first outputs and performing, by a secondary monitoring system distinct from the main control system, a sequence of second processes based on the initial input and other intermediary inputs to generate a sequence of second outputs. The secondary monitoring system then attempts to rationalize each first output relative to its respective second output. Based on the rationalization, one of these outputs is used as an intermediary output in the sequence until a rationalized final output is obtained and used to generate control commands for torque actuators of the electrified powertrain.

Techniques for segmented monitoring of powertrain propulsive torque in electrified vehicles

Powertrain propulsive torque monitoring and remedial action techniques for a cruise control mode of an electrified vehicle comprise obtaining a set of inputs indicative of a driver torque request and a state/grade of a road along which the vehicle is traveling, operating in a cruise control mode including determining a total torque request for an electrified powertrain, determining and commanding a distribution of the total torque request to the electrified powertrain, and determining the road state/grade based on at least some of the set of inputs, and monitoring the operating in the cruise control mode including determining an actual torque being generated by the electrified powertrain, determining upper and lower acceptable torque limits for the cruise control mode based on the road state/grade, and taking remedial action regarding the cruise control mode when the actual torque is outside of the upper and lower acceptable torque limits.

Techniques for monitoring powertrain cruise control propulsive torque in electrified vehicles

Systems and methods for monitoring electrified vehicle powertrain propulsive torque and taking remedial action when needed involve continuously monitoring an error between the actual and requested propulsive torques and comparing the error to various threshold values. Error exceeding a particular threshold could be indicative of a malfunction, and the vehicle could be afforded an opportunity to regain equilibrium by temporarily decreasing torque output. When the error continues to exceed the threshold or another threshold, however, further remedial action could be required, such as shutting down the vehicle.

Techniques for monitoring powertrain propulsive torque in battery electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles

Systems and methods for controlling a park pawl system of a hybrid vehicle having a hybrid powertrain comprising an engine and a hybrid transmission comprising at least one electric propulsion motor, the systems and methods each utilizing a control system configured to detect, using a main control system portion, a desired park state based on at least an input via a transmission gear selector and an input via a brake pedal and detect, using a distinct monitoring system portion, whether the desired park state is valid based on at least the transmission gear selector and brake pedal inputs. When the desired park state is valid, the control system commands the park pawl system to the desired park state. When the desired park state is invalid, however, the control system commands an electric park brake of the vehicle to prevent movement at a driveline of the vehicle.

Techniques for monitoring mechanisms to secure vehicle and remedial action

A control system and method for a hybrid vehicle involve controlling a hybrid powertrain comprising an engine and a transmission having one or more electric motors and not comprising a decoupling mechanism therebetween, detecting an operating condition where the transmission is in neutral and the vehicle is moving at a speed less than a low speed threshold, and in response to detecting the operating condition: determining a desired propulsive torque of the powertrain, determining an actual propulsive torque at the driveline, calculating a torque difference between the actual and desired propulsive torques over a period, comparing the calculated torque difference to a first movement threshold, and when the calculated torque difference exceeds the first movement threshold, applying an electric parking brake (EPB) of the vehicle.

Techniques for detecting and monitoring unintended powertrain propulsive torque in hybrid vehicles

A technique includes receiving, at a controller of a vehicle, the controller including one or more processors, a first request to calibrate a park lock system of the vehicle. The calibration can include commanding, by the controller, a first actuator to move a second actuator to maximum engagement/disengagement positions indicating maximum engagement/disengagement of a park pawl with/from a park gear of a transmission. The calibration can include determining, at the controller, full engagement/disengagement positions for the second actuator based on the maximum engagement/disengagement positions. The controller can then control the engagement/disengagement of the park lock system using the full engagement/disengagement positions for the second actuator, respectively.

Techniques for robust park lock control

Methods and systems of processing sensor signals to determine motion of a motor shaft are disclosed. This disclosure relates to the processing of sequences of pulses from a sensor for computing the motion of an electric motor output shaft. Furthermore, this disclosure relates to the processing of two sequences of pulses from sensor outputs, which may be separated by only a few electrical degrees, to compute the motion of an electrical motor output shaft while using a limited bandwidth controller. Motor shaft direction, displacement, speed, phase, and phase offset may be determined from processing the sensor signals.

Method of processing sensor signals for determining motion of a motor shaft

The present invention provides systems and methods of friction compensation in a steer-by-wire system or in a general electric steering system using control, estimation and modeling methodologies. A friction compensator in the steer-by-wire control system produces a friction compensating torque value equal and opposite in sign to the instantaneous friction torque. This compensating friction torque is added to the steering system control signal to eliminate the effects of friction present in the system such that the system performances are improved. The friction compensator produces the compensating friction torque according to one of two schemes: model-based or non-model based. The model-based scheme encompasses a number of different methods including a standard model-based scheme, a disturbance torque observer-based scheme, an adaptive friction compensation scheme, or a model reference adaptive control scheme. The non-model based scheme includes a fuzzy logic scheme.

Friction compensation in a vehicle steering system

The present invention involves a method for initial synchronization of steering wheel and a road wheels in a steer-by-wire system of a vehicle when the system is first powered. The method includes providing a steering wheel control system and a road wheel control system. The method further includes sensing relative angles and the absolute angles of the steering wheel, road wheel, and right road wheel. The method further includes generating an augmented steering wheel angle, an augmented left road wheel angle, and an augmented right road wheel angle based on the relative angle and initial value of the absolute angles of the steering wheel and road wheels. The method further includes using the augmented steering wheel angle as a feedback signal to the steering wheel control system and the augmented left and right road wheel angles feedback signals to the road wheels control system. The method further includes controlling the steering wheel and the road wheels to perform initial synchronization of the steering wheel and the road wheels, thereby allowing the vehicle to be operable during the initial synchronization.

System and method for initial synchronization of steering wheel and road wheels in a steer-by-wire system

A method for controlling a vehicle, the vehicle having a steer by wire and a brake by wire system is disclosed. The method includes sensing a yaw rate, a steering wheel rate of rotation, and a throttle position. Further, the method includes comparing the yaw rate, steering wheel rate of rotation, and the throttle position to a thresholds. Thereafter, a determination is made as to whether the yaw rate, the steering wheel rate, and the throttle position is greater than, or less than the respective thresholds. An operating mode of the vehicle is changed from a nominal control mode to a performance control mode when the yaw rate is greater than a first threshold yaw rate and less than the second threshold yaw rate, steering wheel rate of rotation is greater than the threshold steering wheel rate of rotation, and the throttle position is greater than the threshold throttle position.

Overall control algorithm for interactive vehicle control system

A steer-by-wire control system that includes a road wheel actuation control system controlling road wheel angles to track a road wheel reference angle and a steering wheel control system producing a steering wheel angle to the road wheel actuation control system, steering feel for the vehicle driver and active steering wheel return. The steering wheel control system further including a steering wheel model matching controller that receives an input signal from the steering wheel control system and an input signal from the road wheel control system and generates a control output signal based on a model-matching control law, wherein the control output signal controls a reaction torque of the steering wheel control system to produce the steering feel for the driver and control the return rate of a steering wheel or a joystick.

Vehicle steering system control based on a model-matching strategy

The present invention involves a system and method of re-configurable control for a vehicle steer-by-wire system. A steer-by-wire control system includes a steering wheel control system and a road wheel control system for a vehicle. Each control system is provided with a respective controlled plant and a re-configurable controller. The controllers receive output measurement signals from the respective controlled plants and produce control command signals for the controlled plants for re-configurable control of the steer-by-wire system. An adaptive re-configurable control is provided with fault detection and isolation, fault decision, parameter identification for the steer-by-wire controlled plant, and the re-configurable controllers with automatic adjustable structure and/or parameters. The re-configurable controllers automatically adjust their structure and parameters to maintain stability and certain performance requirements despite faults that occur in the steer-by-wire system.

Re-configurable control of steer-by-wire systems

A misalignment detection system ( ) for steering systems of an automotive vehicle ( ) includes a logic device ( ) coupled to a vehicle speed sensor ( ) and a steering wheel angle sensor ( ). The logic device is also coupled to a memory ( ) that is used to store a steering wheel ratio map and a historic steering wheel angle or a wheel angle value derived from an automobile manufacturer's wheel alignment specification. The logic device ( ) compares the signal from the steering wheel angle sensor ( ) with the stored value of either the historic steering wheel angle or the value derived from the manufacturer's alignment specifications at a given vehicle speed to determine error. An indicator ( ) may provide an indication to the vehicle operator to signal the presence of the misalignment condition of the steering system.

Steering wheel torque based detection of misalignment of a vehicle steering system

Steering wheel torque-based detection of misalignment of a vehicle's steering system

For a motor vehicle , a method for generating a map of a vehicle's dynamic steering ratio as a function of vehicle velocity and yaw rate. The steering ratio accounts for vehicle system compliance during dynamic maneuvers. The mapping of the steering ratio is used in an algorithm to estimate the vehicle's steering wheel angle while the vehicle is in a dynamic maneuver such as a turning maneuver. This estimation is based on the front wheel steer angles that are derived from the yaw rate and longitudinal velocity and the steering ratio.

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Northville, MI, United States of America

Behrouz Ashrafi