Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ford Motor Company Limited

Deepa Ramaswamy

Ming Lang Kuang

Fazal Urrahman Syed

Mahmoud Yousef Ghannam

Jerry Dean Robichaux

Abbas Raftari

Anthony Tsakiris

Michael Dupuis

Ming Liang

Mark Steven Yamazaki

Ihab S Soliman

Cynthia M Neubecker

Jonathan Andrew Butcher

Adil Nizam Siddiqui

Brandon R Masterson

Anthony Mark Phillips

Deepak Aswani

Robert Parenti

Stephen John Kotre

Paul Martin Niessen

John Frederick Locke

Jing Song

Joanne Theresa Woestman

Mary Theresa Breida

Ali Attaran

A system receives vehicle sensor data indicating upcoming route characteristics as a vehicle travels a route. The system identifies one or more passibility-limiting features from the vehicle sensor data and, based on the sensor data, interpolates at least one characteristics of at least one feature that would affect vehicle travel. The system determines if the feature has been previously identified by comparison to previously identified features associated with locations within a proximity of a present location of the vehicle. Further, the system determines if the at least one characteristic has more than a predefined deviance from one or more previously interpolated characteristics associated with the feature and alert the user via the vehicle if at least one of the previously interpolated characteristics or the at least one characteristic indicates that the vehicle may have difficulty passing the feature based on predefined parameters of the vehicle.

Path geometry based on vehicle sensing

This disclosure describes systems and methods for metal foam cooling of vehicle electronic. An example apparatus may include an electronic control unit (ECU) comprising an electronic component included within a housing. The example apparatus may also include a metal foam configured to dissipate heat produced by the electronic component and also configured to facilitate electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding for the electronic component. The example apparatus may also include an interface between the ECU and the metal foam, wherein the interface provides a connection between the ECU and metal foam to facilitate heat dissipation from the electronic component to a location outside of the housing.

Application interface for metal foam cooling of vehicle electronics

The disclosure is generally directed to a metal foam element configured to provide a multi-purpose functionality to an electrical device in a vehicle. An example apparatus in a vehicle includes a module that houses an electrical device. A metal foam element is attached to the module in a configuration whereby the metal foam element provides a multi-purpose functionality that includes a heat dissipation functionality and an antenna functionality. In an example implementation, the metal foam element is attached to the module in the form of a sheet that is dimensioned to operate as a patch antenna for transmitting and/or receiving a wireless signal associated with the electrical device and to provide a heat dissipation functionality for dissipating heat produced by the electrical device.

Multi-purpose use of metal foam in a vehicle

The disclosed system and method changes a traction torque request in a vehicle powertrain with a driver-controlled vehicle accelerator pedal. A desired transfer function parameter in a powertrain control module is chosen by the driver to obtain a desired functional relationship between a traction torque request or a power plant torque request and accelerator pedal position.

System and method for obtaining an adjustable accelerator pedal response in a vehicle powertrain

A method for controlling a hybrid electric vehicle powertrain includes operating an engine driveably connected to first vehicle wheels, providing an electric motor driveably connected to second vehicle wheels, shifting a gear selector between a forward drive position and a reverse drive position, reducing vehicle speed to or lower than a reference speed, and using a transmission located between the engine and the first wheels and the electric motor to produce reverse or forward drive corresponding to the position to which the gear selector is shifted.

Hybrid electric vehicle powertrain control after a requested change in vehicle direction

A system and method for controlling the amount of torque generated by at least one torque generating device in a vehicle is provided. A vehicle layer transmits arbitrated torque request signals indicative of first and second amounts of torque and at least one torque reservation request signal indicative of whether the vehicle is in an anticipated vehicle dynamic state or in a non-anticipated vehicle dynamic state. A coordination layer controls the torque generating device to generate the first amount of torque in response to the arbitrated torque request signal and the torque reservation request signal indicating that the vehicle is in the non-anticipated vehicle dynamic state. The coordination layer controls torque generating device to generate the second amount of torque in response to the arbitrated torque request signal and the torque reservation request signal indicating that the vehicle is in the anticipated vehicle dynamic state.

Increased capability modular vehicle-dynamics control architecture

A method of generating brake force to decelerate a vehicle is provided. The method includes during a deceleration condition, generating brake torque via a downstream electric energy conversion device to generate electric energy storable in the battery; and rotating the internal combustion engine via torque output from an upstream electric energy device to deplete electric energy from the battery.

System and method of extending regenerative braking in a hybrid electric vehicle

A controller and a control method is disclosed for determining a power demand for an engine in a hybrid electric vehicle powertrain. In computing engine power demand, a modified motor speed is used at zero and near-zero actual motor speeds to satisfy a driver demand for vehicle traction wheel torque.

Strategy for mapping motor speed to calculate driver power demand in a hybrid electric vehicle

A system and method for accurate control of engine torque for a parallel/series hybrid electric vehicle (PSHEV) is disclosed. An accurate estimate of engine torque is determined from the generator motor torque of a PSHEV. The estimated engine torque can then be used to control engine torque in a closed loop torque control strategy. The invention comprises at least one controller to receive, process and output torque signals; a first control strategy to determine a modified engine torque signal from at least a desired engine torque signal; and a second control strategy to determine variables for air, fuel and spark from said modified engine torque signal. The first control strategy can include a proportional integral (PI) controller. The estimated engine torque signal can be a function of an estimated generator motor torque signal, a generator motor speed signal and an engine torque loss signal.

Engine torque control for a hybrid electric vehicle using estimated engine torque

This invention is a method and system for determining whether the engine should be running in a Hybrid Electric Vehicle during vehicle idle conditions. Specifically, a controller determines if the vehicle is in idle and if engine operation is necessary. To determine whether engine operation is necessary, the controller determines whether the battery needs charging, whether vacuum needs to be replaced in the climate control system or brake system reservoir, whether the vapor canister requires purging, whether the adaptive fuel tables require fast adapting, whether the engine or catalyst temperatures are unacceptable, or whether the air conditioning has been requested. Once the controller determines that the engine must be running, the controller determines in which control mode to run the engine, either speed control mode (using powertrain controllers) or torque control mode (using a generator and generator controller). Finally, the controller optimizes engine running conditions, to the extent possible depending upon the control mode, to perform any necessary functions during vehicle idle.

Engine on idle arbitration for a hybrid electric vehicle

A torque based monitor method, apparatus, and system, for a torque splitting hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) powertrain and regenerative brake system. The preferred powertrain configuration includes an internal combustion engine , generator , and electric traction motor combined to produce the vehicle's output shaft torque. The invention has a set of vehicle state sensors and communication interfaces connected independently to a main controller and an independent plausibility check (IPC) . The IPC monitors and mitigates the powertrain output shaft torque (OST) by reducing powertrain torque when the detected OST is greater than the desired OST. The IPC has a second mode of operation to shut down the powertrain OST of the HEV powertrain when a fault or failure is detected. Additional features include a quizzer function to continuously verify the functionality of the IPC.

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Canton, MI, United States of America

Deepa Ramaswamy