# US 10,864,902 B2 · Control device, drive train and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,864,902 B2 - Document ID: US10864902B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/768,869 - Filed: 2016-09-09 - Published: 2020-07-30 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2015-10-19 - Assignees: Robert Bosch GmbH - Applicants: Robert Bosch GmbH - Inventors: Alexander Huber; Andreas Greis; Juergen Biester; Rajendra Prasad Bandi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10864902B2 ## CPC - B60W 20/10: Controlling the power contribution of each of the prime movers to meet required power demand - B60K 6/48: Parallel type - B60W 10/06: including control of combustion engines - B60W 10/08: including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators - B60W 30/188: Controlling power parameters of the driveline, e.g. determining the required power - B60W 2050/0013: {Optimal controllers} - B60W 2050/0048: {Addition or subtraction of signals} - B60W 2510/0623: Fuel flow rate - B60W 2510/242: for electrical energy - B60W 2556/10: Historical data - B60W 2710/0644: Engine speed - B60W 2710/0666: Engine torque - B60W 2710/081: Speed - B60W 2710/083: Torque - Y02T 10/62: Hybrid vehicles - Y02T 10/84: Data processing systems or methods, management, administration - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract The invention relates to a control device (1) for a vehicle having at least two drive units, comprising a first interface (3) which is designed to record a target torque (4), and comprising a computer device (5) which is designed to cyclically minimise an evaluation function (6) for the operation of the at least two drive units, in order to determine a torque distribution (11) between the at least two drive units, wherein a boundary condition (7) of the evaluation function (6) is the generation of the target torque (4), wherein the evaluation function (6) has a penalty term (8), which evidences a change in the torque of one of the at least two drive units with an evaluation penalty. The invention also relates to a corresponding drive train and a corresponding method. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A control device (1) for a vehicle having at least two drive units (2-1, 2-2), the control device comprising: an interface (3) configured to record a target torque (4), and a computer device (5) configured to cyclically minimize an evaluation function (6) for the operation of the at least two drive units (2-1, 2-2), in order to determine a torque distribution (11) between the at least two drive units (2-1, 2-2), wherein a boundary condition (7) of the evaluation function (6) is the target torque (4), and actuate the at least two drive units (2-1, 2-2) according to the determined torque distribution (11), wherein the evaluation function (6) has a penalty term (8) which indicates a change in the torque of one of the at least two drive units (2-1, 2-2) with an evaluation penalty, and wherein the penalty term (8) has the absolute value of a difference between a torque calculated for one of the drive units (2-1, 2-2) in a current calculation cycle and a torque calculated for the respective drive unit (2-1, 2-2) in a preceding calculation cycle or wherein the penalty term (8) has the square of a difference between a torque calculated for one of the drive units (2-1, 2-2) in a current calculation cycle and a torque calculated for the respective drive unit (2-1, 2-2) in a preceding calculation cycle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The control device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the penalty term (8) has a predefined maximum value (9) which limits the evaluation penalty. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The control device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the computer device (5) is configured to monitor operational variables (10) of the drive units (2-1, 2-2) and to execute a new calculation cycle only when at least one of the operational variables (10) changes by a predefined threshold value. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The control device (1) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the computer device (5) is configured to detect at least one selected from the group consisting of a desired torque, a maximum torque, and a minimum torque which can be applied by either or both of the drive units (2-1, 2-2) as operational variables (10). ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A drive train (12) for a vehicle, having at least two drive units (2-1, 2-2), and having a control device (1) as claimed in claim 1, which is coupled to and configured to actuate the at least two drive units (2-1, 2-2). ### Claim 6 A method for controlling a vehicle having at least two drive units (2-1, 2-2), the method comprising: recording (S1) a target torque (4), determining a torque distribution (11) between the at least two drive units (2-1, 2-2) by cyclically minimizing (S2) an evaluation function (6) for the operation of the at least two drive units (2-1, 2-2), wherein the evaluation function (6) includes a boundary condition (7) that is the target torque (4) and a penalty term (8) which indicates a change in the torque of one of the at least two drive units (2-1, 2-2) with an evaluation penalty, and actuating the at least two drive units (2-1, 2-2) according to the determined torque distribution (11), wherein the penalty term (8) has the absolute value of a difference between a torque calculated for one of the drive units (2-1, 2-2) in a current calculation cycle and a torque calculated for the respective drive unit (2-1, 2-2) in a preceding calculation cycle or wherein the penalty term (8) has the square of a difference between a torque calculated for one of the drive units (2-1, 2-2) in a current calculation cycle and a torque calculated for the respective drive unit (2-1, 2-2) in a preceding calculation cycle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the penalty term (8) has a predefined maximum value (9) which limits the evaluation penalty. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein operational variables (10) of the drive units (2-1, 2-2) are monitored (S3), and a new calculation cycle is executed only when at least one of the operational variables (10) changes by a predefined threshold value. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein at least one selected from the group consisting of a desired torque, a maximum torque, and a minimum torque which can be applied by the drive units (2-1, 2-2) are detected as operational variables (10).