# US 11,021,152 B2 · Driving system for electric vehicle and control method thereof

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 11,021,152 B2
- Document ID: US11021152B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/363,579
- Filed: 2019-03-25
- Published: 2020-04-02
- Granted: 2021-06-01
- Earliest claimed: 2018-10-01
- Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Motors Corporation
- Applicants: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Motors Corporation
- Inventors: Jae Joon Lee; Hyun Noh Kim; Jin Ho Kim; Jong Sool Park; Kyeong Hun Lee; Bong Guy Son; Jong Sung Kim; Jin Young Hwang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11021152B2

## CPC

- B60W 30/18063: {Creeping}
- F16H 59/105: {consisting of electrical switches or sensors}
- B60K 17/02: characterised by arrangement, location, or kind of clutch
- B60K 17/06: of change-speed gearing (B60K17/10 - B60K17/16 take precedence)
- B60K 20/02: of initiating means
- B60K 23/02: for main transmission clutches
- B60L 15/20: for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
- B60L 15/2054: {by controlling transmissions or clutches}
- B60L 15/2063: {for creeping}
- B60W 10/02: including control of driveline clutches
- B60W 10/08: including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
- F16H 59/044: {consisting of electrical switches or sensors}
- F16H 61/0202: {the signals being electric}
- F16H 63/46: Signals to a clutch outside the gearbox
- F16H 63/50: Signals to an engine or motor
- B60L 2240/12: Speed
- B60L 2240/486: Operating parameters
- B60L 2240/642: Slope of road
- B60L 2250/26: by pedal actuation
- B60L 2250/28: Accelerator pedal thresholds
- B60L 2270/142: acoustic
- B60L 2270/145: Structure borne vibrations
- B60W 2510/1005: Transmission ratio engaged
- B60W 2540/10: Accelerator pedal position
- B60W 2552/15: Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
- B60W 2710/022: Clutch actuator position
- B60W 2710/083: Torque
- B60Y 2200/91: Electric vehicles
- B60Y 2300/18058: Creeping
- 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
- F16H: GEARING
- 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
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- B60Y: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY

## Abstract

A driving system for an electric vehicle may include a shift assembly receiving power from a motor, and providing a plurality of shift gears using a plurality of meshed external gear pairs, a clutch intermittently transferring power from the motor to the shift assembly, a gear lever allowing a driver to sequentially select a plurality of assigned positions that are discontinuously disposed, a position sensor detecting the assigned positions to which the gear lever sequentially moves, on the basis of continuous changes in physical quantities, a clutch actuator actuating the clutch, a shift actuator actuating the shift assembly to change gear shifts, and a controller configured for controlling the clutch actuator, the shift actuator, and the motor to change gear shifts by receiving signals from the position sensor.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A driving system for a vehicle, the driving system comprising:
a motor;
a shift assembly engaged to the motor and receiving power from the motor, wherein the shift assembly includes a plurality of shift gears using a plurality of meshed external gear pairs;
a clutch mounted between the motor and the shift assembly and configured to selectively transfer the power from the motor to the shift assembly;
a gear lever allowing a driver to sequentially select a plurality of assigned positions that are discontinuously disposed;
a position sensor configured to detect the assigned positions to which the gear lever sequentially moves, on a basis of continuous changes in physical quantities of the position sensor according to the plurality of assigned positions;
a clutch actuator configured to actuate the clutch;
a shift actuator configured to actuate the shift assembly to change gear shifts; and
a controller connected to the clutch actuator, the shift actuator, and the motor and configured for controlling the clutch actuator, the shift actuator, and the motor to change the gear shifts by receiving signals from the position sensor,
wherein the position sensor includes a contactless magnetic flux sensor configured not to be in direct contact with the gear lever, wherein magnetic flux density of the contactless magnetic flux sensor continuously changes in a response to a displacement of the gear lever.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The driving system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of assigned positions is assigned to positions of the gear shifts including a parking gear shift, a reverse gear shift, a neutral gear shift, a first gear shift, and a second gear shift, which are sequentially disposed in a straight line.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The driving system of claim 2,
wherein, when the gear lever moves through the assigned positions, in a sequence of the reverse gear shift, the neutral gear shift, and the first gear shift and when the gear lever moving away from the position assigned to the reverse gear shift is detected by a magnetic flux sensor signal, the controller is configured to control the motor to converge a torque of the motor to 0 and to control the clutch actuator so that the clutch continuously remains engaged in the position assigned to the reverse gear shift even after the gear lever enters the position assigned to the neutral gear shift, and
wherein when the gear lever enters the position assigned to the first gear shift, the controller is configured to control the motor to positively increase the torque thereof, providing a gear shift to the first gear shift.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The driving system of claim 2,
wherein, when the gear lever moves through the assigned positions, in a sequence of the first gear shift, the neutral gear shift, and the reverse gear shift and when the gear lever moving away from the position assigned to the first gear shift is detected by a magnetic flux sensor signal, the controller is configured to control the motor to converge a torque of the motor to 0 and to control the clutch actuator so that the clutch continuously remains engaged in the position assigned to the first gear shift even after the gear lever enters the position assigned to the neutral gear shift, and
wherein, when the gear lever enters the position assigned to the reverse gear shift, the controller is configured to control the motor to negatively increase the torque, providing a gear shift to the reverse gear shift.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The driving system of claim 2,
wherein when the gear lever moves from the position assigned to the first gear shift to the position assigned to the second gear shift among the plurality of assigned positions and when the gear lever arrives at a first reference position between the position assigned to the first gear shift and the position assigned to the second gear shift, the controller is configured to control the motor to converge a torque of the motor to 0, and
wherein when the gear lever further moves and arrives at a second reference position more adjacent to the position assigned to the second gear shift than the first reference position, the controller is configured to sequentially perform disengaging the clutch by controlling the clutch actuator, converting the shift assembly from the first gear shift to the second gear shift by controlling the shift actuator, engaging the clutch by controlling the clutch actuator, and positively increasing the torque of the motor, providing a gear shift to the second gear shift.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The driving system of claim 2,
wherein when the gear lever moves from the position assigned to the second gear shift to the position assigned to the first gear shift among the plurality of assigned positions and when the gear lever arrives at a third reference position between the position assigned to the second gear shift and the position assigned to the first gear shift, the controller is configured to control the motor to converge a torque of the motor to 0, and
wherein when the gear lever further moves and arrives at a fourth reference position more adjacent to the position assigned to the first gear shift than the third reference position, the controller is configured to sequentially perform disengaging the clutch by controlling the clutch actuator, converting the shift assembly from the second gear shift to the first gear shift by controlling the shift actuator, engaging the clutch by controlling the clutch actuator, and positively increasing the torque of the motor, providing a gear shift to the first gear shift.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

A method of controlling the driving system as claimed in claim 2, the method including: in a case in which the gear lever moves through the plurality of assigned positions, in a sequence of the reverse gear shift, the neutral gear shift, and the first gear shift,
when the gear lever moving away from the position assigned to the reverse gear shift is detected by a magnetic flux sensor signal, controlling, by the controller, the motor to converge the torque of the motor to 0;
controlling, by the controller, the clutch actuator so that the clutch continuously remains engaged in the position assigned to the reverse gear shift even after the gear lever enters the position assigned to the neutral gear shift; and
when the gear lever enters the position assigned to the first gear shift, controlling, by the controller, the motor to positively increase the torque of the motor, providing a gear shift to the first gear shift.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein in a case in which the gear lever moves through the assigned positions, in a sequence of the first gear shift, the neutral gear shift, and the reverse gear shift, the method further provides a gear shift to the reverse gear shift by:
when the gear lever moving away from the position assigned to the first gear shift is detected by a magnetic flux sensor signal, controlling, by the controller, the motor to converge the torque to 0;
controlling, by the controller, the clutch actuator so that the clutch continuously remains engaged in the position assigned to the first gear shift even after the gear lever enters the position assigned to the neutral gear shift; and
when the gear lever enters the position assigned to the reverse gear shift, controlling, by the controller, the motor to negatively increase the torque.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein in a case in which the gear lever moves from the position assigned to the first gear shift to the position assigned to the second gear shift among the plurality of assigned positions, the method further provides a gear shift to the second gear shift by sequentially including:
when the gear lever arrives at a first reference position between the position assigned to the first gear shift and the position assigned to the second gear shift, controlling, by the controller, the motor to converge the torque to 0;
when the gear lever further moves and arrives at a second reference position more adjacent to the position assigned to the second gear shift than the first reference position, disengaging, by the controller, the clutch by controlling the clutch actuator;
converting, by the controller, the shift assembly from the first gear shift to the second gear shift by controlling the shift actuator;
engaging, by the controller, the clutch by controlling the clutch actuator; and
controlling, by the controller, the motor to positively increase the torque.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein, in a case in which the gear lever moves from the position assigned to the second gear shift to the position assigned to the first gear shift among the plurality of assigned positions, the method further provides a gear shift to the first gear shift by sequentially performing:
when the gear lever arrives at a third reference position between the position assigned to the second gear shift and the position assigned to the first gear shift, controlling, by the controller, the motor to converge the torque of the motor to 0;
when the gear lever further moves and arrives at a fourth reference position more adjacent to the position assigned to the first gear shift than the third reference position, disengaging, by the controller, the clutch by controlling the clutch actuator;
converting, by the controller, the shift assembly from the second gear shift to the first gear shift by controlling the shift actuator;
engaging, by the controller, the clutch by controlling the clutch actuator; and
controlling, by the controller, the motor to positively increase the torque.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein, when the gear shifts of the shift assembly includes the second gear shift or a gear shift higher than the second gear shift and a vehicle speed is determined to be equal to or greater than a predetermined first reference vehicle speed, even when the gear lever has arrived at the position assigned to the first gear shift, the controller is configured to prevent a gear shift to the first gear shift by maintaining the shift actuator and the clutch actuator in current positions thereof.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein, in a case in which the gear shifts of the shift assembly includes the first gear shift or a gear shaft higher than the first gear shift and a vehicle speed is determined to be equal to or greater than a second reference vehicle speed, even when the gear lever has moved to the position assigned to the reverse gear shift, the controller is configured to prevent a gear shift to the reverse gear shift by maintaining the shift actuator and the clutch actuator in current positions thereof.

### Claim 13 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein, when it is determined by the controller that the vehicle is starting or driving uphill on a basis of received road inclination information, even when the gear lever has moved from the position assigned to the first gear shift to an position in which the second gear shift is selected or a position in which a gear shift higher than the second gear shift is selected, the controller is configured to prevent a gear shift by maintaining the shift actuator and the clutch actuator in current positions thereof.

### Claim 14 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein, when an accelerator pedal is manipulated with the gear lever moving from the position assigned to the neutral gear shift to the position assigned to the first gear shift, the controller is configured to control the motor to increase the torque of the motor depending on a displacement of the accelerator pedal after engagement of the clutch by the clutch actuator is completed.

### Claim 15 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein, when the gear lever is in the position assigned to the reverse gear shift or the position assigned to the first gear shift and the driver does not step on an accelerator pedal, the controller is configured to control the motor to generate creep torque required for a creep travel of the vehicle.