Dynamic tag e-axle and method for controlling a drivetrain having a dynamic tag e-axle
AssigneeHyliion Inc.
InventorGeorge James Noland
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for adjusting a drivetrain comprising an e-axle on a vehicle comprises accessing route data and compressing the route data into a plurality of linearized segments. Each segment is determined by analyzing points along the route to determine when a set of route data points indicates an uphill, downhill, or flat segment. Using the segments, drivetrain configuration information for a vehicle and a weight of the vehicle, embodiments determine a performance plan that is tailored to the vehicle, including raising the e-axle to reduce rolling resistance on some segments and lowering the e-axle for some segments for increased power for acceleration, improved braking, or increased regenerative capabilities.
Claims19
A method for adjusting operation of a vehicle traveling along a route, comprising:
- determining segment information of a segment of a route of a vehicle;
- determining a weight of the vehicle;
- determining a vehicle drivetrain configuration and current values for a set of operating parameters of the vehicle;
- determining, based on the vehicle drivetrain configuration, that the vehicle operation according to the current values for the set of operating parameters will not reach a set of target values for the segment, wherein the set of target values are based on a performance plan for the vehicle traveling along the route;
- and
- in response to determining that the vehicle operation will not reach the set of target values for the segment, operating an e-axle of the vehicle to an up position or a down position, wherein operating the e-axle to the down position causes a set of wheels coupled to the e-axle to contact a road surface, and operating the e-axle to the up position causes the set of wheels coupled to the e-axle to not contact the road surface.
A system, comprising:
- a sensor for determining a location of a vehicle over a route;
- a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor, the controller having a processor configured to execute a set of instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the controller to:
- determine segment information of a segment based on the route of the vehicle and the location of the vehicle;
- determine a weight of the vehicle;
- determine vehicle drivetrain configuration and current values for a set of operating parameters of the vehicle;
- determine, from the vehicle drivetrain configuration, whether vehicle operation according to the current values of the set of operating parameters will reach a set of target values;
- in response to determining that the vehicle operation will not reach the set of target values, operate an e-axle of the vehicle into either an up position or in a down position, wherein operating the e-axle into the down position causes a set of wheels coupled to the e-axle contact a road surface, and operating the e-axle into the up position causes the set of wheels coupled to the e-axle to not contact the road surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.