# US 12,223,942 B2 · Method of virtualizing characteristics of internal combustion engine vehicle in electric vehicle

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- Number: US 12,223,942 B2
- Document ID: US12223942B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/074,105
- Filed: 2022-12-02
- Published: 2023-12-07
- Granted: 2025-02-11
- Earliest claimed: 2022-06-02
- Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Corporation
- Applicants: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Corporation
- Inventors: Ji Won Oh; Jeong Soo Eo
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12223942B2

## CPC

- G10K 15/02: Synthesis of acoustic waves (synthesis of speech G10L13/00)
- B06B 1/0207: {Driving circuits (specially adapted for particular applications, see the relevant subclass, e.g. G01; circuits for steering transducer arrays G10K11/34; basic circuits H03)}
- 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 2240/423: Torque
- B60L 2240/44: related to combustion engines
- B60L 2240/486: Operating parameters
- G10K: SOUND-PRODUCING DEVICES; METHODS OR DEVICES FOR PROTECTING AGAINST, OR FOR DAMPING, NOISE OR OTHER ACOUSTIC WAVES IN GENERAL; ACOUSTICS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B06B: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OF INFRASONIC, SONIC, OR ULTRASONIC FREQUENCY, {e.g.} FOR PERFORMING MECHANICAL WORK IN GENERAL (for particular applications, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. B07B1/40, B23Q17/12, B24B31/06; measurement of mechanical vibrations G01H; in direction finding, locating, distance or velocity measuring G01S; {generating seismic energy G01V1/02}; control of mechanical vibrations in general G05D; sound-producing devices, e.g. bells, sirens, whistles G10K, {e.g. methods or devices for transmitting, conducting, or directing sound in general G10K11/00}; generation of electrical oscillations H03B; electromechanical resonators in general H03H; electromechanical transducers {for communication techniques, e.g. microphones, speakers} H04R)
- 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

## Abstract

Proposed is a method of virtualizing characteristics of an internal combustion engine vehicle in an electric vehicle, the method including obtaining, by a controller, powertrain state information for a vehicle powertrain including a motor that makes a vehicle move and a power transmission device between the motor and driving wheels, determining, by the controller, tooth surface pressures of gears in the powertrain between the motor and the driving wheels based on the obtained powertrain state information, generating, by the controller, a virtual effect signal for generating a virtual effect that simulates powertrain characteristics of the internal combustion engine vehicle based on the determined tooth surface pressures of the gears in the powertrain, and generating, by the controller, the virtual effect that simulates the powertrain characteristics of the internal combustion engine vehicle.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of virtualizing characteristics of an internal combustion engine vehicle in an electric vehicle, the method comprising:
obtaining, by a controller, powertrain state information for a vehicle powertrain including a motor that makes a vehicle move and a power transmission device between the motor and driving wheels;
determining, by the controller, tooth surface pressures of gears in the powertrain between the motor and the driving wheels based on the obtained powertrain state information;
generating, by the controller, a virtual effect signal for generating a virtual effect that simulates powertrain characteristics of the internal combustion engine vehicle based on the determined tooth surface pressures of the gears in the powertrain; and
generating, by the controller, the virtual effect that simulates the powertrain characteristics of the internal combustion engine vehicle by controlling operation of a virtual effect generation device that generates the virtual effect according to the generated virtual effect signal.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the powertrain state information includes information on backlash in the powertrain, information on shaft torsion in the powertrain, and information on input torque applied from the motor to the powertrain.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein the input torque is one of a motor torque command for controlling an operation of the motor, a motor torque estimate estimated by the controller, a motor torque detection value detected by a sensor, a filter applied value to the motor torque command, a filter applied value to the motor torque estimate, and a filter applied value to the motor torque detection value.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein the information on shaft torsion includes a shaft torsional speed determined from the input torque applied to the powertrain from the motor and a powertrain spring stiffness.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method according to claim 4, wherein the powertrain spring stiffness is determined from a powertrain rotational speed difference value generated between the motor and the driving wheels, and the input torque,
wherein the powertrain rotational speed difference value is determined by a difference value between a motor speed detected by a motor speed detection resolver and an equivalent wheel speed,
wherein the equivalent wheel speed is an equivalent wheel speed in the motor determined by using a gear ratio between the motor and the driving wheels from wheel speed detected by a wheel speed detection sensor.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein the information on backlash includes a backlash speed caused by a powertrain rotational speed difference between the motor and the driving wheels,
wherein the backlash speed is determined as a value obtained by filtering a difference value between a powertrain rotational speed difference value and a shaft torsional speed which is the information on shaft torsion,
wherein the powertrain rotational speed difference value is obtained from a motor speed detected by a motor speed detection resolver and driving wheel speed detected by a wheel speed detection sensor.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6, wherein the powertrain rotational speed difference value is determined from a difference value between the motor speed and an equivalent wheel speed,
wherein the equivalent wheel speed is an equivalent wheel speed in the motor determined by using a gear ratio between the motor and the driving wheels from the detected driving wheel speed.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein the tooth surface pressures of the gears in the powertrain is determined by following equation (Equation 1′) from a shaft torsional speed which is the information on shaft torsion, a backlash speed which is the information on backlash, and a motor torque command which is the information on input torque,
gear tooth surface pressure=Saturationminimum valuemaximum value(A×Tcmd+B×shaft torsional speed−C×backlash speed) Equation 1′:
wherein A, B, and C are preset values set in the controller, Tcmd is the motor torque command, maximum and minimum values are preset values, and Saturation( ) indicates that values in ( ) are limited to the maximum and minimum values.

### Claim 9 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein the tooth surface pressures of the gears in the powertrain is determined by following equation (Equation 2′) from a shaft torsional speed which is the information on shaft torsion, a backlash speed which is the information on backlash, and a motor torque command which is the information on input torque,
gear
⁢
tooth
⁢
surface
⁢
pressure
=
{
D
×
T
cmd
+
E
×
shaft
⁢
torsional
⁢
speed
,
❘
"\[LeftBracketingBar]"
backlash
⁢
speed
❘
"\[RightBracketingBar]"
≤
F
minimum
⁢
value
⁢
or
⁢
0
,
❘
"\[LeftBracketingBar]"
backlash
⁢
speed
❘
"\[RightBracketingBar]"
>
F
Equation
⁢
2
wherein D and E are preset values set in the controller, minimum value is a preset value, F is a preset backlash determination threshold, and Tcmd is the motor torque command.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the virtual effect includes one or both of virtual vibration simulating vibrations generated by the powertrain in the internal combustion engine vehicle, and virtual sound simulating sounds generated by the powertrain in the internal combustion engine vehicle.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein in the generating the virtual effect signal, the controller determines magnitude of the virtual effect linked to the tooth surface pressures of the gears in the powertrain, and generates the virtual effect signal of a waveform having the magnitude of the virtual effect as an amplitude.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method according to claim 11, wherein the controller is set to determine the magnitude of the virtual effect as a larger value as a size of the tooth surface pressures of the gears in the powertrain increases.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method according to claim 11, wherein the controller determines the magnitude of the virtual effect as a preset minimum value when the tooth surface pressures of the gears in the powertrain correspond to pressures in a preset backlash section.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The method according to claim 11, wherein the controller scales a size of the tooth surface pressures of the gears in the powertrain to obtain a value proportional to the size of the tooth surface pressures, and determines the magnitude of the virtual effect as a value obtained by adding a set minimum value to the obtained value.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The according to claim 11, wherein a waveform profile of the virtual effect signal is set differently according to a direction of a torque transmitted by the gears in the powertrain.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method according to claim 15, wherein when the torque transmitted by the gears in the powertrain is a forward torque that accelerates a vehicle, a peak shape of the waveform is set to a relatively sharper shape compared to a case of a reverse torque decelerating a vehicle.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method according to claim 16, wherein the controller generates the virtual effect signal as a waveform of a profile obtained by synthesizing a first profile in a forward direction and a second profile in a reverse direction in the direction of the torque when the tooth surface pressures of the gears in the powertrain correspond to pressures in a preset backlash section.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising:
obtaining, by the controller, real-time vehicle driving information; and
generating a basic torque command from the obtained real-time vehicle driving information,
wherein the controller generates a virtual effect command for generating a virtual effect in the generating a virtual effect signal, generates a final torque command from the generated virtual effect command and the generated basic torque command in the generating a virtual effect, and controls operation of the motor as the virtual effect generation device according to the final torque command.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the virtual effect generation device is a vibration device that generates a vibration of an amplitude according to a waveform of the virtual effect signal in the electric vehicle.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the virtual effect generation device is a sound device that generates and outputs a sound of a volume according to a waveform of the virtual effect signal in the electric vehicle.