# US 2019/0168731 A1 · Multi-mode engine-disconnect clutch assemblies and control logic for hybrid electric vehicles > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0168731 A1 - Document ID: US20190168731A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/829,043 - Filed: 2017-12-01 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-01 - Assignees: GM Global Technology Operations LLC - Applicants: GM Global Technology Operations LLC - Inventors: Chunhao J. Lee; Neeraj S. Shidore; Dongxu Li; Norman K. Bucknor; Farzad Samie; Derek F. Lahr - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190168731A1 ## CPC - B60K 6/387: Actuated clutches, i.e. clutches engaged or disengaged by electric, hydraulic or mechanical actuating means - B60W 10/026: {of lock-up clutches} - B60K 6/48: Parallel type - B60L 7/18: Controlling the braking effect (B60L7/12, B60L7/14, B60L7/16 take precedence) - B60L 15/2009: {for braking} - B60L 50/16: with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion - B60L 50/61: by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles - B60W 10/06: including control of combustion engines - B60W 20/20: Control strategies involving selection of hybrid configuration, e.g. selection between series or parallel configuration - B60W 20/40: Controlling the engagement or disengagement of prime movers, e.g. for transition between prime movers {(power-up or power-down of the driveline B60W30/192)} - B60K 2006/4825: {Electric machine connected or connectable to gearbox input shaft} - B60L 15/2054: {by controlling transmissions or clutches} - B60L 2240/44: related to combustion engines - B60L 2240/443: Torque - B60L 2240/507: Operating parameters - B60L 2260/26: Transition between different drive modes - B60W 10/02: including control of driveline clutches - B60W 10/08: including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators - B60W 10/11: Stepped gearings - B60W 30/19: Improvement of gear change, e.g. by synchronisation or smoothing gear shift - B60W 2510/0208: Clutch engagement state, e.g. engaged or disengaged - B60W 2510/0241: Clutch slip, i.e. difference between input and output speeds - B60W 2710/021: Clutch engagement state - B60W 2710/08: Electric propulsion units - B60W 2710/1011: Input shaft speed, e.g. turbine speed - Y02T 10/62: Hybrid vehicles - Y02T 10/64: Electric machine technologies in electromobility - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors - Y02T 10/72: Electric energy management in electromobility - 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 - 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 - 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 - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract Presented are engine-disconnect clutches with attendant control logic, methods for making/operating such disconnect clutches, and hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) equipped with an engine that is coupled to/decoupled from a transmission and electric motor via a disconnect clutch. A representative method for controlling an HEV powertrain includes receiving an HEV powertrain operation command, then determining a clutch mode of a multi-mode clutch device to execute the HEV powertrain operation. This multi-mode clutch device is operable in: a lock-lock mode, in which the clutch device transmits torque to and from the engine; a free-free mode, in which the clutch device disconnects the engine's output member from the transmission's input member, preventing torque transmission to and from the engine; a lock-free mode, in which the clutch device transmits torque from but not to the engine; and, a free-lock mode, in which the clutch device transmits torque to but not from the engine. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for controlling operation of a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) powertrain, the HEV powertrain including an engine with an engine output member, a transmission with a transmission input member, an electric motor with a motor output member selectively connectable to the transmission input member, and a multi-mode clutch device selectively disconnecting the engine output member from the transmission input member, the method comprising: receiving a command signal indicative of an HEV powertrain operation, the HEV operation being dependent upon a driver input and a current vehicle operating condition; determining a current clutch mode of the multi-mode clutch device, the current clutch mode being dependent upon the current vehicle operating condition; determining a matching clutch mode of the multi-mode clutch device to execute the HEV powertrain operation, the multi-mode clutch device being operable in the following modes: a lock-lock mode in which the multi-mode clutch device transmits torque to and from the engine, a free-free mode in which the multi-mode clutch device disconnects the engine output member from the transmission input member and thereby prevents torque transmission to and from the engine, a lock-free mode in which the multi-mode clutch device transmits torque from and not to the engine, and a free-lock mode in which the multi-mode clutch device transmits torque to and not from the engine; and responsive to the current and matching clutch modes being different, transmitting a command signal to the multi-mode clutch device to switch from the current clutch mode to the determined matching clutch mode. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the HEV powertrain operation is an engine-only driving operation, and the matching clutch mode is either one of the lock-lock mode and the lock-free mode. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the HEV powertrain operation is a motor-only driving operation, and the matching clutch mode is either one of the free-free mode and the lock-free mode. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the HEV powertrain operation is a motor-boosting engine-driving operation, and the matching clutch mode is either one of the lock-lock mode and the lock-free mode. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the HEV powertrain operation is a key-crank operation, and the matching clutch mode is either one of the lock-lock mode and the lock-free mode. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the HEV powertrain operation is a regenerative-braking engine-connected operation, and the matching clutch mode is either one of the lock-lock mode and the free-lock mode. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the HEV powertrain operation is a regenerative-braking engine-disconnected operation, and the matching clutch mode is either one of the lock-free mode and the free-free mode. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the HEV powertrain operation is a power upshift operation, and the matching clutch mode is the lock-lock mode. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the HEV powertrain operation is a power downshift operation, and the matching clutch mode is either one of the lock-lock mode and the lock-free mode. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the HEV powertrain operation is a tip-in engine-disconnect operation, and the matching clutch mode is the lock-free mode. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the HEV powertrain operation is a tip-in engine-connect operation, and the matching clutch mode is the lock-lock mode. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the HEV powertrain operation is a tip-out engine-connect operation, and the matching clutch mode is either one of the lock-lock mode and the free-lock mode. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the HEV powertrain operation is a tip-out engine-disconnect operation, and the matching clutch mode is either one of the lock-free mode and the free-free mode. ### Claim 14 A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) comprising: a vehicle body with a plurality of road wheels; an internal combustion engine (ICE) assembly attached to the vehicle body, the ICE assembly including a crankshaft configured to output torque generated by the ICE assembly; a motor/generator unit (MGU) attached to the vehicle body in parallel power-flow communication with the ICE assembly, the MGU including a motor output shaft configured to output torque generated by the MGU; a multi-speed transmission operable to receive, selectively modify, and transmit torque output by the MGU and ICE assembly to one or more of the road wheels; a multi-mode selectable one-way clutch (SOWC) interposed between the ICE assembly and both the MGU and multi-speed transmission, the multi-mode SOWC being operable in: a lock-lock mode in which the multi-mode SOWC transmits torque to and from the engine; a free-free mode in which the multi-mode SOWC disconnects the engine from the transmission and the MGU to thereby prevent torque transmission to and from the engine; a lock-free mode in which the multi-mode SOWC transmits torque from and not to the engine; and a free-lock mode in which the SOWC transmits torque to and not from the engine; and a vehicle controller communicatively connected to the multi-mode SOWC and programmed to execute memory stored instructions to: receive a command signal indicative of an HEV powertrain operation; determine a current clutch mode of the multi-mode SOWC; determine a matching clutch mode of the multi-mode SOWC to execute the HEV powertrain operation; and responsive to the current and matching clutch modes being different, transmit a command signal to the multi-mode SOWC to switch from the current clutch mode to the determined matching clutch mode. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The hybrid electric vehicle of claim 14, wherein the HEV powertrain operation is either one of: an engine-only driving operation with the matching clutch mode being either one of the lock-lock mode and the lock-free mode; and a motor-only driving operation, and the matching clutch mode is either one of the free-free mode and the lock-free mode. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The hybrid electric vehicle of claim 14, wherein the HEV powertrain operation is either one of: a regenerative-braking engine-connected operation with the matching clutch mode being either one of the lock-lock mode and the free-lock mode; and a regenerative-braking engine-disconnected operation with the matching clutch mode being either one of the lock-free mode and the free-free mode. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The hybrid electric vehicle of claim 14, wherein the HEV powertrain operation is either one of: a power upshift operation with the matching clutch mode being the lock-lock mode; and a power downshift operation with the matching clutch mode being either one of the lock-lock mode and the lock-free mode. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The hybrid electric vehicle of claim 14, wherein the HEV powertrain operation is either one of: a tip-in engine-disconnect operation with the matching clutch mode being the lock-free mode; and a tip-in engine-connect operation with the matching clutch mode being the lock-lock mode. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The hybrid electric vehicle of claim 14, wherein the HEV powertrain operation is either one of: a tip-out engine-connect operation with the matching clutch mode being either one of the lock-lock mode and the free-lock mode; and a tip-out engine-disconnect operation with the matching clutch mode being either one of the lock-free mode and the free-free mode. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The hybrid electric vehicle of claim 14, wherein the HEV powertrain operation is either one of: a motor-boosting engine-driving operation with the matching clutch mode being either one of the lock-lock mode and the lock-free mode; and a key-crank operation with the matching clutch mode being either one of the lock-lock mode and the lock-free mode.