# US 8,543,253 B2 · Transitioning a control system between changing state equations > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,543,253 B2 - Document ID: US8543253B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/021,821 - Filed: 2011-02-07 - Published: 2012-08-09 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2011-02-07 - Assignees: GM Global Technology Operations LLC - Applicants: Steven M. Hessell; R. Anthony Hansen - Inventors: Steven M. Hessell; R. Anthony Hansen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8543253B2 ## CPC - B60W 50/06: Improving the dynamic response of the control system, e.g. improving the speed of regulation or avoiding hunting or overshoot - B60W 10/02: including control of driveline clutches - B60W 10/11: Stepped gearings - B60W 30/19: Improvement of gear change, e.g. by synchronisation or smoothing gear shift - B60W 30/20: Reducing vibrations in the driveline - B60W 2030/203: {related or induced by the clutch} - B60W 2050/0031: {Mathematical model of the vehicle} - B60W 2050/0037: {Mathematical models of vehicle sub-units} - B60W 2050/004: {of the clutch} - B60W 2050/0041: {of the drive line} - B60W 2050/0096: {Control during transition between modes} - 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 ## Abstract A method of controlling a vehicle changing operating ranges from a first range to a second range includes defining a current set of state equations and a target set of state equations. The current set of state equations and the target set of state equations may each include a set of control state equations for controlling the vehicle and a set of estimator state equations for estimating the performance of the vehicle. The values of the current set of state equations are incrementally adjusted over time until substantially equal to values of the target set of state equations to smooth the requested change between the first range and the second range. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of transitioning a control system of a vehicle, the method comprising; detecting a requested transition in the operation of the vehicle between one of a first range and a second range to the other of the first range and the second range; selecting at least one state equation that currently describes the one of the first range and the second range in which the vehicle is currently operating in as a current state equation; selecting at least one state equation that describes the one of the first range and the second range that the vehicle is transitioning into as a target state equation; wherein the current state equation includes at least one reference value and at least one state output value that describes the operation of the vehicle when in the first range, and wherein the target state equation includes at least one reference value and at least one state output value that describes the operation of the vehicle when in the second range; defining a multiplier to adjust the values of the current state equation over time; and blending values of the current state equation over time until the blended values are substantially equal to values of the target state equation to smooth the requested transition between the first range and the second range; wherein blending values of the current state equation over time until substantially equal to values of the target state equation includes A) multiplying a difference between the at least one reference value of the current state equation and the at least one reference value of the target state equation by the multiplier to define a reference product, and summing the reference product with the at least one reference value of the current state equation to define an adjusted reference value. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the at least one state output value of the current state equation and the at least one state output value of the target state equation are each generated by at least one linear equation that models the operation of the vehicle when in the first range and the second range respectively. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein blending values of the current state equation over time until substantially equal to values of the target state equation includes B) multiplying a difference between the at least one state output value of the current state equation and the at least one state output value of the target state equation by the multiplier to define a state product, and summing the state product with the at least one state output value of the current state equation to define an adjusted state output value. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A method as set forth in claim 3 wherein blending values of the current state equation over time until substantially equal to values of the target state equation includes C) comparing the adjusted reference value and the adjusted state output value to the at least one reference value and the at least one state output value of the target state equation respectively to determine if the adjusted reference value and the adjusted state output value are greater than a pre-defined percentage of the at least one reference value and the at least one state output value of the target state equation respectively. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A method as set forth in claim 4 wherein blending values of the current state equation over time until substantially equal to values of the target state equation includes D) defining a range change complete flag to equal false when the adjusted reference value and the adjusted state output value are less than the pre-defined percentage of the at least one reference value and the at least one state output value of the target state equation respectively, and defining the range change complete flag to equal true when the adjusted reference value and the adjusted state output value are equal to or greater than the pre-defined percentage of the at least one reference value and the at least one state output value of the target state equation respectively. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) A method as set forth in claim 5 wherein blending values of the current state equation over time until substantially equal to values of the target state equation includes E) increasing a value of the multiplier when the range change complete flag is equal to false. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A method as set forth in claim 6 wherein a calibratable rate defines the magnitude of increase in value of the multiplier. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) A method as set forth in claim 6 wherein blending values of the current state equation over time until substantially equal to values of the target state equation includes F) multiplying a difference between the adjusted reference value and the at least one reference value of the target state equation by the increased multiplier to re-define the reference product, and summing the re-defined reference product with the adjusted reference value to define a new adjusted reference value. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) A method as set forth in claim 8 wherein blending values of the current state equation over time until substantially equal to values of the target state equation includes G) multiplying a difference between the adjusted state output value and the at least one state output value of the target state equation by the increased multiplier to re-define the state product, and summing the state product with the adjusted state output value to define a new adjusted state output value. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A method as set forth in claim 9 wherein blending values of the current state equation over time until substantially equal to values of the target state equation includes repeating steps A, B, C, D and E to linearly adjust the current state equation until the range change complete flag is equal to true. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) A method as set forth in claim 9 wherein blending values of the current state equations over time until substantially equal to values of the target state equation includes repeating steps C, D, E, F and G to non-linearly adjust the current state equation until the range change complete flag is equal to true. ### Claim 12 A method of transitioning a control system of a vehicle, the method comprising; detecting a requested transition in the operation of the vehicle between one of a first range and a second range to the other of the first range and the second range; selecting at least one reference value and at least one state output value of a current set of state equations that describe the one of the first range and the second range in which the vehicle is currently operating in; selecting at least one reference value and at least one state output value of a target set of state equations that describe the one of the first range and the second range that the vehicle is transitioning into; multiplying a difference between the at least one reference value of the current set of state equations and the at least one reference value of the target set of state equations by a multiplier to define a reference product, and summing the reference product with the at least one reference value of the current set of state equations to define an adjusted reference value; multiplying a difference between the at least one state output value of the current set of state equations and the at least one state output value of the target set of state equations by the multiplier to define a state product, and summing the state product with the at least one state output value of the current set of state equations to define an adjusted state output value; comparing the adjusted reference value and the adjusted state output value to the at least one reference value and the at least one state output value of the target set of state equations respectively to determine if the adjusted reference value and the adjusted state output value are greater than, equal to or less than a pre-defined percentage of the at least one reference value and the at least one state output value of the target set of state equations respectively; and recalculating the adjusted reference value and the adjusted state output value when the adjusted reference value and the adjusted state output value are less than a pre-defined percentage of the at least one reference value and the at least one state output value of the target set of state equations respectively until the adjusted reference value and the adjusted state output value are equal to or greater than the pre-defined percentage of the at least one reference value and the at least one state output value of the target set of state equations respectively to smooth the requested change between the first range and the second range. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A method as set forth in claim 12 wherein recalculating the adjusted reference value includes multiplying a difference between the adjusted reference value and the at least one reference value of the target set of state equations by an increased multiplier to re-define the reference product, and summing the re-defined reference product with the adjusted reference value to define a new adjusted reference value. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A method as set forth in claim 13 wherein recalculating the adjusted state output value includes multiplying a difference between the adjusted state output value and the at least one state output value of the target set of state equations by the increased multiplier to re-define the state product, and summing the re-defined state product with the adjusted state output value to define a new adjusted state output value. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) A method as set forth in claim 14 wherein a calibratable rate defines a magnitude of the increase in value of the multiplier. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) A method as set forth in claim 12 wherein recalculating the adjusted reference value and the adjusted state output value includes: increasing the multiplier; multiplying a difference between the at least one reference value of the current set of state equations and the at least one reference value of the target set of state equations by the increased multiplier to re-define the reference product, and summing the re-defined reference product with the at least one reference value of the current set of state equations to re-define the adjusted reference value; and multiplying a difference between the at least one state output value of the current set of state equations and the at least one state output value of the target set of state equations by the increased multiplier to re-define the state product, and summing the re-defined state product with the at least one state output value of the current set of state equations to re-define the adjusted state output value.