Acceleration control of autonomous vehicle having transmission including plurality of gear stages

Abstract

The invention relates to acceleration control of an autonomous vehicle having a transmission comprising a plurality of gear stages, and specifically, a computer system (13) includes processing circuitry (21) configured to receive an acceleration request (25) from an autonomous driving control system (15), the acceleration request encoding a desired acceleration (ad) of the autonomous vehicle (1), the invention relates to an autonomous vehicle (1) having propulsion source means (17) configured to drive at least one wheel (9) of the autonomous vehicle (1) by means of a transmission (7) comprising a plurality of gear stages; and controlling the propulsion source means (17) such that the autonomous vehicle (1) accelerates at an acceleration greater than the desired acceleration (ad) during at least one acceleration loss compensation period (31a-d) separate from at least one shift period (29a-b) of at least one shift required to fulfill the acceleration request.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to control of autonomous vehicles. In particular aspects, the invention relates to acceleration control of autonomous vehicles having a transmission comprising a plurality of gear stages. The present disclosure can be applicable to heavy vehicles, such as trucks, buses and construction equipment and other vehicle types. Although the present disclosure can be described in relation to a particular vehicle, the present disclosure is not limited to any particular vehicle. BACKGROUND

[0002] In autonomous vehicles, an autonomous driving control system can request a desired acceleration of the vehicle (which can be positive or negative). In some circumstances, controlling the vehicle towards the desired acceleration can not result in the desired acceleration.

[0003] It would be desirable to provide improved acceleration control of autonomous vehicles. SUMMARY

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer system comprising processing circuitry configured to: receive, from an autonomous driving control system, an acceleration request encoding a desired acceleration of an autonomous vehicle, the autonomous vehicle having a propulsion source arrangement configured to drive at least one wheel of the autonomous vehicle through a transmission comprising a plurality of gear stages; and control the propulsion source arrangement such that the autonomous vehicle accelerates at a greater acceleration than the desired acceleration during at least one acceleration loss compensation time period separate from at least one gear shift time period of at least one gear shift required to fulfil the acceleration request. The first aspect of the present disclosure can seek to provide improved acceleration control of autonomous vehicles. The present disclosure is based on the recognition that certain acceleration requests (positive and negative) can require at least one gear shift of the vehicle transmission, and this can result in a lower average acceleration than requested by the autonomous driving control system. The inventors have recognised that the vehicle control system can be configured to compensate for this acceleration loss by controlling the propulsion source arrangement such that the vehicle accelerates at a greater acceleration (for a desired speed increase, a more positive value; and for a desired speed decrease, a more negative value) than the desired acceleration during at least one acceleration loss compensation time period separate in time from at least one gear shift time period of at least one gear shift required to fulfil the acceleration request. Technical advantages can include causing autonomous vehicles to exhibit behaviour that is more in line with the instructions provided by the autonomous driving control system, thereby providing improved autonomous driving performance in at least some driving situations, such as when accelerating onto a motorway or when using engine braking and / or regenerative braking.

[0005] The propulsion source arrangement can comprise an ICE (internal combustion engine) and / or an electric machine. The transmission can comprise at least one gear box.

[0006] Optionally, in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the processing circuitry can be configured to predict that controlling the propulsion source arrangement to fulfil the acceleration request will result in the transmission making at least one gear shift. A technical advantage can include that such a prediction allows for acceleration loss compensation over a longer period of time, which can provide improved acceleration loss compensation, and which can allow for a lower over-acceleration (smaller difference between actual instantaneous acceleration and requested desired acceleration) to be used. As an alternative or in addition to predicting at least one gear shift, the occurrence of a gear shift can be logged, and acceleration loss compensation can be performed after the gear shift is completed.

[0007] Optionally, in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the processing circuitry can be configured to control the propulsion source arrangement such that a first acceleration loss compensation time period occurs before a first gear shift time period of a first gear shift after receiving the acceleration request. A technical advantage can include that acceleration loss compensation can already be initiated before the first gear shift, which provides acceleration loss compensation over a longer period of time, which can provide improved acceleration loss compensation, and which can allow for a lower over-acceleration (smaller difference between actual instantaneous acceleration and requested desired acceleration) to be used.

[0008] Optionally, in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the processing circuitry can be configured to receive state data from at least one vehicle system; and predict, based on the state data, that controlling the propulsion source arrangement to fulfil the acceleration request will result in the transmission making at least one gear shift. The state data can be any state data that can be used for gear shift prediction, such as, for example, a current speed of the vehicle, a desired speed of the vehicle, a current speed of the propulsion source arrangement, and gear shift point data from the transmission, etc. The processing circuitry can receive the state data using wired or wireless communication, such as over a vehicle communication bus, which can be a widely used CAN bus.

[0009] Optionally, in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the state data can comprise an indication that a gear shift will occur within a predefined time. For example, such an indication can be provided by the transmission when it is preparing for a gear shift. A technical advantage can include that implementation of acceleration loss compensation can be simplified by using a simple indication that can already be available as a basis for determining the time and / or magnitude of the acceleration loss compensation.

[0010] Optionally, in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the state data can comprise at least one input indicative of a current state of the autonomous vehicle, such as a current vehicle speed and / or a current operating point of the propulsion source arrangement, a current gear, etc.

[0011] Optionally, in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the at least one acceleration loss compensation time period can directly follow the at least one shift time period. Technical advantages can include providing acceleration loss compensation over a longer period of time, which can provide improved acceleration loss compensation, and which can allow for the use of lower over-acceleration (smaller difference between actual instantaneous acceleration and requested desired acceleration).

[0012] Optionally, in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the processing circuitry can be configured to receive an indication of a duration of the at least one shift time period; and control the propulsion source arrangement such that a magnitude of acceleration during the at least one acceleration loss compensation time period and / or a duration of the at least one acceleration loss compensation time period is dependent on the duration of the at least one shift time period. For acceleration loss compensation before a shift, the duration of the shift time period of that shift can be predicted, while for acceleration loss compensation after a shift, the duration of the shift time period can be measured, or prediction can also be used for acceleration loss compensation after a shift. Technical benefits can include that the accuracy of the acceleration loss compensation can be improved, which in turn can provide further improved autonomous driving performance of the autonomous vehicle.

[0013] A computer system according to examples of the present disclosure can advantageously be comprised in a control system of an autonomous vehicle, the control system further comprising an autonomous driving control system in communication with the computer system of the present disclosure, the autonomous driving control system being configured to: send, to the computer system, an acceleration request encoding a desired acceleration of the autonomous vehicle.

[0014] A control system according to examples of the present disclosure can advantageously be comprised in a vehicle, the vehicle further comprising: at least one wheel; a transmission comprising a plurality of gear stages, coupled to the at least one wheel; a propulsion source arrangement coupled to the transmission and controllable to drive the at least one wheel via the transmission.

[0015] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer-implemented method comprising: receiving an acceleration request from an autonomous driving control system, the acceleration request encoding a desired acceleration of an autonomous vehicle, the autonomous vehicle having a propulsion source arrangement configured to drive at least one wheel of the autonomous vehicle through a transmission comprising a plurality of gear stages; and controlling the propulsion source arrangement such that the autonomous vehicle accelerates at a greater acceleration than the desired acceleration during at least one acceleration loss compensation time period that is temporally separate from at least one gear shift time period required to fulfil the acceleration request. The second aspect of the present disclosure can seek to provide improved acceleration control of an autonomous vehicle. The present disclosure is based on the recognition that certain acceleration requests (positive and negative) can require at least one gear shift by the vehicle transmission, and this can result in a lower average acceleration than requested by the autonomous driving control system. The inventors have recognised that the vehicle control system can be configured to compensate for this acceleration loss by controlling the propulsion source arrangement such that the vehicle accelerates at a greater acceleration than the desired acceleration (for a desired increase in speed, a more positive value; and for a desired decrease in speed, a more negative value) during at least one acceleration loss compensation time period that is temporally separate from at least one gear shift time period required to fulfil the acceleration request. Technical advantages can include causing the autonomous vehicle to exhibit behaviour that is more closely in line with the instructions provided by the autonomous driving control system, thereby providing improved autonomous driving performance in at least certain driving situations, such as when accelerating onto a motorway or when using engine braking and / or regenerative braking.

[0016] The propulsion source arrangement can comprise an ICE (internal combustion engine) and / or an electric machine. The transmission can comprise at least one gear box.

[0017] Optionally, in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the method can comprise predicting that controlling the propulsion source arrangement to fulfil the acceleration request will result in at least one gear shift by the transmission. Technical advantages can include that such prediction allows acceleration loss compensation over a longer period of time, which can provide improved acceleration loss compensation, and this can allow the use of lower over-acceleration (the difference between the actual instantaneous acceleration and the requested desired acceleration is smaller). As an alternative or in addition to predicting at least one gear shift, the occurrence of a gear shift can be recorded, and acceleration loss compensation can be performed after the gear shift is completed.

[0018] Optionally, in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the method can comprise controlling the propulsion source arrangement such that the first acceleration loss compensation time period occurs before a first shift time period of a first shift after receiving the acceleration request. Technical advantages can include that acceleration loss compensation can be initiated already before the first shift, which provides acceleration loss compensation during a longer time, which can provide improved acceleration loss compensation, and which can allow use of lower over-acceleration (smaller difference between actual instantaneous acceleration and requested desired acceleration).

[0019] Optionally, in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the method can comprise receiving state data from at least one vehicle system; and predicting, based on the state data, that controlling the propulsion source arrangement to fulfil the acceleration request will result in the transmission making at least one shift. The state data can be any state data that enables shift prediction, such as, for example, current speed of the vehicle, desired speed of the vehicle, current speed of the propulsion source arrangement, and shift point data from the transmission, etc. The state data can be received by the processing circuitry using wired or wireless communication, such as over a vehicle communication bus, which can be a widely used CAN bus.

[0020] Optionally, in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the state data can comprise an indication that a shift will occur within a predefined time. For example, such an indication can be provided by the transmission when preparing for a shift. Technical advantages can include that implementation of acceleration loss compensation can be simplified by using a simple indication that can already be available as a basis for determining time and / or magnitude of acceleration loss compensation.

[0021] Optionally, in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the state data can comprise at least one input indicative of a current state of the autonomous vehicle, such as current vehicle speed and / or current operating point of the propulsion source arrangement, current gear stage, etc.

[0022] Optionally, in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the at least one acceleration loss compensation time period can directly follow the at least one shift time period. Technical advantages can include that acceleration loss compensation can be provided during a longer time, which can provide improved acceleration loss compensation, and which can allow use of lower over-acceleration (smaller difference between actual instantaneous acceleration and requested desired acceleration).

[0023] Optionally, in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the method can comprise receiving an indication of a duration of the at least one shift time period; and controlling the propulsion source arrangement such that the magnitude of the acceleration during the at least one acceleration loss compensation time period and / or the duration of the at least one acceleration loss compensation time period is dependent on the duration of the at least one shift time period. For acceleration loss compensation before a shift, the duration of the shift time period of that shift can be predicted, while for acceleration loss compensation after a shift, the duration of the shift time period can be measured, or prediction can also be used for acceleration loss compensation after a shift. Technical benefits can include that the precision of the acceleration loss compensation can be improved, which in turn can provide further improved autonomous driving performance of the autonomous vehicle.

[0024] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer program product comprising program code for performing the method of the second aspect of the present disclosure when executed by processing circuitry.

[0025] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to perform the method of the second aspect of the present disclosure.

[0026] It will be appreciated by the person of ordinary skill in the art that the disclosed aspects, examples, including any preferred examples, and / or appended claims can be suitably combined. Additional features and advantages will be disclosed in the following description, the claims and the appended drawings, and will in part be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art or will be learned from practice of the present disclosure as described herein.

[0027] Also disclosed herein are computer systems, control units, code modules, computer-implemented methods, computer readable media and computer program products associated with the technical benefits discussed above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0028] Examples are described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] Figure 1 is an example vehicle according to an example.

[0030] Figure 2 is an example computer system according to an example.

[0031] Figure 3 is an example method according to an example.

[0032] Figure 4 is an example method according to an example.

[0033] Figure 5 is an example method according to an example.

[0034] Figure 6 is an example method according to an example.

[0035] Figure 7 is an example driving situation where a request for desired acceleration can result in at least one gear shift.

[0036] Figure 8 is an example graph schematically illustrating acceleration loss compensation according to an example.

[0037] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of an example computer system for implementing examples disclosed herein according to an example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings and the examples described therein provides information and examples sufficient for a person of ordinary skill in the art to practice the disclosure.

[0039] Figure 1 is an example autonomous vehicle 1 according to an example. Referring to Figure 1 , the example autonomous vehicle 1 comprises a first vehicle member 3 and a second vehicle member 5 coupled to the first vehicle member 3. In this example autonomous vehicle 1, the first vehicle member 3 is a tractor having a propulsion source device 17 in the form of an internal combustion engine (ICE) configured to drive rear wheels 9 through a transmission 7 comprising a plurality of gear stages. It should be noted that the present disclosure is not limited to this example autonomous vehicle 1, but is applicable to many other vehicles, such as vehicles comprising a single vehicle member or vehicles where the propulsion source device 17 comprises another or additional propulsion source, such as an electric machine.

[0040] Referring again to Figure 1 , the first vehicle member 3 additionally comprises steerable front wheels 11, and a control system 12 of the autonomous vehicle 1, comprising a computer system 13 for controlling vehicle systems, and an autonomous driving control system 15. The autonomous driving control system 15 acts as a “driver” of the autonomous vehicle 1 and controls the vehicle 1 through the computer system 13. In turn, the computer system 13 controls a plurality of vehicle systems that perform vehicle functions. One example of a vehicle system is a steering system of the vehicle 1, and another example is a braking system, etc. To ensure robust functioning of the autonomous vehicle 1, at least some of the vehicle systems can have redundancy.

[0041] Figure 2 is an example control system 12 comprising a computer system 13 according to an example. Referring to Figure 2The control system 12 additionally comprises the above-described autonomous driving control system 15. The computer system 13 comprises processing circuitry 21 configured to communicate with the autonomous driving control system 15 and with the above-described propulsion source arrangement 17. The processing circuitry 21 of the computer system 13 is configured to receive an acceleration request from the autonomous driving control system 15 encoding a desired acceleration of the autonomous vehicle 1 and to control the propulsion source arrangement 17 such that the autonomous vehicle 1 accelerates with a greater acceleration than the desired acceleration during at least one acceleration loss compensation time period separate from at least one gear shift time period of at least one gear shift required to fulfill the acceleration request.

[0042] Figure 3 is an exemplary method according to an example. With reference to the flowchart in Figure 3 , the method first comprises receiving S31, by the processing circuitry 21 of the computer system 13 in Figure 2 , an acceleration request from the autonomous driving control system 15, the acceleration request encoding a desired acceleration of the autonomous vehicle 1, the autonomous vehicle having a propulsion source arrangement 17 configured to drive at least one wheel 9 of the autonomous vehicle 1 through a transmission 7 comprising a plurality of gear stages. The transmission 7 can comprise at least one gear box. The acceleration request can for example be provided by the autonomous driving control system 15 to accelerate the autonomous vehicle 1 onto a highway 23 as schematically indicated in Figure 7 .

[0043] Subsequently, the processing circuitry 21 controls S32 the propulsion source arrangement 17 such that the autonomous vehicle 1 accelerates with a greater acceleration than the desired acceleration during at least one acceleration loss compensation time period separate from at least one gear shift time period of at least one gear shift required to fulfill the acceleration request.

[0044] Figure 4 is an exemplary method according to an example. As with the exemplary method described above with reference to the flowchart in Figure 3 , the method in Figure 4 first comprises receiving S41, by the processing circuitry 21 of the computer system 13 in Figure 2 , an acceleration request from the autonomous driving control system 15, the acceleration request encoding a desired acceleration of the autonomous vehicle 1, the autonomous vehicle having a propulsion source arrangement 17 configured to drive at least one wheel 9 of the autonomous vehicle 1 through a transmission 7 comprising a plurality of gear stages. The acceleration request can for example be provided by the autonomous driving control system 15 to accelerate the autonomous vehicle 1 onto a highway 23 as schematically indicated in Figure 7 .

[0045] Subsequently, the processing circuitry 21 of the computer system 13 receives S42 an indication that the transmission 7 has performed a gear shift.

[0046] In response to this instruction, the processing circuit system 21 then controls the S43 propulsion source device 17 to cause the autonomous vehicle 1 to accelerate at a greater rate than desired during at least one acceleration loss compensation period that occurs after the transmission 7 has performed a gear shift. This will help compensate for the acceleration loss caused by the gear shift.

[0047] Figure 5 This is an exemplary method based on the example. (Refer to the above reference.) Figure 3 Flowcharts and Figure 4 The exemplary method described in the flowchart is the same as that in the example. Figure 5 The methods in the first part include through Figure 2 The processing circuitry 21 of the computer system 13 receives an acceleration request (S51) from the autonomous driving control system 15. This acceleration request encodes the desired acceleration of the autonomous vehicle 1, which has a propulsion source device 17 configured to drive at least one wheel 9 of the autonomous vehicle 1 via a transmission 7 comprising multiple gear stages. The acceleration request can be provided, for example, by the autonomous driving control system 15 to accelerate the autonomous vehicle 1 onto a highway 23, such as... Figure 7 The symbol is indicated in the diagram.

[0048] Subsequently, the processing circuitry system 21 of the computer system 13 predicts S52: controlling the propulsion source device 17 to fulfill the acceleration request will cause the transmission 7 to perform at least one gear shift. This prediction may be based on state data received by the processing circuitry system 21. For example, the state data may include an indication that a gear shift, which can be provided by the transmission 7, will occur within a predefined time. According to another example, the state data received by the processing circuitry system 21 may include at least one input indicating the current state of the autonomous vehicle, such as the current vehicle speed and / or the current operating point of the propulsion source device, the current gear, etc. This state data may, for example, be provided as input data to a computational model that can output a prediction of at least one gear shift expected to occur during the acceleration event. For example, the prediction may include the expected number of gear shifts and / or the expected time of at least one gear shift.

[0049] In response to the prediction derived from step S52, the processing circuitry 21 then controls the propulsion source device 17 in step S53, causing the autonomous vehicle 1 to accelerate at a greater rate than expected during at least one acceleration loss compensation period preceding the predicted at least one gear shift. This helps to compensate for the acceleration loss caused by the gear shift.

[0050] Figure 6 This is an exemplary method based on the example, and further reference will be made below as indicated. Figure 7 and Figure 8 Provide a description. Refer to the above. Figure 5The method described in the flowchart is the same as the exemplary method in the example. Figure 6 The methods in the first part include through Figure 2 The processing circuitry system 21 of the computer system 13 receives an acceleration request (S61) from the autonomous driving control system 15. Figure 8 The exemplary acceleration curve 25 in the figure indicates this. Acceleration request 25 encodes the desired acceleration of the autonomous vehicle 1, which is determined by... Figure 8 a in the diagram d The instruction indicates that the autonomous vehicle 1 has a propulsion source device 17 configured to drive at least one wheel 9 of the autonomous vehicle 1 via a transmission 7 comprising multiple gear stages. Acceleration requests can be provided, for example, by the autonomous driving control system 15 to accelerate the autonomous vehicle 1 onto the highway 23, such as... Figure 7 The symbol is indicated in the diagram.

[0051] Subsequently, the processing circuitry system 21 of the computer system 13 predicts S62: controlling the propulsion source device 17 to fulfill the acceleration request 25 will cause the transmission 7 to perform at least one gear shift. This prediction may be based on status data received by the processing circuitry system 21. For example, the status data may include an indication that a gear shift, which can be provided by the transmission 7, will occur within a predefined time period. Figure 8 Arrows 35a-b in the diagram are schematic indications. According to another example, the state data received by the processing circuitry 21 may include at least one input indicating the current state of the autonomous vehicle 1, such as the current vehicle speed and / or the current operating point, current gear, etc., of the propulsion source device 17. This state data may, for example, be provided as input data to a computational model that can output a prediction of at least one gear shift expected to occur during an acceleration event. For example, this prediction may include the predicted number of gear shifts and / or the predicted time of at least one gear shift.

[0052] In response to the prediction derived from step S62, the processing circuit system 21 then controls the propulsion source device 17 in step S63, causing the autonomous vehicle 1 to accelerate at a rate greater than the desired acceleration a during the first acceleration loss compensation period 31a. d The greater acceleration acceleration, the first acceleration loss compensation period 31a occurs before and separates from the first shift period 29a of the first predicted shift. This will help compensate for the acceleration loss caused by the first shift that occurs during the first shift period 29a.

[0053] Subsequently, the processing circuit system 21 of computer system 13 receives the S64 transmission 7 having executed (by Figure 8 The first shift time period (29a) in the text indicates the shift indication.

[0054] In response to the indication, the processing circuitry 21 then controls S65 the propulsion source arrangement 17 such that the autonomous vehicle 1 accelerates with a higher acceleration during a second acceleration loss compensation time period 31 b occurring after the first gear shift time period 29a than the desired acceleration a d The greater acceleration acceleration. This will help to compensate more evenly and / or with increased precision for the acceleration loss caused by the gear shift during the first gear shift time period 29a, since the compensation performed before the first gear shift time period 29a can be taken into account when determining the magnitude and / or duration of the acceleration loss compensation occurring during the second acceleration loss compensation time period 31 b.

[0055] If the desired acceleration event can occur without additional gear shifts, the method can terminate here. Otherwise, steps S62-S65 as described above can occur until the desired acceleration event is completed. In Figure 8 In the illustratively shown example acceleration loss compensation, the processing circuitry 21 can receive a second indication 35b of an upcoming gear shift, and the processing circuitry 21 can control the propulsion source arrangement 17 to provide a higher acceleration during a third acceleration loss compensation time period 31 c preceding the second gear shift time period 29b, as described above. Furthermore, the processing circuitry 21 can evaluate the acceleration during the second gear shift time period 29b and control the propulsion source arrangement 17 to compensate for the acceleration loss during a fourth acceleration loss compensation time period 31 d occurring after the second gear shift time period 29b.

[0056] In any of the above described methods, the propulsion source arrangement 17 can be controlled such that the magnitude of the acceleration during the at least one acceleration loss compensation time period 31 a-d and / or the duration of the at least one acceleration loss compensation time period 31 a-d depends on a predicted and / or measured duration of the at least one gear shift time period 29a-b.

[0057] Figure 9is a schematic diagram of a computer system 1000 for implementing examples disclosed herein, such as for implementing examples of the computer system 13 according to examples. The computer system 1000 is adapted to execute instructions from a computer-readable medium to perform these functions or processes and / or any of the functions or processes described herein. The computer system 1000 can be connected, e.g., networked, to other machines in a LAN, an intranet, an extranet, or the Internet, or to other machines in a cloud network through a direct wired or wireless connection. While only a single machine is illustrated, the computer system 1000 can include any collection of one or more machines that individually or jointly execute sets of instructions (or multiple sets of instructions) to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein. Thus, any reference to a computer system, computing system, computer device, computing device, control system, control unit, electronic control unit (ECU), processor device, processing circuit, or the like in the present disclosure and / or claims includes a reference to one or more such devices collectively or jointly executing sets of instructions (or multiple sets of instructions) to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein. For example, a control system can include a single control unit or multiple control units connected to or otherwise communicatively coupled to each other such that any executed functions can be distributed among the control units as desired. Further, such devices can communicate with each other and other devices through various system architectures, such as a direct or via a controller area network (CAN) bus, etc.

[0058] The computer system 1000 can include at least one computing device or electronic device capable of executing software instructions and / or firmware instructions to perform functions described herein. The computer system 1000 can include a processing circuit 1002 (e.g., a processing circuit including one or more processor devices or control units), a memory 1004, and a system bus 1006. The computer system 1000 can include at least one computing device having the processing circuit 1002. The system bus 1006 provides an interface for system components including, but not limited to, the memory 1004 and the processing circuit 1002. The processing circuit 1002 can include any number of hardware components for processing data or instructions, or for executing computer code stored in the memory 1004. The processing circuit 1002 may, for example, include a general-purpose processor, a special-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a circuit containing processing components, a group of distributed processing components, a group of distributed computers configured for processing, or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. The processing circuit 1002 can also include computer-executable code that controls the operation of the programmable device.

[0059] The system bus 1006 can be any of several types of bus structures including a memory bus with memory controller, a peripheral bus, and / or a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. The memory 1004 can be one or more devices for storing data and / or computer code for completing or facilitating the various processes described herein. The memory 1004 can include database components, object code components, script components, or any other type of information structure for supporting the various activities described herein. Any distributed or local memory apparatus can be utilized in the systems and methods described herein. The memory 1004 can be communicably connected to the processing circuit 1002 (e.g., via a circuit or any other wired or wireless connection) and can include computer code for executing one or more processes described herein. The memory 1004 can include non-volatile memory 1008 (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), etc.) and volatile memory 1010 (e.g., random access memory (RAM)), or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of machine-readable instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer or other machine with a processing circuit 1002. A basic input / output system (BIOS) 1012 can be stored in the non-volatile memory 1008 and can include the basic routines that facilitate the transfer of information between elements within the computer system 1000.

[0060] The computer system 1000 can further include or be coupled to a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, such as storage 1014, which can include, for example, an internal or external hard disk drive (HDD) (e.g., enhanced integrated drive electronics (EIDE) or serial advanced technology attachment (SATA)), an HDD for storage (e.g., EIDE or SATA), flash memory, or the like. The storage 1014 and other drives associated with computer-readable media and computer-usable media can provide nonvolatile storage of data, data structures, computer-executable instructions, and the like.

[0061] The computer code hard-coded or soft-coded can be provided in one or more modules. The modules can be implemented as software and / or hard-coded in circuitry to implement, in whole or in part, the functionality described herein. The modules can be stored in the storage 1014 and / or the volatile memory 1010, which can include an operating system 1016 and / or one or more program modules 1018. All or a portion of the examples disclosed herein can be implemented as a computer program 1020 stored on a transitory or non-transitory computer-usable or computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a single medium or multiple media), such as the storage 1014, which includes instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry 1002, implement the acts described herein. Accordingly, the computer-readable program code of the computer program 1020 can include software instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry 1002, implement the functionality of the examples described herein. In some examples, the storage 1014 can be a computer program product (e.g., a readable storage medium) on which the computer program 1020 is stored, wherein at least a portion of the computer program 1020 can be loadable (e.g., loadable into the processor) to implement the functionality of the examples described herein when executed by the processing circuitry 1002. The processing circuitry 1002 can serve as a controller or control system of the computer system 1000 that implements the functionality described herein.

[0062] The computer system 1000 can include an input device interface 1022 configured to receive input and selections to be communicated to the computer system 1000 when executing instructions such as from a keyboard, a mouse, a touch-sensitive surface, etc. Such input devices can be connected to the processing circuitry 1002 through the input device interface 1022 coupled to the system bus 1006, but can be connected by other interfaces such as a parallel port, a serial port, an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1394 serial port, a universal serial bus (USB) port, an IR interface, etc. The computer system 1000 can include an output device interface 1024 configured to forward output to display devices such as a display, a video display unit (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a cathode ray tube (CRT)). The computer system 1000 can include a communication interface 1026 suitable for communicating with a network as appropriate, in whole or in part.

[0063] The operational acts described in any of the example aspects described herein are described to provide examples and discussion. The acts can be performed by hardware components, can be embodied in machine-executable instructions to cause a processor to perform the acts, or can be performed by a combination of hardware and software. Although a particular order of acts can be shown or described, the order of acts can differ. Additionally, two or more acts can be performed at the same time or partially concurrently.

[0064] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular aspects only and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially

[0065] It should be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. can be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and, similarly, a second element could be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0066] Relative terms such as "below" or "above" or "upper" or "lower" or "horizontal" or "vertical" can be used herein to describe a relationship of one element to another as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that these terms and those discussed above are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. It is to be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements can be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly coupled" to another element, there are no intervening elements present.

[0067] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. It will be further understood that terms used herein should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of this specification and the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

[0068] It will be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the aspects described above, which are presented as examples only; but rather, the skilled person will recognize that many changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the present disclosure and the appended claims. In the drawings and specification, aspects have been disclosed for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to be limiting; the scope of the disclosure being set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A computer system (13) comprising processing circuitry (21) configured to: receiving an acceleration request (25) from an autonomous driving control system (15), the acceleration request encoding a desired acceleration (a d ) of an autonomous vehicle (1) having a propulsion source arrangement (17) configured to drive at least one wheel (9) of the autonomous vehicle (1) through a transmission (7) comprising a plurality of gear stages; and controlling the propulsion source arrangement (17) such that the autonomous vehicle (1) accelerates with a greater acceleration than the desired acceleration (a d ) during at least one acceleration loss compensation time period (31a-d) separate from at least one shift time period (29a-b) of at least one gear shift required to fulfill the acceleration request.

2. The computer system (13) of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry (21) is configured to: predict that controlling the propulsion source arrangement (17) to fulfil the acceleration request will cause the transmission (7) to perform at least one gear shift.

3. The computer system (13) of claim 2, wherein the processing circuitry (21) is configured to: control the propulsion source arrangement (17) such that a first acceleration loss compensation time period (31a) occurs before a first gear shift time period (29a) of a first gear shift after receiving the acceleration request.

4. The computer system (13) of claim 2 or 3, wherein the processing circuitry (21) is configured to: receive state data from at least one vehicle system; and predict, based on the state data, that controlling the propulsion source arrangement (17) to fulfil the acceleration request (25) will cause the transmission (7) to perform at least one gear shift.

5. The computer system (13) of claim 4, wherein the state data comprises an indication (35a-b) that a gear shift will occur within a predefined time.

6. The computer system (13) of claim 4 or 5, wherein the state data comprises at least one input indicative of a current state of the autonomous vehicle (1).

7. The computer system (13) of any of claims 1-6, wherein at least one acceleration loss compensation time period (31b; 31d) directly follows the at least one gear shift time period (29a-b).

8. The computer system (13) of any of claims 1-7, wherein the processing circuitry (21) is configured to: receive an indication of a duration of the at least one gear shift time period (29a-b); and control the propulsion source arrangement (17) such that a magnitude of acceleration during the at least one acceleration loss compensation time period (31b; 31d) and / or a duration of the at least one acceleration loss compensation time period (31b; 31d) depends on the duration of the at least one gear shift time period (29a-b).

9. A control system (12) for an autonomous vehicle (1) comprising: a computer system (13) of any of claims 1-8; and an autonomous driving control system (15) in communication with the computer system (13) of any of claims 1-8, the autonomous driving control system (15) being configured to: sending an acceleration request (25) to the computer system (13), the acceleration request (25) encoding a desired acceleration (a d ) of the autonomous vehicle (1).

10. A vehicle (1) comprising: at least one wheel (9); a transmission (7) comprising a plurality of gear stages coupled with the at least one wheel (9); a propulsion source arrangement (17) coupled with the transmission (7) and controllable to drive the at least one wheel (9) through the transmission (7); and a control system (12) of claim 9.

11. A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving (S31) an acceleration request (25) from an autonomous driving control system (15), the acceleration request encoding a desired acceleration (a d ) of an autonomous vehicle (1) having a propulsion source arrangement (17) configured to drive at least one wheel (9) of the autonomous vehicle (1) through a transmission (7) comprising a plurality of gear stages; and controlling (S32) the propulsion source arrangement (17) so that the autonomous vehicle (1) accelerates with a greater acceleration than the desired acceleration (a d ) during at least one acceleration loss compensation time period (31a-d) separate from at least one shift time period (29a-b) of at least one gear shift required to fulfill the acceleration request (25).

12. The method according to claim 11, comprising: predicting (S52) that controlling the propulsion source arrangement (17) to fulfil the acceleration request (25) will result in the transmission (7) performing at least one gear shift.

13. The method according to claim 12, comprising: controlling (S53) the propulsion source arrangement (17) such that a first acceleration loss compensation time period (31a) occurs before a first gear shift time period (29a) of a first gear shift after receiving the acceleration request (25).

14. A computer program product comprising program code for performing the method according to any one of claims 11-13 when executed by the processing circuitry (21) comprised in the computer system (13) according to any one of claims 1-8.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions to cause the processing circuitry (21) comprised in the computer system (13) according to any one of claims 1-8 to perform the method according to any one of claims 11-13 when executed by the processing circuitry (21).

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