Control distribution method for multi-unit vehicle combination

Abstract

A computer-implemented method (400) for controlling a vehicle combination (100) comprising a tractor unit and at least one trailer unit. The method includes determining (406) a power distribution input for the vehicle combination based on a reference input for the vehicle combination and a power capacity of one or more units (110) of the vehicle combination; determining (410) a virtual control input for the vehicle combination based on the reference input; and determining (412, 414, 416) a control input for the vehicle combination based on the power distribution input and the virtual control input. A corresponding computer program product, a control system, a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, a computer system and a vehicle are also disclosed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to control distribution for vehicle combinations. In particular aspects, the present disclosure relates to a system and method for determining control inputs for one or more units of a vehicle combination having multiple units. The present disclosure may be applied to heavy vehicles such as trucks, buses, and construction equipment. Specifically, the present disclosure may be applicable to multi-unit vehicle combinations having distributed propulsion and energy storage devices. Although the present disclosure may be described with respect to a particular vehicle, the present disclosure is not limited to any particular vehicle. Background Art

[0002] In a conventional vehicle combination (e.g., a semi-trailer), the tractor unit can provide propulsion for the entire combination, while the trailer unit is towed behind. Conventional vehicle combinations can use an internal combustion engine in the tractor unit to provide propulsion. In a battery electric vehicle combination, a battery can be installed in the tractor unit to provide power to the electric motor and provide propulsion. If a battery is also installed in the trailer of the vehicle combination, an electric motor can also be installed so that the trailer can be used as a propulsion supplement to the combination. This allows the use of electric trailers on both tractors with internal combustion engines and battery electric vehicle tractors. In addition, conventional heavy vehicle trailers are usually equipped with pneumatic brakes to stop the vehicle safely and in a timely manner. Electric trailers can also recharge the battery by regenerative braking, thereby avoiding wasting energy through the mechanical braking system.

[0003] As vehicle combinations become more complex, the increasing number of controllable degrees of freedom makes it challenging to control the entire vehicle combination. Specifically, when the number of controllable degrees of freedom begins to exceed the number of desired forces and moments for the entire vehicle combination, the vehicle combination becomes over-actuated and the control problem becomes underdetermined. Therefore, there may be a number of possible solutions for how to control the various actuators so that they collectively produce the desired overall forces and moments.

[0004] So-called control distribution is often used to solve this problem, wherein the control distributor receives the desired forces and torques for the entire vehicle combination (so-called virtual control inputs) and tries to solve an optimization problem in order to find the optimal solution for how the actuators should be controlled (so-called real control inputs).

[0005] Conventional control distributors are usually responsible for directly controlling actuators in all vehicle units and are usually tailored to a specific configuration of a vehicle combination due to the complexity of the problem they are supposed to solve. Solutions that solve the problem at the unit level do not take into account global aspects of the vehicle combination.

[0006] It would therefore be desirable to develop a solution for control distribution for vehicle combinations that solves or at least mitigates some of these problems. Summary of the invention

[0007] The present disclosure seeks to solve the above problems by providing a method and system for controlling a multi-unit vehicle combination with distributed propulsion and energy storage. Specifically, a system is implemented to determine the control allocation for each unit of a vehicle combination taking into account power management and generation of target motion parameters.

[0008] The disclosed method and system provide control allocation for vehicle combinations that are suitable for different configurations of the vehicle combination. By taking a global approach to the vehicle combination, rather than solving the problem at the unit level, control allocation can take into account global factors of the vehicle combination, such as power allocation.

[0009] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a system for controlling a vehicle combination including a tractor unit and at least one towed unit, the system comprising: a target generator configured to determine a virtual control input of the vehicle combination based on a reference input of the vehicle combination; a power manager configured to determine a power distribution input of the vehicle combination based on the reference input and power capacity of one or more units of the vehicle combination; and a combination control distributor configured to determine a control input of the vehicle combination based on the power distribution input and the virtual control input.

[0010] Optionally, the virtual combined control input comprises a set of desired motion parameters determined based on the reference input. Optionally, the set of desired motion parameters of the virtual combined control input comprises at least one of the following: longitudinal force of the vehicle combination, lateral force of the vehicle combination, longitudinal coupling force between consecutive units, lateral coupling force between consecutive units, and yaw moment of one or more units.

[0011] Optionally, the target generator is configured to determine the virtual control inputs for the vehicle combination based on movement capabilities of the vehicle combination.

[0012] Optionally, the target generator is configured to determine the virtual control inputs for the vehicle combination based on a vehicle model configured to model instabilities in vehicle motion.

[0013] Optionally, the reference input comprises at least one of: a longitudinal acceleration, a longitudinal velocity of the tractor unit, a lateral velocity of the tractor unit, a yaw rate of at least one unit of the vehicle combination and a steering angle of the tractor unit.

[0014] Optionally, the power capability of the unit is determined based on at least one of: a state of charge, a state of health, a state of charge and a state of energy of a battery of the unit.

[0015] Optionally, the power allocation input includes a set of desired motion parameters determined based on the power allocation of one or more units. Optionally, the set of desired motion parameters of the power allocation input includes at least one of the following: desired motor force of one or more units and desired electric service braking force of one or more units. Optionally, the power allocation of the units is determined based on power demand and at least one of the following: power loss associated with the unit's service brakes, power loss associated with the unit's battery, and power loss associated with the unit's motor. Optionally, the power allocation of one or more units is determined using an optimization function to minimize the total power loss of the vehicle combination.

[0016] Optionally, the combination control distributor is configured to determine the control input of the vehicle combination by determining the real combination control input based on the power distribution input and the virtual combination control input, and determine the unit-specific virtual control input based on the real combination control input. Optionally, the combination control distributor is configured to determine the real combination control input by solving a weighted least squares optimization problem. Optionally, the system also includes a plurality of unit control distributors, wherein each unit control distributor is configured to determine the unit-specific real control input of the corresponding unit of the vehicle combination based on the corresponding unit-specific virtual control input. Optionally, each unit control distributor is configured to determine the unit-specific real control input by solving a weighted least squares optimization problem.

[0017] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-implemented method for controlling a vehicle combination including a tractor unit and at least one trailer unit is provided, the method comprising: determining a power distribution input of the vehicle combination based on a reference input of the vehicle combination and a power capacity of one or more units of the vehicle combination; determining a virtual control input of the vehicle combination based on the reference input; and determining a control input of the vehicle combination based on the power distribution input and the virtual control input.

[0018] Optionally, the virtual combined control input comprises a set of desired motion parameters determined based on the reference input. Optionally, the set of desired motion parameters of the virtual combined control input comprises at least one of the following: longitudinal force of the vehicle combination, lateral force of the vehicle combination, longitudinal coupling force between consecutive units, lateral coupling force between consecutive units, and yaw moment of one or more units.

[0019] Optionally, the method comprises determining a virtual control input for the vehicle combination based on movement capabilities of the vehicle combination.

[0020] Optionally, the method comprises determining a virtual control input for the vehicle combination based on a vehicle model configured to model instabilities in vehicle motion.

[0021] Optionally, the reference input comprises at least one of: a longitudinal acceleration, a longitudinal velocity of the tractor unit, a lateral velocity of the tractor unit, a yaw rate of at least one unit of the vehicle combination and a steering angle of the tractor unit.

[0022] Optionally, the power capability of the unit is determined based on at least one of: a state of charge, a state of health, a state of charge and a state of energy of a battery of the unit.

[0023] Optionally, the power distribution input includes a set of desired motion parameters determined based on the power distribution of one or more units. Optionally, the set of desired motion parameters of the power distribution input includes at least one of the following items: the desired motor force of one or more units and the desired electric vehicle braking force of one or more units. Optionally, the method includes determining the power distribution of the units based on the power demand and at least one of the following items: the power loss associated with the vehicle brakes of the unit, the power loss associated with the battery of the unit, and the power loss associated with the motor of the unit. Optionally, the method includes using an optimization function to determine the power distribution of one or more units to minimize the total power loss of the vehicle combination.

[0024] Optionally, the method comprises determining the control input of the vehicle combination by determining the real combined control input based on the power split input and the virtual combined control input, and determining the unit-specific virtual control input based on the real combined control input. Optionally, the method comprises determining the real combined control input by solving a weighted least squares optimization problem. Optionally, the method comprises determining the unit-specific real control input of the corresponding unit of the vehicle combination based on the unit-specific virtual control input. Optionally, the method comprises determining the unit-specific real control input by solving a weighted least squares optimization problem.

[0025] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product comprising program code for performing a computer-implemented method when executed by a processor device.

[0026] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a control system is provided. The control system includes one or more control units configured to perform a computer-implemented method.

[0027] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is provided, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor device, cause the processor device to perform a computer-implemented method.

[0028] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a computer system is provided. The computer system includes a processor device configured to execute a computer-implemented method.

[0029] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle is provided, the vehicle comprising a processor device for executing a computer-implemented method.

[0030] It will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that the above-mentioned aspects, the attached claims and / or the examples disclosed herein above and later below may be appropriately combined with each other.

[0031] Additional features and advantages are disclosed in the following description, claims and drawings, and in part will be apparent to those skilled in the art or recognized by practicing the disclosure as described herein. A control unit, a computer-readable medium and a computer program product associated with the technical benefits discussed above are also disclosed herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] Various aspects of the present disclosure cited as examples will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0033] Figure 1A A first example vehicle combination is shown.

[0034] Figure 1B A second example vehicle combination is shown.

[0035] Figure 2 An example control system for a vehicle combination is schematically shown in functional block form.

[0036] Figure 3 An example vehicle combination including a plurality of vehicle units according to the present disclosure is schematically illustrated.

[0037] Figure 4A is a flow chart of an example method for controlling a vehicle combination.

[0038] Figure 4B is a flow chart of another example method for controlling a vehicle combination.

[0039] Figure 5 An example power flow model for a vehicle combination is schematically illustrated.

[0040] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary computer system for implementing the examples disclosed herein, according to one example.

[0041] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a computer readable medium according to an example.

[0042] Figure 8 is a schematic block diagram of a control unit according to an example.

[0043] Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the description. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] The various aspects set forth below represent the necessary information to enable those skilled in the art to practice the present disclosure.

[0045] In a vehicle combination with multiple units (e.g., a tractor unit and one or more trailer units), motion support devices (such as electric motors and service brakes) can be distributed across the various units to provide local propulsion to each unit. However, control systems for such vehicle combinations are typically tailored to the specific configuration of the vehicle combination and tend to solve problems at the unit level. As a result, these control systems are not adaptive and do not take into account global factors of the vehicle combination.

[0046] To address this problem, a method and system for controlling a multi-unit vehicle combination with distributed propulsion and energy storage is proposed. Reference inputs are used to determine the desired power distribution and virtual control inputs for the vehicle combination. These are then converted into control inputs for each unit.

[0047] Figure 1A An example vehicle combination 100 of the type contemplated in the present disclosure is schematically shown. The vehicle combination 100 includes a plurality of units 110, including a tractor unit and at least one trailer unit. Although only one trailer unit is shown, it should be understood that the vehicle combination 100 may include other trailer units connected to each other. This results in vehicle combinations of different types and names.

[0048] The tractor unit (such as tractor unit 110-1) is typically the front-most unit in the vehicle combination and may include the driver's cab (including steering controls, dashboard display, etc.). Generally speaking, the tractor unit 110-1 is used to provide propulsion power for the vehicle combination 100. The trailer unit (such as trailer unit 110-2) is typically used to store the cargo that the vehicle combination 100 is transporting. The trailer unit can be a truck, trailer, dolly, etc. The trailer unit can also provide propulsion to the vehicle combination 100. A trailer unit (such as trailer unit 110-2) without a front axle is called a semi-trailer. In a vehicle combination such as a semi-trailer, a semi-trailer is used to transport cargo. Figure 1A In the vehicle combination shown, vehicle motion management can be used at the unit level to receive requests from the manual or virtual driver to coordinate propulsion, braking and steering.

[0049] Each unit 110 may include one or more batteries 120 configured to provide power to one or more motors 130 (not shown) (such as electric motors). The motors 130 are configured to drive one or more axles or individual wheels 140 of the unit 110, for example, to provide torque and / or steering thereto. In some examples, the electric motors may also operate as generators so that the electric motors generate braking force when needed. In addition, each unit 110 may include one or more sets of service brakes 150. Figure 1A As shown, tractor unit 110-1 has one or more batteries 120-1, wheels 140-1, and one or more sets of service brakes 150-1. Tractor unit 110-2 has one or more batteries 120-2, wheels 140-2, and one or more sets of service brakes 150-2.

[0050] Although three tractor axles and three trailer axles are shown, it should be understood that any suitable number of axles may be provided on the respective units 110. It should also be understood that any number of the tractor axles and / or trailer axles may be driven axles, including zero (i.e., one of the units may include at least one driven axle while the other does not).

[0051] Figure 1B Another example vehicle combination 100 of the type contemplated by the present disclosure is schematically illustrated. Figure 1A Vehicle combination 100, Figure 1B The vehicle combination 100 includes a plurality of units 110, including a tractor unit and at least one trailer unit. Each unit 110 may be assigned an index i, and the total number of units in the vehicle combination is designated as n.

[0052] Tractor unit 110-1 and Figure 1A The tractor unit 110-1 is substantially the same as the tractor unit 110-1 of the vehicle combination 100. However, in this example, the tractor unit 110-1 can also be used to store the cargo being transported by the vehicle combination 100. The towing unit can be a truck, a trailer, a dolly, etc. All units 110 can provide propulsion to the vehicle combination 100.

[0053] Each unit 110 may include one or more batteries 120 configured to provide power to one or more motors 130 (not shown) (such as electric motors). Each unit 110 may include one or more sets of service brakes 150. Figure 1BAs shown, tractor unit 110-1 has one or more batteries 120-1, wheels 140-1, and one or more sets of service brakes 150-1. Unit 110-i has one or more batteries 120-i, wheels 140-i, and one or more sets of service brakes 150-i. Unit 110-n has one or more batteries 120-n, wheels 140-n, and one or more sets of service brakes 150-n. Although three tractor axles and two trailer axles are shown, it should be understood that any suitable number of axles may be provided on the corresponding unit 110. It should also be understood that any number of tractor axles and / or trailer axles may be driven axles, including zero (i.e., one of the units may include at least one driven axle while the other does not).

[0054] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a vehicle combination such as Figure 1A and Figure 1B An example control system 200 for any of the vehicle combinations 100 of FIG. 1 is provided. The control system 200 is used to perform various functions of the vehicle combination 100, such as power management and motion coordination. The control system 200 includes a target generator 202, a tactical layer 204, a state estimator 206, a power manager 208, a combination control distributor 210, and a plurality of unit control distributors 212. The various modules may be implemented, for example, as code running on a processing circuit or the like. The various modules may be connected or connectable to each other in a communicative manner, for example, as is well known in the art.

[0055] The purpose of the target generator 202 is to determine the desired reference input r req and the virtual control input v of the vehicle combination 100 comb,req The desired reference input r req The virtual combined control input v is determined based on inputs related to the operation of the vehicle combination 100. comb,req Based on the expected reference input r req And the vehicle combination 100 movement ability v comb,cap The target generator 202 includes a path planner / controller 214 and a force generator 216 .

[0056] The target generator 202 may receive inputs related to maneuvers for the vehicle combination 100. The maneuvers may be, for example, driving in a straight line, turning, braking, etc. The target generator 202 may receive signals from, for example, the steering wheel and / or accelerator / brake pedal of the combination 100, indicating that the driver (or some other system of the vehicle combination 100) wants to change the direction and / or speed of the vehicle combination in some way. In some examples, the signals may originate from elsewhere, such as any other system that can provide some indication of how the overall forces of the vehicle combination 100 will be affected (e.g., steering, propulsion, or braking). For example, the signals may originate from a lane assist system, a lane following system, an emergency steering system, an emergency braking system, an automatic or semi-automatic driving system. Based on the inputs, the target generator 202 outputs a desired reference input r req Specifically, the path planner / controller 214 determines the desired reference input r req The desired reference input r req It may include at least one of the following: the longitudinal acceleration of the entire vehicle combination 100 or a unit 110 of the vehicle combination 100 (eg, a unit 100 including the combination control distributor 210); , the longitudinal speed of the tractor unit 110-1 , the lateral speed of the tractor unit 110-1 , the yaw rate of at least one unit 110 of the vehicle combination 100 and the steering angle of the tractor unit 110 - 1 .

[0057] Virtual combined control input v comb,req Based on the expected reference input r req Specifically, the force generator 216 determines the virtual combined control input v comb,req . Virtual combined control input v comb,req The desired motion parameters for the vehicle combination 100 may be included. Specifically, it is determined that in order to follow the desired reference input r req The force and / or torque that needs to be applied to the entire vehicle combination 100. The combined virtual control input v of the vehicle combination 100 comb,req The desired motion parameters included in may include at least one of the following: the longitudinal force F of the vehicle combination 100 xtot , the lateral force F of the vehicle combination 100 ytot , the longitudinal connection force F between the continuous units 110 cxi , the lateral connection force F between the continuous units 110 cyi and / or the yaw moment M of one or more units 110 zi .

[0058] Virtual combined control input v comb,req It is also possible to determine the movement capability v of the vehicle combination 100 based on the status information y1 from the different units 110 of the vehicle combination 100 and the movement capability v comb,cap The state information y1 may include information from sensors of the vehicle combination 100 (such as wheel speed sensors, inertial measurement units, articulation angle sensors, etc.). The movement capability v of the vehicle combination 100 comb,cap The motion parameter limits of the vehicle combination 100 that can be described for safe operation. comb,cap The longitudinal force of the vehicle combination 100 may include at least one of the following: , lateral force of vehicle combination 100 and the yaw moment of one or more units 110 .

[0059] Virtual combined control input v comb,req It can be determined based on a vehicle model. The vehicle model can be any suitable model, such as a model known in the art. The model can be based on real tests, computer model simulations, machine learning models, or other suitable methods known in the art. The vehicle model can provide a prediction of the movement of the vehicle combination 100 by looking at previous steering inputs and acceleration inputs. The prediction can include instabilities such as understeer or rollover risk, for example within a range of one second. The model can be, for example, a single-track model, that is, the left and right wheels on a given axle are considered together. The actual unit may have an axle group containing multiple axles, but they are considered together in the model. A tire model can be used in conjunction with the vehicle model. The tire model can take into account the lateral stiffness of the tires of the vehicle combination.

[0060] The tactical layer 204 is responsible for ensuring that the trajectory of the entire combination 100 is obstacle-free and collision-free. The tactical layer 204 may also include predictive energy management, including battery targets, capacities, and states that determine how the energy of the vehicle combination 100 should be used to complete the entire mission. The tactical layer 204 may also provide desired reference inputs in autonomous driving situations.

[0061] The state estimator 206 is responsible for processing the state information y2 from the different units 110 of the vehicle combination 100. For example, the state estimator 206 may receive information from sensors of the vehicle combination 100 (such as wheel speed sensors, inertial measurement units, articulation angle sensors, etc.) and use this information to determine the state of the vehicle combination 100 and the individual units. The state estimator 206 may then convert the unit-specific state information x p output to the power manager 208 and the unit specific status information x c Output to the combined control distributor 210.

[0062] The power manager 208 determines the power distribution between the different units 110 of the vehicle combination 100. The power manager 208 can also determine the power distribution within each unit 110, meaning how to divide the power requirements between the actuators (e.g., motors 130, service brakes 150, and / or steering servos) of the unit 110. The inputs to the power manager 208 include the desired reference input r from the target generator 202. req and the state SoX of the battery 120 of the vehicle combination 100. The power manager 208 determines the power distribution and the associated power distribution input u comb,des , as will be explained below.

[0063] The control distributors 210, 212 determine how the individual actuators of the vehicle combination 100 (e.g., the motors 130, the service brakes 150 and / or the steering servo) are to be controlled in order to generate the requested global forces for the entire vehicle combination 100. The combined control distributor 210 and the individual unit-specific control distributors 212 together form a distributed control distribution system for the vehicle combination 100. In this system, control distribution is performed on multiple levels, namely first on the level of the entire vehicle combination 100 and then on the level of each vehicle unit 110 individually.

[0064] The combined control distributor 210 converts the virtual combined control input v from the target generator 202 into comb,req is converted into a real control input u for the vehicle combination 100 comb , which describes the appropriate motion parameters for each unit 110. The combined control distributor 210 also converts the real combined control input u units Converts to unit-specific virtual control input u unit,i The unit-specific virtual control inputs describe the actual control inputs u of each corresponding unit 110 in order to provide the vehicle combination 100 units And the force to be generated.

[0065] The unit control distributor 212 includes a specific control distributor 212 for each unit 110 of the vehicle combination 100. The unit-specific virtual control input u output from the combination control distributor 210 unit,i Distributed by the unit-specific control distributor 212 as unit-specific real control input u k , the unit-specific real control inputs describe the actual actuator commands. For example, the unit-specific control distributor 212 maps the forces and moments of each unit 110 to the steering and driving / braking torques to be applied at the wheels 140 of each unit 110.

[0066] In some examples, an actuator of a particular unit 110 may be able to estimate its own capability u unit,i,cap, for example, how much and / or how fast the actuator can move at the current moment in time. Figure 2 As shown, the actuator of each unit 110 can provide the actuator capacity u to the corresponding unit control distributor 212-i. i,cap The unit control distributor provides the force capacity u to the combined control distributor 210 unit,i,cap .

[0067] Figure 3 Schematically shows a top view of an example of a vehicle combination 100 according to the present disclosure, including a requested global force for the entire vehicle combination 100. An example of a requested global force for the entire vehicle combination 100 may, for example, include a total longitudinal / axial force F of the respective vehicle unit 110. xtot , total lateral / radial force F ytot and / or one or more yaw moments M zi .

[0068] The vehicle combination 100 includes a combination control distributor 210 and a plurality of unit control distributors 212. The combination control distributor 210 may be provided as part of the tractor unit 110-1 (as shown), while the unit control distributor 212 is provided as part of each individual unit 110. The combination control distributor 210 and the individual unit specific control distributors 212 together form a distributed control distribution system for the vehicle combination 100, as discussed above. It should be understood that the combination control distributor 210 may be provided as part of any unit 110 of the vehicle combination 100.

[0069] Figure 4A is a flow chart of an example method 400 for controlling the vehicle combination 100. The method 400 may be performed by the control system 200 of the vehicle combination 100.

[0070] At step 402 , the desired reference input r of the vehicle combination 100 may be determined. req As discussed above, the desired reference input may be determined in the target generator 202 of the control system based on input from the driver or from any other system that may provide some indication of how the overall forces of the vehicle combination 100 will be affected.

[0071] Desired reference input r req It may include at least one of the following: the longitudinal acceleration of the entire vehicle combination 100 or a unit 110 of the vehicle combination 100 (eg, a unit 100 including the combination control distributor 210); , the longitudinal speed of the tractor unit 110-1 , the lateral speed of the tractor unit 110-1 , the yaw rate of at least one unit 110 of the vehicle combination 100 and the steering angle of the tractor unit 110 - 1 The desired reference input r req can be a vector formulated in one of the following ways: in is the driver steering input, is the path curvature.

[0072] At step 404, the power capacity of one or more batteries 120, such as the power capacity of each battery 120, may be received. The power capacity may be determined by a battery state SoX of each battery 120. i Definition. Battery Status SoX i The battery status may be provided from each unit 110 to the power manager 208. The battery status may include the state of charge (SoC), state of health (SoH), state of power (SoP), and / or state of energy (SoE) of each battery 120. Specifically, the battery status SoX i The current value of the SoC, SoH, SoP and / or SoE of each battery 120 may be included. Battery Status SoX i The minimum and maximum values ​​of the SoC, SoH, SoP and / or SoE of each battery 120 may also be included. Battery Status SoX i The SoC change rate and / or SoP input / output capability of each battery 120 may also be included.

[0073] At step 406, the power allocation input u is determined units,des . Power distribution input u units,des is a set of desired motion parameters that satisfies the power distribution of the vehicle combination 100. The power distribution input u units,des It can be expressed as the following formula:

[0074] in is the expected total motor force of unit i, is the expected total electric braking force of unit i, is the desired force of the actuator to generate the lateral force, and is the desired force of the actuator to generate the yaw moment.

[0075] As mentioned above, the power distribution input u units,des is a set of desired motion parameters that satisfy the power distribution of the vehicle combination 100. units,desThe power allocation is the distribution of power demand across the units 110 of the vehicle combination 100. The power allocation is determined by the power manager 208. The power allocation is based on the desired reference input r req and the power capacity of one or more units 110 (e.g., each unit 110). In some examples, the power manager 208 uses a power flow model to determine the power allocation. The power flow model includes the power demand, supply, and loss of the entire vehicle combination. In some examples, the unit-specific state information x p Can be used with power flow model 500 .

[0076] Figure 5 An example power flow model 500 is shown. The power flow model 500 converts the total power demand P required by the vehicle combination 100 to perform a certain maneuver into veh The power demand P can be determined by multiplying the total desired force by the current speed of the vehicle combination 100. veh The power demand P of unit 110-i unit i is divided into the power P to be delivered at the wheels 140 - i of the unit 110 - i w i and power loss P due to resistance such as air resistance, friction, etc. resist i The power P to be delivered at the wheel 140 - i of each unit 110 - i w i is divided into the mechanical power P delivered by the motor 130 - i m,em i and the power P delivered by the service brake 150 - i during regenerative braking sb i The power P delivered by the motor 130 - i of each unit 110 - i m,em i is divided into the electric power P delivered from the battery 120-i e,em i and the power loss P from the motor 130-i (including the transmission) loss,em i The power P delivered by the service brake 150 - i of each unit 110 - i sb i is divided into the heat recovery power P from the bicycle brake 150 - i rec,sb i and the power loss P of the bicycle brake 150-i loss,sb i The heat recovery power P from the bicycle brake 150 - i rec,sb i is the result of regenerative braking, in which the kinetic energy of the braking vehicle (which would otherwise be lost as heat) is converted into a useful form. In the current system, the heat recovery power P from the travel brake 150-i rec,sb i The electric power P delivered from the battery 120-i of each unit 110-i e,em i is divided into the actual power P delivered from the battery 120 - i batt iand the power loss P delivered from battery 120-i (including any converter) loss,batt i . Actual power P batt i It can be composed of two components: the power P delivered from the battery 120-i during propulsion batt i P>0 , and the power P recovered by the battery 120 - i during regenerative braking batt i P<0 .

[0077] The power flow model 500 can be used as a basis for determining the power distribution of the vehicle combination 100. Specifically, given the total power demand P of the vehicle combination 100 veh , a power distribution across the various units 110 may be determined, which may be optimized in some manner.

[0078] In one example, the power distribution can be determined so that the total power loss of the vehicle combination 100 is below a threshold, such as minimized. For example, an acceptable value for the total power loss of the vehicle combination 100 can be determined and implemented as an upper limit for the power loss. The power distribution can then be determined so that the total power loss of the vehicle combination 100 is below this value. That is, the power distribution can be determined so that the total power loss from the battery 120, the motor 130, and the service brake 150 is below a threshold, such as minimized. In some examples, only the power loss from the bicycle brake 150 can be considered. In some examples, the power loss from the bicycle brake 150 can be considered together with the power loss from the battery 120 and / or the power loss from the motor 130.

[0079] In another example, the power distribution may be determined so that the total power delivered from the battery is below a threshold, e.g., minimized. For example, an acceptable value for the total power delivered from the battery 120 of the vehicle combination 100 may be determined and implemented as an upper limit for power delivery. The power distribution may then be determined so that the total power delivered from the battery 120 of the vehicle combination 100 is below this value. This may be achieved by reducing the power P delivered from the battery during propulsion. batt i P>0 and increases the total power P recovered by the battery during regenerative braking batt i P<0 to achieve.

[0080] In each example, this can be achieved by using an optimization function to model different power allocations and determining which power allocation minimizes the function. The optimization function can also be used to minimize the difference between the current SoC of the battery and a target value, and minimize the difference between the power delivered from the battery and a target value.

[0081] A more detailed description of the power flow model 500 and its use for determining the power distribution of the vehicle combination 100 is disclosed in co-pending PCT patent applications PCT / EP2022 / 082326 and PCT / EP2022 / 082327, both of which were filed in the name of the same applicant (Volvo Truck Corporation) and on the same day as the present patent application (November 17, 2022).

[0082] return Figure 4A At step 408 , the movement capability v of the vehicle combination 100 may be determined. comb,cap . Athletic ability v comb,cap describes the forces and / or moments that the vehicle combination 100 can withstand. This may be, for example, a physical limitation of the vehicle combination 100, such as actuator capabilities, or a limitation to ensure that the vehicle combination 100 operates in a safe manner, such as limitations related to road friction. The target generator 202 may receive the motion capability v from the combination control distributor 210. comb,cap , the combined control distributor can determine the safe operating range of the vehicle combination 100 under different driving conditions.

[0083] The athletic ability of the vehicle combination 100v comb,cap At least one of the following may be selected: the longitudinal force of the vehicle combination 100 , lateral force of vehicle combination 100 and the yaw moment of one or more units 110 . Athletic ability v comb,cap It can be a vector expressed as follows:

[0084] At step 410 , the virtual combined control input v of the vehicle combination 100 is determined. comb,req The target generator 202 (specifically, the force generator 216) determines the virtual combined control input v comb,req . Virtual combined control input v comb,req Based on the expected reference input r req Specifically, to determine the desired reference input r req The forces and / or moments that need to be applied to the entire vehicle combination 100 can also be considered. comb,cap To ensure that the virtual combined control input v comb,req The operational limits of the vehicle combination 100 are not exceeded. In some examples, also state information y1 from different units 110 of the vehicle combination 100 may be taken into account.

[0085] The combined virtual control input v of the vehicle combination 100comb,req The desired motion parameters included in may include at least one of the following: the longitudinal force F of the vehicle combination 100 xtot , the lateral force F of the vehicle combination 100 ytot , the longitudinal connection force F between the continuous units 110 cxi , the lateral connection force F between the continuous units 110 cyi and / or the yaw moment M of one or more units 110 zi .

[0086] Virtual combined control input v comb,req It can be a vector expressed as follows:

[0087] The connection force between the continuous units 110 The longitudinal coupling force between the consecutive units 110 may be included and the lateral coupling force between the continuous unit 110 The connection force between each unit 110 It can be a vector expressed as follows:

[0088] in It is a constraint on the connection force for safe driving and handling. The coordinate system of the global force is the coordinate system of the first unit 110-1 in the forward motion and the last unit 110-n in the reverse motion. The coordinate system of the connection force is the coordinate system of the first unit of each connection point.

[0089] Virtual combined control input v comb,req It can be determined based on a vehicle model. The vehicle model can be any suitable model known in the art. The model can be based on real tests, computer model simulations, machine learning models, or other suitable methods known in the art. The vehicle model can provide a prediction of the movement of the vehicle combination 100 by looking at previous steering inputs and acceleration inputs. The prediction can include instabilities such as understeer or rollover risk, for example within a second. The model can be, for example, a single-track model, that is, the left and right wheels on a given axle are considered together. The actual unit may have an axle group containing multiple axles, but they are considered together in the model. A tire model can be used in conjunction with the vehicle model. The tire model can take into account the lateral stiffness of the tires of the vehicle combination.

[0090] At step 412 , the actual control input u of the vehicle combination 100 is determined units The real combined control input u units includes instructions to the corresponding unit 110 to make the generated force satisfy the power allocation input u units,desand virtual combined control input v comb,req In general, for n units 110, the real combined control input u provided by the combined control distributor 210 is units It can be expressed as:

[0091] Real combination control input u units Determined by the combined control distributor 210. The real combined control input u units Based on the power allocation input u units,des and virtual combined control input v comb,req Specifically, the combined control distributor 210 solves the control allocation problem to find a control allocation input u that satisfies the received power allocation input u units,des and virtual combined control input v comb,req The specific control input u units .

[0092] The combined control allocator 210 may solve a weighted least squares optimization problem as follows:

[0093] Where W u and W v is a (positive definite) weighting matrix, γ is a weighting factor, B comb is the control efficiency matrix, and and are the lower and upper capacities of the individual actuators, all of which are defined and used in the conventional way in control allocation theory. The weighting factor γ is used in the power allocation term With virtual controls As γ → ∞, the solution to the weighted least squares problem of Eq. (12) approaches the solution to the sequential least squares problem. In some examples, the unit-specific state information x c can be used as part of the equality and inequality constraints for solving the optimization problem in equation (12).

[0094] In equation (12), the following formula can be applied:

[0095] Where m is the number of torque generating actuators of the unit and k is the number of steering actuators of the unit.

[0096] Since the actuator generates torque rather than linear force, the combined control distributor 210 can convert the real combined control input u unitsinto an actual steering command for the actuator. For example, by knowing, for example, the radius of a wheel 140, the longitudinal force generated by such a wheel 140 is proportional to the torque applied to the wheel 140 divided by the radius. By knowing the radius of the wheel 140 as well as other factors such as road friction, losses due to transmission, differential, etc., a control input in the form of the force to be generated by the actuator (i.e., the longitudinal force generated by the wheel 140 driving on a particular surface) can be converted into a required torque that needs to be applied to the wheel 140 to generate such longitudinal force.

[0097] Therefore, for n units 110, the real combined control input u provided by the combined control distributor 210 is units It can also be expressed as:

[0098] Where T i,m is the torque to be generated by the mth actuator of the ith unit, δ i,k is the steering angle of the kth steering actuator to be applied to the ith unit, and where M i is the number of torque-generating actuators of the ith unit, and K i is the number of steering actuators in the ith unit.

[0099] At step 414, a unit-specific virtual control input u is determined for one or more units 110 (eg, each unit 110) of the vehicle combination 100. unit,i . Unit-specific virtual control input u unit,i Determined by the combined control distributor 210. The unit-specific virtual control input u unit,i is provided to each corresponding unit control distributor 212, so that each specific unit control distributor 212-i receives only its own unit-specific virtual control input u unit,i . Thus, each unit control distributor 212-i receives control input information relevant only to itself and its associated unit 110-i, and is therefore unaware of any control input information provided to any other unit control distributor. The determination of unit-specific virtual control inputs is described in more detail in co-pending PCT patent application PCT / EP2022 / 065415 filed on June 7, 2022.

[0100] Unit specific virtual control input u unit,i contains instructions for each corresponding unit 110 to provide the actual control input u of the vehicle combination 100 units In general, for unit i, the unit-specific virtual control input u provided by the combined control distributor 210 is unit,i It can be expressed as:

[0101] As discussed above, the unit-specific virtual control input u unit,i It can also be converted into actual steering commands for the actuator.

[0102] At step 416, one or more unit control distributors 212 then perform control distribution at the unit level to calculate unit-specific real control inputs u for their associated units 110-i. i This is accomplished by the unit control allocator 212-i attempting to allocate a virtual control input u to the unit based on the received unit specific virtual control input u unit,i This is achieved by solving the unit-specific control allocation problem. The unit-specific control allocation problem can be defined as a weighted least squares optimization problem as follows:

[0103] Where W ui and W vi is the unit-specific (positive definite) weight matrix, γ i is the unit-specific weighting factor, B i is the unit-specific control efficiency matrix, and and are lower and upper bounds on the unit-specific capabilities of the individual actuators, all of which are defined and used in the conventional way in control allocation theory.

[0104] After solving its own unit-specific control allocation problem as defined in equation (16), each unit control allocator 212-i can then obtain its own unit-specific real control input u for its actuator i , which can be expressed by the formula:

[0105] Where T i,m is the torque to be generated by the mth torque-generating actuator of the ith unit, M i is the number of torque-generating actuators in the ith unit, δ i,k is the steering angle of the kth steering actuator to be applied to the ith unit, and where K i is the number of steering actuators in the ith unit. If the unit-specific virtual control input u unit,i is provided as a force, the unit control distributor 212 may also perform a conversion into an actual steering command for the actuator to determine the unit specific real control input u i .

[0106] If the vehicle unit does not include any torque generating actuators or steering actuators, u may of course be omitted. i. As used herein, a "torque generating actuator" means an actuator (such as an electric motor and / or service brake) configured to apply torque on a wheel unit in order to propel / accelerate or brake a vehicle using the wheel unit. Similarly, a "steering actuator" means an actuator (such as a steering servo or the like) configured to steer a wheel unit of a vehicle unit, wherein "steering" in this case means that the wheel unit has a steerable angle and the actuator is capable of changing the angle (e.g., also by applying torque to the wheel unit).

[0107] After obtaining its corresponding unit-specific real control input u i Then, one or more unit control distributors 212-i can use the real control input u i to control one or more actuators of the vehicle unit 110-i. As used herein, "controlling" may include, for example, sending suitable control signals to one or more actuators, or, for example, sending signal instructions to some other unit / device responsible for generating such control signals for one or more actuators. For example, the drive / control circuit of a particular actuator may, for example, form part of a unit control distributor 212 associated with the vehicle unit 110 in which the particular actuator is included, or, for example, be provided as a separate part communicatively connected to the unit control distributor 212.

[0108] The method 400 provides control allocation for vehicle combinations that are applicable to different configurations of the vehicle combination. By taking a global approach to the vehicle combination, rather than solving the problem at the unit level, the control allocation can take into account global factors of the vehicle combination, such as power allocation.

[0109] In some examples, an actuator of a particular unit 110 may be able to estimate its own capability u unit,i,cap , e.g. how much and / or how fast the actuator can move at the current moment in time. The capacity of the actuator may vary, e.g. depending on the current load situation of the vehicle combination 100 or unit 110, the current road surface, e.g. the friction and / or temperature conditions of the wheel units for transmitting the force / torque of the actuator to the ground on which the vehicle combination 100 or unit 110 is currently driving, etc. The actuator capacity u of each unit unit,i,cap Actuator capabilities that can be aggregated into the vehicle combination 100 and , they can form a vehicle combination with a movement capacity of 100v comb,cap part of.

[0110] For example, Figure 2 As shown, the actuators of one or more units 110 may provide actuator capabilities u to the corresponding unit control distributor 212-i. i,cap, the corresponding unit control distributor provides the force capacity u to the combined control distributor 210 unit,i,cap The actuators may update and send their capabilities in real time so that the combined control distributor 210 has real time information about the capabilities of its associated actuators.

[0111] Since the actuator generates torque rather than linear force, it can provide the capability u according to the steering parameters of the actuator. i,cap For example, for unit 110-i, the actuator capacity u i,cap It can be expressed as:

[0112] Where T i,m is the torque to be generated by the mth actuator of the ith unit, δ i,k is the steering angle to be applied to the kth steering actuator of the ith unit.

[0113] The unit control distributor 212 converts the received actuator capacity u i,cap Convert to force capacity u unit,i,cap , for example in the reverse manner of the conversion from force to actuator command discussed above. For example, for unit 110-i, the force capability u i,cap It can be expressed as:

[0114] in is the possible motor force, For possible driving braking force, is the possible capacity from the actuator generating the lateral force, and is the possible capacity from the actuator generating the yaw moment. Alternatively, the actuator capacity u i,cap Capacity unit,i,cap The conversion can be performed by the combined control distributor 210.

[0115] Figure 4B is a flow chart of an example method 450 for controlling the vehicle combination 100. The method 450 may be performed by the combination control distributor 210 of the vehicle combination 100.

[0116] At step 452, the combined control distributor 210 receives the virtual combined control input v comb,req . Virtual combined control input v comb,req The virtual combined control input v may be received from the target generator 202 (specifically, the force generator 216). comb,req Based on the expected reference input r req and optionally the vehicle combination 100's sporting capability v comb,cap to be sure.

[0117] At step 454 , the combination control distributor 210 receives the power distribution input u of the vehicle combination 100 units,des The power allocation input u may be received from the power manager 208 units,des .

[0118] At step 456, the combined control distributor 210 allocates the virtual combined control input v comb,req and power distribution input u units,des To determine the control input of the vehicle combination 100. Specifically, the combined control distributor 210 determines the true combined control input u of the vehicle combination by solving the weighted least squares optimization problem defined in equation (12): units .

[0119] At step 458, the combination control distributor 210 determines unit-specific virtual control inputs u for one or more units of the vehicle combination. unit,i .

[0120] At step 460, the combined control distributor 210 sends each unit-specific virtual control input u to the corresponding unit control distributor 212. unit,i Each cell control distributor 212 then performs control distribution on a cell level to compute the cell-specific real control input u for its associated cell 110-i i .

[0121] Figure 6 6 is a schematic diagram of a computer system 600 for implementing the examples disclosed herein. The computer system 600 is suitable for executing instructions from a computer-readable medium to perform these and / or any functions or processes described herein. The computer system 600 can be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines in a LAN, an intranet, an extranet, or the Internet. Although only a single device is shown, the computer system 600 may include any device collection that executes an instruction set (or multiple instruction sets) individually or jointly to perform any one or more of the methods discussed herein. Therefore, any reference to a computer system, a computing system, a computer device, a computing device, a control system, a control unit, an electronic control unit (ECU), a processor device, etc. in the present disclosure and / or claims includes a reference to one or more such devices to execute an instruction set (or multiple instruction sets) individually or jointly to perform any one or more of the methods discussed herein. For example, the control system may include a single control unit or multiple control units connected to each other or otherwise communicatively coupled, so that any executed functions can be distributed between the control units as needed. In addition, such devices can communicate with each other or with other devices through various system architectures (such as directly or via a controller area network (CAN) bus, etc.).

[0122] The computer system 600 may include at least one computing device or electronic device that can include firmware, hardware and / or execute software instructions to implement the functionality described herein. The computer system 600 may include a processor device 602 (also referred to as a control unit), a memory 604, and a system bus 606. The computer system 600 may include at least one computing device having a processor device 602. The system bus 606 provides an interface for system components including, but not limited to, the memory 604 and the processor device 602. The processor device 602 may include any number of hardware components for performing data or signal processing or for executing computer code stored in the memory 604. The processor device 602 (e.g., a control unit) may include, for example, 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 a processing component, a group of distributed processing components, a group of distributed computers configured for processing, or other programmable logic devices designed to perform the functions described herein, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof. The processor device may also include computer executable code that controls the operation of the programmable device.

[0123] The system bus 606 may be any of several types of bus structures, which may be further interconnected to a memory bus (with or without a memory controller), a peripheral bus, and / or a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. The memory 604 may be one or more devices for storing data and / or computer code to accomplish or facilitate the methods described herein. The memory 604 may include a database component, an object code component, a script component, or other types of information structures for supporting various activities herein. Any distributed or local memory device may be utilized with the systems and methods of the present specification. The memory 604 may be communicatively connected to the processor device 602 (e.g., via a circuit or any other wired, wireless, or network connection) and may include computer code for executing one or more processes described herein. The memory 604 may include nonvolatile memory 608 (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), etc.) and volatile memory 610 (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-executable instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer or other machine having the processor device 602. A basic input / output system (BIOS) 612 may be stored in the nonvolatile memory 608 and may include basic routines that help transfer information between elements within the computer system 600.

[0124] The computer system 600 may also include or be coupled to non-transitory computer-readable storage media such as storage device 614, which may include, for example, an internal or external hard disk drive (HDD) (e.g., enhanced integrated drive electronics (EIDE) or serial advanced technology attachment (SATA)), a HDD for storage (e.g., EIDE or SATA), flash memory, etc. The storage device 614 and other drives associated with computer-readable and computer-usable media may provide non-volatile storage of data, data structures, computer-executable instructions, etc.

[0125] Many modules may be implemented as software and / or hard-coded in circuits to implement the functionality described herein in whole or in part. These modules may be stored in a storage device 614 and / or in a volatile memory 610 that may include an operating system 616 and / or one or more program modules 618. All or part of the examples disclosed herein may be implemented as a computer program product 620 stored on a temporary or non-temporary computer-usable or computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a single medium or multiple media) such as a storage device 614, which includes complex programming instructions (e.g., complex computer-readable program code) that cause the processor device 602 to perform the steps described herein. Therefore, the computer-readable program code may include software instructions for implementing the functionality of the examples described herein when executed by the processor device 602. The processor device 602 may be used as a controller or control system of the computer system 600, which is used to implement the functionality described herein.

[0126] The computer system 600 may also include an input device interface 622 (e.g., an input device interface and / or an output device interface). The input device interface 622 may be configured to receive input and selections to be transmitted to the computer system 600 when executing instructions, such as from a keyboard, a mouse, a touch-sensitive surface, etc. Such input devices may be connected to the processor device 602 via an input device interface 622 coupled to the system bus 606, but may be connected via other interfaces (such as a parallel 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 600 may include an output device interface 624, which is configured to forward output to a display, a video display unit (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a cathode ray tube (CRT)). The computer system 600 may also include a communication interface 626 suitable for communicating with a network as appropriate or as needed.

[0127] The operational steps described in any exemplary aspects of this document are described to provide examples and discussions. These steps may be performed by hardware components, may be embodied in machine executable instructions to cause a processor to perform these steps, or may be performed by a combination of hardware and software. Although a specific order of method steps may be shown or described, the order of the steps may vary. In addition, two or more steps may be performed simultaneously or partially simultaneously.

[0128] The described examples and their equivalents may be implemented in software or hardware or a combination thereof. These examples may be performed by general purpose circuits. Examples of general purpose circuits include digital signal processors (DSPs), central processing units (CPUs), coprocessor units, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and other programmable hardware. Alternatively or in addition, the examples may be performed by dedicated circuits, such as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs). General purpose circuits and / or dedicated circuits may, for example, be associated with or included in electronic devices, such as vehicle control units.

[0129] The electronic device may include an arrangement, circuitry and / or logic according to any of the examples described herein.Alternatively or additionally, the electronic device may be configured to perform method steps according to any of the examples described herein.

[0130] According to some examples, the computer program product includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as, for example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) memory, a plug-in card, an embedded drive, or a read-only memory (ROM). Figure 7 An exemplary computer readable medium in the form of a compact disc (CD) ROM 700 is shown. A computer program 740 including program instructions is stored on the computer readable medium. The computer program may be loaded into a data processor (e.g., a data processing unit) 720, which may, for example, be included in a vehicle control unit 710. The computer program, when loaded into the data processor, may be stored in a memory 730 associated with or included in the data processor. According to some examples, the computer program, when loaded into and executed by the data processor, may cause the execution of method steps according to, for example, any of the methods described herein.

[0131] Figure 8Components of the control unit 800 according to some examples are schematically shown in terms of several functional units. The control unit may be included in the vehicle, for example, in the form of a vehicle motion management (VMM) unit. A processor device in the form of a processing circuit 810 is provided using any combination of one or more of a suitable central processing unit (CPU), a multiprocessor, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor (DSP), etc. capable of executing software instructions stored, for example, in a computer program product in the form of a storage medium 830. The processing circuit 810 may also be provided as at least one application specific integrated circuit ASIC or a field programmable gate array FPGA.

[0132] Specifically, the processing circuit 810 is configured to cause the control unit 800 to perform a set of operations or steps; for example, in combination with Figure 4A and Figure 4B Any one or more of the methods discussed.

[0133] For example, the storage medium 830 may store a set of operations, and the processing circuit 810 may be configured to retrieve the set of operations from the storage medium 830 to cause the control unit 800 to perform the set of operations. The set of operations may be provided as a set of executable instructions. Therefore, the processing circuit 810 is thereby arranged to perform the method disclosed herein.

[0134] The storage medium 830 may include a persistent storage device, which may be, for example, any one or combination of magnetic storage, optical storage, solid-state storage, or even remotely mounted storage.

[0135] The control unit 800 may also include an interface 820 for communicating with at least one external device. Thus, the interface 820 may include one or more transmitters and receivers, including analog and digital components and a suitable number of ports for wired or wireless communication.

[0136] The processing circuit 810 controls the general operation of the control unit 800, for example, by sending data and control signals to the interface 820 and the storage medium 830, by receiving data and reports from the interface 820, and by retrieving data and instructions from the storage medium 830. Other components of the control node and related functionality are omitted so as not to obscure the concepts presented herein.

[0137] In some examples, the control unit 800 may be considered as a control system, or may be included in a control system. The control system may be configured for vehicle motion management (VMM). In some examples, the control system is configured to individually control vehicle units and / or vehicle axles and / or wheels of a multi-unit combination vehicle via a dynamic model of the vehicle, the dynamic model being based on a detection sequence between vehicle units and / or a detection sequence between wheel axles.

[0138] Examples are also disclosed under the following terms:

[0139] 1. A system (200) for controlling a vehicle combination (100) comprising a tractor unit and at least one trailer unit, the system comprising: A target generator (202) is configured to generate a target based on a reference r of the vehicle combination. ref To determine the virtual control input v of the vehicle combination comb,req ; A power manager (208) configured to determine a power allocation input u of the vehicle combination based on the reference input and power capacities of one or more units (110) of the vehicle combination. units,des ;as well as A combination control distributor (210) configured to determine a control input u of the vehicle combination based on the power distribution input and the virtual control input units, 、u units,i 、u i .

[0140] 2. A system (200) as described in clause 1, wherein the virtual combined control input v comb,req Including based on the reference input r ref A set of desired motion parameters is determined.

[0141] 3. A system (200) as described in clause 2, wherein the virtual combined control input v comb,req The set of desired motion parameters includes at least one of the following: the longitudinal force F of the vehicle combination (100); xtot , the lateral force F of the vehicle combination ytot , the longitudinal connection force F between the continuous units (110) cxi , the lateral connection force F between continuous units cyi and the yaw moment M of one or more units zi .

[0142] 4. A system (200) as claimed in any preceding clause, wherein the target generator (202) is configured to generate a target based on the movement capability v of the vehicle combination. comb,cap To determine the virtual control input v of the vehicle combination (100) comb,req .

[0143] 5. A system (200) as claimed in any preceding clause, wherein the target generator (202) is configured to determine the virtual control input v of the vehicle combination (100) based on a vehicle model configured to model instability of vehicle motion.comb,req .

[0144] 6. A system (200) as described in any preceding clause, wherein the reference input r ref including at least one of the following: longitudinal acceleration, longitudinal velocity v of the tractor unit xi , the lateral speed v of the tractor unit yi , a yaw rate ω of at least one unit (110) of the vehicle combination (100) zi and the steering angle δ of the tractor unit f,req .

[0145] 7. A system (200) as described in any preceding clause, wherein the power capacity of a unit (110) is determined based on at least one of the following items: state of charge, state of health, state of charge and energy state of a battery of the unit.

[0146] 8. A system (200) as described in any preceding clause, wherein the power allocation input u units,des A set of desired motion parameters is included that is determined based on power allocation of one or more units (110).

[0147] 9. A system (200) as described in clause 8, wherein the power allocation input u units,des The set of desired motion parameters includes at least one of the following: a desired motor force F of one or more units (110); x,eli,des and the desired electric service braking force F of one or more units x,sbi,des .

[0148] 10. A system (200) as described in clause 8 or 9, wherein the power allocation of the unit (110) is determined based on power demand and at least one of the following items: power losses associated with the unit's service brakes (150), power losses associated with the unit's batteries (120), and power losses associated with the unit's motors (130).

[0149] 11. The system (200) of clause 10, wherein the power distribution of the one or more units (110) is determined using an optimization function to minimize the total power loss of the vehicle combination (100).

[0150] 12. A system (200) as claimed in any preceding clause, wherein the combined control distributor (210) is configured to determine the control input u of the vehicle combination (100) by: units, 、u units,i 、u i : Based on the power allocation input u units,des and the virtual combined control input v comb,req To determine the real combined control input u units, ;as well as Determine a unit-specific virtual control input u based on the real combined control input units,i .

[0151] 13. The system (200) of clause 12, wherein the combined control allocator (210) is configured to determine the true combined control input u by solving a weighted least squares optimization problem units .

[0152] 14. The system (200) of clause 12 or 13, further comprising a plurality of unit control distributors (212), wherein each unit control distributor is configured to distribute control information to the user based on a corresponding unit-specific virtual control input u units,i To determine the unit-specific real control input u of the corresponding unit (110) of the vehicle combination (100) i .

[0153] 15. The system (200) of clause 14, wherein each unit control allocator (212) is configured to determine the unit-specific real control input u by solving a weighted least squares optimization problem i .

[0154] 16. A computer-implemented method (400) for controlling a vehicle combination (100) comprising a tractor unit and at least one towed unit, the method comprising: Based on the reference input r of the vehicle combination ref and the power capacity of one or more units (110) of the vehicle combination to determine (406) a power allocation input u of the vehicle combination units,des ; Determine (410) a virtual control input v of the vehicle combination based on the reference input comb,req ;as well as Determine (412, 414, 416) a control input u for the vehicle combination based on the power split input and the virtual control input units, 、u units,i 、u i .

[0155] 17. The computer-implemented method (400) of clause 16, wherein the virtual combined control input v comb,req Including based on the reference input r ref A set of desired motion parameters is determined.

[0156] 18. The computer-implemented method (400) of clause 17, wherein the virtual combined control input v comb,req The set of desired motion parameters includes at least one of the following: the longitudinal force F of the vehicle combination (100); xtot , the lateral force F of the vehicle combination ytot , the longitudinal connection force F between the continuous units (110) cxi and the lateral connection force F between the continuous units cyi and the yaw moment M of one or more units zi .

[0157] 19. A computer-implemented method (400) as described in any one of clauses 16 to 18, comprising: comb,cap To determine (410) the virtual control input v of the vehicle combination (100) comb,req .

[0158] 20. A computer-implemented method (400) as claimed in any one of clauses 16 to 19, comprising determining (410) the virtual control input v of the vehicle combination (100) based on a vehicle model configured to model instability of vehicle motion. comb,req .

[0159] 21. A computer-implemented method (400) as described in any one of clauses 16 to 20, wherein the reference input r ref including at least one of the following: longitudinal acceleration, longitudinal velocity v of the tractor unit xi , the lateral speed v of the tractor unit yi , a yaw rate ω of at least one unit (110) of the vehicle combination (100) zi and the steering angle δ of the tractor unit f,req .

[0160] 22. A computer-implemented method (400) as described in any of clauses 16 to 21, wherein the power capacity of the unit (110) is determined based on at least one of the following items: the state of charge, state of health, state of charge and energy state of the battery of the unit.

[0161] 23. The computer-implemented method (400) of any one of clauses 16 to 22, wherein the power allocation input u units,des A set of desired motion parameters is included that is determined based on power allocation of one or more units (110).

[0162] 24. The computer-implemented method (400) of clause 23, wherein the power allocation input uunits,des The set of desired motion parameters includes at least one of the following: desired motor force F of one or more units x,eli,des and the desired electric vehicle braking force F of one or more units (110) x,sbi,des .

[0163] 25. A computer-implemented method (400) as described in clause 23 or 24, comprising determining (406) the power allocation of the unit (110) based on power demand and at least one of the following items: power losses associated with the unit's service brakes (150), power losses associated with the unit's battery (120), and power losses associated with the unit's motor (120).

[0164] 26. The computer-implemented method (400) of clause 25, comprising determining (406) the power allocation of one or more units (110) using an optimization function to minimize the total power loss of the vehicle combination (100).

[0165] 27. A computer-implemented method (400) as claimed in any one of clauses 16 to 26, comprising determining (412, 414, 416) a control input u of the vehicle combination (100) by: units,i 、u units,i 、u i : Based on the power allocation input u units,des and the virtual combined control input v comb,req To determine (412) the real combined control input u unitsi ;as well as Determine (414) a unit-specific virtual control input u based on the real combined control input units,i .

[0166] 28. The computer-implemented method (400) of clause 27, comprising determining (412) the true combined control input u by solving a weighted least squares optimization problem units .

[0167] 29. The computer-implemented method (400) of clause 27 or 28, comprising: units,i To determine (416) a unit-specific real control input u of a corresponding unit (110) of the vehicle combination (100) i .

[0168] 30. The computer-implemented method (400) of clause 29, comprising determining (416) the unit-specific real control input u by solving a weighted least squares optimization problem i .

[0169] 31. A computer program product comprising program code for performing the computer-implemented method (400) of any of clauses 16 to 30 when executed by a processor device.

[0170] 32. A control system comprising one or more control units configured to perform the computer-implemented method (400) of any of clauses 16 to 30.

[0171] 33. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a processor device, cause the processor device to perform the computer-implemented method (400) of any of clauses 16 to 30.

[0172] 34. A computer system comprising a processor device configured to perform the computer-implemented method (400) of any of clauses 16 to 30.

[0173] 35. A vehicle comprising said processor means to perform the computer-implemented method (400) of any one of clauses 16 to 30.

[0174] Generally, in this document, one entity is "communicatively coupled" or "communicatively connected" to another entity means that the two entities are thus able to exchange information, such as by sending one or more signals between them. The sending of signals can be performed, for example, using one or more wires / cables that are suitable, or, for example, additionally or alternatively, by using one or more suitable wireless interfaces and communication technologies. The exact protocol used for such signaling between the entities is not important, as long as the entities can somehow exchange information necessary for the entities to operate as intended. It should be noted that the connection does not have to be direct, but can also be indirect.

[0175] The terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific aspects and are not intended to be limitations of the present disclosure. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It should also be understood that the terms "include" and / or "comprising" when used herein clearly indicate the presence of the features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or groups thereof.

[0176] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, etc. may 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 element. For example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element.

[0177] Relative terms such as "below" or "above" or "upper" or "lower" or "horizontal" or "vertical" may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element to another element, as shown in the figures. It should be understood that these terms and those discussed above are intended to cover different device orientations in addition to the orientations depicted in the figures. It should be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" to another element, the element may be directly connected or coupled to the other element, or there may be intervening elements. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly coupled" to another element, there are no intervening elements.

[0178] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. It should also be understood that, unless otherwise clearly defined herein, the terms used herein should be interpreted as meanings consistent with their meanings in the context of this specification and the relevant art, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense.

[0179] It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the aspects described above and shown in the accompanying drawings; rather, the skilled person will recognize that many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the present disclosure and the appended claims. In the drawings and description, various aspects have been disclosed for illustrative purposes only and not for limiting purposes, and the scope of the inventive concept is set forth in the above claims.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method (400) for controlling a vehicle combination (100) comprising a tractor unit and at least one towed unit, the method comprising: Based on the reference input r of the vehicle combination ref and the power capacity of one or more units (110) of the vehicle combination to determine (406) a power allocation input u of the vehicle combination units,des ; Determine (410) a virtual control input v of the vehicle combination based on the reference input comb,req ;as well as Determine (412, 414, 416) a control input u for the vehicle combination based on the power split input and the virtual control input units, 、u units,i 、u i .

2. The computer-implemented method (400) of claim 1, wherein the virtual combined control input v comb,req Including based on the reference input r ref A set of desired motion parameters is determined.

3. The computer-implemented method (400) of claim 2, wherein the virtual combined control input v comb,req The set of desired motion parameters includes at least one of the following: the longitudinal force F of the vehicle combination (100); xtot , the lateral force F of the vehicle combination ytot , the longitudinal connection force F between the continuous units (110) cxi , the lateral connection force F between continuous units cyi and the yaw moment M of one or more units zi .

4. A computer-implemented method (400) as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising: comb,cap To determine (410) the virtual control input v of the vehicle combination (100) comb,req .

5. A computer-implemented method (400) as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising determining (410) the virtual control input v of the vehicle combination (100) based on a vehicle model configured to model instabilities in vehicle motion. comb,req .

6. The computer-implemented method (400) of any preceding claim, wherein the reference input r ref including at least one of the following: longitudinal acceleration, longitudinal velocity v of the tractor unit xi , the lateral speed v of the tractor unit yi , a yaw rate ω of at least one unit (110) of the vehicle combination (100) zi and the steering angle δ of the tractor unit f,req .

7. A computer-implemented method (400) as described in any preceding claim, wherein the power capability of a unit (110) is determined based on at least one of the following: a state of charge, a state of health, a state of charge, and a state of energy of a battery of the unit.

8. The computer-implemented method (400) of any preceding claim, wherein the power allocation input u units,des A set of desired motion parameters is included that is determined based on power allocation of one or more units (110).

9. The computer-implemented method (400) of claim 8, wherein the power allocation input u units,des The set of desired motion parameters includes at least one of the following: desired motor force F of one or more units x,eli,des and the desired electric vehicle braking force F of one or more units (110) x,sbi,des .

10. A computer-implemented method (400) as described in claim 8 or 9, comprising determining (406) the power distribution of the unit (110) based on power demand and at least one of the following items: power losses associated with the unit's service brakes (150), power losses associated with the unit's battery (120), and power losses associated with the unit's motor (120).

11. The computer-implemented method (400) of claim 10, comprising determining (406) the power distribution of one or more units (110) using an optimization function to minimize the total power loss of the vehicle combination (100).

12. A computer-implemented method (400) as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising determining (412, 414, 416) a control input u of the vehicle combination (100) by: units,i 、u units,i 、u i : Based on the power allocation input u units,des and the virtual combined control input v comb,req To determine (412) the real combined control input u unitsi ;as well as Determine (414) a unit-specific virtual control input u based on the real combined control input units,i .

13. The computer-implemented method (400) of claim 12, comprising determining (412) the true combined control input u by solving a weighted least squares optimization problem units .

14. The computer-implemented method (400) of claim 12 or 13, comprising: units,i To determine (416) a unit-specific real control input u of a corresponding unit (110) of the vehicle combination (100) i .

15. The computer-implemented method (400) of claim 14, comprising determining (416) the unit-specific real control input u by solving a weighted least squares optimization problem i .

16. A computer program product comprising a program code for performing the computer-implemented method (400) according to any one of claims 1 to 15 when the program code is executed by a processor device.

17. A control system comprising one or more control units configured to perform the computer-implemented method (400) of any one of claims 1 to 15.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a processor device, cause the processor device to perform the computer-implemented method (400) of any one of claims 1 to 15.

19. A computer system comprising a processor device configured to perform the computer-implemented method (400) of any one of claims 1 to 15.

20. A vehicle comprising said processor device to perform the computer-implemented method (400) of any one of claims 1 to 15.

Images