Method for determining energy optimization strategy and vehicle control method

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention relates to a method for determining an energy optimization strategy and a vehicle control method. The method is applied to a vehicle having a plurality of driveshafts, each driveshaft having a corresponding multi-gear transmission. The method for determining the energy optimization strategy comprises the steps of obtaining a working interval set of a vehicle based on a vehicle speed range and an on-wheel torque range; for each working interval, the optimal working mode is determined, and the optimal working mode defines the distribution of the torque on the wheels of the multiple driving shafts and the optimal combination of the gears of the multiple-gear gearbox of each driving shaft in the working interval; and generating an energy optimization strategy of the vehicle based on the optimal working mode of each working interval. According to the method, on the basis of the generated energy optimization strategy, the overall working efficiency of the multi-drive-shaft and multi-gear vehicle can be improved, and therefore energy consumption is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to new energy vehicle technologies, and more particularly, to methods for determining energy optimization strategies, vehicle control methods, devices, electronic devices, vehicle control devices, computer-readable storage media, and computer program products. Background Art

[0002] With the transformation of the global energy structure, new energy vehicles (such as electric vehicles) have become an inevitable trend in the development of the automotive industry. The energy-saving technologies in this field not only represent the concepts of environmental protection and sustainable development but also are effective means to address energy shortages and environmental pollution problems. By adopting advanced energy management technologies and drive system designs, more efficient energy utilization and lower emissions can be achieved in new energy vehicles.

[0003] Electric commercial vehicles are a type of electric vehicle designed specifically for commercial use. Compared with ordinary household electric vehicles, electric commercial vehicles have more powerful and complex drive systems, generally having multiple drive axles and multi-speed gearboxes. Further energy optimization design of the drive systems of such vehicles is required to achieve higher energy efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, embodiments of the present disclosure provide an energy management strategy for multi-drive axle vehicles. The energy management strategy specifies the corresponding optimal working mode for the specific working intervals (which can also be referred to as working points) of the vehicle, optimally distributes the wheel torque to multiple drive axles, and specifies the corresponding optimal gear for the gearbox of each drive axle, thereby achieving more efficient energy utilization.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for determining an energy optimization strategy for a vehicle, where the vehicle has multiple drive axles, and each drive axle has a corresponding multi-speed gearbox. The method includes obtaining a set of working intervals of the vehicle based on the vehicle speed range and the wheel torque range. The method further includes: for each working interval in the set of working intervals, determining its optimal working mode, where the optimal working mode defines the distribution of the wheel torque of multiple drive axles and the optimal combination of the gears of the multi-speed gearbox of each drive axle within this working interval. The method further includes generating an energy optimization strategy for the vehicle based on the optimal working modes of the respective working intervals in the set of working intervals.

[0006] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a vehicle control method for controlling a vehicle having a plurality of drive shafts, wherein each drive shaft has a corresponding multi-speed transmission. The method includes: determining a current operating range of the vehicle based on a current vehicle speed and a required wheel torque. The method further includes: determining an optimal operating mode corresponding to the current operating range based on an energy optimization strategy, the optimal operating mode defining an allocation of wheel torques of the plurality of drive shafts and an optimal combination of gear positions of the multi-speed transmissions of each drive shaft. The method further includes: applying the optimal operating mode to the vehicle.

[0007] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a vehicle control device. The device is for controlling a vehicle having a plurality of drive shafts, each drive shaft having a corresponding multi-speed transmission. The device includes: an operating range acquisition unit configured to acquire a set of operating ranges of the vehicle based on a vehicle speed range and a wheel torque range. The device further includes: an optimal operating mode determination unit configured to: for each operating range in the set of operating ranges, determine its optimal operating mode, the optimal operating mode defining an allocation of wheel torques of the plurality of drive shafts and an optimal combination of gear positions of the multi-speed transmissions of each drive shaft within that operating range. The device further includes: a strategy generation unit configured to generate an energy optimization strategy for the vehicle based on the optimal operating modes of the respective operating ranges in the set of operating ranges.

[0008] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a vehicle control device for controlling a vehicle having a plurality of drive shafts, each drive shaft having a corresponding multi-speed transmission. The device includes: an operating range determination unit configured to determine a current operating range of the vehicle based on a current vehicle speed and a required wheel torque. The device further includes: an optimal operating mode determination unit configured to determine an optimal operating mode corresponding to the current operating range based on an energy optimization strategy, the optimal operating mode defining an allocation of wheel torques of the plurality of drive shafts and an optimal combination of gear positions of the multi-speed transmissions of each drive shaft. The device further includes an application unit configured to apply the optimal operating mode to the vehicle.

[0009] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an electronic device, including: a processing unit; and a memory coupled to the processing unit and storing instructions for execution by the processing unit, the instructions when executed by the processing unit cause the electronic device to execute the method according to the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0010] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, a control device for a vehicle is provided, wherein the vehicle has a plurality of drive shafts, and each drive shaft has a corresponding multi-speed transmission. The control device includes: a processing unit and a memory, the memory being coupled to the processing unit and storing instructions for execution by the processing unit, the instructions when executed by the processing unit causing the processing unit to perform: determining a current operating range of the vehicle based on a current vehicle speed and a demanded wheel torque; determining an optimal operating mode corresponding to the current operating range based on an energy optimization strategy, the optimal operating mode defining an allocation of wheel torques of the plurality of drive shafts and an optimal combination of gear positions of the multi-speed transmissions of each drive shaft; and applying the optimal operating mode to the vehicle.

[0011] According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, including machine-executable instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform the method according to the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0012] According to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product is provided, including machine-executable instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform the method according to the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0013] This content is provided in part to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form, which will be further described in the detailed implementation below. This content is not intended to identify the key features or essential features of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] By describing the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure in more detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent, wherein, in the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the same reference numerals generally represent the same components.

[0015] Figure 1A A schematic diagram of an exemplary vehicle having a plurality of drive shafts is shown;

[0016] Figure 1B Shows Figure 1A A schematic diagram of the drive system of the exemplary vehicle shown;

[0017] Figure 2 A schematic flowchart of a vehicle control method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0018] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the operating range and operating mode of a vehicle according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0019] Figure 4Shows a schematic flow chart of a process for generating an energy optimization strategy according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 5 Shows an example of a visualization view of an energy optimization strategy according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 6A Shows a schematic diagram of streamlined design variables according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 6B Shows an example of a visualization view of a streamlined energy optimization strategy according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 7 Shows a schematic block diagram of a device for determining an energy optimization strategy according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 8 Shows a schematic block diagram of a vehicle control device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0025] Figure 9 Shows a schematic block diagram of an example device that can be used to implement the embodiments of the present disclosure. Detailed Description of Specific Embodiments

[0026] It can be understood that the data involved in the present technical solution (including but not limited to the data itself, the acquisition or use of the data) should comply with the requirements of the corresponding laws, regulations and related provisions.

[0027] The preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited by the embodiments set forth herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided to make the present disclosure more thorough and complete, and to fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0028] As used herein, the term "including" and its variations mean open inclusion, i.e., "including but not limited to". Unless otherwise stated, the term "or" means "and / or". The term "based on" means "at least partially based on". The terms "an example embodiment" and "an embodiment" mean "at least one example embodiment". The term "another embodiment" means "at least one additional embodiment". The terms "first", "second", etc. may refer to different or the same objects. There may be other explicit and implicit definitions below.

[0029] It should be noted that the numbers or numerical values used herein are for the convenience of understanding the technology of the present disclosure, rather than limiting the scope of the present disclosure.

[0030] Due to technological development and the increasing requirements for environmental protection, new energy vehicles are booming. By adopting advanced energy management technologies and drive system designs, there is an increasing need to achieve more efficient energy utilization and lower emissions in new energy vehicles. Electric commercial vehicles are a type of electric vehicle designed specifically for commercial use. Compared with ordinary household electric vehicles, electric commercial vehicles have a more powerful and complex drive system, generally having multiple drive axles, and each drive axle has a multi-gear transmission. How to optimize the energy design of the drive system of such vehicles has become a current challenge.

[0031] Figure 1A A schematic diagram of an exemplary vehicle with multiple drive axles is shown. As shown, the vehicle includes a tractor head 10 and a semi-trailer carriage 20, and the vehicle has multiple axles, where the second and third axles are drive axles 30. The drive axles 30 can provide on-wheel torque, including driving torque and braking torque, to make the vehicle move forward or brake. Additionally, through mechanical braking (such as a hydraulic mechanism), the other axles of the vehicle can

[0032] Figure 1B is shown Figure 1A A schematic diagram of the drive system of the exemplary vehicle shown is shown. As shown, in the drive system, each drive axle can be configured with a corresponding transmission 40 and a motor 50. In some implementations, the transmission 40 can be a multi-gear box (e.g., 1 to 4 gears), and each gear has a corresponding gear ratio. Generally, lower gears have higher gear ratios, and higher gears have lower gear ratios. The vehicle can be an electric drive vehicle, which has one or more motors 50. For example, one motor can be configured for each drive axle, or one motor can be used to provide on-wheel torque for multiple drive axles. When the vehicle is in operation, a control system (not shown) can determine the total torque (which can also be referred to as the demand torque) to be applied to the drive axles and the on-wheel torque applied to each drive axle according to the depth and acceleration of the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal. At the same time, the control system can also determine the gear of each transmission according to the current state of the vehicle (such as vehicle speed, etc.).

[0033] When the vehicle is in the working state, the drive axles 30 have their respective on-wheel torques and the transmissions 40 are in specific gears. At this time, each transmission 40 has its respective output torque and speed, from which the working efficiency of the transmission can be obtained; the motors 50 also generate torque and speed, from which the working efficiency of the motors can be obtained. The working efficiency of the transmissions 40 and the working efficiency of the motors 50 affect the overall efficiency of the vehicle's drive system. The inventors have noticed that the distribution of on-wheel torque and the selection of transmission gears are crucial for the working efficiency and energy consumption level of the vehicle drive system.

[0034] In view of this, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a vehicle control method to provide an improved energy management strategy. Using the improved energy management strategy, it is possible to specify the corresponding optimal working mode for the working range of the vehicle, optimally distribute the wheel torque to multiple drive shafts, and specify the corresponding optimal gear for the gearbox of each drive shaft, thereby achieving more efficient energy utilization. Herein, the working range refers to the vehicle state defined by the vehicle speed and the required torque, and can also be referred to as the working point. It should be noted that the embodiments of the present disclosure are applicable to any vehicle with multiple drive shafts (two or more) and multiple-gear gearboxes (the gear configurations can be the same or different), and are not limited to Figure 1A and 1B the exemplary vehicles shown. The implementation details of the embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to Figures 2 to 8 the following.

[0035] Figure 2 FIG. 10 shows a schematic flowchart of a vehicle control method 200 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The method 200 can be implemented by any electronic device with computing capabilities (for example, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a server, an in-vehicle device, an in-vehicle computing unit, etc.). The method 200 is applicable to vehicles with multiple drive shafts, and each drive shaft has a corresponding multiple-gear gearbox, such as Figure 1A and 1B the vehicles shown.

[0036] In block 210, a set of working ranges of the vehicle is obtained based on the vehicle speed range and the wheel torque range. The vehicle speed range can be the predefined available vehicle speed range of the vehicle, for example, from 0 km / h to 100 km / h. The wheel torque range can be the predefined available wheel torque range of the vehicle, for example, from 0 to 80,000 N·m. The vehicle speed range and the wheel torque range can be determined according to the specific model and specifications of the vehicle. The working range of the vehicle can be defined as a combination of a subdivided sub-vehicle speed range and a sub-torque range. For example, an exemplary working range can be (30 ± 1 km / h, 30,000 ± 250 N·m). In other words, if the current state of the vehicle is a vehicle speed of 30 km / h and a required wheel torque of 30,000 N·m is generated, it belongs to this working range. In some implementations, the vehicle speed range and the wheel torque range can be subdivided, for example, into 50 equal parts, thereby obtaining 50 * 50 = 2,500 working ranges.

[0037] In block 220, for each working range in the set of working ranges, the optimal working mode of the vehicle in this working range is determined. The working mode defines the distribution of the wheel torque of multiple drive shafts and the gear of the multiple-gear gearbox of each drive shaft.

[0038] In some implementations, the distribution of on-wheel torque can be represented by the proportion of the on-wheel torque assigned to a single drive shaft. For example, for a vehicle with two drive shafts, the distribution of on-wheel torque can be defined by a torque distribution factor (TSF) in the range from 0 to 1 with a granularity of 0.1, including 0, 0.1, 0.2... 1. For a case with more drive shafts, the distribution of on-wheel torque can be represented in a similar manner as long as the sum of the distribution ratios of each drive shaft is 1. It should be understood that the granularity of the distribution of on-wheel torque can be other values and is not limited to the examples here. For a multi-gear transmission, the operating mode can indicate a specific gear of the transmission. For example, for a 4-speed transmission, the operating mode can specify any one of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th gears. It should be understood that the configuration of the transmission gears is not limited to this. Thus, through the combination of the distribution of on-wheel torque and the transmission gears, multiple operating modes can be obtained.

[0039] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing the operating range and operating modes of a vehicle according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. In Figure 3 the example, it is assumed that the vehicle has two exactly the same drive shafts (referred to as the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft), and the transmission of each drive shaft is a 4-speed transmission, and it is also assumed that other physical configurations are the same. In other words, the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft are equivalent and interchangeable. In addition, it is also assumed that the torque distribution factor is

[0040] As shown in the figure, on the right side of Figure 3 a set of subdivided operating ranges 310 is shown. A certain operating range 315 in the set of operating ranges 310 represents the corresponding vehicle speed and on-wheel torque. For the operating range 315, there are several possible groups of operating modes 320, 330, and 340, where the vertical axis represents the gears of the first drive shaft (i1 to i4), and the horizontal axis represents the gears of the second drive shaft (i1 to i4). Specifically, the group of operating modes 320 relates to the case where a single drive shaft (or motor) is operating, and all the on-wheel torque is distributed to the first drive shaft, that is, the torque distribution factor is 0, where the transmission of the first drive shaft can be in i1 to i4, and the transmission of the second drive shaft has no gear. Thus, 4 operating modes 322 can be obtained, and the operating mode 324 in the shaded area is not available.

[0041] Operating mode groups 330 and 340 relate to the case where two drive shafts (or motors) operate, i.e., the torque distribution factor ranges from 0.1 to 0.9. Among them, operating mode group 330 includes five cases with torque distribution factors ranging from 0.1 to 0.5, and operating mode group 340 includes four cases with torque distribution factors ranging from 0.6 to 0.9. Considering that the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft are equivalent, operating mode groups 330 and 340 are complementary. Therefore, for a given torque distribution factor (any one of 0.1 to 0.5), operating mode group 330 includes 10 gear combinations of two gearboxes, i.e., 10 operating modes. Thus, operating mode group 330 includes 5 * 10 = 50 operating modes. Similarly, for a given torque distribution factor (any one of 0.6 to 0.9), operating mode group 340 includes 6 gear combinations of two gearboxes, i.e., 6 operating modes. Thus, operating mode group 330 includes 4 * 6 = 24 operating modes.

[0042] As Figure 3 shown, for the operating range 315, the vehicle can operate in 78 operating modes. It should be noted that the number of operating modes in each operating range can vary according to factors such as the torque distribution factor, the configuration of the gearbox, etc., and the equivalence of the drive shafts, and is not limited to Figure 3 the example shown.

[0043] Return Figure 2 , at block 220, in order to determine the optimal operating mode of the vehicle in this operating range, for each operating range, the drive efficiency of the vehicle in multiple operating modes can be determined, and the operating mode with the highest drive efficiency among the multiple operating modes is determined as the optimal operating mode of this operating range. In some embodiments, traverse multiple operating modes (e.g., refer to the 78 operating modes Figure 3 described) to obtain the corresponding drive efficiency. For example, the on-wheel torque distribution corresponding to each operating mode can be applied. For example, according to the on-wheel torque and the torque distribution factor of the operating range, the on-wheel torque of each of the multiple drive shafts can be calculated, and the gearbox gear position and the corresponding gear ratio corresponding to each operating mode are applied. Thus, the output torque and speed of each gearbox, the input speed and torque of each motor, etc. can be calculated. Then, based on the technical specification information of the vehicle, the gearbox efficiency corresponding to the output torque and speed of the gearbox and the motor efficiency corresponding to the input speed and torque of the motor can be obtained, and further, the drive efficiency of the vehicle can be calculated. By comparing the drive efficiencies of the multiple operating modes calculated, the operating mode with the highest drive efficiency is determined as the optimal operating mode of the current operating range.

[0044] Next, at block 230, an energy optimization strategy for the vehicle is generated based on the optimal operating modes of the respective work intervals of the set of work intervals. After traversing all the work intervals in the set of work intervals, the optimal operating mode of each work interval is obtained. Thus, this information can be aggregated to generate an energy optimization strategy. In some embodiments, the optimal operating mode of each work interval can be associated with the corresponding work interval to generate an energy optimization strategy. For example, the energy optimization strategy can be in the form of a table, where the horizontal and vertical axes of the table represent vehicle speed and wheel torque, and the cells of the table record the corresponding optimal operating modes, which specify the distribution of the optimized wheel torque (e.g., the torque distribution factor for the drive shaft) and the gears of multiple gearboxes.

[0045] The energy optimization strategy can be stored in the vehicle's memory as firmware or software, and the vehicle's processing unit can read the energy optimization strategy from the memory and apply the optimal operating mode based on the vehicle's state. In some embodiments, the vehicle's processing unit can determine the vehicle's current work interval based on the vehicle's current speed and required wheel torque (e.g., which can be determined according to the depth or acceleration of the accelerator pedal or brake pedal), for example, by looking up a table. Then, the processing unit can determine the optimal operating mode corresponding to the current work interval based on the energy optimization strategy, and apply the wheel torque distribution and gearbox gears corresponding to the optimal operating mode. As mentioned above, the optimal operating mode can result in the highest drive efficiency, thus overall reducing the vehicle's energy consumption level.

[0046] Figure 4 FIG. shows a schematic flow chart of a process 400 for generating an energy optimization strategy according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 4 The illustrated process 400 can be an exemplary implementation of process 200, where some parts can be omitted or more steps can also be included, and the present disclosure makes no limitation herein.

[0047] At block 410, the device receives the configuration of the vehicle's drive system, including, for example, the efficiency map of the motor, the efficiency map of the gearbox, the gear ratios of the respective gears of the gearbox, the vehicle speed range, the wheel torque range, and other configurations of the vehicle.

[0048] At block 420, design variables for generating an energy optimization strategy are selected. In some implementations, the design variables may include the number of subdivisions of the operating range, such as 50 * 50 = 2500 operating ranges. The design variables also include the range and interval of the distribution of the torque on the wheels. For example, for a vehicle with two drive axles, a torque distribution factor is used, which ranges from 0 to 0.9 with an interval of 0.1. It should be understood that for a vehicle with more drive axles, more torque distribution factors can be used and the intervals can be different values. The design variables can also include the number of gears of the transmission, such as from the first gear to the fourth gear, and the number of gears of multiple transmissions can be the same or different. According to the combination of design variables, multiple operating modes can be obtained. For example, in the example described in reference Figure 3 there are 78 operating modes.

[0049] At block 430, for each operating range and for the obtained operating modes, the operating mode with the highest drive efficiency (i.e., the lowest energy consumption loss) is calculated as the optimal operating mode. Then, the optimal operating modes of all operating ranges are combined together to form an energy optimization strategy. In some implementations, the obtained energy optimization modes can be visualized to facilitate statistical analysis of the optimal operating modes of all operating ranges.

[0050] Figure 5 An example of a visualization view of an energy optimization strategy according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 5 A view of the energy optimization strategy of a vehicle with two drive axles, each drive axle having a corresponding four-speed transmission, is shown, where the horizontal axis represents the vehicle speed, the vertical axis represents the torque on the wheels, each box represents an operating range, and the optimal operating mode calculated at block 430 is shown inside the box.

[0051] For convenience, the optimal operating mode can be represented by a three-digit or four-digit number. The rightmost two digits respectively represent the gear of the transmission of the first drive axle and the gear of the transmission of the second drive axle, and the other digits represent the torque distribution factor. For example, the numbers 1 to 4 can be used to represent the gears, and the numbers 1 to 10 represent the torque distribution factors from 0 to 0.9 in sequence. For example, the optimal operating mode "611" means that the torque distribution factor is 0.5, that is, the torque is evenly distributed on the two drive axles, and both transmissions are operating in the first gear; the optimal operating mode "141" means that the torque distribution factor is 0, that is, the torque is only distributed on one drive axle, and the gear of the first drive axle is 4. It should be noted that the second drive axle actually has no gear (also represented by "1").

[0052] According to the calculation results, a part of the working range set has an optimal working mode in which only one of the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft works, and another part of the working range set has an optimal working mode in which the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft work simultaneously. As shown in the figure, in the subset of working ranges located in region 510, the most frequent optimal working mode is the single-motor working mode (torque distribution factor is 0, corresponding to the number "1"), that is, only one drive shaft is allocated torque. In the subset of working ranges located in region 520, the most frequent working mode is the dual-motor working mode and the torque distribution factor is 0.5 (corresponding to the number "6", that is, the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft are allocated equal on-wheel torques). Region 530 is a region outside the working capacity of the motor and does not need to be considered.

[0053] Based on this, in order to improve the stability of the drive system and avoid switching working modes too frequently. At block 440, based on the statistical analysis of the optimal working modes of each working range in the working range set, the design variables are reselected, and a part of the working modes of multiple working modes are determined as the streamlined working modes. For example, the design variables can be reselected as follows: the torque distribution factor only considers 0 and 0.5, the transmission gear is from gear 1 to gear 4, and in order to reduce the calculation amount, it can be assumed that the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft are equivalent, or interchangeable (that is, in the dual-motor mode and when the torque is evenly divided, the gears of the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft are interchangeable and regarded as the same mode). Thus, the streamlined working modes as shown in Figure 6A can be obtained, including 14 streamlined working modes.

[0054] Return Figure 4 , at block 450, for each working range, traverse the streamlined working modes, and calculate the working mode with the lowest energy consumption loss as the optimal working mode. Then, combine the optimal working modes of all working ranges together to regenerate the streamlined energy optimization strategy.

[0055] FIG. 6 shows an example of a visualization view of a streamlined energy optimization strategy according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In region 610, the optimal working modes are Figure 6A the modes 1 to 4 as shown, that is, a single motor works to drive a single drive shaft, and the corresponding gears of the transmission are gear 1 to gear 4 in sequence. In region 620, the optimal working modes are Figure 6B the modes 5, 9, 12, 14 as shown, that is, the dual motors work and the torque is evenly divided on the two drive shafts, and note that the gears of the two transmissions are the same. Region 630 is a working range outside the vehicle's capacity range. It should be noted that Figure 5The energy optimization strategies and optimal operating modes shown in FIGS. 1-6 are merely exemplary. Different energy optimization strategies and optimal operating modes can be obtained by applying the embodiments of the present disclosure, which depend on the specific vehicle configuration and design.

[0056] At block 460, the driving cycle is reconstructed and the resulting energy optimization strategy is applied to the vehicle. Specifically, the energy optimization strategy can be configured into the vehicle's control system such that the control system applies the corresponding optimal operating mode according to the current state of the vehicle. Thereby, the driving system efficiency can be improved and the purpose of energy consumption saving can be achieved.

[0057] The embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above with reference to FIGS. 1-6. According to these embodiments, the on-wheel torque is optimally distributed to multiple drive shafts according to the energy optimization strategy, and the corresponding optimal gear is specified for the gearbox of each drive shaft, thereby achieving more efficient energy utilization. In some embodiments, design variables can be selected to construct a streamlined operating mode, thereby obtaining a streamlined energy optimization strategy and improving the stability of the driving system.

[0058] Figure 7 FIG. 10 shows a schematic block diagram of a device 700 for determining an energy optimization strategy according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The device 700 is used to control a vehicle having multiple drive shafts, where each drive shaft has a corresponding multi-gear gearbox. The device 700 includes a working range acquisition unit 710, an optimal operating mode determination unit 720, and a strategy generation unit 730. The working range acquisition unit 710 is configured to acquire a set of working ranges of the vehicle based on the vehicle speed range and the on-wheel torque range. The optimal operating mode determination unit 720 is configured to: for each working range in the set of working ranges, determine its optimal operating mode, where the optimal operating mode defines the distribution of the on-wheel torque of multiple drive shafts and the optimal combination of the gears of the multi-gear gearbox of each drive shaft within the working range. The strategy generation unit 730 is configured to generate an energy optimization strategy for the vehicle based on the optimal operating modes of the respective working ranges in the set of working ranges.

[0059] In some embodiments, the optimal operating mode determination unit can also be configured to: determine the driving efficiency of the vehicle in multiple operating modes, where each of the multiple operating modes defines the distribution of the on-wheel torque of multiple drive shafts and the gears of the multi-gear gearbox of each drive shaft, and determine the operating mode with the highest driving efficiency among the multiple operating modes as the optimal operating mode of the working range.

[0060] In some embodiments, the multiple drive shafts can include a first drive shaft and a second drive shaft, the distribution of the on-wheel torque can indicate the proportion of the on-wheel torque allocated to the first drive shaft or the second drive shaft, and the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft can have the same number of gears.

[0061] In some embodiments, the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft may be equivalent.

[0062] In some embodiments, in the capacity optimization strategy, a first subset of the set of working intervals may have an optimal working mode in which one of the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft operates, and a second subset of the set of working intervals may have an optimal working mode in which the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft operate simultaneously. In some embodiments, the optimal working mode of the second subset may indicate that equal torques on the wheels are assigned to the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft.

[0063] In some embodiments, the device may further include a policy simplification unit configured to determine, based on a statistical analysis of the optimal working modes of the respective working intervals of the set of working intervals, a part of the plurality of working modes as the simplified working modes; and regenerate an energy optimization strategy based on the simplified working modes.

[0064] In some embodiments, the policy simplification unit may further be configured to, for each working interval, calculate, by traversing the simplified working modes, the working mode with the highest drive efficiency as the optimal working mode.

[0065] In some embodiments, the policy generation unit 730 may further be configured to generate an energy optimization strategy by associating the optimal working mode of each working interval with the corresponding working interval.

[0066] In some embodiments, the torque on the wheel may include a driving torque or a braking torque.

[0067] Figure 8 FIG. shows a schematic block diagram of a vehicle control device 800 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The device 800 is used to control a vehicle having a plurality of drive shafts, where each drive shaft has a corresponding multi-speed transmission. The device 800 includes a working interval determination unit 810, an optimal working mode determination unit 820, and an application unit 830. The working interval determination unit 810 is configured to determine the current working interval of the vehicle based on the current vehicle speed and the required torque on the wheel. The optimal working mode determination unit 820 is configured to determine the optimal working mode corresponding to the current working interval based on an energy optimization strategy, where the optimal working mode defines an optimal combination of the distribution of the torques on the wheels of the plurality of drive shafts and the gears of the multi-speed transmission of each drive shaft. The application unit 830 is configured to apply the optimal working mode to the vehicle.

[0068] Figure 9FIG. shows a schematic block diagram of an exemplary device 900 that can be used to implement embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, methods 200 and 400 according to embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented by device 900. As shown, device 900 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 901, which can be based on the working range determination unit and is configured to determine the current working range of the vehicle based on the current vehicle speed and the required wheel torque; and

[0069] an optimal operating mode determination unit configured to determine an optimal operating mode corresponding to the current working range based on an energy optimization strategy, the optimal operating mode defining an optimal combination of the distribution of the wheel torque of the plurality of drive shafts and the gear positions of the multi-gear transmissions of each drive shaft; and

[0070] an application unit configured to apply the optimal operating mode to computer program instructions stored in the read-only memory (ROM) 902 of the vehicle or computer program instructions loaded from the storage unit 908 into the random access memory (RAM) 903 to perform various appropriate actions and processes. In the RAM 903, various programs and data required for the operation of the device 900 can also be stored. The CPU 901, the ROM 902, and the RAM 903 are connected to each other through a bus 904. The input / output (I / O) interface 905 is also connected to the bus 904.

[0071] Multiple components in the device 900 are connected to the I / O interface 905. The types of I / O interfaces include, but are not limited to, high-speed peripheral component interconnect (PCIe), universal serial bus (USB), high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI), serial attachment SCSI (SAS), etc. Components based on the I / O interface 905 can include, but are not limited to: an input unit 906, such as a keyboard, a mouse, etc.; an output unit 907, such as various types of displays, speakers, etc.; a storage unit 908, such as a magnetic disk, an optical disc, etc.; and a communication unit 909, such as a network adapter, a modem, a wireless communication transceiver, etc. The communication unit 909 allows the device 900 to exchange information / data with other devices through a computer network such as the Internet and / or various telecommunication networks.

[0072] The various processes and treatments described above, such as method 200 and / or 400, may be executed by a processing unit in device 900, such as processing unit 901 and / or other processing units (e.g., the microprocessor on the main board of device 900). For example, in some embodiments, method processes 200 and / or 400 may be implemented as a computer software program tangibly embodied in a machine-readable medium, such as storage unit 908. In some embodiments, part or all of the computer program may be loaded and / or installed onto device 900 via ROM 902 and / or communication unit 909. When the computer program is loaded into RAM 903 and executed, one or more actions of processes 200 and / or 400 described above may be performed.

[0073] The present disclosure may be a method, apparatus, system, and / or computer program product. The computer program product may include a computer-readable storage medium having thereon computer-readable program instructions for performing various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0074] A computer-readable storage medium may be a tangible device that can retain and store instructions for use by an instruction execution device. A computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electrical storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer-readable storage medium include: a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disc (DVD), a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such as a punch card or raised structures in a groove having instructions stored thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. As used herein, a computer-readable storage medium is not construed to be an instantaneous signal per se, such as a radio wave or other freely propagating electromagnetic wave, an electromagnetic wave propagating through a waveguide or other transmission medium (e.g., an optical pulse through an optical fiber cable), or an electrical signal transmitted through a wire.

[0075] The computer-readable program instructions described herein may be downloaded from a computer-readable storage medium to various computing / processing devices, or may be downloaded to an external computer or external storage device via a network, such as the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, and / or a wireless network. The network may include copper transmission cables, optical fiber transmissions, wireless transmissions, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers, and / or edge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in each computing / processing device receives the computer-readable program instructions from the network and forwards the computer-readable program instructions for storage in a computer-readable storage medium in each computing / processing device.

[0076] The computer program instructions for performing the operations of the present disclosure may be assembly instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine - related instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state - setting data, or source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object - oriented programming languages such as Smalltalk, C++, etc., and conventional procedural programming languages such as the "C" language or similar programming languages. The computer - readable program instructions may be executed entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, executed as a stand - alone software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In the case of a remote computer, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or, alternatively, may be connected to an external computer (e.g., through the Internet using an Internet service provider). In some embodiments, by using the state information of the computer - readable program instructions to customize an electronic circuit, such as a programmable logic circuit, a field - programmable gate array (FPGA), or a programmable logic array (PLA), the electronic circuit can execute the computer - readable program instructions to implement various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0077] Aspects of the present disclosure are described herein with reference to the flowcharts and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood that each block of the flowcharts and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer - readable program instructions.

[0078] These computer - readable program instructions can be provided to a processing unit of a general - purpose computer, a special - purpose computer, or other programmable data - processing apparatus to produce a machine such that, when the instructions are executed by the processing unit of the computer or other programmable data - processing apparatus, a device is produced that implements the functions / acts specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram. These computer - readable program instructions can also be stored in a computer - readable storage medium, which causes a computer, a programmable data - processing apparatus, and / or other devices to operate in a particular manner, so that the computer - readable medium storing the instructions includes a manufacture, which includes instructions for implementing various aspects of the functions / acts specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0079] Computer-readable program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices, causing a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to produce a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions executed on the computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices implement the functions / acts specified in one or more boxes of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0080] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, a segment of a program, or a portion of an instruction, which contains one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function. In some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two consecutive blocks may in fact be executed substantially in parallel, or they may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, can be implemented by special-purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts, or by combinations of special-purpose hardware and computer instructions.

[0081] The embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above. The above description is exemplary, not exhaustive, and is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The choice of terms used herein is intended to best explain the principles of the embodiments, the practical application, or the improvement of technologies in the market, or to enable other ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method for determining an energy optimization strategy for a vehicle, the vehicle having a plurality of drive shafts, each drive shaft having a corresponding multi-speed transmission, the method comprising: Based on a vehicle speed range and a wheel torque range, obtaining a set of operating intervals of the vehicle; For each operating interval in the set of operating intervals, determining its optimal operating mode, the optimal operating mode defining the distribution of the wheel torques of the plurality of drive shafts and the optimal combination of the gear positions of the multi-speed transmissions of each drive shaft within that operating interval; Based on the optimal operating modes of the respective operating intervals of the set of operating intervals, generating an energy optimization strategy for the vehicle.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein for each operating interval in the set of operating intervals, determining its optimal operating mode comprises: Determining the drive efficiency of the vehicle in a plurality of operating modes, each of the plurality of operating modes defining the distribution of the wheel torques of the plurality of drive shafts and the gear positions of the multi-speed transmissions of each drive shaft; And Determining the operating mode having the highest drive efficiency among the plurality of operating modes as the optimal operating mode of the operating interval.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of drive shafts include a first drive shaft and a second drive shaft, the distribution of the wheel torques indicates the proportion of the wheel torque allocated to the first drive shaft or the second drive shaft, and the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft have the same number of gear positions.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft are equivalent.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein in the energy optimization strategy, a first subset of the set of operating intervals has an optimal operating mode in which one of the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft operates, and a second subset of the set of operating intervals has an optimal operating mode in which the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft operate simultaneously.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the optimal operating mode of the second subset indicates that the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft are allocated equal wheel torques.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Based on a statistical analysis of the optimal operating modes of the respective operating intervals of the set of operating intervals, determining a part of the operating modes among the plurality of operating modes as simplified operating modes; And Based on the simplified operating modes, regenerating the energy optimization strategy.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein regenerating the energy optimization strategy comprises: For each operating interval, by traversing the simplified operating modes, calculating the operating mode having the highest drive efficiency as the optimal operating mode.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein generating the energy optimization strategy for the vehicle comprises: By associating the optimal operating mode of each operating interval with the corresponding operating interval, generating the energy optimization strategy.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wheel torque includes a driving torque or a braking torque.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle is an electrically driven vehicle.

12. A vehicle control method for controlling a vehicle having a plurality of drive shafts, each drive shaft having a corresponding multi-gear transmission, the method comprising: Determining a current operating range of the vehicle based on a current vehicle speed and a required wheel torque of the vehicle; And Determining an optimal operating mode corresponding to the current operating range based on an energy optimization strategy, the optimal operating mode defining an allocation of wheel torques of the plurality of drive shafts and an optimal combination of gear positions of the multi-gear transmissions of each drive shaft; and Applying the optimal operating mode to the vehicle.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the current operating range corresponds to a plurality of operating modes, and the optimal operating mode is an operating mode having the highest drive efficiency among the plurality of operating modes.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the energy optimization strategy is determined according to the method of any one of claims 1 to 11.

15. A device for determining an energy optimization strategy for a vehicle, the vehicle having a plurality of drive shafts, each drive shaft having a corresponding multi-gear transmission, the device comprising: An operating range acquisition unit configured to acquire a set of operating ranges of the vehicle based on a vehicle speed range and a wheel torque range; An optimal operating mode determination unit configured to: for each operating range in the set of operating ranges, determine its optimal operating mode, the optimal operating mode defining an allocation of wheel torques of the plurality of drive shafts and an optimal combination of gear positions of the multi-gear transmissions of each drive shaft within that operating range; and A strategy generation unit configured to generate an energy optimization strategy for the vehicle based on the optimal operating modes of the respective operating ranges in the set of operating ranges.

16. A vehicle control device for controlling a vehicle having a plurality of drive shafts, each drive shaft having a corresponding multi-gear transmission, the device comprising: An operating range determination unit configured to determine a current operating range of the vehicle based on a current vehicle speed and a required wheel torque of the vehicle; And An optimal operating mode determination unit configured to determine an optimal operating mode corresponding to the current operating range based on an energy optimization strategy, the optimal operating mode defining an allocation of wheel torques of the plurality of drive shafts and an optimal combination of gear positions of the multi-gear transmissions of each drive shaft; And An application unit configured to apply the optimal operating mode to the vehicle.

17. An electronic device, comprising: A processing unit; And A memory, the memory being coupled to the processing unit and storing instructions for execution by the processing unit, the instructions when executed by the processing unit cause the electronic device to execute the method of any one of claims 1 to 14.

18. A control device for a vehicle, the vehicle having a plurality of drive shafts, each drive shaft having a corresponding multi-gear transmission, the control device comprising: A processing unit; And A memory coupled to the processing unit and storing instructions for execution by the processing unit, which when executed by the processing unit cause the processing unit to perform: Determine a current operating range of the vehicle based on a current vehicle speed and a demanded wheel torque of the vehicle; Determine an optimal operating mode corresponding to the current operating range based on an energy optimization strategy, the optimal operating mode defining an allocation of wheel torques of the plurality of drive shafts and an optimal combination of gear positions of a multi-gear transmission for each drive shaft; and Apply the optimal operating mode to the vehicle.

19. The control device according to claim 18, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processing unit, are further for obtaining the energy optimization strategy according to the method of any one of claims 1 to 11.

20. A computer-readable storage medium comprising machine-executable instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 14.

21. A computer program product comprising machine-executable instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 14.

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