Method, device, controller, vehicle and program product for controlling a vehicle

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention relates to a method and device for controlling a vehicle, a controller, the vehicle and a program product. The method comprises the steps that in response to the situation that the vehicle needs to execute gear shifting operation, a target control mode used for controlling a gear shifting actuator is determined from multiple control modes of the gear shifting actuator of the vehicle, and the multiple control modes correspond to multiple different gear shifting duration ranges. The method further includes controlling a shift actuator to perform a shift operation based on the target control mode. According to the method disclosed by the embodiment of the invention, one control mode selected from the plurality of control modes of the gear shifting actuator is utilized to execute the side gear shifting operation, so that different working modes can be adopted to process different driving working conditions, the control quality of the gear shifting actuator is improved, and the driving experience of a user is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to the field of vehicle control, and more particularly to methods, apparatus, controllers, vehicles, and program products for controlling vehicles. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of electric vehicle technology, heavy-duty trucks have also begun to use electricity as their power source. Due to the significant advantages of electric heavy-duty trucks, their development has been particularly rapid. For example, in terms of environmental protection and energy conservation, electric heavy-duty trucks can achieve zero emissions and have high energy efficiency. Furthermore, due to lower energy and maintenance costs, the operating costs of electric heavy-duty trucks are also relatively low. Electric heavy-duty trucks use electric motors to control vehicle speed, resulting in fast acceleration and low noise.

[0003] Furthermore, with the rapid development of batteries and power systems, the power and carrying capacity of electric heavy-duty trucks are constantly increasing. Moreover, with the advancement of vehicle control technology, the control of electric heavy-duty trucks is becoming increasingly intelligent. Therefore, electric heavy-duty trucks are beginning to be applied in various transportation scenarios and may occupy an important position in the transportation field in the future, becoming a vital force in environmentally friendly and efficient transportation. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Embodiments of this disclosure provide methods, apparatus, controllers, vehicles, and program products for controlling vehicles.

[0005] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, a method for controlling a vehicle is provided. The method includes, in response to the vehicle performing a gear shift operation, determining a target control mode for controlling the gear shift actuator from the plurality of control modes for the vehicle's gear shift actuator, the plurality of control modes corresponding to the plurality of different gear shift duration ranges. The method further includes, based on the target control mode, controlling the gear shift actuator to perform the gear shift operation.

[0006] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, an apparatus for controlling a vehicle is provided. The apparatus includes a target control mode determination module configured to determine a target control mode for controlling a shift actuator from a plurality of control modes for the vehicle's shift actuator, the plurality of control modes corresponding to a plurality of different shift duration ranges, in response to the vehicle performing a shift operation; and a shift operation execution module configured to control the shift actuator to perform a shift operation based on the target control mode.

[0007] According to a third aspect of this disclosure, a controller is provided. The controller includes at least one processor; and a memory coupled to the at least one processor and having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the controller to perform the steps of the method in the first aspect of this disclosure.

[0008] According to a fourth aspect of this disclosure, a vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes a shift actuator and a controller as described in a third aspect of this disclosure.

[0009] According to a fifth aspect of this disclosure, a machine program product is provided. The machine program product includes machine-executable instructions, wherein the machine-executable instructions are executed by a processor to implement the steps of the method in the first aspect of this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1 The illustration shows a schematic diagram of an example environment in which devices and / or methods according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented;

[0011] Figure 2 The illustration shows a schematic diagram of an example method for controlling a vehicle according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0012] Figure 3 The illustration shows a schematic diagram of an example of a fast control mode for a shift actuator according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0013] Figure 4 The illustration shows a schematic diagram of an example process for a general control mode of a shift actuator according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0014] Figure 5 The illustration shows a schematic diagram of an example process for a gentle control mode of a shift actuator according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 6 The illustration shows an example process for determining a control mode based on a drive mode according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 7 The illustration shows a schematic diagram of an example process for determining a control mode based on the accelerator pedal opening according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 8 The illustration shows a schematic diagram of an example process for determining a control mode based on the slope of the ramp where the vehicle is located, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 9 The illustration shows a schematic diagram of an example process for determining a control mode based on the brake pedal opening and the weight of the vehicle according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 10 The illustration shows a schematic diagram of a device for controlling a vehicle according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 11A schematic block diagram of an example device suitable for implementing some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0021] In the various figures, the same or corresponding reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts. Detailed Implementation

[0022] Embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While some embodiments of this disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that this disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of this disclosure. It should be understood that the accompanying drawings and embodiments of this disclosure are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0023] In the description of embodiments of this disclosure, the term "comprising" and similar terms should be understood as open-ended inclusion, i.e., "including but not limited to". The term "based on" should be understood as "at least partially based on". The term "one embodiment" or "the embodiment" should be understood as "at least one embodiment". The terms "first", "second", etc., may refer to different or the same objects. Other explicit and implicit definitions may also be included below.

[0024] Currently, electric heavy-duty trucks typically use electric drive axles for propulsion. These axles are multi-speed, clutchless, and lack synchronizer rings. Therefore, power interruptions occur during gear shifts, which the driver can clearly feel. Current electric heavy-duty trucks on the market only have a single control mode when performing shifting actions. If vehicle weight changes, the gradient changes, the driving mode changes, or the accelerator or brake pedals are adjusted, this shift actuator can only execute the single control strategy and does not adapt to changes in driving conditions. For example, in Sport mode, the driver may want to complete shifting actions in a shorter time. In Eco mode, the driver may want smooth shifting actions without vibration or noise. However, because the existing single control strategy cannot cope with these changes in driving conditions, it affects the driver's experience.

[0025] Therefore, embodiments of this disclosure provide a method for controlling a vehicle. In this method, when a controller determines that the vehicle is about to perform a gear shift operation, it can determine a target control mode for controlling the gear shift actuator from a plurality of control modes for the vehicle's gear shift actuator. These plurality of control modes correspond to a plurality of different gear shift duration ranges. The controller can then use the determined target control mode to control the gear shift actuator to perform the gear shift operation. By using a control mode selected from the plurality of control modes of the gear shift actuator to perform the gear shift operation, different operating modes can be used to handle different driving conditions, improving the control quality of the gear shift actuator and enhancing the user's driving experience.

[0026] The embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein... Figure 1 The examples illustrate the devices and / or methods of embodiments of this disclosure and may be implemented in an example environment.

[0027] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an example vehicle 100 in which various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented is shown. (See diagram for reference.) Figure 1 As shown, vehicle 100 includes a transmission 102. In one example, vehicle 100 is an electric vehicle. Alternatively, vehicle 100 is an electric heavy-duty truck. Transmission 102 can be connected to a power take-off unit in vehicle 100 to control the speed of the vehicle. For example, when vehicle 100 is an electric vehicle, transmission 102 is connected to an electric motor for transferring energy received from the motor to the wheels of the vehicle. In another example, vehicle 100 is any suitable vehicle, and transmission 102 is connected to an engine to regulate the speed of the vehicle. The above examples are merely illustrative of this disclosure and not intended to limit its specific scope.

[0028] The gearbox 102 includes a shift actuator 104 and a controller 106. The shift actuator 104 includes a drive motor and a shift fork. When the shift actuator 104 performs a shift operation, the speed of the shift fork is controlled by controlling the speed of the drive motor, thereby controlling the vehicle 100 to operate between different gears.

[0029] In this disclosure, the shift actuator 104 in the transmission 102 can have multiple control modes. For each of the multiple control modes, the shift actuator uses a different shift speed to shift gears. Therefore, each control mode has a corresponding shift duration range. The shift duration ranges of different control modes are different.

[0030] During a gear shift, the controller 106 can determine a control mode for controlling the gear shift actuator from multiple control modes for the vehicle 100; for ease of description, this can also be referred to as the target control mode. Then, the gear shift actuator 104 uses the motor speed corresponding to this control mode to control the motor in the gear shift actuator, thereby controlling the movement of the shift fork to complete the gear shift operation. Additionally, the determination of the target control mode for the gear shift actuator 104 is based on vehicle driving parameters, such as driving mode, accelerator pedal opening, the gradient of the slope the vehicle is on, vehicle weight, and brake pedal opening.

[0031] Figure 1 The diagram illustrates a controller 106 in a transmission 102 controlling a shift actuator 104 to perform shifting operations. This is merely an example and not a specific limitation of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the shift actuator may also be controlled by a domain controller or a vehicle control unit (VCU) within the vehicle to achieve the aforementioned shifting operations.

[0032] Additionally, vehicle 100 may also include multiple sensors. Multiple sensors can be used to measure driving parameters, such as the opening of the accelerator pedal, the opening of the brake pedal, the vehicle's acceleration, or the gradient of the slope on which the vehicle is located. For example, a potentiometer-type sensor can be used to measure the opening of the accelerator or brake pedal, an acceleration sensor can be used to measure the vehicle's acceleration, and an inclination sensor can be used to measure the gradient of the vehicle on a slope. The above examples are merely illustrative of this disclosure and not intended to limit its specific application.

[0033] This method utilizes a control mode selected from multiple control modes of the shift actuator to perform the shift operation, enabling different operating modes to handle different driving conditions, thereby improving the control quality of the shift actuator and enhancing the user's driving experience.

[0034] The above combination Figure 1 Example environments in which some embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented are described below. Figure 2 A schematic diagram illustrating an example method for controlling a device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 2 The method shown can be used in Figure 1 Execute in the environment shown or any suitable environment, such as by Figure 1 The controller 106 or any suitable computing device in the system can be used to execute this.

[0035] like Figure 2As shown in process 200, at block 202, in response to the vehicle performing a gear shift operation, controller 106 determines (202) a target control mode for controlling gear shift actuator 104 from multiple control modes for vehicle 100, where the multiple control modes correspond to multiple different shift duration ranges. To perform a reasonable gear shift operation based on the vehicle's current driving conditions, multiple control modes for controlling gear shift actuator 104 are provided in vehicle 100. Controller 106 can select a suitable control mode from the multiple control modes to control gear shift actuator 104 to perform a suitable gear shift operation.

[0036] In some embodiments, when the controller 106 of the vehicle 100 determines the target control mode to be used by the shift actuator 104, the controller 106 may first acquire a set of driving parameters of the vehicle 100. Then, based on this set of driving parameters, the controller 106 determines the target control mode for controlling the shift actuator 104 from multiple control modes. In some embodiments, the set of driving parameters may include at least one of the following: driving mode, accelerator pedal opening, slope of the ramp where the vehicle is located, vehicle weight, or brake pedal opening. For example, the set of driving parameters may only include the driving mode and accelerator pedal opening, or the set of driving parameters may only include the driving mode and slope of the ramp where the vehicle is located, or the set of driving parameters may include the driving mode, accelerator pedal opening, slope of the ramp where the vehicle is located, vehicle weight, and brake pedal opening. The above examples are merely for describing this disclosure and are not intended to specifically limit this disclosure. The set of driving parameters may include any suitable parameters and any number of suitable parameters. Additionally, the above driving parameters may also be referred to as driving conditions.

[0037] In some embodiments, a portion of the driving parameters are received from Controller Area Network (CAN) messages from the Vehicle Control Unit (VCU). Examples include driving mode, accelerator pedal opening, and brake pedal opening. These parameters are obtained by the VCU from sensors or determined based on certain information. Another portion is obtained by controller 106 processing data from sensors, such as the vehicle's weight and the gradient of the slope the vehicle is on. The above examples are merely illustrative of the present disclosure and not intended to limit its specific application. Controller 106 may acquire driving parameters in any suitable manner.

[0038] In some embodiments, the multiple control modes of the gear shift actuator of the ground vehicle 100 include three control modes. One of the control modes is a fast control mode. In this fast control mode, the control strategy is to quickly execute the gear shifting actions while balancing noise impact with the shifting and disengaging time, thus shortening the power interruption time during shifting and disengaging. Therefore, the collision noise generated between the gears during the shifting and disengaging operations is relatively large, and a certain degree of noise impact needs to be tolerated. For ease of description, the fast control mode can also be referred to as the first control mode. For example, in the first control mode, the shifting time is 100-200ms.

[0039] The second control mode is the general control mode. In this mode, the control strategy balances shift noise impact with the duration of shifting (engaging and disengaging gears), employing normal shifting operations. Therefore, the general control mode has a second shifting duration range typical of vehicles, with the duration within this range exceeding that of the first shifting duration range. For ease of description, the general control mode can also be referred to as the second control mode. For example, in the second control mode, the shifting duration is 250-300 ms.

[0040] The third control mode is the gentle control mode. In this mode, while balancing noise impact with the shifting time, the control strategy focuses on reducing shift noise impact by appropriately extending the shifting time. Because the shifting time is extended, it results in a longer shifting time range, specifically a third range. This third shifting time range is longer than the second shifting time range. For ease of description, the gentle control mode can also be referred to as the third control mode. For example, in the third control mode, the shifting time is 350-450ms.

[0041] In some embodiments, the multiple control modes may include two control modes, such as the first and second control modes described above, or the first and third control modes described above. The examples above are merely illustrative of this disclosure and not intended to limit its specific scope. The multiple control modes may include any suitable number of control modes, such as four or five control modes.

[0042] In some embodiments, when determining a target control mode for controlling the shift actuator from a plurality of control modes, the controller 106 can determine a control mode corresponding to each driving parameter in a set of driving parameters. For example, when a set of driving parameters includes driving mode, accelerator pedal opening, slope of the hill the vehicle is on, vehicle weight, and brake pedal opening, a control mode for the shift actuator can be determined for each driving parameter. This process can be described below. Figures 3-9 The description.

[0043] Then, the controller 106 selects a target control mode from a set of control modes corresponding to a set of driving parameters. For example, multiple control modes can be assigned different priorities. Therefore, each control mode has a corresponding priority. For example, when multiple control modes include the first, second, and third control modes described above, the first control mode can be assigned the highest priority, also known as the first priority; the second control mode is assigned a general priority, also known as the second priority; and the third control mode is assigned the lowest priority, also known as the third priority. The first priority is greater than the second priority, and the second priority is greater than the third priority. The above examples are only for describing this disclosure and are not intended to specifically limit this disclosure. When multiple control modes include different numbers of control modes, different levels of priority can be assigned as needed. Then, the controller 106 can select the control mode with the highest priority from a set of control modes as the target control mode. Since there is a corresponding control mode for each driving parameter, a set of control parameters can have a corresponding set of control modes. Then, the controller 106 can select the control mode with the highest priority from this set of control modes to perform the corresponding gear shifting operation.

[0044] In some embodiments, the controller 106 may utilize instructions from a user to determine a target control mode for controlling the shift actuator 104 from a plurality of control modes of the vehicle's shift actuator 104. The above examples are merely illustrative of this disclosure and not intended to limit its specific application.

[0045] At block 204, based on the target control mode, controller 106 controls shift actuator 104 to perform a shift operation. After determining the target control mode to be used for shift actuator 104, controller 106 can use that control mode to control shift actuator 104.

[0046] In some embodiments, when controlling the shift actuator 104 to perform a shifting operation, the controller 106 can determine the target speed of the motor used to move the shift fork in the shift actuator according to the target control mode. Since the shifting operation is mainly achieved by controlling the motor that moves the shift fork, a suitable target speed for the motor can be determined for each control mode. The motor is then controlled to complete the shifting operation using this target speed. In one example, the controller 106 controls the motor to reach that speed by directly inputting the motor speed to the motor. For example, different control modes may have corresponding motor speeds predetermined. Therefore, after determining the control mode for the shift actuator 104, the controller 106 can directly determine the speed of the motor used to control the shift fork. Alternatively, the controller 106 can adjust the motor speed to the target speed by controlling the motor current or duty cycle.

[0047] In some embodiments, after determining a target control mode, the controller can determine the magnitude of the input current to the motor based on the target control mode, thereby controlling the motor to perform gear shifting operations. In some embodiments, after determining the target control mode, the controller can determine the duty cycle for controlling the motor based on the target control mode. Then, the controller 106 controls the motor to perform gear shifting operations by controlling the motor's duty cycle.

[0048] This method allows the controller to acquire driving parameters or driving conditions, and then select one of the multiple control modes of the shift actuator to perform the shift operation. This enables the controller to proactively use different control modes to handle different driving conditions, thereby improving the control quality of the shift actuator and enhancing the user's driving experience.

[0049] The above combination Figure 2 Schematic diagrams of example methods for controlling a vehicle according to some embodiments of the present disclosure are described below. Figures 3 to 9 Examples describing multiple deterministic control modes. Among them, Figure 3 The illustration shows a schematic diagram of an example of a fast control mode for a shift actuator according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0050] In Example 300, in box 302, the driving mode is identified as Sport mode. This corresponds to the quick control mode shown in box 304, i.e., the first control mode. In box 306, the accelerator pedal opening is greater than or equal to the first threshold opening C0. This corresponds to the quick control mode shown in box 308. In box 310, the slope of the ramp where vehicle 100 is located is greater than or equal to the first threshold slope S0. This corresponds to the quick control mode shown in box 312. In box 314, the mass of vehicle 100 is greater than or equal to the first threshold weight M0. This corresponds to the quick control mode shown in box 316. Therefore, when the driving parameters meet the above conditions, the control mode for the shift actuator is always quick control mode. In this mode, when balancing noise 318 with the shifting and disengaging time 320, the shifting and disengaging time 320 takes priority over noise 318. Therefore, in this mode, the shifting and disengaging times are shorter, allowing for quick gear shifting, but the noise level is relatively high during this process.

[0051] Figure 4 The illustration shows an example process of a general control mode for a shift actuator according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In example 400, in block 402, the driving mode is identified as normal mode. This corresponds to the general control mode shown in block 404, i.e., the second control mode. In block 406, the accelerator pedal opening is less than a first threshold opening C0 and greater than or equal to a second threshold opening C1, where the second threshold opening is less than the first threshold opening. This corresponds to the general control mode shown in block 408. In block 410, the slope of the incline where the vehicle is located is less than a first threshold slope S0 and greater than or equal to a second threshold slope S1, where the first threshold slope S0 is greater than the second threshold slope S1. This corresponds to the general control mode shown in block 412. In block 414, the vehicle mass is less than a first threshold weight M0 and greater than or equal to a second threshold weight M1. This corresponds to the general control mode shown in block 416. Therefore, when the driving parameters meet the above conditions, the control mode for the shift actuator is always the general control mode. In this mode, when balancing noise 418 with the shifting and disengaging time 420, the shifting and disengaging time 420 has the same priority as noise 318. Therefore, in this mode, the shifting and disengaging times are appropriate, allowing the gear shifting operation to be completed in a reasonable time, and the noise level during this process is also appropriate.

[0052] Figure 5The illustration shows an example process of a gentle control mode for a shift actuator according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In example 500, in block 502, the driving mode is identified as economy mode. This corresponds to the gentle control mode shown in block 504, i.e., the third control mode. In block 506, the accelerator pedal opening is less than the second threshold opening C1. This corresponds to the gentle control mode shown in block 508. In block 510, the slope of the incline where the vehicle is located is less than the second threshold slope S1. This corresponds to the gentle control mode shown in block 512. In block 514, the opening of the vehicle's brake pedal is greater than or equal to the threshold opening B0. For ease of description, this threshold opening B0 can also be referred to as the third threshold opening. This corresponds to the gentle control mode shown in block 516. Therefore, when the driving parameters meet the above conditions, the control mode for the shift actuator is always a gentle control mode. In this mode, when balancing noise 518 with the shifting and disengaging time 520, the shifting and disengaging time 520 has a lower priority than noise 318. Therefore, in this mode, the shifting and disengaging time is appropriately extended, and the noise is relatively low during this process.

[0053] Figure 6 The illustration shows an example process for determining a control mode based on a driving mode according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 6 Examples can be derived from Figure 1 The controller 106 or any suitable computing device in the system can be used to execute this.

[0054] In Example 600, the driving parameter is the driving mode. Controller 106 can determine the corresponding control mode for the shift actuator 104 based on the different driving modes. At block 602, controller 106 first acquires the vehicle's driving mode. Then, at block 604, controller 106 determines whether the driving mode is Sport mode. If it is Sport mode, at block 610, the control mode is determined to be Fast control mode, also known as the first control mode. At block 606, controller 106 determines whether the driving mode is Normal mode. If it is Normal mode, at block 612, controller 106 determines the control mode to be Normal control mode, also known as the second control mode. At block 608, controller 106 determines whether the driving mode is Eco mode. If it is Eco mode, at block 614, the control mode is determined to be Gentle control mode, also known as the third control mode. During the above process, if the determination is negative, other operations are performed or no operation is performed. Additionally, the above determination processes are executed in parallel, thereby speeding up the determination process.

[0055] Figure 7 The illustration shows a schematic diagram of an example process for determining a control mode based on the accelerator pedal opening according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 7 Examples can be derived from Figure 1 The controller 106 or any suitable computing device can be used to execute this. In Example 700, the driving parameter is the accelerator pedal opening, and the controller 106 can determine the control mode for the shift actuator 104 corresponding to the different accelerator pedal openings.

[0056] At box 702, the accelerator pedal opening of vehicle 100 is first acquired. Then, at box 704, controller 106 determines whether the accelerator pedal opening is greater than or equal to a first threshold opening C0. If the accelerator pedal opening is greater than or equal to C0, then at box 710, the control mode is determined to be the fast control mode, also known as the first control mode. At box 706, controller 106 determines whether the accelerator pedal opening is less than the first threshold opening C0 and greater than or equal to a second threshold opening C1. If the accelerator pedal opening is less than the first threshold opening C0 and greater than or equal to the second threshold opening C1, then at box 712, controller 106 determines the control mode to be the normal control mode, also known as the second control mode. At box 708, it is determined whether the accelerator pedal opening is less than the second threshold opening C1. If the accelerator pedal opening is less than the second threshold opening C1, then at box 714, the control mode is determined to be the gentle control mode, also known as the third control mode. In the above process, if the determination is negative, other operations are performed or no operation is performed. Additionally, the above determination process is executed in parallel, which can speed up the determination process.

[0057] Figure 8 The illustration shows an example process for determining a control mode based on the slope of the ramp where the vehicle is located, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 8 Examples can be derived from Figure 1 The controller 106 or any suitable computing device can be used to execute this. In Example 800, the driving parameter is the slope of the ramp where the vehicle is located, and the controller 106 determines the control mode for the shift actuator corresponding to the slope of the ramp where the vehicle is located based on the slope of the ramp where the vehicle is located.

[0058] At box 802, the slope of the ramp where vehicle 100 is located is first obtained. Then, at box 804, controller 106 determines that the slope of the ramp where vehicle 100 is located is greater than or equal to a first threshold slope S0. If the slope of the ramp where vehicle 100 is located is greater than or equal to the first threshold slope S0, then at box 810, the control mode is determined to be the fast control mode, also known as the first control mode. At box 806, controller 106 determines whether the slope of the ramp where vehicle 100 is located is less than the first threshold slope S0 or greater than or equal to a second threshold slope S1. If the slope of the ramp where vehicle 100 is located is less than the first threshold slope S0 or greater than or equal to the second threshold slope S1, then at box 812, controller 106 determines the control mode to be the normal control mode, also known as the second control mode. At box 808, it is determined whether the slope of the ramp where vehicle 100 is located is less than the second threshold slope S1. If the slope of the ramp where vehicle 100 is located is less than the second threshold slope S1, then at box 814, the control mode is determined to be the gentle control mode, i.e., the third control mode. During the above process, if the decision is negative, other operations are performed or no operation is performed. Additionally, the above decision process is executed in parallel, thereby speeding up the decision-making process.

[0059] Figure 9 The illustration shows an example process for determining a control mode based on the brake pedal opening and the weight of the vehicle according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 9 Examples can be derived from Figure 1 The controller 106 or any suitable computing device can execute the operation. The driving parameters are the vehicle's weight or brake pedal opening, and the controller 106 determines the corresponding control mode for the shift actuator based on the vehicle's weight or brake pedal opening.

[0060] In Example 900, at box 902, controller 106 first acquires the weight of vehicle 100. Then, at box 904, controller 106 determines whether the weight of the vehicle is greater than or equal to a first threshold weight M0. If the weight of the vehicle is greater than or equal to the first threshold weight M0, then at box 908, the control mode is determined to be a fast control mode, also known as the first control mode. At box 906, controller 106 determines whether the weight of vehicle 100 is less than the first threshold weight M0 and greater than or equal to a second threshold weight M1. If the weight of vehicle 100 is less than the first threshold weight M0 and greater than or equal to the second threshold weight M1, then at box 910, controller 106 determines the control mode to be a normal control mode, also known as the second control mode. At box 912, controller 106 can acquire the brake pedal opening. Then, at box 914, controller 106 determines whether the brake pedal opening is greater than or equal to a third threshold opening B0. If the brake pedal opening is greater than or equal to the third threshold opening B0, then at box 916, the control mode is determined to be the gentle control mode, i.e., the third control mode. During the above process, if the decision is not made during the determination process, other operations are performed or no operation is performed. Additionally, the above determination process is executed in parallel, thereby speeding up the determination process.

[0061] The following describes an example of controlling gear shifting using driving parameters. In the normal driving mode of an electric heavy-duty truck, upshifting is triggered when the vehicle speed increases on the road. In this case, the electric heavy-duty truck first disengages the original gear and then engages the new target gear, resulting in a power interruption time T0. In the sport driving mode of a new energy heavy-duty truck, upshifting is triggered when the vehicle speed increases on the road. In this case, the electric heavy-duty truck first disengages the original gear and then engages the new target gear, resulting in a power interruption time T1. Because different shift actuator control modes are used for different driving modes, the power interruption time T1 is significantly shorter than the power interruption time T0.

[0062] When a new energy heavy-duty truck starts moving, lightly pressing the accelerator pedal (15%) increases the vehicle speed. When shifting from 1st to 2nd gear, the shift actuator first disengages 1st gear and then engages 2nd gear, resulting in a power interruption time T3. When the same truck starts moving, pressing the accelerator pedal (65%) increases the vehicle speed. When shifting from 1st to 2nd gear, the shift actuator first disengages 1st gear and then engages 2nd gear, resulting in a power interruption time T4. Because different accelerator pedal or throttle openings allow for different shift actuator control modes, the power interruption time T4 is significantly shorter than the power interruption time T3.

[0063] Figure 10A schematic diagram of a device for controlling a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is further shown. The device 1000 can be applied to a controller 106, which may include multiple modules for performing functions such as... Figure 2 The corresponding steps in method 200 discussed herein. For example... Figure 10 As shown, the device 1000 includes a target control mode determination module 1002, configured to determine a target control mode for controlling the shift actuator from a plurality of control modes for the shift actuator of the vehicle in response to the vehicle performing a shift operation, the plurality of control modes corresponding to a plurality of different shift duration ranges; and a shift operation execution module 1004, configured to control the shift actuator to perform a shift operation based on the target control mode.

[0064] In some embodiments, the target control mode determination module 1002 includes: a driving parameter acquisition module configured to acquire a set of driving parameters of the vehicle; and a mode determination module configured to determine a target control mode for controlling the shift actuator from a plurality of control modes based on the set of driving parameters.

[0065] In some embodiments, the mode determination module includes: a control mode determination module configured to determine a control mode corresponding to a driving parameter from a plurality of control modes for each driving parameter in a set of driving parameters; and a mode selection module configured to select a target control mode from a set of control modes corresponding to a set of driving parameters, the set of control modes including control modes.

[0066] In some embodiments, multiple control modes are assigned different priorities, and the mode selection module includes: a first selection module configured to select the control mode with the highest priority from a set of control modes as the target control mode.

[0067] In some embodiments, a set of driving parameters includes at least one of the following: driving mode, accelerator pedal opening, slope of the ramp on which the vehicle is located, vehicle weight, or brake pedal opening.

[0068] In some embodiments, the plurality of control modes include a first control mode having a first shift duration range, a second control mode having a second shift duration range, and a third control mode having a third shift duration range, wherein the duration within the first shift duration range is less than the duration within the second shift duration range, and the duration within the second shift duration range is less than the duration within the third shift duration range.

[0069] In some embodiments, the driving parameter is a driving mode, and the control mode determining module includes: a control mode determining module for a sport mode, configured to determine a first control mode as a control mode corresponding to the driving mode in response to the driving mode being a sport mode; a control mode determining module for a normal mode, configured to determine a second control mode as a control mode corresponding to the driving mode in response to the driving mode being a normal mode; and a control mode determining module for an economy mode, configured to determine a third control mode as a control mode corresponding to the driving mode in response to the driving mode being an economy mode.

[0070] In some embodiments, the driving parameter is the accelerator pedal opening, and the control mode determining module includes: a first pedal opening mode determining module configured to determine a first control mode as a control mode corresponding to the accelerator pedal opening in response to the accelerator pedal opening being greater than or equal to a first threshold opening; a second pedal opening mode determining module configured to determine a second control mode as a control mode corresponding to the accelerator pedal opening in response to the accelerator pedal opening being less than the first threshold opening and greater than or equal to a second threshold opening; and a third pedal opening mode determining module configured to determine a third control mode as a control mode corresponding to the accelerator pedal opening in response to the accelerator pedal opening being less than the second threshold opening.

[0071] In some embodiments, the driving parameter is the slope of the ramp where the vehicle is located, and the control mode determination module includes: a first slope control mode determination module configured to determine a first control mode as a control mode corresponding to the slope in response to the slope of the ramp where the vehicle is located being greater than or equal to a first threshold slope; a second slope control mode determination module configured to determine a second control mode as a control mode corresponding to the slope in response to the slope of the ramp where the vehicle is located being less than the first threshold slope and greater than or equal to a second threshold slope; and a third slope control mode determination module configured to determine a third control mode as a control mode corresponding to the slope in response to the slope of the ramp where the vehicle is located being less than the second threshold slope.

[0072] In some embodiments, the driving parameter is the vehicle weight or brake pedal opening, and the control mode determination module includes: a first weight control module determination module configured to determine a first control mode corresponding to the vehicle weight in response to the vehicle weight being greater than or equal to a first threshold weight; a second weight control module determination module configured to determine a second control mode corresponding to the vehicle weight in response to the vehicle weight being less than the first threshold weight and greater than or equal to the second threshold weight; and a fourth pedal opening mode determination module configured to determine a third control mode corresponding to the brake pedal opening in response to the brake pedal opening being greater than or equal to a third threshold opening.

[0073] In some embodiments, the shift operation execution module 1004 includes: a target speed determination module, configured to determine the target speed of the motor used to move the shift fork in the shift actuator based on a target control mode; and a shift operation control module, configured to control the motor to complete the shift operation based on the target speed.

[0074] Figure 11 A schematic block diagram of an example device 1100 that can be used to implement embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 1 The controller 106 can be implemented using device 1100. As shown, device 1100 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 1101, which can perform various appropriate actions and processes based on computer program instructions loaded into random access memory (RAM) 1103 according to computer program instructions stored in read-only memory (ROM) 1102. Various programs and data required for the operation of device 1100 can also be stored in RAM 1103. The processor 1101, ROM 1102, and RAM 1103 are interconnected via bus 1104. Input / output (I / O) interface 1105 is also connected to bus 704.

[0075] The various processes and procedures described above, such as method 200, can be executed by processor 1101. For example, in some embodiments, method 200 may be implemented as a computer software program tangibly contained in a machine-readable medium. In some embodiments, part or all of the computer program may be loaded and / or installed on device 1100 via ROM 1102. When the computer program is loaded into RAM 1103 and executed by processor 1101, one or more actions of method 200 described above may be performed.

[0076] This disclosure can be a method, apparatus, system, and / or computer program product. A computer program product may include a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program instructions loaded thereon for performing various aspects of this disclosure.

[0077] Computer-readable storage media can be tangible devices capable of holding and storing instructions for use by an instruction execution device. Computer-readable storage media can be, for example—but not limited to—electrical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, optical storage devices, electromagnetic storage devices, semiconductor storage devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of computer-readable storage media include: portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), static random access memory (SRAM), portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital multifunction disc (DVD), memory sticks, floppy disks, mechanical encoding devices, such as punch cards or recessed protrusions storing instructions thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. The computer-readable storage media used herein are not to be construed as transient signals themselves, such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagating through waveguides or other transmission media (e.g., light pulses through fiber optic cables), or electrical signals transmitted through wires.

[0078] The computer-readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded from computer-readable storage media to various computing / processing devices, or downloaded via a network, such as the Internet, local area network, wide area network, and / or wireless network, to an external computer or external storage device. The network may include copper transmission cables, fiber optic transmission, wireless transmission, 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 them to the computer-readable storage media in the respective computing / processing device.

[0079] Computer program instructions used to perform the operations of this disclosure may be assembly instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, status 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 execute entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as a standalone software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In cases involving a remote computer, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer via any type of network—including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN)—or may be connected to an external computer (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet service provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuitry, such as programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or programmable logic arrays (PLAs), is personalized by utilizing the status information of the computer-readable program instructions to implement various aspects of this disclosure.

[0080] Various aspects of this disclosure are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of this disclosure. It should be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer-readable program instructions.

[0081] 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 executed by the processing unit of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, they create means for implementing the functions / actions 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 that causes a computer, programmable data processing apparatus, and / or other device to operate in a particular manner. Thus, the computer-readable medium storing the instructions comprises an article of manufacture that includes instructions for implementing aspects of the functions / actions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0082] Computer-readable program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby causing the instructions executed on the computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to perform the functions / actions specified in one or more boxes of a flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0083] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings 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 a flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment, or portion of an instruction containing one or more executable instructions for implementing a specified logical function. In some alternative implementations, the functions marked in the blocks may occur in a different order than those shown in the drawings. For example, two consecutive blocks may actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each block in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, may be implemented using a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified function or action, or using a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0084] The various embodiments of this disclosure have been described above. These descriptions are exemplary and not exhaustive, and are not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein is chosen to best explain the principles, practical applications, or technical improvements to the technology in the market, or to enable others skilled in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method (200) for controlling a vehicle, comprising: In response to the vehicle performing a gear shift operation, a target control mode for controlling the gear shift actuator is determined (202) from a plurality of control modes for the gear shift actuator of the vehicle, the plurality of control modes corresponding to a plurality of different gear shift duration ranges; and Based on the target control mode, the shift actuator (204) is controlled to perform the shift operation.

2. The method (200) of claim 1, wherein determining a target control mode for controlling the shift actuator from a plurality of control modes for the shift actuator of the vehicle comprises: Obtain a set of driving parameters for the vehicle; as well as Based on the set of driving parameters, a target control mode for controlling the shift actuator is determined from the plurality of control modes.

3. The method (200) according to claim 2, wherein determining the target control mode for controlling the shift actuator from the plurality of control modes comprises: For each driving parameter in the set of driving parameters, a control mode corresponding to the driving parameter is determined from the plurality of control modes; as well as The target control mode is selected from a set of control modes corresponding to the set of driving parameters, wherein the set of control modes includes the target control mode.

4. The method (200) according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of control modes are assigned different priorities, and selecting the target control mode from a set of control modes corresponding to the set of driving parameters comprises: Select the control mode with the highest priority from the set of control modes as the target control mode.

5. The method (200) according to claim 4, wherein the set of driving parameters includes at least one of the following: driving mode, accelerator pedal opening, slope of the ramp on which the vehicle is located, weight of the vehicle, or brake pedal opening.

6. The method (200) according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of control modes include a first control mode having a first shift duration range, a second control mode having a second shift duration range, and a third control mode having a third shift duration range, wherein the duration in the first shift duration range is less than the duration in the second shift duration range, and the duration in the second shift duration range is less than the duration in the third shift duration range.

7. The method (200) of claim 6, wherein the driving parameter is the driving mode, and determining a control mode corresponding to the driving parameter from the plurality of control modes comprises: In response to the driving mode being Sport mode, the first control mode is determined as the control mode corresponding to the driving mode; In response to the driving mode being a normal mode, the second control mode is determined to be the control mode corresponding to the driving mode; as well as In response to the driving mode being the economy mode, the third control mode is determined to be the control mode corresponding to the driving mode.

8. The method (200) of claim 6, wherein the driving parameter is an accelerator pedal opening, and determining a control mode corresponding to the driving parameter from the plurality of control modes comprises: In response to the accelerator pedal opening being greater than or equal to a first threshold opening, the first control mode is determined to be a control mode corresponding to the accelerator pedal opening; In response to the accelerator pedal opening being less than the first threshold opening and greater than or equal to the second threshold opening, the second control mode is determined to be the control mode corresponding to the accelerator pedal opening; as well as In response to the accelerator pedal opening being less than the second threshold opening, the third control mode is determined to be a control mode corresponding to the accelerator pedal opening.

9. The method (200) of claim 6, wherein the driving parameter is the gradient of the ramp on which the vehicle is located, and determining a control mode corresponding to the driving parameter from the plurality of control modes comprises: In response to the slope of the ramp where the vehicle is located being greater than or equal to a first threshold slope, the first control mode is determined to be a control mode corresponding to the slope. In response to the fact that the slope of the ramp where the vehicle is located is less than the first threshold slope and greater than or equal to the second threshold slope, the second control mode is determined to be the control mode corresponding to the slope; as well as In response to the slope of the ramp where the vehicle is located being less than the second threshold slope, the third control mode is determined to be a control mode corresponding to the slope.

10. The method (200) of claim 6, wherein the driving parameter is the weight of the vehicle or the brake pedal opening, and determining a control mode corresponding to the driving parameter from the plurality of control modes comprises: In response to the vehicle's weight being greater than or equal to a first threshold weight, the first control mode is determined to be a control mode corresponding to the vehicle's weight. In response to the vehicle's weight being less than the first threshold weight and greater than or equal to the second threshold weight, the second control mode is determined to be a control mode corresponding to the vehicle's weight. as well as In response to the brake pedal opening being greater than or equal to a third threshold opening, the third control mode is determined to be a control mode corresponding to the brake pedal opening.

11. The method (200) of claim 1, wherein controlling the shift actuator to perform the shift operation comprises: Based on the target control mode, the target speed of the motor used to move the shift fork in the shift actuator is determined; as well as Based on the target speed, the motor is controlled to complete the gear shifting operation.

12. A device (1000) for controlling a vehicle, comprising: The target control mode determination module (1002) is configured to determine a target control mode for controlling the shift actuator from a plurality of control modes for the shift actuator of the vehicle in response to the vehicle performing a shift operation, the plurality of control modes corresponding to a plurality of different shift duration ranges; as well as The shift operation execution module (1004) is configured to control the shift actuator to perform the shift operation based on the target control mode.

13. A controller (1100), comprising: At least one processor; as well as A memory coupled to the at least one processor and having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the controller to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-11.

14. A vehicle comprising a shift actuator and a controller according to claim 13.

15. A machine program product comprising machine executable instructions, wherein the machine executable instructions are executed by a processor to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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