Platooning Controller Engine Interface Torque Coordination
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Solution Overview
Problem
The interface between autonomous controllers and engine controllers in vehicle platooning systems often leads to unintended consequences, such as communication disruptions between engine and transmission controllers, impacting fuel efficiency and shifting operations.
Innovation Solution
The development of unique interfaces and systems that allow an autonomous platooning controller to communicate effectively with an engine controller through torque/speed control messages, enabling coordinated vehicle operation by adjusting torque limits and cruise control settings to maintain a specified following distance, thereby overriding traditional engine control commands.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If an autonomous controller provides torque commands to the engine controller to maintain a specified following distance, then fuel economy is improved through reduced aerodynamic losses, but communication disruptions occur between the engine controller and transmission controller
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a communication intermediary layer that mediates between the autonomous controller and the engine controller. This intermediary ensures that torque commands are transmitted reliably without disrupting the existing communication protocols between the engine controller and transmission controller, thus maintaining both fuel efficiency improvements and system reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system is segmented into distinct functional modules: the autonomous controller for high-level decision making, the engine controller for torque management, and the transmission controller for gear selection. This segmentation allows each module to operate independently with well-defined interfaces, preventing communication disruptions while enabling the autonomous controller to optimize fuel economy through coordinated torque commands.
2Loss of energy
If the autonomous controller overrides traditional engine control commands to achieve coordinated operation, then fuel efficiency is improved, but the interface complexity between controllers increases
Solution Approach 1:
The autonomous controller is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a cruise control system and a platooning controller. By universalizing the controller's functions, the patent reduces the need for separate dedicated controllers, thereby managing interface complexity while maintaining the ability to override traditional engine commands for improved fuel efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The control interface is designed to be dynamic, allowing the autonomous controller to adaptively override traditional engine commands based on real-time platoon conditions. This dynamic interface manages complexity by only activating override functions when necessary for fuel efficiency, rather than maintaining constant complex interactions between controllers.
3Loss of energy
If torque limits are adjusted to maintain specified following distance in vehicle platoons, then aerodynamic losses are reduced, but transmission shifting operations may be impacted
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the autonomous controller continuously monitors both the following distance and transmission shifting status. When torque limits are adjusted to reduce aerodynamic losses, the feedback loop ensures that transmission shifting operations are detected and accommodated, preventing disruptions to ease of operation while maintaining energy efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by predicting transmission shifting events based on current operating conditions. Before a shift occurs, the autonomous controller pre-adjusts torque commands to anticipate the transmission's response, preventing disruptions to shifting operations while maintaining the specified following distance and reducing aerodynamic losses.
Data Source
AI summary
A control system for a vehicle includes an engine controller operable to determine a requested engine torque in response to a cruise control set command and a cruise control offset value, determine an engine torque command in response to the requested engine torque and a torque limit, and control operation of an engine in response to the engine torque command. The control system also includes a platooning controller operable to determine and provide to the engine controller the cruise control set command, the cruise control offset value and the torque limit effective to cause the engine controller to control the engine to provide a desired following distance between the vehicle and a second vehicle.