US 11,834,050 B2
System and method for predictive pre-warming control of hybrid electric vehicles (HEV)
Ragesh R, Bangalore (IN); Shin Yamauchi, Bangalore (IN); Kengo Kumano, Tokyo (JP); and Kazuhiro Oryoji, Tokyo (JP)
Assigned to Hitachi Astemo, Ltd., Hitachinaka (JP)
Appl. No. 17/426,207
Filed by Hitachi Astemo, Ltd., Hitachinaka (JP)
PCT Filed Feb. 27, 2020, PCT No. PCT/JP2020/008138
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jul. 28, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/175641, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 3, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 201941007781 (IN), filed on Feb. 28, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0097712 A1, Mar. 31, 2022
Int. Cl. B60W 30/194 (2012.01); B60W 20/16 (2016.01); F02N 11/08 (2006.01); F02N 19/02 (2010.01)
CPC B60W 30/194 (2013.01) [B60W 20/16 (2016.01); F02N 11/0848 (2013.01); F02N 19/02 (2013.01); B60W 2510/0676 (2013.01); B60W 2510/244 (2013.01); B60W 2510/246 (2013.01); B60W 2510/305 (2013.01); B60W 2520/10 (2013.01); F02N 2200/023 (2013.01); F02N 2200/061 (2013.01); F02N 2200/0801 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for controlling a pre-warming process of an engine of a Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV), the method comprising:
initiating, by a control unit associated with the HEV, the pre-warming process of the engine at a first time;
determining, by the control unit, a start-up time of the engine based on at least one of State of Charge (SOC) of a power source, energy consumption by a drive motor of the HEV, energy discharged by the power source, electric range of the vehicle and speed of the vehicle obtained over a plurality of first predefined time intervals, wherein the start-up time of the engine is determined at a second time, wherein
determining the start-up time of the engine comprises
determining the SOC of the power source at each of the plurality of first predefined time intervals for a predefined time frame,
identifying a slope value of the SOC at each of the plurality of first predefined time intervals,
identifying a plurality of SOC slope samples with negative slope value and zero slope value from the slope value of the SOC at each of the plurality of first predefined time intervals,
identifying a minimum SOC slope and an average SOC slope from the plurality of SOC slope samples, wherein the minimum SOC slope is the SOC slope sample with minimum value among the plurality of SOC slope samples and average SOC slope is based on average value of the plurality of SOC slope samples,
calculating a weighted average of the minimum SOC slope and the average SOC slope based on the minimum SOC slope, the average SOC slope and a predefined weightage value associated with the minimum SOC slope and the average SOC slope respectively, and
determining the start-up time of the engine based on the weighted average of the minimum SOC slope and the average SOC slope, a current value of SOC of the power source and a minimum value of SOC of the power source among the SOC of the power source at each of the plurality of first predefined time intervals in the predefined time frame;
determining, by the control unit, an engine heating time for the engine based on one or more predefined parameters;
discontinuing, by the control unit, the pre-warming process of the engine at a third time when the determined start-up time of the engine is greater than the engine heating time;
restarting, by the control unit, the pre-warming process of the engine at a fourth time when the determined start-up time of the engine is less than the engine heating time and when the pre-warming process of the engine is discontinued; and
performing, by the control unit, the process of determining the start-up time of the engine, determining the engine heating time, discontinuing the pre-warming process and restarting the pre-warming process over second predefined time intervals thereby controlling the pre-warming process of the engine.