JP2024517850A - Method for controlling the operation of an electric drive motor for an electric motorcycle, a control device, and a motorcycle system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for controlling the operation of an electric drive motor (104) for an electric motorcycle (102), comprising the steps of: receiving a displacement value (108) indicative of a current displacement of a throttle grip (109) of the electric motorcycle (102) and a speed value (112, 120, 122) indicative of a current speed of the electric motorcycle (102); partitioning a displacement value range with possible displacement values for the throttle grip (109) into a regenerative region and a drive region, the partition being determined by the speed values (112, 120, 122) and an allocation rule for each different speed value (112, 120, 122); and an allocation rule for allocating different sections of the displacement value range to a regeneration region and a driving region, respectively; determining a torque target value as a function of the displacement value (108), and when the displacement value (108) is within the driving region, determining a driving moment value as the torque target value, and when the displacement value (108) is within the regeneration region, determining a regenerative moment value as the torque target value; and generating a control signal (115) for operating an electric drive motor (104) based on the torque target value.

Description

The present invention relates to a method for controlling the operation of an electric drive motor for an electric motorcycle. The present invention further relates to a control device, a computer program and a computer-readable medium for implementing such a method, and a motorcycle system equipped with such a control device.

Modern motorcycles may be equipped with anti-lock systems which monitor the circumferential wheel speed of one or more of the motorcycle's wheels and adjust hydraulic brake pressure in response to the wheel circumferential speed.

In addition, there are brake pressure-based combination brake functions for motorcycles, which can automatically match the front and rear wheel speeds to each other during heavy braking.

In the case of electric motorcycles equipped with an electric drive motor, the throttle grip can be used both for accelerating the electric motorcycle and for additional braking. For example, the electric drive motor can generate a regenerative moment when the throttle grip is in its initial position. The regenerative moment is usually not adjustable by the rider or can only be adjusted to a very limited extent.

Against this background, the approach presented here provides a method for controlling the operation of an electric drive motor for an electric motorcycle according to the independent claims, a corresponding control device, a corresponding motorcycle system, a corresponding computer program and a corresponding computer-readable medium. Advantageous developments and improvements of the approach presented here can be seen from the description and are described in the dependent claims.

The embodiments of the invention allow for easy and comfortable control of the electric motorcycle. In particular, it is possible that the throttle grip of the electric motorcycle can be used not only for targeted acceleration of the electric motorcycle, but also for targeted braking, possibly even to a standstill. An electric braking function of this kind can be designed in such a way that the electric motorcycle can be braked reliably and comfortably without having to operate the hydraulic brake device. In addition, the realization of one or more driver assistance functions that increase driving safety, driving comfort and/or energy efficiency is made possible solely by controlling the operation of the electric drive motor, without the need for retrofitting additional hardware components for this purpose.

A first aspect of the present invention relates to a method for controlling the operation of an electric drive motor for an electric motorcycle, the method being implemented in a computer. The method includes at least the following steps: receiving a displacement value, provided by a throttle grip sensor, indicative of a current displacement of a throttle grip of the electric motorcycle, and a speed value, provided by a speed sensor, indicative of a current speed of the electric motorcycle; dividing a displacement value range with possible displacement values for the throttle grip into a regeneration region and a driving region, the division being performed by using the speed value and an allocation rule, which assigns different speed values to different divisions of the displacement value range into the regeneration region and the driving region, respectively; determining a torque target value as a function of the displacement value, and determining a driving moment value as the torque target value when the displacement value is in the driving region and determining a regeneration moment value as the torque target value when the displacement value is in the regeneration region; and generating a control signal for controlling the operation of the electric drive motor based on the torque target value.

The method can be performed automatically by a processor, for example a processor in a control device for an electric motorcycle.

An electric motorcycle can generally be understood as a motorcycle having an electric drive motor or a combination of an electric drive motor and an internal combustion engine. The electric drive motor can function not only as a motor, but also as a generator, for example to recover electrical energy to power the electric motorcycle's drive battery, sometimes referred to as regeneration.

The electric motorcycle may be a single-track or multi-track vehicle. For example, the electric motorcycle may be an electric scooter or an electric bicycle. However, electric motorcycles in the form of four-wheeled vehicles similar to motorcycles (also called quads) or personal watercraft (also called jet skis) are also contemplated.

A throttle grip may be understood as an operating element that can be operated by the rider of the electric motorcycle, by operating the operating element the speed of the electric motorcycle can be controlled. For example, the throttle grip can be attached to a handle of the electric motorcycle. The throttle grip may be configured, for example, as a twist grip. In this case, the displacement value may, for example, indicate the current rotation angle of the throttle grip. Depending on the type of electric motorcycle, the throttle grip may, however, be attached to another part of the electric motorcycle and/or configured differently, for example as a throttle lever or a throttle pedal.

The displacement value may be provided by a suitable throttle grip sensor measuring the current displacement of the throttle grip and/or may be determined from sensor data provided by the throttle grip sensor. The throttle grip sensor may be configured, for example, as a potentiometer, an inductive sensor or a capacitive sensor.

The speed value may be provided by a speed sensor that measures the current speed of the electric motorcycle and/or may be determined from sensor data provided by the speed sensor. The speed value may represent, for example, the wheel circumferential speed and/or the wheel rotation speed of the front and/or rear wheels of the electric motorcycle or may be determined from the wheel circumferential speed and/or the wheel rotation speed. Accordingly, the speed sensor may be, for example, a wheel rotation speed sensor. However, speed sensors in the form of radar or lidar sensors or positioning sensors for satellite-aided positioning of the motorcycle are also possible.

The allocation rules may be stored in the control device of the electric motorcycle, for example in the form of one or more mathematical functions and/or in the form of a look-up table.

For example, the allocation rule may have one or more characteristic lines that assign different limits for the recuperation range and/or the drive range to different speed values.

Depending on the allocation rule, different sizes of drive areas or different sizes of regeneration areas can be assigned to different speeds or different speed ranges. However, it is also possible that the drive areas are constant within a given speed range. Alternatively or additionally, the regeneration areas may be constant within a given speed range.

For example, the allocation rule may have an upper zero line that defines a lower limit of the driving region as a function of the speed of the electric motorcycle. Additionally or alternatively, the allocation rule may have a lower zero line that defines an upper limit of the regeneration region as a function of the speed of the electric motorcycle.

Displacement values that lie on the upper or lower zero line may each be assigned a torque target value of zero.

The upper zero line and the lower zero line may have different extensions. For example, the upper zero line and the lower zero line may start from the same origin and have no other common intersections.

The displacement value range bounded above by the upper zero line and below by the lower zero line can correspond to a neutral region in which the electric motorcycle should roll, i.e. not be perceptibly accelerated or perceptibly braked by the electric drive motor (see below).

The drive moment value may, for example, be a positive value or equal to zero. The regenerative moment value may, for example, be a negative value or equal to zero.

The numerical value of the drive moment value can be determined, for example, as a function of the distance of the drive moment value to the upper and/or lower limit of the drive area or from the ratio of this distance to the total distance between the upper and lower limits of the drive area.

The numerical value of the regenerative moment value can be determined, for example, as a function of the distance of the regenerative moment value to the upper and/or lower limits of the regenerative region or from the ratio of this distance to the total distance between the upper and lower limits of the regenerative region.

By controlling the operation of the electric drive motor using the control signal, the torque generated by the electric drive motor can be brought closer to the torque target value.

The displacement value can be evaluated taking into account the maximum permitted speed of the electric motorcycle. For example, the torque target value can be changed independently of the displacement value when the electric motorcycle reaches or exceeds the maximum permitted speed. For example, the electric motorcycle can be braked up to the maximum permitted speed independently of the displacement value by a corresponding operational control of the electric drive motor.

In summary, the approach described here and below allows the realization of an electric braking function, in which the throttle grip can be used both for adjusting the driving moment, i.e. positive torque, and also for adjusting the regenerative moment, i.e. negative torque. In other words, the regenerative moment can be generated or its value changed by more or less strongly displacing the throttle grip out of its initial position, depending on the current speed of the electric motorcycle.

This has the advantage that additional manual (hydraulic) braking is not necessarily required to brake the electric motorcycle reliably. In this way, the riding comfort can be significantly improved compared to conventional solutions without such an electric braking function.

In addition, different embodiments of the present invention allow for functionality for automatic torque control.

For example, based on the approach described here and below, a conventional brake pressure-based brake (assist) function can be at least partially replaced by a corresponding torque-based, i.e. electrical, brake (assist) function. This makes it possible to completely or at least partially omit the use of a corresponding brake pressure sensor, which has the advantage of reducing production costs.

A second aspect of the present invention relates to a control device. The control device comprises a processor, the processor being configured to perform a method according to an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention. Features of the method according to an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention are also features of the control device and vice versa.

The control device may include hardware and/or software modules. In addition to the processor, the control device may include a storage device and a data communication interface for data communication with peripheral devices.

A third aspect of the present invention relates to a motorcycle system. The motorcycle system comprises an electric drive motor for driving an electric motorcycle, a throttle grip sensor for providing a displacement value indicative of a current displacement of a throttle grip of the electric motorcycle, a speed sensor for providing a speed value indicative of a current speed of the electric motorcycle, and a control device according to an embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention. Such a motorcycle system allows for reliable, comfortable and/or energy-efficient control of the speed of the electric motorcycle.

A fourth aspect of the present invention relates to a computer program. The computer program includes instructions for causing a processor to perform a method according to an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention when the processor executes the computer program.

A fifth aspect of the invention relates to a computer readable medium on which a computer program according to an embodiment of the fourth aspect of the invention is stored. The computer readable medium may be a volatile or non-volatile data storage device. For example, the computer readable medium may be a hard disk, a USB memory device, a RAM, a ROM, an EPROM or a flash memory. The computer readable medium may be a data communication network, for example the Internet or a data cloud, allowing the downloading of the program code.

Features of the method according to an embodiment of the first aspect of the invention may also be features of the computer program and/or computer readable medium, and vice versa.

The ideas for the embodiments of the present invention may be considered to be based, inter alia, on the ideas and perceptions described below.

According to one embodiment, the displacement value range is divided such that the drive range decreases with increasing speed of the electric motorcycle and/or the regeneration range increases with increasing speed of the electric motorcycle. In this way, the regeneration moment can be metered better at higher speeds, whereas the metering of the drive moment cannot be as precise at higher speeds due to the increased running resistance.

According to one embodiment, the displacement value range is additionally divided into a neutral region using the speed value and an allocation rule, which allocates to each different speed value a different division of the displacement value range into the regeneration region, the drive region and the neutral region. If the displacement value is in the neutral region, the torque target value is set to a predetermined minimum value. Analogous to the drive region or the regeneration region, the neutral region can be of different sizes depending on the speed of the electric motorcycle. However, it is also possible that the neutral region is constant within a given speed range. For example, the minimum value can be zero or a numerically very small value. It is expedient if the neutral region is increasingly reduced towards lower speeds, for example from about 20 km/h depending on the electric motorcycle type or the maximum permitted speed. If the displacement value is in the neutral region, the torque target value can be set to a predetermined minimum value, regardless of the distance of the displacement value to the upper and/or lower limit of the neutral region. With this embodiment, the electric motorcycle can be moved by operating the throttle grip, i.e., can transition to a dynamic driving state in which the motorcycle is neither actively accelerated nor actively braked.

According to one embodiment, the neutral zone has a displacement value between the upper limit of the regeneration zone and the lower limit of the drive zone. In other words, the neutral zone can be located between the regeneration zone and the drive zone. This has the effect that the neutral zone is always crossed when switching between the drive zone and the regeneration zone. This makes it possible to avoid negative effects on driving comfort, such as may occur when switching directly between the drive zone and the regeneration zone.

At least one of the three aforementioned regions, the regeneration region, the drive region and the neutral region, may have only one displacement value or no displacement value depending on the current speed of the electric motorcycle.

According to one embodiment, the lower limit of the recuperation range corresponds to a throttle grip displacement of 0%, regardless of the speed value. Additionally or alternatively, the upper limit of the drive range can correspond to a throttle grip displacement of 100%, regardless of the speed value. In this way, the initial or final position of the throttle grip can be used as a fixed reference for adjusting the drive or recuperation torque, which is advantageous for operating comfort.

According to one embodiment, determining the drive moment value includes: determining a first interval by subtracting a minimum displacement value in the drive range from the displacement value; determining a drive moment coefficient by dividing the first interval by a second interval between the minimum displacement value and the maximum displacement value in the drive range; and determining the drive moment value by multiplying the drive moment coefficient by a predefined maximum drive moment value. The second interval can be determined, for example, by subtracting the minimum displacement value from the maximum displacement value in the drive range. In this way, the drive moment corresponding to the current displacement of the throttle grip can be efficiently and precisely calculated for a given speed of the electric motorcycle.

According to one embodiment, determining the regenerative moment value includes: determining a third interval by subtracting the displacement value from a maximum displacement value in the regenerative region; determining a regenerative moment coefficient by dividing the third interval by a fourth interval between a minimum displacement value in the regenerative region and said maximum displacement value; and determining the regenerative moment value by multiplying the regenerative moment coefficient by a predefined maximum regenerative moment value. The fourth interval can be determined, for example, by subtracting a minimum displacement value from a maximum displacement value in the regenerative region. If the minimum displacement value is equal to zero, the fourth interval may simply be equal to the numerical value of the maximum displacement value. In this way, the regenerative moment corresponding to the current displacement of the throttle grip can be efficiently and precisely calculated for a given speed of the electric motorcycle.

In the above, the "minimum displacement value" may be interpreted as the lower limit of the corresponding region, and the "maximum displacement value" may be interpreted as the upper limit, respectively.

According to an embodiment, when a brake assist function for holding the electric motorcycle stationary is activated, a holding moment value is determined as a function of the speed value and/or the current rotational speed of the electric drive motor. A control signal is then generated based on the holding moment value for controlling the operation of the electric drive motor so that the electric motorcycle is held stationary. The holding moment value can be, for example, a manipulated variable in a closed-loop control circuit in which the current speed of the electric motorcycle and/or the current rotational speed of the electric drive motor are used as controlled variables. The holding moment value can be used for closed-loop control of the current speed of the electric motorcycle and/or the current rotational speed of the electric drive motor to zero. The brake assist function can be activated as a function of whether one or more activation conditions are met, for example, whether the throttle grip is in the initial position, i.e. the displacement value indicates a throttle grip displacement of 0%, or whether the electric motorcycle is stationary, i.e. the speed value is below a predetermined minimum value or equal to zero. According to this embodiment, the electric motorcycle can be held stationary automatically and without the need to operate the (hydraulic) brake device. Such an electric brake assist function that can be switched on when needed can be used, for example, as a hill start aid.

According to an embodiment, furthermore, a front wheel speed value, which is provided by means of a first wheel speed sensor and indicates the current speed of a front wheel of the electric motorcycle, and a rear wheel speed value, which is provided by means of a second wheel speed sensor and indicates the current speed of a rear wheel of the electric motorcycle, are received. A slip value is then determined by forming a difference between the front wheel speed value and the rear wheel speed value, and a slip deviation between the slip value and the slip target value is determined. In this case, a control signal is further generated based on the slip deviation, in order to control the operation of the electric drive motor in such a way that the slip deviation is reduced. The front wheel speed value or the rear wheel speed value may indicate the circumferential speed and/or the rotational speed of the front wheel or the rear wheel. This embodiment allows the realization of an electric, i.e., non-braking-pressure-based slip limiting function, for example in the form of an electric anti-lock function and/or an electric combination brake function. In this way, the riding comfort and/or riding safety can be improved, in particular during heavy braking, heavy acceleration and/or on slippery roads, in comparison with an electric motorcycle without such an electric slip limiting function. The electric brake function (see above) can be used in combination with one or more electric slip limiting and/or electric brake assist functions.

When emergency braking is permitted, the speed of the rear wheels may be automatically adapted to that of the front wheels, for example by an electric combination brake function, so that slippage at the rear wheels corresponds at least approximately to slippage at the front wheels.

On the other hand, the slip target value can be set according to the maximum permissible slip of the rear wheels by the electric antilock function. This allows a highly effective ABS function to be achieved by simply adjusting the torque generated by the electric drive motor accordingly.

According to one embodiment, the torque limit value is determined as a function of the slip deviation. The torque limit value and the torque setpoint are then compared with each other. If the torque setpoint is numerically greater than the torque limit value, the torque limit value is limited to the torque setpoint. The torque limit value can be positive or negative, i.e. it can relate to the drive moment or the regenerative moment. The torque limit value can be determined, for example by an electronic anti-lock function, as a function of the static friction limit of the tires of the electric motorcycle for the road, which should not be exceeded as much as possible. In this way, excessively large slip at the rear wheel can be avoided. In particular, locking or spinning of the rear wheel can be prevented.

According to one embodiment, a correction value is determined depending on the speed value. The torque target value is then corrected using the correction value to determine a corrected torque target value. A control signal is then generated based on the corrected torque target value. The correction value can be, for example, a coefficient between 0 and 1 by which the torque target value can be multiplied, where the correction value can be larger as the speed value increases. In this way, jerky braking and/or acceleration of the electric motorcycle can be avoided, especially at creeping speeds.

The different torque requirements required by the different torque-based control functions of the control device, such as the electric brake (assist) function, the electric anti-lock function or the electric combination brake function, can be coordinated by the control device in a suitable manner, for example by selecting a particular torque requirement from the different torque requirements.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. Neither the drawings nor the specification should be construed as limiting the present invention.

1 illustrates a motorcycle system according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a control device shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 3 shows various modules of the control device shown in FIG. 2 . FIG. 3 shows various modules of the control device shown in FIG. 2 . FIG. 3 shows various modules of the control device shown in FIG. 2 . 4 is a graph illustrating allocation rules used in a method according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a block diagram of a controller implementing steps of a method according to one embodiment of the present invention; 2 is a flow chart of a method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The drawings are only schematic and are not to scale. The same reference numbers refer to features of the same or identical function in the figures.

Figure 1 shows a motorcycle system 100 for an electric motorcycle 102. The motorcycle system 100 includes an electric drive motor 104 for driving the electric motorcycle 102, a throttle grip sensor 106 for providing a displacement value 108 indicative of a current displacement of a throttle grip 109, a speed sensor 110 for providing a speed value 112 indicative of a current speed of the electric motorcycle 102, and a controller 114 for controlling the operation of the electric drive motor 104 by a control signal 115, the control signal 115 being generated by processing the displacement value 108 together with the speed value 112 in a manner that will be described in more detail below with reference to Figures 2 to 8.

In this example, the electric motorcycle 102 is a single-track vehicle with one front wheel 116 and one rear wheel 118 driven by an electric drive motor 104. The direction of action of the torque generated by the electric drive motor 104 is marked by a bidirectional arrow.

The throttle grip 109 is configured here as a twist grip. Alternatively, the throttle grip 109 may be configured as a throttle lever or a throttle pedal.

The speed sensor 110 may be configured, for example, to measure the wheel rotation speed of the front wheel 116 and/or the rear wheel 118 and determine the speed value 112 from the wheel rotation speed.

For example, the speed sensor 110 may have a first wheel rotation speed sensor 110a that measures the wheel rotation speed of the front wheel 116 and a second wheel rotation speed sensor 110b that measures the wheel rotation speed of the rear wheel 118, and may provide, in addition to or instead of the speed value 112, a front wheel speed value 120 that is indicative of the current speed of the front wheel 116 provided by the first wheel rotation speed sensor 110a, and a rear wheel speed value 122 that is indicative of the current speed of the rear wheel 118 provided by the second wheel rotation speed sensor 110b.

Figure 2 shows possible components of the control device 114.

The control device 114 may include a storage device 200 that stores a computer program and a processor 202 that executes the computer program, and the method of controlling the operation of the electric drive motor 104 may be implemented by executing the computer program by the processor 202, as described below.

The modules of the control device 114 described below may be hardware modules and/or software modules.

The method steps described below are illustrated in the flow chart in Figure 8.

In this example, in step S10, the displacement value 108 and the speed value 112 are received in the conversion module 204. In the conversion module 204, the displacement value 108 and the speed value 112 are converted into a torque target value 205.

The conversion module 204 may be configured to additionally determine the torque target value 205 based on the front wheel speed value 120 and/or the rear wheel speed value 122.

In step S20, the conversion module 204 divides the displacement value range 206, having possible displacement values between 0% and 100%, into, for example, a regeneration region 208, a drive region 210, and a neutral region 212, depending on the current speed of the electric motorcycle 102.

The division of this displacement value range 206 into a regenerative region 208, a drive region 210 and a neutral region 212 is variable depending on the speed value 112 and is performed according to an allocation rule 214 that assigns different divisions of the displacement value range 206 to different speeds or speed ranges of the electric motorcycle 102 (see also FIG. 6).

The allocation rules 214 may be stored in the storage device 200, for example, in the form of a mathematical function or a lookup table.

2, the neutral area 212 is exemplarily arranged between the regenerative area 208 and the actuation area 210. Here, the neutral area 212 thus has a displacement value between the upper limit of the regenerative area 208 and the lower limit of the actuation area 210. However, other positions and/or divisions of the neutral area 212 are also possible.

In this case, the lower limit of the regenerative region 208 corresponds to 0% displacement, and the upper limit of the actuation region 210 corresponds to 100% displacement.

In step S30, the conversion module 204 converts the displacement value 108 as the torque target value 205 into a (positive) driving moment value 205a when the displacement value 108 is within the driving region 210, and conversely, into a (negative) regenerative moment value 205b when the displacement value 108 is within the regenerative region 208.

When the displacement value 108 is neither in the driving region 210 nor in the regenerative region 208, i.e., in the neutral region 212, the conversion module 204 may set the torque target value 205 in step S30, for example, to a predetermined minimum value, for example zero.

In step S40, the torque target value 205, which may be equal to the driving moment value 205a, the regenerative moment value 205b or a predetermined minimum value, is finally converted into a control signal 115 by the control signal generation module 216.

This type of electric brake function allows the rider to brake the electric motorcycle 102 to a stop using the electric drive motor 104 without operating a brake lever.

An electric brake assist function may additionally be integrated into the control device 114, which makes it possible to automatically hold the electric motorcycle 102 stationary, if desired, for example when the electric motorcycle 102 is parked on a slope.

For this purpose, the conversion module 204 can additionally receive, for example, the current motor speed 218 of the electric drive motor 104 in step S10 and convert it, optionally, in step S50, into a corresponding holding torque value 220 for holding the electric motorcycle 102 stationary. The holding torque value 220 can be determined in step S50, for example, with the goal of closed-loop control of the motor speed 218 to zero (see also FIG. 7).

In step S40, the control signal 115 can then be generated based on the torque target values 205, 205a, 205b and/or the holding moment value 220.

For example, the control signal generating module 216 can generate the control signal 115 from the torque setpoints 205, 205a, 205b, depending on the respective numerical values and/or respective signs of the torque setpoints 205, 205a, 205b and the holding moment value 220, or from the holding moment value 220 in order to hold the electric motorcycle 102 stationary. Alternatively, the torque setpoints 205, 205a, 205b and the holding moment value 220 can be calculated in a suitable manner in conjunction with one another and the control signal 115 can be generated from the result of this calculation.

When a motorcycle is on an incline at a speed of 0 km/h, the rider usually has to operate the brake lever to prevent the motorcycle from rolling over. By combining the electric brake function with the electric brake assist function as described above, the electric motorcycle 102 can be automatically held stationary without the rider having to operate the brake lever. This significantly improves comfort and energy efficiency.

Figure 3 shows one possible way of determining the driving moment value 205a or the regenerative moment value 205b in step S30 (see also Figure 6).

The drive moment value 205a may be determined, for example, by: in a subtraction module 300, the smallest displacement value 304 in the drive region 210 is subtracted from the received displacement value 108 to calculate a first interval 302, and the smallest displacement value 304 in the drive region 210 is subtracted from the largest displacement value 308 in the drive region 210 to calculate a second interval 306.

Then, in the division module 310, the first interval 302 can be divided by the second interval 306 to calculate the driving moment coefficient 312.

Finally, in the multiplication module 314, the driving moment coefficient 312 can be multiplied by a predetermined maximum driving moment value 316 to calculate the driving moment value 205a.

Similarly, the regenerative moment value 205b may be determined, for example, by subtracting the displacement value 108 from the maximum displacement value 320 in the regenerative region 208 in a subtraction module 300 to calculate a third interval 318, and by subtracting the minimum displacement value 324 in the regenerative region 208 from the maximum displacement value 320 in the regenerative region 208 to calculate a fourth interval 322.

Then, in the division module 310, the regenerative moment coefficient 326 can be calculated by dividing the third interval 318 by the fourth interval 322.

Finally, in the multiplication module 314, the regenerative moment coefficient 326 can be multiplied by a predetermined maximum regenerative moment value 328 to calculate the regenerative moment value 205b.

The aforementioned modules 300, 310, and 314 may be integrated within the conversion module 204.

Optionally, an electronic slip limiting function may be integrated into the control device 114, which automatically reduces the deviation between the speed of the rear wheels 118 and the speed of the front wheels 116. Figure 4 shows the basic function of the electronic slip limiting function.

For this purpose, in step S10, the front wheel speed value 120 and the rear wheel speed value 122 may additionally be received in the slip calculation module 400.

In optional step S60, the slip value 402 may then be calculated in the slip calculation module 400 by forming a difference between the front wheel speed value 120 and the rear wheel speed value 122.

Then, in optional step S70, the slip value 402 may be compared to the slip target value 406 in a comparison module 404. In this case, a slip deviation 408 may be calculated, for example, by forming a difference between the slip value 402 and the slip target value 406.

In response to this, finally in step S40, the control signal generation module 216 can generate a control signal 115 based on the torque target values 205, 205a, 205b and the slip deviation 408 so that the slip deviation 408 is minimized.

To ensure that the maximum regenerative moment can be achieved, the electronic slip limiting function may have an electronic anti-lock function by means of a torque limiting module 410, which in optional step S80 calculates, as a function of the slip deviation 408, a torque limit value 412 that should not be exceeded in order to prevent the driven rear wheels 118 from locking and/or spinning.

Then, in optional step S90, the torque target values 205, 205a, 205b may be compared to the torque limit value 412 in the control signal generation module 216.

If the torque target value 205, 205a, 205b is numerically greater than the torque limit value 412, then in step S40, the control signal 115 can be generated based on the torque limit value 412 instead of the torque target value 205, 205a, 205b, so that the electric drive motor 104 generates a torque that is limited according to the torque limit value 412.

In other words, the electric anti-lock function may be configured to adjust the torque generated by the electric drive motor 104 in such a way that the slip of the rear wheels 118 is limited to a predefined value when the regenerative moment required by the electric braking function numerically exceeds the maximum permissible torque depending on the road friction coefficient. The slip of the rear wheels 118 may then be determined as the difference between the speed of the unbraked front wheels 116 and the speed of the driven rear wheels 118.

The electronic anti-lock function may be configured to limit the slip value, also called lambda 402, to a target slip value 406. This may be achieved, for example, by a PI controller with anti-windup, similar to the controller shown in FIG. 7.

When the electric anti-lock function requires less torque than the electric braking function, the regenerative moment can be limited by the torque limit value 412.

If the driver additionally operates the (hydraulic) rear wheel brake and the rear wheel 118 locks, the electric anti-lock function can, for example, generate a (positive) drive moment by the electric drive motor 104, which counteracts the braking moment generated by the rear wheel brake and allows the rear wheel 118 to be closed-loop controlled again to a stable operating point.

By combining the electric brake function with the electric anti-lock function and, additionally, the electric brake assist function, the driver can travel any distance without having to operate the brake lever, while ensuring that the slip of the rear wheels 118 remains within a stable slip range.

The electric slip limiting function may additionally or alternatively have an electric combination brake function to the electric anti-lock function, which is configured to adapt the speed of the rear wheels 118 to the speed of the front wheels 116 by correspondingly controlling the operation of the electric drive motor 104 when the driver recognizes an emergency braking action, which would normally result in very strong application of the (hydraulic) front wheel brakes.

The slip estimation may not be very accurate during heavy braking of the front wheels 116. To avoid this problem, the speed of the rear wheels 118 can be closed-loop controlled to follow the speed of the front wheels 116 by the electric combination brake function. In this way, the braking distance can be significantly reduced.

In this case, the electric motorcycle 102 may additionally be equipped with a single-channel ABS system based on brake pressure for the front wheel 116.

The electric combination brake function may be configured to assist the acceleration process during partial braking.

When the electric brake function and the electric combination brake function are simultaneously active, for example, a numerically maximum value can be selected from the resulting torque target values 205, 205a, 205b of both functions, possibly limited by the torque limit value 412 by the electric anti-lock function.

As shown in FIG. 5, the torque target values 205, 205a, 205b can be additionally corrected in the correction module 500 according to the current speed of the electric motorcycle 102.

For example, in this case, the regenerative moment value 205b can be numerically reduced in the creep speed range up to about 7 km/h. This can improve driving comfort and driving safety.

To this end, in optional step S100, the correction module 500 may use the speed values 112, the front wheel speed values 120 and/or the rear wheel speed values 122 to determine a speed-dependent correction value 502. The correction value 502 may be determined according to a suitable correction function 504 that assigns different correction values 502 to different speeds. For example, the correction value 502 may be between 0 and 1, or between a value greater than 0 and 1, as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 5.

The correction function 504 may, for example, first increase linearly and/or exponentially up to a predefined speed threshold 506 and then grow constant. For speeds above the speed threshold 506, the correction value 502 may, for example, always be equal to 1. However, other correction functions are also possible.

In optional step S110, the correction module 500 finally calculates a corrected torque target value 508 from the correction value 502 and the torque target values 205, 205a, 205b, for example by multiplying the correction value 502 by the torque target values 205, 205a, 205b.

Accordingly, the control signal generation module 216 may be configured to generate the control signal 115 in step S40 based on the revised torque target value 508 instead of the torque target values 205, 205a, 205b.

Figure 6 shows a graph of the allocation rules 214 stored in the control device 114.

For example, the allocation rule 214 may map an upper zero line 600 that defines the lower limit of the drive region 210 and a lower zero line 602 that defines the upper limit of the regenerative region 208, as shown in FIG. 6.

The upper zero line 600 can be shifted upward relative to the lower zero line 602 toward larger displacement values. In this case, the neutral region 212 can be bounded above by the upper zero line 600 and below by the lower zero line 602.

For displacement values that lie on one of the zero lines 600, 602 depending on the speed, the torque target values 205, 205a, 205b may be equal to zero, for example.

100% drive moment is indicated by the upper horizontal dashed line. 100% regenerative moment is indicated by the lower horizontal dashed line.

By way of example, different percentage values are entered for the drive moment coefficient 312 and the regenerative moment coefficient 326 for different displacements of the throttle grip 109 at a speed of 20 km/h.

The two vertical dotted lines indicate the maximum possible speed for the electric motorcycle 102.

In order to be able to fully utilize the regenerative potential of the electric drive motor 104, it is necessary to develop an intuitive HMI concept for the driver of the electric motorcycle 102, which allows the driver to better meter the regenerative moment.

As shown in FIG. 6, the zero moment demand line may be shifted as a function of speed for this purpose. The upper zero line 600 and the lower zero line 602 each correspond to a torque demand of 0 Nm.

When the throttle grip 109 is at any position between the upper zero line 600 and 100% displacement, in this example a torque demand is generated that corresponds to the relative distance between the throttle grip position, the upper zero line 600, and 100% drive moment. For example, in FIG. 6, a throttle grip position of 75% at 20 km/h corresponds to a torque demand of 50% drive moment.

When the throttle grip 109 is in any position between the lower zero line 602 and 100% regenerative moment, a torque request is generated in response that corresponds to the relative distance between the throttle grip position, the lower zero line 602, and 100% regenerative moment.

As soon as the electric motorcycle 102 reaches a speed of 0 km/h, it is expedient if the system only requests a (positive) driving torque value 205a.

Between the upper zero line 600 and the lower zero line 602, the regenerative torque requirement is now equal to zero, which corresponds to the neutral area 212, which the rider can use to transition the electric motorcycle 102 to a free-running state.

To obtain a soft behavior of the electric brake function at low speeds, the resulting torque demand can optionally be multiplied by a speed-dependent factor as previously described with reference to FIG. 5.

Figure 7 shows an example of a controller 700 that implements an electric brake assist function as previously described, for example, with reference to Figure 2.

In this example, the controller 700 has a low-pass filter 702 which provides the motor speed 218 from the motor speed signal 703 to be filtered, a control deviation block 704 in which the control deviation between the motor speed 218 and the target speed is calculated, a P component 706 and an I component 708 which process the control deviation, and a manipulated variable limiting block 710 in which the manipulated variable to be limited, determined from the outputs of the P component 706 and the I component 708, is limited and from which the holding moment value 220 results as the limited manipulated variable.

The manipulated variable to be limited and the limited manipulated variable can be additionally processed in the anti-windup block 712, for example by forming a difference from both manipulated variables.

The output of the anti-windup block 712 goes into the I component 708 where it can be processed along with the control error.

The controller 700 may be activated, for example, whenever the speed of the electric motorcycle 102 approaches or is equal to 0 km/h, the rider is not operating the throttle grip 109, and the electric brake assist function is switched on. The controller 700 then performs closed-loop control of the speed of the electric motorcycle 102 to 0 km/h.

In contrast, the controller 700 can be deactivated again whenever the torque target value 205, 205a, 205b, 508 is numerically greater than the current holding torque value 220 and the displacement of the throttle grip 109 exceeds a predefined displacement threshold value.

The electric anti-lock function and the electric combination brake function may each be implemented in the control device 114 by a separate controller, similar to the controller 700 shown in FIG. 7.

Finally, the use of the words "comprise, include, etc." does not exclude other elements or steps, and the use of the word "indefinite article, etc." does not exclude a plurality. Reference signs in the claims are not to be regarded as limiting.

100 Motorcycle system 102 Electric motorcycle 104 Driving motor 106 Throttle grip sensor 108 Displacement value 109 Throttle grip 110 Speed sensor 110a First wheel rotation speed sensor 110b Second wheel rotation speed sensor 112 Speed value 114 Control device 115 Control signal 116 Front wheel 118 Rear wheel 120 Front wheel speed value 122 Rear wheel speed value 200 Storage device 202 Processor 204 Conversion module 205 Torque target value 205a Driving moment value 205b Regenerative moment value 206 Displacement value range 208 Regenerative region 210 Driving region 212 Neutral region 214 Allocation rule 216 Control signal generation module 218 Motor rotation speed 220 Holding moment value 300 Subtraction module 302 1st interval 304 Minimum displacement value 306 2nd interval 308 Maximum displacement value 310 Division module 312 Driving moment coefficient 314 Multiplication module 316 Maximum driving moment value 318 3rd interval 320 Maximum displacement value 322 4th interval 324 Minimum displacement value 326 Regenerative moment coefficient 328 Maximum regenerative moment value 400 Slip calculation module 402 Slip value 404 Comparison module 406 Slip setpoint value 408 Slip deviation 410 Torque limiting module 412 Torque limit value 500 Correction module 502 Correction value 504 Correction function 506 Speed threshold 508 Corrected torque setpoint value 600 Upper zero line 602 Lower zero line 700 Controller 702 Low pass filter 703 Motor speed signal 704 Control deviation block 706 P component 708 I component 710 Operation amount limit block 712 Anti-windup block S10 Step S20 Step S30 Step S40 Step S50 Step S60 Step S70 Step S80 Step S90 Step S100 Step S110 Step

Claims (15)

A method of controlling the operation of an electric drive motor (104) for an electric motorcycle (102), the method comprising:
receiving a displacement value (108) indicative of a current displacement of a throttle grip (109) of said electric motorcycle (102) provided using a throttle grip sensor (106) and a speed value (112, 120, 122) indicative of a current speed of said electric motorcycle (102) provided using a speed sensor (110, 110a, 110b);
partitioning a displacement value range (206) having possible displacement values for said throttle grip (109) into a regenerative region (208) and an actuation region (210), said partitioning being performed using said speed values (112, 120, 122) and an allocation rule (214) which allocates different portions of said displacement value range (206) to said regenerative region (208) and said actuation region (210) to different speed values (112, 120, 122);
determining a torque target value (205, 205a, 205b) according to the displacement value (108), and when the displacement value (108) is within the driving region (210), determining a driving moment value (205a) as the torque target value (205), and when the displacement value (108) is within the regeneration region (208), determining a regeneration moment value (205b) as the torque target value (205); and generating a control signal (115) for controlling the operation of the electric drive motor (104) based on the torque target value (205, 205a, 205b).
23. A method for controlling the operation of an electric drive motor for an electric motorcycle, comprising: The method of claim 1, wherein the displacement value range (206) is divided such that the driving region (210) decreases as the speed of the electric motorcycle (102) increases and/or the regeneration region (208) increases as the speed of the electric motorcycle (102) increases. partitioning the displacement value range (206) into an additional neutral region (212) using the speed values (112, 120, 122) and the allocation rule (214), the allocation rule (214) assigning different partitions of the displacement value range (206) into the regenerative region (208), the actuation region (210) and the neutral region (212) to different speed values (112, 120, 122);
When the displacement value (108) is within the neutral region (212), the torque target value (205, 205a, 205b) is set to a predetermined minimum value.
3. The method according to claim 1 or 2. The method of claim 3, wherein the neutral region (212) has a displacement value between an upper limit (320; 602) of the regenerative region (208) and a lower limit (304; 600) of the actuated region (210). a lower limit (324) of the recuperation region (208) corresponds to a 0% displacement of the throttle grip (109) regardless of the speed value (112, 120, 122); and/or an upper limit (308) of the drive region (210) corresponds to a 100% displacement of the throttle grip (109) regardless of the speed value (112, 120, 122),
5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The determination of the driving moment value (205a) is:
determining a first interval (302) by subtracting a minimum displacement value (304) in the actuation region (210) from the displacement value (108);
determining a drive moment coefficient (312) by dividing the first interval (302) by a second interval (306) between the minimum displacement value (304) and a maximum displacement value (308) in the drive region (210);
determining the driving moment value (205a) by multiplying the driving moment coefficient (312) by a predetermined maximum driving moment value (316);
The method of any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising: The determination of the regenerative moment value (205b) is:
determining a third interval (318) by subtracting the displacement value (108) from a maximum displacement value (320) in the regenerative region (208);
determining a regenerative moment coefficient (326) by dividing the third interval (318) by a fourth interval (322) between a minimum displacement value (324) and the maximum displacement value (320) in the regenerative region (208);
determining the regenerative moment value (205b) by multiplying the regenerative moment coefficient (326) by a predetermined maximum regenerative moment value (328);
The method of any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising: Furthermore, when a brake assistance function for holding the electric motorcycle (102) in a stationary state is activated, a holding torque value (220) is determined as a function of the speed value (112, 120, 122) and/or the current rotation speed (218) of the electric drive motor (104);
generating said control signal (115) further based on said holding moment value (220) for controlling the operation of said electric drive motor (104) so as to hold said electric motorcycle (102) in a stationary state;
8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7. further receiving a front wheel speed value (120) indicative of a current speed of a front wheel (116) of the electric motorcycle (102) provided using a first wheel rotation speed sensor (110a) and a rear wheel speed value (122) indicative of a current speed of a rear wheel (118) of the electric motorcycle (102) provided using a second wheel rotation speed sensor (110b);
determining a slip value (402) by forming a difference between the front wheel speed value (120) and the rear wheel speed value (122) and determining a slip deviation (408) between the slip value (402) and a target slip value (406);
generating the control signal (115) further based on the slip deviation (408) to operate the electric drive motor (104) such that the slip deviation (408) is reduced;
9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8. determining a torque limit value (412) in response to said slip deviation (408);
comparing said torque limit value (412) and said torque target value (205, 205a, 205b) with each other;
When the torque target value (205, 205a, 205b) is numerically greater than the torque limit value (412), the torque target value (205, 205a, 205b) is limited to the torque limit value (412).
10. The method of claim 9. determining a correction value (502) in response to said speed values (112, 120, 122);
determining a revised torque target value (508) by modifying the torque target value (205, 205a, 205b) using the correction value (502);
generating said control signal (115) based on said modified torque target value (508);
11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10. A control device (114) comprising a processor (202), the processor (202) configured to implement the method of any one of claims 1 to 11. A motorcycle system (100) comprising:
An electric drive motor (104) for driving the electric motorcycle (102);
a throttle grip sensor (106) for providing a displacement value (108) indicative of a current displacement of a throttle grip (109) of the electric motorcycle (102);
a speed sensor (110, 110a, 110b) for providing a speed value (112, 120, 122) indicative of a current speed of the electric motorcycle (102);
A control device (114) according to claim 12;
A motorcycle system comprising: A computer program comprising instructions that cause a processor (202) to perform a method according to any one of claims 1 to 11 when the processor (202) executes the computer program. A computer-readable medium on which the computer program of claim 14 is stored.

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