DE-102025144341-A1 - Position estimation for a separating device in the drivetrain of vehicles

DE102025144341A1DE 102025144341 A1DE102025144341 A1DE 102025144341A1DE-102025144341-A1

Abstract

A vehicle includes a differential gear and a disengaging device configured to move between a first position, in which the disengaging device is configured to engage the differential gear, and a second position, in which the disengaging device is configured to disengage the differential gear. The vehicle further includes a solenoid configured to move the disengaging device between the first and second positions. The vehicle further includes one or more processors configured to estimate the inductance of the solenoid, at least partially, based on the solenoid's electrical operating characteristics. The one or more processors are further configured to estimate, based on the estimated inductance of the solenoid, a current position of the disengaging device corresponding to either the first or second position.

Inventors

Aravind Arun
Brian Neal Harries
Shakshi HIMMATRAMKA
Kaushal Kumar Darokar
Udit PURI
Daniel James Slipper
Siddharth Mulay
Frederik Francois BOTES

Assignees

RIVIAN IP HOLDINGS, LLC

Dates

Publication Date: 20260513
Application Date: 20251029
Priority Date: 20251022

Claims (20)

Vehicle comprising: a differential gear; a disengaging device configured to move between a first position in which the disengaging device is configured to engage the differential gear and a second position in which the disengaging device is configured to disengage the differential gear; and a solenoid configured to move the disengaging device between the first position and the second position; and one or more processors configured to: estimate an inductance of the solenoid, at least partially based on the electrical operating characteristics of the solenoid; and estimate, based on the estimated inductance of the solenoid, a current position of the disengaging device corresponding to the first position or the second position.
Vehicle after Claim 1 , wherein the electrical operating characteristics include a current signal indicating an operating current of the solenoid and a voltage signal indicating an operating voltage of the solenoid.
Vehicle after Claim 2 , wherein, for estimating the inductance of the solenoid, one or more processors are configured to: provide the current signal and the voltage signal as input to a filter; and determine the estimated inductance of the solenoid as output of the filter.
Vehicle after Claim 2 , wherein, to estimate the current position of the separating device, the one or more processors are configured to: provide one or more input features for a machine learning model configured to classify the current position of the separating device, wherein the one or more input features include the estimated inductance of the solenoid; and determine an output that classifies the current position of the separating device as one of the first position, one of the second position.
Vehicle after Claim 4 , wherein the machine learning model is further configured to classify the current position of the separating device as corresponding to a third position in which the separating device partially engages the differential gear.
Vehicle after Claim 4 , wherein one or more input features further include the current signal and the voltage signal.
Vehicle after Claim 6 , wherein one or more input features further include a load torque signal indicating whether the separating device is in the first position or the second position.
Vehicle after Claim 1 , wherein, if the current position is estimated to be the first position, the one or more processors are further configured to: apply a threshold torque to a drive axle of the vehicle to prevent the separating device from engaging the differential gear disengages; and modifies the operation of the solenoid while the threshold torque is applied to the vehicle's drive axle.
Vehicle after Claim 8 , wherein, to modify the operation of the solenoid, one or more processors are configured to disable the solenoid.
Vehicle after Claim 1 , wherein the electrical operating characteristics comprise a current signal and a voltage signal and wherein the one or more processors are configured to: introduce one or more waves into at least one of the current signal or voltage signal; and estimate the inductance at least partially based on the one or more waves contained in at least one of the current signal or voltage signal.
A method for estimating the current position of a disengaging device on a vehicle, comprising: Determining, via one or more processors, the electrical operating characteristics of a solenoid configured to move the disengaging device between a first position in which the disengaging device engages with a differential gear of a vehicle and a second position in which the disengaging device is disengaged from the differential gear; Estimating, via the one or more processors, an inductance of the solenoid, at least partially based on the electrical operating characteristics of the solenoid; and Estimating, via the one or more processors, the current position of the disengaging device corresponding to the first position or the second position.
Procedure according to Claim 11 , wherein the electrical operating characteristics include a current signal indicating an operating current of the solenoid and a voltage signal indicating an operating voltage of the solenoid.
Procedure according to Claim 12 , wherein estimating the inductance of the solenoid comprises: providing the current signal and the voltage signal as input to a filter; and determining the estimated inductance of the solenoid as output of the filter.
Procedure according to Claim 12 , wherein estimating the current position of the separating device comprises: providing one or more input features to a machine learning model configured to classify the current position of the separating device, wherein the one or more input features comprise the estimated inductance of the solenoid; and determining an output of the machine learning model, wherein the output classifies the current position of the separating device as corresponding to the first position or the second position.
Procedure according to Claim 14 , wherein one or more input features further include the current signal and the voltage signal.
Procedure according to Claim 15 , wherein one or more input features further include a load torque signal indicating whether the separating device is in the first position or the second position.
Procedure according to Claim 12 , further comprising: in response to the estimation that the current position of the disengaging device corresponds to the first position, applying a threshold torque to a drive axle of the vehicle to prevent the disengaging device from disengaging the differential gear; and modifying the operation of the solenoid while the threshold torque is applied to the drive axle of the vehicle.
Procedure according to Claim 17 , where modifying the operation of the solenoid includes disabling the solenoid.
Procedure according to Claim 12 , wherein the electrical operating characteristics comprise a current signal and a voltage signal, and wherein estimating the inductance of the solenoid comprises: introducing one or more waves into at least one of the current signal or voltage signal; and estimating the inductance at least partially based on the one or more waves contained in at least one of the current signal or voltage signal.
A computing system comprising: one or more memories comprising instructions executable by the processor; and one or more processors coupled to and configured with the one or more memories to execute the instructions executable by the processor to cause the computing system to: estimate the inductance of a solenoid configured to operate a separating device between a first position in which the separating device is configured to engage a differential gear, and to move to a second position in which the disengaging device is configured to disengage the differential gear; and to estimate, based on the estimated inductance of the solenoid, an actual position of the disengaging device as the first position or the second position accordingly.

Description

REFERENCE TO A RELATED REGISTRATION This application claims the benefit of provisional U.S. serial no. 63/713,766 filed on October 30, 2024, which was transferred to the proprietor of this application and which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference in its entirety as if fully set forth below, and for all applicable purposes. INTRODUCTION The present disclosure relates to vehicles with a separating device and in particular to techniques for estimating a current position of the separating device. SUMMARY In one aspect, a vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes a differential gear; a disengaging device configured to move between a first position in which the disengaging device is configured to engage the differential gear and a second position in which the disengaging device is configured to disengage the differential gear; and a solenoid configured to move the disengaging device between the first and second positions. The vehicle further includes one or more processors configured to: estimate an inductance of the solenoid, at least partially based on the electrical operating characteristics of the solenoid; and estimate, based on the estimated inductance of the solenoid, a current position of the disengaging device corresponding to either the first or second position. From another perspective, a method is provided. The method includes: determining the electrical operating characteristics of a solenoid configured to move the disengaging device between a first position, in which the disengaging device engages with a differential gear of a vehicle, and a second position, in which the disengaging device is disengaged from the differential gear; estimating an inductance of the solenoid, at least partially based on the electrical operating characteristics of the solenoid; and estimating the actual position of the disengaging device as corresponding to either the first or second position. From another perspective, a computing system is provided. The computing system includes one or more memories containing processor-executable instructions and one or more processors that are coupled to and configured with the one or more memories to execute the processor-executable instructions and cause the computing system to perform the procedure described above. Without limiting the scope of the present embodiments, their most prominent features are now discussed below. After considering this discussion, and especially after reading the section "Detailed Description," it will be clear how the features of the present embodiments provide the advantages described here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 1A illustrates an exemplary vehicle according to specific embodiments.1B illustrates a vehicle chassis according to certain embodiments.2A is a schematic block diagram of components of a vehicle according to specific embodiments.2B is a schematic block diagram of alternative components of a vehicle according to certain embodiments.3A is a separating device in an unlocked position according to certain embodiments.3B is a separating device in a locked position according to certain embodiments.4 is a diagram illustrating an output signal of a Hall effect sensor as a function of an input current to a solenoid when a separating device is in an unlocked position, according to certain embodiments.5A is a separating device and a differential gear toothing according to certain embodiments.5B is a separating device that is partially locked with a differential gear, according to certain embodiments.5C is a separating device that is locked with a differential gear, according to certain embodiments.6A is a diagram illustrating a position signal that demonstrates changes in state for a separating device, according to certain embodiments.6B is a diagram illustrating an output signal of a position sensor indicating an estimated state of a separating device versus an output signal of a ground truth sensor indicating an actual state of the separating device, according to certain embodiments.6C is a diagram illustrating an input current supplied to a solenoid according to certain embodiments.7A is a diagram illustrating a position signal that indicates changes in state for a separating device, according to certain embodiments.7B is a diagram illustrating an output signal of a position sensor indicating an estimated state of a separating device versus an output signal of a ground truth sensor indicating an actual state of the separating device, according to certain embodiments.7C is a diagram illustrating an input current supplied to a solenoid according to certain embodiments.7D is a diagram illustrating an input current supplied to a solenoid according to certain embodiments.7E is a diagram illustrating a voltage supplied to a solenoid, according to certain embodiments.7F is a diagram illustrating an output signal of a position sensor indicating an estimated state of a separating device versus an output signal of a ground truth sensor indica