Apparatus for and method of controlling vehicle creep torque

A method of controlling a creep torque of a vehicle, the method being performed by a controller, the method comprising:

• determining from a vehicle speed signal whether the vehicle comes to a stop;
• determining from a slope angle signal a road state associated with a slope angle of a road on which the vehicle is positioned;
• determining a gear-shift step state of the vehicle;
• deciding a creep torque command on a basis of information on whether the vehicle comes to the stop, the gear-shift step state, and the road state associated with the slope angle of the road;
• and
• outputting the decided creep torque command for performing creep torque control so that a motor of the vehicle generates the creep torque in accordance with the creep torque command,
• wherein, in the deciding of the creep torque command, when the vehicle is in a stopped state, the road on which the vehicle is positioned is a downward-sloping road, and a gear-shift step is a reverse gear step, the controller is configured to decide the creep torque command as a value higher than a value of a fundamental creep torque, which is determined according to a current driving state of the vehicle, and
• wherein in the deciding of the creep torque command, the controller is configured to decide as the creep torque command a value resulting from applying a first correction coefficient having a value of greater than 1 to the value of the fundamental creep torque.

A method of controlling a creep torque of a vehicle, the method being performed by a controller, the method comprising:

• determining from a vehicle speed signal whether the vehicle comes to a stop;
• determining from a slope angle signal a road state associated with a slope angle of a road on which the vehicle is positioned;
• determining a gear-shift step state of the vehicle;
• deciding a creep torque command on a basis of information on whether the vehicle comes to the stop, the gear-shift step state, and the road state associated with the slope angle of the road;
• and
• outputting the decided creep torque command for performing creep torque control so that a motor of the vehicle generates the creep torque in accordance with the creep torque command,
• wherein, in the deciding of the creep torque command, when the vehicle is in a stopped state, the road on which the vehicle is positioned is a level road, and a gear-shift step is a traveling gear step, the controller is configured to decide the creep torque command as a value lower than a value of a fundamental creep torque, which is determined according to a current driving state of the vehicle, and
• wherein in the deciding of the creep torque command, the controller is configured to decide as the creep torque command a value resulting from applying a second correction coefficient having a value of 1 or smaller to the value of the fundamental creep.

An apparatus for controlling a creep torque of a vehicle, the apparatus including:

• a speed detection unit that is configured to detect a vehicle speed;
• a slope angle detection unit that is configured to detect a slope angle of a road;
• a gear-shifting detection unit that is configured to detect a gear-shift step state of the vehicle;
• a controller that is configured to determine from a vehicle speed signal whether the vehicle comes to a stop, to determine from a slope angle signal of the slope angle detection unit a state of the road in accordance with the slope angle of the road on which the vehicle is positioned, and to decide a creep torque command on a basis of a result of determining whether the vehicle comes to the stop, the state of the road, and information on the gear-shift step state detected by the gear-shift detection unit;
• and
• a motor that outputs the creep torque according to the creep torque command which is output by the controller,
• wherein, when the vehicle is in a stopped state, the road on which the vehicle is positioned is an upward-sloping road, and a gear-shift step is a traveling gear step, the controller is configured to decide the creep torque command as a value higher than a value of a fundamental creep torque, which is determined according to a current driving state of the vehicle,
• wherein the controller is configured to decide as the creep torque command a value resulting from applying a first correction coefficient having a value of greater than 1 to the value of the fundamental creep torque, and
• wherein the first correction coefficient is decided as a value of a brake pedal input or a value corresponding to a predetermined target amount of braking force, which a driver provides using setting data stored in the controller.