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AssigneeToyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsTakaaki Tokura, Katsumi Kono, Takeshi Yasuda
Estimating the term…
A simulation apparatus that generates a gradient pattern of a running road for a vehicle and a vehicle speed pattern for simulation. The apparatus includes a gradient pattern generation unit configured to generate a gradient pattern of a running road by sequentially deriving a gradient for each section, and a vehicle speed pattern generation unit configured to generate a vehicle speed pattern by, in a model including a lead vehicle that runs in accordance with a first vehicle speed pattern, a rearmost vehicle that runs in accordance with a first preceding vehicle following algorithm, and one or more intermediate vehicles that increase or reduce by one for each first period at an equal probability between the lead vehicle and the rearmost vehicle and that runs in accordance with the first preceding vehicle following algorithm, deriving a vehicle speed of the rearmost vehicle.
A simulation apparatus that generates a gradient pattern of a running road for a vehicle and a vehicle speed pattern for simulation, the simulation apparatus comprising:
A simulation apparatus that generates a gradient pattern, the simulation apparatus comprising:
A simulation apparatus that generates a gradient pattern of a running road for a vehicle and a vehicle speed pattern for simulation, the simulation apparatus comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
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For gearshift control, e.g. control functions for performing shifting or generation of shift signal: characterised by the method for generating…
Adaptive cruise control: control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
Dependent on the position of the accelerator pedal: idle position
Inputs being a function of speed: dependent on machine speed , e.g. the vehicle speed
About 13 years 9 months of term left · ends 6 Aug 2040 (estimated)
The disclosure relates to a gear stage choosing apparatus for a stepped transmission included in a vehicle, a gear stage choosing method, and a simulation apparatus.
In vehicles including a stepped transmission, the gear stage of the stepped transmission is automatically chosen. A gear stage is typically chosen based on a shift map that defines in advance the relationship between vehicle speed and gear stage. A shift map is defined such that, for example, fuel efficiency is optimal at an assumed standard running load.
Kaijiang YU, Masakazu MUKAI, and Taketoshi KAWABE, “Performance of an Eco-Driving Nonlinear MPC System for a Power-Split HEV during Car Following”, SICE Journal of Control, Measurement, and System Integration, January 2014, Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 055-062 describes a technique for choosing the gear stage (speed ratio) of a stepped transmission a few seconds ahead by using a method called model predictive control (MPC). With this technique, a gear stage where fuel efficiency is predicted to be optimal is chosen from among all the gear stages based on the performance and statuses of an engine, a motor, a generator, and a battery, and a running load.
Features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like signs denote like elements, and wherein:
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a gear stage choosing apparatus and its peripheral components according to a first embodiment of the disclosure;
FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a gear stage choosing process according to the first embodiment;
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the disclosure will be described. A gear stage choosing apparatus according to the present embodiment determines a gear stage based on an estimated vehicle speed and a shift map and chooses a gear stage where fuel efficiency resulting from consideration of an estimated running load is optimal from among a reasonable range of gear stages including the determined gear stage and one or more gear stages higher or lower than the determined gear stage as a target gear stage (a gear stage to which a current gear stage is changed). With this configuration, in comparison with the case where a gear stage determined based on a shift map is directly chosen as a target gear stage, fuel efficiency is improved. In addition, the gear stage choosing apparatus uses some gear stages of multiple gear stages of the stepped transmission to evaluate fuel efficiency. Therefore, in comparison with the case where all the gear stages are used to evaluate fuel efficiency, the amount of calculation is reduced, and the gear stage choosing apparatus is suitably applied to real-time control.
Configuration
FIG. 1 shows the functional blocks of a gear stage choosing apparatus 10 and its peripheral components according to the present embodiment. A vehicle includes, for example, the gear stage choosing apparatus 10, a powertrain ECU 20, a stepped transmission 21, an engine 22, a brake ECU 30, a brake device 31, an EPSECU 40, an electric power steering (EPS) system 41, a driving support ECU 50, a self-driving ECU 60, a manager ECU 70, a communication unit 80, and the like.