# US 12,214,768 B2 · Driving force control method and driving force control device

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- Number: US 12,214,768 B2
- Document ID: US12214768B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/688,964
- Filed: 2021-09-06
- Published: 2024-10-03
- Granted: 2025-02-04
- Earliest claimed: 2021-09-06
- Assignees: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Tadashi Iwamoto
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12214768B2

## CPC

- B60W 10/08: including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
- B60K 17/356: having fluid or electric motor, for driving one or more wheels
- B60L 7/18: Controlling the braking effect (B60L7/12, B60L7/14, B60L7/16 take precedence)
- B60L 15/20: for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
- B60L 15/2009: {for braking}
- B60L 50/51: characterised by AC-motors
- B60W 20/15: Control strategies specially adapted for achieving a particular effect
- B60W 30/18127: {Regenerative braking}
- B60L 2210/40: DC to AC converters
- B60L 2220/42: with use of more than one motor
- B60L 2240/12: Speed
- B60L 2240/14: Acceleration
- B60L 2240/461: Speed
- B60L 2240/622: by satellite navigation
- B60L 2240/80: Time limits
- B60L 2260/28: Four wheel or all wheel drive
- B60L 2260/42: by adaptive correction
- B60L 2260/46: by self learning
- B60L 2270/145: Structure borne vibrations
- B60W 10/119: including control of all-wheel-driveline means, e.g. transfer gears or clutches for dividing torque between front and rear axle (B60W10/14 takes precedence)
- B60W 2520/10: Longitudinal speed
- B60W 2552/35: Road bumpiness, e.g. potholes
- B60W 2554/60: Traversable objects, e.g. speed bumps or curbs
- B60W 2720/403: between front and rear axle
- Y02T 10/72: Electric energy management in electromobility
- B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT
- B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A step corresponding control of adjusting driving force of the front wheel motor and driving force of the rear wheel motor when the vehicle passes through a step is executed. In the step corresponding control, after a front wheel ride-up timing at which the front wheel rides up the step and before a rear wheel ride-up timing at which the rear wheel rides up the step, a first control mode in which the front wheel motor is regenerated and the rear wheel motor is powered is executed. In the step corresponding control, after the execution of the first control mode and before the rear wheel ride-up timing, a second control mode in which the front wheel motor is powered and the rear wheel motor is regenerated is executed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A driving force control method for controlling front wheel driving force and rear wheel driving force by a front wheel motor connected to a front wheel of a vehicle and a rear wheel motor connected to a rear wheel, respectively, the driving force control method comprising:
executing a step corresponding control of reducing a vibration transmitted to a vehicle cabin when the rear wheel rides up a step by adjusting driving force of the front wheel motor and driving force of the rear wheel motor when the vehicle passes through the step, wherein
in the step corresponding control,
a control mode for adjusting driving force distribution is transitioned in an order of a first control mode in which the front wheel motor is regenerated and the rear wheel motor is powered and a second control mode in which the front wheel motor is powered and the rear wheel motor is regenerated,
the first control mode is executed after a front wheel ride-up timing at which the front wheel rides up the step and before a rear wheel ride-up timing at which the rear wheel rides up the step, and
the second control mode is executed after the execution of the first control mode and before the rear wheel ride-up timing; and
executing a step determination process of determining whether the vehicle passes through the step, wherein, in the step determination process,
when both of the front wheels are detected to have crossed the step, the vehicle is determined to pass through the step, and
when at least one of the front wheels is not detected to have crossed the step, the vehicle is determined to not pass through the step, the driving force control method further comprises:
executing, when the vehicle is determined to pass through the step, the step corresponding control; and
executing, when the vehicle is determined to not pass through the step, basic drive control to set the driving force of the front wheel motor and the driving force of the rear wheel motor to a prescribed basic driving force.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The driving force control method according to claim 1, further comprising:
starting the first control mode when a prescribed first switching determination time elapses from the front wheel ride-up timing.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The driving force control method according to claim 2, further comprising:
starting the second control mode when a second switching determination time longer than the prescribed first switching determination time elapses from the front wheel ride-up timing.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The driving force control method according to claim 3, further comprising:
executing a tire diameter learning process of obtaining a learning value of a tire diameter, wherein
in the step corresponding control, the prescribed first switching determination time and the second switching determination time are set to be variable values according to a vehicle speed determined based on the learning value obtained in the tire diameter learning process.

### Claim 5

A driving force control device that controls front wheel driving force and rear wheel driving force by a front wheel motor connected to a front wheel of a vehicle and a rear wheel motor connected to a rear wheel, respectively, the driving force control device comprising:
a step corresponding controller configured to execute step corresponding control to reduce a vibration transmitted to a vehicle cabin when the rear wheel rides up a step by adjusting driving force of the front wheel motor and driving force of the rear wheel motor when the vehicle passes through the step, wherein the step corresponding controller:
transitions a control mode for adjusting driving force distribution in an order of a first control mode in which the front wheel motor is regenerated and the rear wheel motor is powered and a second control mode in which the front wheel motor is powered and the rear wheel motor is regenerated;
executes the first control mode after a front wheel ride-up timing at which the front wheel rides up the step and before a rear wheel ride-up timing at which the rear wheel rides up the step; and
executes the second control mode after the execution of the first control mode and before the rear wheel ride-up timing, and
the step corresponding controller further configured to:
execute a step determination process of determining whether the vehicle passes through the step, wherein, in the step determination process,
when both of the front wheels are detected to have crossed the step, the vehicle is determined to pass through the step, and
when at least one of the front wheels is not detected to have crossed the step, the vehicle is determined to not pass through the step, the step corresponding controller is further programmed to:
execute, when the vehicle is determined to pass through the step, the step corresponding control; and
execute, when the vehicle is determined to not pass through the step, basic drive control to set the driving force of the front wheel motor and the driving force of the rear wheel motor to a prescribed basic driving force.

### Claim 6

A driving force control method for controlling front wheel driving force and rear wheel driving force by a front wheel motor connected to a front wheel of a vehicle and a rear wheel motor connected to a rear wheel, respectively, the driving force control method comprising:
executing a step corresponding control of reducing a vibration transmitted to a vehicle cabin when the rear wheel rides up a step by adjusting driving force of the front wheel motor and driving force of the rear wheel motor when the vehicle passes through the step, wherein the step corresponding control comprises:
detecting a front wheel ride-up timing at which the front wheel rides up the step;
measuring an elapsed time from the front wheel ride-up timing;
performing a basic drive control for setting each of the front wheel driving force and the rear wheel driving force to a prescribed basic driving force, when the elapsed time is lower than a first switching determination time;
performing a first control mode for regenerating the front wheel motor and powering the rear wheel motor, when the elapsed time is equal to or longer than the first switching determination time and lower than a second switching determination time; and
performing a second control mode for powering the front wheel motor and regenerating the rear wheel motor, when the elapsed time is equal to or longer than the second switching determination time.