Regenerative control apparatus for vehicles equipped with a lock-up clutch

A regenerative control apparatus for a vehicle equipped with an engine and an automatic transmission mechanism equipped with a lock-up clutch, the automatic transmission mechanism transmitting an output of the engine to wheels of the vehicle, the regenerative control apparatus comprising:

• a first detection unit detecting information indicative of an engagement state of the lock-up clutch;
• a second detection unit detecting information indicative of revolutions of the engine;
• a rotary electric machine performing regenerative generation using energy brought about by the engine when the vehicle is in deceleration state;
• and
• a control unit controlling both the rotary electric machine and the lock-up clutch depending on the information provided by both the transmission unit and the detection unit,
• wherein the control unit includes
• first control means for controlling the rotary electric machine so as to cause the rotary electric machine to perform the regenerative generation at a generation level lower than a regenerative generation level given when the lock-up clutch is in a complete engagement state in the deceleration state of the vehicle, in cases where the lock-up clutch is in either a complete disengagement state or a slipping state in the deceleration state of the vehicle, and
• second control means for controlling the lock-up clutch so as to shift the engagement state of the lock-up clutch to either the slipping state or the complete disengagement state, provided that the number of revolutions becomes equal to or less than a threshold in a condition where the lock-up clutch is in the complete engagement state during the regenerative generation.

A method of controlling regenerative generation for a vehicle equipped with (i) an engine, (ii) an automatic transmission mechanism equipped with a lock-up clutch, the automatic transmission mechanism transmitting an output of the engine to wheels of the vehicle, (iii) a first detection unit detecting information indicative of an engagement state of the lock-up clutch, (iv) a second detection unit detecting information indicative of revolutions of the engine, and (v) a rotary electric machine performing regenerative generation using energy brought about by the engine when the vehicle is in deceleration state, the method comprising step of:

• first determining, using the information provided by both the transmission unit and the detection unit, whether or not the lock-up clutch is in either a complete disengagement state or a slipping state in the deceleration state of the vehicle;
• first controlling, if the first determining step shows an affirmative determination, the rotary electric machine so as to cause the rotary electric machine to perform the regenerative generation at a generation level lower than a regenerative generation level given when the lock-up clutch is in a complete engagement state in the deceleration state of the vehicle;
• second determining, using the information provided by both the transmission unit and the detection unit, whether or not the number of revolutions becomes equal to or less than a threshold in cases where the lock-up clutch is in the complete engagement state during the regenerative generation;
• and
• second controlling, if the second determining step shows an affirmative determination, the lock-up clutch so as to shift the engagement state of the lock-up clutch to either the slipping state or the complete disengagement state.