# US 2021/0276530 A1 · Vehicle

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- Number: US 2021/0276530 A1
- Document ID: US20210276530A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/193,604
- Filed: 2021-03-05
- Published: 2021-09-09
- Earliest claimed: 2020-03-06
- Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Yuto OTSUKI; Satoshi ANDO; Keiichi OHISO
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210276530A1

## CPC

- B60K 17/354: having separate mechanical assemblies for transmitting drive to the front or to the rear wheels or set of wheels
- B60W 20/10: Controlling the power contribution of each of the prime movers to meet required power demand
- B60K 1/02: comprising more than one electric motor
- B60K 6/24: characterised by the combustion engines
- B60K 6/26: characterised by the motors or the generators
- B60K 6/442: Series-parallel switching type
- B60K 6/52: Driving a plurality of drive axles, e.g. four-wheel drive
- B60K 17/02: characterised by arrangement, location, or kind of clutch
- B60K 17/08: of mechanical type
- B60K 17/356: having fluid or electric motor, for driving one or more wheels
- 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 15/2045: {for optimising the use of energy}
- B60L 50/16: with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
- B60L 50/61: by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
- B60W 20/20: Control strategies involving selection of hybrid configuration, e.g. selection between series or parallel configuration
- B60K 6/448: Electrical distribution type
- B60L 2220/42: with use of more than one motor
- B60L 2240/12: Speed
- B60L 2260/26: Transition between different drive modes
- B60W 2520/10: Longitudinal speed
- B60W 2720/403: between front and rear axle
- B60Y 2200/91: Electric vehicles
- B60Y 2200/92: Hybrid vehicles
- B60Y 2300/182: Selecting between different operative modes, e.g. comfort and performance modes
- B60Y 2300/43: Control of engines
- B60Y 2300/60: Control of electric machines, e.g. problems related to electric motors or generators
- Y02T 10/62: Hybrid vehicles
- Y02T 10/64: Electric machine technologies in electromobility
- Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
- Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
- Y02T 10/72: Electric energy management in electromobility
- 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
- 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
- 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
- B60Y: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A vehicle includes a main drive unit, a sub drive unit, and a control unit. The main drive unit includes a main drive rotary electric machine. The sub drive unit includes a sub drive rotary electric machine. The control unit includes a driving force distribution ratio setting unit configured to set a driving force distribution ratio between the main driving force and the sub driving force and is configured to control the outputs of the main drive unit and the sub drive unit so that the main driving force and the sub driving force have the driving force distribution ratio set by the driving force distribution ratio setting unit. The driving force distribution ratio setting unit is configured to set the driving force distribution ratio to minimize electric power loss of the vehicle based on a vehicle speed of the vehicle and a required driving force of the vehicle.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle comprising:
a main drive unit configured to output a main driving force for driving one of a front wheel and a rear wheel;
a sub drive unit configured to output a sub driving force for driving the other of the front wheel and the rear wheel; and
a control unit configured to control outputs of the main drive unit and the sub drive unit, wherein:
the main drive unit includes at least one main drive rotary electric machine;
the sub drive unit includes at least one sub drive rotary electric machine;
the control unit includes a driving force distribution ratio setting unit configured to set a driving force distribution ratio between the main driving force and the sub driving force and is configured to control the outputs of the main drive unit and the sub drive unit so that the main driving force and the sub driving force have the driving force distribution ratio set by the driving force distribution ratio setting unit; and
the driving force distribution ratio setting unit is configured to set the driving force distribution ratio to minimize electric power loss of the vehicle based on a vehicle speed of the vehicle and a required driving force of the vehicle.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:
the main drive unit includes an internal combustion engine;
a drive mode of the main drive unit includes an electric power drive mode, in which a driving force of the main drive rotary electric machine is output as the main driving force, and an engine driving mode, in which a driving force of the internal combustion engine is output as the main driving force;
the driving force distribution ratio setting unit is configured to set the driving force distribution ratio based on the drive mode of the main drive unit; and
a distribution ratio of the sub driving force, in the driving force distribution ratio when the drive mode of the main drive unit is the electric power drive mode, is the same or larger than a distribution ratio of the sub driving force, in the driving force distribution ratio when the drive mode of the main drive unit is the engine drive mode.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:
the main drive unit includes an internal combustion engine; and
the driving force distribution ratio setting unit is configured to set the driving force distribution ratio so that a distribution ratio of the main driving force is 50% or more.