US 6,278,915 B1Granted

Driving force control system for automotive vehicle

AssigneeNissan Motor Co., Ltd.

InventorsYoshitaka Deguchi, Taketoshi Kawabe, Itsuro Muramoto, Kouichi Kuroda

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Abstract

A driving force control system for an automotive vehicle using driving torque produced by at least one of an internal combustion engine and an electric motor for propulsion, and including a battery and a power-transmission mechanism having a continuously variable transmission, comprises sensors detecting vehicle speed, engine speed, an accelerator operating amount, a state of charge of the battery. An electronic control unit calculates a target engine speed needed to realize the vehicle speed, the target driving torque and the target generated electric energy at the lowest fuel consumption, considering an efficiency of each of the engine, the electric motor, and the power-transmission mechanism, so as to operate the engine, the electric motor, and/or the power-transmission mechanism always at their optimum operating points depending on the ratio of a first time rate of doing work for the driver's required driving torque to a second time rate of doing work for the required generated electric energy, as well as the sum of the first and second time rates.

Claims28

Dependent claims

A driving force control system for an automotive vehicle using driving torque produced by at least one of an internal combustion engine and an electric motor for propulsion, and including a battery giving and receiving electricity to and from the electric motor and a power-transmission mechanism having at least a continuously variable transmission for transmitting the driving torque therevia to drive wheels, said system comprising:

a vehicle speed sensor detecting vehicle speed;
an engine speed sensor detecting engine speed of the engine;
an accelerator sensor detecting an accelerator operating amount;
a battery state-of-charge detection device detecting a state of charge of the battery;
and
a control unit being configured to be electrically connected to the vehicle sensor, the engine speed sensor, the accelerator sensor, the battery state-of-charge detection device, the continuously variable transmission, the engine, and the electric motor, said control unit comprising:
(a) a target driving-torque calculation section which calculates a target driving torque on the basis of the vehicle speed and the accelerator operating amount,
(b) a target generated-electric-energy calculation section which calculates a target generated electric energy on the basis of a deviation of the state of charge of the battery from a desired state of charge,
(c) a target engine-speed calculation section which calculates a target engine speed needed to realize the vehicle speed, the target driving torque and the target generated electric energy at a lowest fuel consumption, considering an efficiency of each of the engine, the electric motor, and the power-transmission mechanism,
(d) a target torque calculation section which calculates a target engine torque of the engine and a target motor torque of the electric motor, both needed to realize the target driving torque and the target generated electric energy,
(e) a transmission ratio control section which controls a transmission ratio of the continuously variable transmission so that the engine speed is adjusted to the target engine speed,
(f) an engine torque control section which controls the engine so that torque produced by the engine is adjusted to the target engine torque, and
(g) a motor torque control section which controls the electric motor so that torque produced by the electric motor is adjusted to the target motor torque.

10 more elements

A driving force control system for an automotive vehicle using driving torque produced by an electric motor for propulsion, and including a battery giving and receiving electricity to and from the electric motor and a power-transmission mechanism having at least a continuously variable transmission for transmitting the driving torque therevia to drive wheels, said system comprising:

a vehicle speed sensor detecting vehicle speed;
a motor speed sensor detecting a motor rotational speed of the electric motor;
an accelerator sensor detecting an accelerator operating amount;
and
a control unit being configured to be electrically connected to the vehicle sensor, the motor speed sensor, the accelerator sensor, the continuously variable transmission, and the electric motor, said control unit comprising:
(a) a target driving-torque calculation section which calculates a target driving torque on the basis of the vehicle speed and the accelerator operating amount,
(b) a target motor-rotational-speed calculation section which calculates a target motor rotational speed needed to realize the vehicle speed and the target driving torque at a lowest electric power consumption, considering an efficiency of each of the electric motor and the power-transmission mechanism,
(c) a target torque calculation section which calculates a target motor torque of the electric motor needed to realize the target driving torque,
(d) a transmission ratio control section which controls a transmission ratio of the continuously variable transmission so that the motor rotational speed is adjusted to the target motor rotational speed,
(e) a motor torque control section which controls the electric motor so that torque produced by the electric motor is adjusted to the target motor torque.

7 more elements

A driving force control system for a parallel hybrid vehicle using driving torque produced by at least one of an internal combustion engine and an electric motor for propulsion, and including a battery giving and receiving electricity to and from the electric motor and a power-transmission mechanism having at least a continuously variable transmission for transmitting the driving torque therevia to drive wheels, said system comprising:

a vehicle speed sensor detecting vehicle speed;
an engine speed sensor detecting engine speed of the engine;
an accelerator sensor detecting an accelerator operating amount;
a battery state-of-charge detection device detecting a state of charge of the battery;
and
a control unit being configured to be electrically connected to the vehicle sensor, the engine speed sensor, the accelerator sensor, the battery state-of-charge detection device, the continuously variable transmission, the engine, and the electric motor, said control unit comprising:
(a) a target driving-torque calculation means for calculating a target driving torque on the basis of the vehicle speed and the accelerator operating amount,
(b) a target generated-electric-energy calculation means for calculating a target generated electric energy on the basis of a deviation of the state of charge of the battery from a desired state of charge,
(c) a target engine-speed calculation means for calculating a target engine speed needed to realize the vehicle speed, the target driving torque and the target generated electric energy at a lowest fuel consumption, considering an efficiency of each of the engine, the electric motor, and the power-transmission mechanism,
(d) a target torque calculation means for calculating a target engine torque of the engine and a target motor torque of the electric motor, both needed to realize the target driving torque and the target generated electric energy,
(e) a transmission ratio control means for controlling a transmission ratio of the continuously variable transmission so that the engine speed is adjusted to the target engine speed,
(f) an engine torque control means for controlling the engine so that torque produced by the engine is adjusted to the target engine torque, and
(g) a motor torque control means for controlling the electric motor so that torque produced by the electric motor is adjusted to the target motor torque.

10 more elements

A driving force control system for an automotive vehicle using driving torque produced by at least one of an internal combustion engine and an electric motor for propulsion, and including a battery giving and receiving electricity to and from the electric motor, a clutch disposed between the engine and electric motor, and a power-transmission mechanism having at least a continuously variable transmission for transmitting the driving torque therevia to drive wheels, and capable of selecting one of application of driving torque produced by the engine, application of driving torque produced by the electric motor, and application of driving torque produced by the engine and the motor depending on whether the clutch is in an engaged state or in a disengaged state, said system comprising:

a vehicle speed sensor detecting vehicle speed;
an engine speed sensor detecting engine speed of the engine;
a motor speed sensor detecting a motor rotational speed of the electric motor;
an accelerator sensor detecting an accelerator operating amount;
a battery state-of-charge detection device detecting a state of charge of the battery;
and
a control unit being configured to be electrically connected to the vehicle sensor, the engine speed sensor, the motor speed sensor, the accelerator sensor, the battery state-of-charge detection device, the continuously variable transmission, the engine, and the electric motor, said control unit comprising:
(a) a target driving-torque calculation section which calculates a target driving torque on the basis of the vehicle speed and the accelerator operating amount,
(b) a target generated-electric-energy calculation section which calculates a target generated electric energy on the basis of a deviation of the state of charge of the battery from a desired state of charge,
(c) a target engine-speed calculation section which calculates a target engine speed needed to realize the vehicle speed, the target driving torque and the target generated electric energy at a lowest fuel consumption, considering an efficiency of each of the engine, the electric motor, and the power-transmission mechanism,
(d) a target motor-rotational-speed calculation section which calculates a target motor rotational speed needed to realize the vehicle speed and the target driving torque at a lowest electric power consumption, considering an efficiency of each of the electric motor and the power-transmission mechanism,
(e) a target torque calculation section which calculates a target engine torque of the engine and a target motor torque of the electric motor, both needed to realize the target driving torque and the target generated electric energy,
(f) a transmission ratio control section which controls a transmission ratio of the continuously variable transmission so that the motor rotational speed is adjusted to the target motor rotational speed when the clutch is in the disengaged state, and so that the engine speed is adjusted to the target engine speed when the clutch is in the engaged state,
(g) an engine torque control section which controls the engine so that torque produced by the engine is adjusted to the target engine torque, and
(h) a motor torque control section which controls the electric motor so that torque produced by the electric motor is adjusted to the target motor torque.

12 more elements

A driving force control system for an automotive vehicle using driving torque produced by at least one of an internal combustion engine and an electric motor for propulsion, and including a battery giving and receiving electricity to and from the electric motor, a clutch disposed between the engine and electric motor, and a power-transmission mechanism having at least a continuously variable transmission for transmitting the driving torque therevia to drive wheels, and capable of selecting one of application of driving torque produced by the engine, application of driving torque produced by the electric motor, and application of driving torque produced by the engine and the motor depending on whether a clutch-engagement request is present or a clutch-disengagement request is present, said system comprising:

a vehicle speed sensor detecting vehicle speed;
an engine speed sensor detecting engine speed of the engine;
a motor speed sensor detecting a motor rotational speed of the electric motor;
an accelerator sensor detecting an accelerator operating amount;
a battery state-of-charge detection device detecting a state of charge of the battery;
and
a control unit being configured to be electrically connected to the vehicle sensor, the engine speed sensor, the motor speed sensor, the accelerator sensor, the battery state-of-charge detection device, the continuously variable transmission, the engine, and the electric motor, said control unit comprising:
(a) a target driving-torque calculation section which calculates a target driving torque on the basis of the vehicle speed and the accelerator operating amount,
(b) a target generated-electric-energy calculation section which calculates a target generated electric energy on the basis of a deviation of the state of charge of the battery from a desired state of charge,
(c) a target engine-speed calculation section which calculates a target engine speed needed to realize the vehicle speed, the target driving torque and the target generated electric energy at a lowest fuel consumption, considering an efficiency of each of the engine, the electric motor, and the power-transmission mechanism,
(d) a target motor-rotational-speed calculation section which calculates a target motor rotational speed needed to realize the vehicle speed and the target driving torque at a lowest electric power consumption, considering an efficiency of each of the electric motor and the power-transmission mechanism,
(e) a target torque calculation section which calculates a target engine torque of the engine and a target motor torque of the electric motor, both needed to realize the target driving torque and the target generated electric energy,
(f) a transmission ratio control section which controls a transmission ratio of the continuously variable transmission so that the motor rotational speed is adjusted to the target motor rotational speed when the clutch-disengagement request is present, and so that the engine speed is adjusted to the target engine speed when the clutch-engagement request is present,
(g) an engine torque control section which controls the engine so that torque produced by the engine is adjusted to the target engine torque, and
(h) a motor torque control section which controls the electric motor so that torque produced by the electric motor is adjusted to the target motor torque.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/501,299Filed 9 Feb 2000
Priority: JP 11-03869717 Feb 1999
Granted: 21 Aug 2001
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification22 codes

B60W 20/11
Controlling the power contribution of each of the prime movers to meet required power demand: using model predictive control [MPC] strategies,…
B60K 6/543
Transmission for changing ratio: the transmission being a continuously variable transmission
B60W 10/04
Conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function: including control of propulsion units
B60W 10/26
Including control of energy storage means: for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors