Vehicle braked with motor torque and method of controlling the same

A vehicle comprising a motor connected with a drive shaft and being braked by means of a torque output from said motor, said vehicle comprising:

• an operation unit, through an operation of which a driver of said vehicle specifies a speed reduction rate in a process of braking with said motor;
• a target speed reduction rate setting unit that sets a target speed reduction rate in response to the operation of said operation unit;
• a motor driving state specification unit that specifies a target driving state of said motor, in order to enable a braking force that attains the currently set target speed reduction rate to be applied to said drive shaft;
• a control unit that drives said motor in the specified target driving state;
• and
• a variation unit that varies a possible range of setting of the target speed reduction rate according to a driving condition of said vehicle.

A method of controlling an operation of a vehicle, said vehicle comprising a motor, a transmission that enables selection of a plurality of gear ratios in a process of power transmission, and a drive shaft, which are connected with one another, said vehicle being driven and braked by means of a torque output from said motor, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) detecting an operation of an operation unit by a driver of said vehicle to specify a speed reduction rate in a process of braking with said motor;
• (b) setting a target speed reduction rate in response to the operation of said operation unit;
• (c) selecting a target gear ratio among a plurality of available gear ratios, the target gear ratio enabling the currently set target speed reduction rate to be attained by the torque of said motor;
• (d) setting a target torque of said motor to attain the currently set target speed reduction rate;
• and
• (e) controlling said transmission to attain the target gear ratio and driving said motor with the target torque.

A method of controlling an operation of a vehicle, said vehicle comprising a motor, a transmission that enables selection of a plurality of gear ratios in a process of power transmission, and a drive shaft, which are connected with one another, said vehicle being braked by means of a torque output from said motor, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) varying a possible range of setting of a target speed reduction rate according t6 a driving condition of said vehicle;
• (b) setting the target speed reduction rate in response to an operation of an operation unit by a driver of said vehicle to specify a speed reduction rate in a process of braking with said motor;
• (c) selecting a target gear ratio among a plurality of available gear ratios, the target gear ratio enabling the currently set target speed reduction rate to be attained by the torque of said motor;
• (d) setting a target torque of said motor to attain the currently set target speed reduction rate;
• and
• (e) controlling said transmission to attain the target gear ratio and driving said motor with the target torque.

A method of controlling an operation of a vehicle, said vehicle comprising a motor linked with a drive shaft and an engine linked with said drive shaft via a connection mechanism that connects and disconnects transmission of power to said drive shaft, said vehicle being braked by means of torques of said motor and said engine, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) varying a possible range of setting of a target speed reduction rate according to a driving condition of said vehicle;
• (b) setting the target speed reduction rate in response to an operation of an operation unit by a driver of said vehicle to specify a speed reduction rate in a process of braking with the torques of said motor and said engine;
• (c) setting a target torque of said motor to attain the currently set target speed reduction rate without the torque of said engine;
• (d) controlling said connection mechanism to disconnect the transmission of power from said engine;
• and
• (e) driving said motor with the target torque.