# US 8,540,603 B2 · Vehicle power transmission control device

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- Number: US 8,540,603 B2
- Document ID: US8540603B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/809,958
- Filed: 2011-07-05
- Published: 2013-06-13
- Granted: 2013-09-24
- Earliest claimed: 2010-07-13
- Assignees: Aisin Ai Co., Ltd.; Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Kazutaka Kobayashi; Yuichiro Nakamura
- Inventors: Kazutaka Kobayashi; Yuichiro Nakamura
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8540603B2

## CPC

- B60W 20/30: Control strategies involving selection of transmission gear ratio {(control of change speed gearings, together with other vehicle sub-units B60W10/10; HEV transmission gearing B60K6/36; gearings and control thereof F16H)}
- B60K 6/442: Series-parallel switching type
- B60K 6/547: the transmission being a stepped gearing
- 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 10/02: including control of driveline clutches
- B60W 10/06: including control of combustion engines
- B60W 10/08: including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
- B60W 10/11: Stepped gearings
- B60W 30/19: Improvement of gear change, e.g. by synchronisation or smoothing gear shift
- F02D 29/02: peculiar to engines driving vehicles; peculiar to engines driving variable pitch propellers
- F16H 61/04: Smoothing ratio shift
- F16H 63/502: {for smoothing gear shifts}
- B60L 2210/40: DC to AC converters
- B60L 2220/14: Synchronous machines
- B60L 2240/423: Torque
- B60L 2240/443: Torque
- B60L 2240/507: Operating parameters
- B60L 2250/24: by lever actuation
- B60L 2250/26: by pedal actuation
- B60L 2270/145: Structure borne vibrations
- B60W 20/00: Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles {(hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L)}
- B60W 2510/0275: Clutch torque
- B60W 2710/083: Torque
- F16H 2061/0433: {by torque supply with an electric motor}
- 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
- 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
- F02D: CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES (vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed B60K31/00; conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function, road vehicle drive control systems for purposes other than the control of a single sub-unit B60W)
- F16H: GEARING
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

In a state in which a vehicle travels while an internal-combustion-engine driving torque (Te) is transmitted to drive wheels, the internal-combustion-engine driving torque (Te) and a clutch torque (Tc) are decreased and an electric-motor driving torque (Tm) is increased based on the satisfaction of a shift-up condition (t1). During the time period from the satisfaction of the shift-up condition to time at which the clutch torque (Tc) becomes zero (t1 to t2), a load torque (Ts) of a power generator rotationally driven by an output shaft of the internal combustion engine is generated. In a hybrid vehicle equipped with an AMT, power consumption with the driving of an electric motor when a shift-up action is carried out using the assist of the electric-motor torque can be reduced.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A power transmission control device for a vehicle, the vehicle including an internal combustion engine and an electric motor as power sources, the power transmission control device comprising:
a stepped transmission including an input shaft to which power is input from an output shaft of the internal combustion engine, the stepped transmission including an output shaft for outputting power to drive wheels of the vehicle, the stepped transmission having a plurality of predetermined gear positions each having different speed reduction ratios, each of the speed reduction ratios corresponding to a ratio of a rpm (rotations per minute) of the input shaft to a rpm of the output shaft, power being input from an output shaft of the electric motor to the output shaft of the stepped transmission without intermediation of the stepped transmission;
a clutch interposed between the output shaft of the internal combustion engine and the input shaft of the stepped transmission, the clutch being capable of adjusting a clutch torque corresponding to a maximum value of a torque which can be transmitted by the clutch; and
a control portion configured to control 1) an internal combustion engine driving torque corresponding to a driving torque of the output shaft of the internal combustion engine, 2) an electric motor driving torque corresponding to a driving torque of the output shaft of the electric motor, 3) the clutch torque of the clutch, and 4) one of the plurality of gear positions of the stepped transmission, wherein the internal combustion engine driving torque, the electric motor driving torque, the clutch torque, and the one of the plurality of gear positions are controlled based on a travel state of the vehicle
wherein the control portion is configured to decrease the internal combustion engine driving torque and the clutch torque and increase the electric motor driving torque based on satisfaction of a shift-up condition, and wherein the control portion is configured to decrease the internal combustion engine driving torque and the clutch torque and increase the electric motor driving torque in a state in which 1) the clutch torque is adjusted to a value larger than the internal combustion engine driving torque and 2) the vehicle is travelling while the internal combustion engine driving torque is transmitted to the drive wheels,
wherein after the internal combustion engine driving torque and the clutch torque are decreased and the electric motor driving torque is increased, the control portion is configured to perform, based on a fact that the clutch torque becomes zero, a gear change action for changing the one of the plurality of gear positions of the stepped transmission from a current gear position to a high-speed side gear position while the clutch torque is maintained at zero and a state in which the electric motor driving torque is transmitted to the drive wheels is maintained, wherein the high-speed side gear position has a smaller speed reduction ratio than the current gear position,
wherein after the gear change action is performed, the control portion is configured to increase the internal combustion engine driving torque and the clutch torque and decrease the electric motor driving torque based on a termination of the gear change action, and
wherein the control portion is configured to adjust a load torque of a power generator provided to the vehicle to a value larger than a value of the load torque of the power generator measured before the satisfaction of the shift-up condition, during a time period from the satisfaction of the shift-up condition to a time at which the clutch torque becomes zero, and wherein the power generator is rotationally driven by the output shaft of the internal combustion engine.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The power transmission control device for the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control portion is configured to decrease the internal combustion engine driving torque and the clutch torque while a state in which the clutch torque is larger than the internal-combustion-engine driving torque is maintained, and during the time period from the satisfaction of the shift-up condition to the time at which the clutch torque becomes zero.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The power transmission control device for the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the power generator comprises a starter motor/generator having a function of rotationally driving the output shaft of the internal combustion engine to start the internal combustion engine and a function of generating electric power based on the internal combustion engine driving torque.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The power transmission control device for the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the power generator comprises an alternator having a function of generating electric power based on the internal combustion engine driving torque.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The power transmission control device for the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the power generator comprises a second electric motor which is provided to the vehicle as a power source for the vehicle, and the second electric motor includes an output shaft from which power is input to the output shaft of the internal combustion engine.