# US 9,518,654 B2 · Vehicle controller

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- Number: US 9,518,654 B2
- Document ID: US9518654B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/236,258
- Filed: 2011-08-10
- Published: 2014-09-18
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2011-08-10
- Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Masaki Mitsuyasu
- Inventors: Masaki Mitsuyasu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9518654B2

## CPC

- F16H 61/143: {using electric control means}
- B60W 10/026: {of lock-up clutches}
- F16H 61/14: Control of torque converter lock-up clutches
- F16H 63/46: Signals to a clutch outside the gearbox
- B60Y 2300/18083: without torque flow between driveshaft and engine, e.g. with clutch disengaged or transmission in neutral
- F16H 2061/146: {for smoothing gear shift shock}
- Y02T 10/60: Other road transportation technologies with climate change mitigation effect
- F16H: GEARING
- 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
- B60Y: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A vehicle controller includes a lock-up clutch disposed to a power transmission path between an engine and a driving wheel, and a clutch configured to connect and disconnect the power transmission path, wherein at the time of switching driven traveling for causing a vehicle to travel by connecting the power transmission path and inertia traveling for causing the vehicle to travel by disconnecting the power transmission path, the lock-up clutch and the clutch are switched at switching start timings different from each other.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle controller comprising:
a lock-up clutch disposed to a power transmission path between an engine and a driving wheel; and
a clutch configured to connect and disconnect the power transmission path, wherein
a release start timing of the lock-up clutch is prior to a release start timing of the clutch at a time of switching from driven traveling for causing a vehicle to travel by connecting the power transmission path to inertia traveling for causing the vehicle to travel by disconnecting the power transmission path, and an engagement start timing of the clutch is made different from an engagement start timing of the lock-up clutch at a time of switching from the inertia traveling to
the driven traveling is carried out, wherein the inertia traveling is carried out when an accelerator opening degree of an accelerator pedal is set to a predetermined opening degree or less,
wherein in the inertia traveling, engine speed is reduced to an idle rotation number.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vehicle controller according to claim 1, wherein
at the time of switching from the inertia traveling to the driven traveling, the engagement start timing of the clutch is prior to the engagement start timing of the lock-up clutch.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The vehicle controller according to claim 1, wherein
at the time of switching between the driven traveling and the inertia traveling, an auxiliary machine load of the engine is reduced.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The vehicle controller according to claim 3, wherein
at the time of switching from the inertia traveling to the driven traveling, the engagement start timing of the clutch is prior to the engagement start timing of the lock-up clutch.

### Claim 5

A vehicle controller comprising:
a lock-up clutch disposed to a power transmission path between an engine and a driving wheel; and
a clutch configured to connect and disconnect the power transmission path, wherein
at least any one of that a release start timing of the lock-up clutch is made different from a release start timing of the clutch at a time of switching from driven traveling for causing a vehicle to travel by connecting the power transmission path to inertia traveling for causing the vehicle to travel by disconnecting the power transmission path, and an engagement start timing of the clutch is made different from an engagement start timing of the lock-up clutch at a time of switching from the inertia traveling to the driven traveling is carried out and wherein
at the time of switching between the driven traveling and the inertia traveling, an auxiliary machine load of the engine is reduced.

### Claim 6

A vehicle controller comprising:
a lock-up clutch disposed to a power transmission path between an engine and a driving wheel; and
a clutch configured to connect and disconnect the power transmission path, wherein
a release start timing of the lock-up clutch is prior to a release start timing of the clutch at a time of switching from driven traveling for causing a vehicle to travel by connecting the power transmission path to inertia traveling for causing the vehicle to travel by disconnecting the power transmission path, and an engagement start timing of the clutch is made different from an engagement start timing of the lock-up clutch at a time of switching from the inertia traveling to the driven traveling is carried out, wherein the inertia traveling is carried out when an accelerator opening degree is set to a predetermined opening degree or less,
wherein at the time of switching between the driven traveling and the inertia traveling, an auxiliary machine load of the engine is reduced.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The vehicle controller according to claim 6, wherein
at the time of switching from the inertia traveling to the driven traveling, the engagement start timing of the clutch is prior to the engagement start timing of the lock-up clutch.