Vehicle and control method for vehicle
AssigneeToyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorShunro Fukada
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Each of a first clutch and a second clutch is, for example, an electromagnetic clutch that is operated by an electromagnetic actuator, and is supplied with electric power from the same in-vehicle battery as a starter motor of an engine. An electronic control unit is configured to not change a drive mode during a stop of the engine, and, after a predetermined period has elapsed from a start of operation of the starter motor at a startup of the engine (for example, the startup has completed) and a battery voltage has been recovered, change the drive mode to any one of a two-wheel drive mode and a four-wheel drive mode with the first clutch and the second clutch.
Claims10
A vehicle comprising:
- a pair of front wheels;
- a pair of rear wheels;
- an engine including a starter motor;
- a clutch configured to be engaged and released to change a drive mode of the vehicle into any one of a four-wheel drive mode and a two-wheel drive mode, the four-wheel drive mode being a mode in which both the pair of front wheels and the pair of rear wheels are driven, the two-wheel drive mode being a mode in which any one of the pair of front wheels and the pair of rear wheels is driven;
- a battery, the starter motor of the engine and the clutch being configured to be supplied with electric power from the same battery;
- and
- an electronic control unit configured to change the engine into any one of an operating state and a stopped state while the vehicle is traveling,
- the electronic control unit being configured to operate the starter motor by supplying electric power from the battery to the starter motor when the engine is changed from the stopped state to the operating state,
- the electronic control unit being configured to execute drive mode change control for changing the drive mode into any one of the two-wheel drive mode and the four-wheel drive mode by operating the clutch with electric power, the electric power being supplied from the battery to the clutch while the vehicle is traveling,
- the electronic control unit being configured not to execute the drive mode change control when the engine is in the stopped state, and
- the electronic control unit being configured to execute the drive mode change control after a lapse of a predetermined period from a start of operation of the starter motor at a startup of the engine.
A control method for a vehicle, the vehicle including
- a pair of front wheels,
- a pair of rear wheels,
- an engine including a starter motor,
- a clutch configured to be engaged and released to change a drive mode of the vehicle into any one of a four-wheel drive mode and a two-wheel drive mode, the four-wheel drive mode being a mode in which both the pair of front wheels and the pair of rear wheels are driven, the two-wheel drive mode being a mode in which any one of the pair of front wheels and the pair of rear wheels is driven,
- a battery, the starter motor of the engine and the clutch being configured to be supplied with electric power from the same battery, and
- an electronic control unit,
- the control method comprising:
- changing, by the electronic control unit, the engine into any one of an operating state and a stopped state while the vehicle is traveling;
- operating, by the electronic control unit, the starter motor by supplying electric power from the battery to the starter motor when the engine is changed from the stopped state to the operating state;
- executing, by the electronic control unit, drive mode change control for changing the drive mode into any one of the two-wheel drive mode and the four-wheel drive mode by operating the clutch with electric power, the electric power being supplied from the battery to the clutch while the vehicle is traveling;
- not executing, by the electronic control unit, the drive mode change control when the engine is in the stopped state;
- and
- executing the drive mode change control, by the electronic control unit, after a lapse of a predetermined period from a start of operation of the starter motor at a startup of the engine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.