Vehicle control system and vehicle control method

• US 20010003109A1
• Filed: 11/29/2000
• Published: 06/07/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Tabata, Atsushi
• Granted Patent: US 6,540,642 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 477/5
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/356 having fluid or electric motor, for driving one or more wheels disposition of motor in, or adjacent to, traction wheel B60K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/52 Driving a plurality of drive axles, e.g. four-wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/547 the transmission being a stepped gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/11 Stepped gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/00 Purposes of road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub-unit, e.g. of systems using conjoint control of vehicle sub-units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/19 Improvement of gear change, e.g. by synchronisation or smoothing gear shift
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/916 with plurality of drive axles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/917 with transmission for changing gear ratio
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/919 Stepped shift
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/945 Characterized by control of gearing, e.g. control of transmission ratio
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/946 Characterized by control of driveline clutch

Abstract

A torque transmitting mechanism of a vehicle is structured such that engine torque is transmitted to front wheels via a transmission. A clutch is disposed in the torque transmission path leading to the transmission from the engine, which disengages upon gear shifting of the transmission. The vehicle control system of the invention is provided with a motor generator capable of transmitting the torque to rear wheels without passing through the transmission, and is structured so as to increase the torque transmitted from the motor generator to the rear wheels upon gear shifting of the transmission. According to this control system, a decrease in torque to be transmitted from the motor generator to the rear wheels is able to be suppressed during gear shifting with no need for an additional drive source.

Claims

1. A vehicle control system comprising:

a transmission;

a first drive source that generates torque for driving wheels;

a first transmission path through which the torque is transmitted from the first drive source via the transmission;

a clutch disposed in the first transmission path, which disengages upon gear shifting of the transmission;

a second drive source that generates torque for driving wheels;

a second transmission path through which the torque is transmitted from the second drive source without passing through the transmission; and

a control portion that drives and controls the second drive source so as to generate the torque to be transmitted from the second drive source to the wheels upon gear shifting of the transmission.

2. The control system according to

claim 1

, wherein the wheels include first wheels disposed in the first transmission path and second wheels disposed in the second transmission path,

the torque generated by the first drive source is transmitted to the first wheels via the transmission and the torque generated by the second drive source is transmitted to the second wheels without passing through the transmission.

3. The control system according to

claim 2

, wherein

the torque transmitted from the second drive source to the second wheels upon gear shifting of the transmission is varied depending on whether the torque is transmitted only to the first wheels upon gear shifting of the transmission or the torque is transmitted to the first and the second wheels upon gear shifting of the transmission.

4. The control system according to

claim 3

, wherein

the control portion sets the torque generated when torque is being transmitted to the first and the second wheels to be smaller than the torque generated when torque is being transmitted only to the first wheels when generating the torque to be transmitted from the second drive source to the second wheels upon gear shifting of the transmission.

5. The control system according to

claim 2

, wherein

the control portion controls the second drive source to increases the torque to be transmitted from the second drive source to the second wheels in accordance with a depression amount of an accelerator pedal.

6. The control system according to

claim 2

, wherein

the control portion controls the second drive source to increases the torque to be transmitted from the second drive source to the second wheels in accordance with the shifting gear of the transmission.

7. The control system according to

claim 2

, wherein

the control portion controls the second drive source to generates the torque to be transmitted from the second drive source to the second wheels such that during gear shifting, the driving force is kept at the same level as that of the driving force before gear shifting.

8. The control system according to

claim 1

, wherein the second drive source is a motor generator.

9. The control system according to

claim 8

, wherein the motor generator provides with:

a function for generating torque to be transmitted to the wheels during running of the vehicle; and

a regenerative function for re-generating electric power based on power input from the wheels during braking of the vehicle.

10. The control system according to

claim 1

, wherein the first drive source is an engine.

11. The control system according to

claim 1

, wherein the transmission is a synchro-mesh transmission.

12. The control system according to

claim 1

, wherein the clutch is automatically engaged or disengaged in association with a shift operation of the transmission.

13. The control system according to

claim 1

, further comprising:

a generator that generates an electric power,

wherein the second drive source is driven by the electric power of the generator.

14. A vehicle method comprising steps of:

providing a transmission, a first drive source that generates torque for driving wheels, a first transmission path through which the torque is transmitted from the first drive source via the transmission, a clutch disposed in the first transmission path, which disengages upon gear shifting of the transmission;

providing a second drive source that generates torque for driving wheels and a second transmission path through which the torque is transmitted from the second drive source without passing through the transmission;

determining whether or not the gear is shifted; and

driving and controlling the second drive source so as to generate the torque to be transmitted from the second drive source to the wheels when it is determined that the gear of the transmission is shifted.

15. The control method according to

claim 14

, wherein

the wheels include first wheels disposed in the first transmission path and second wheels disposed in the second transmission path,

the torque generated by the first drive source is transmitted to the first wheels via the transmission and the torque generated by the second drive source is transmitted to the second wheels without passing through the transmission.

16. The control method according to

claim 15

, wherein

the torque transmitted from the second drive source to the second wheels upon gear shifting of the transmission is varied depending on whether the torque is transmitted only to the first wheels upon gear shifting of the transmission or the torque is transmitted to the first and the second wheels upon gear shifting of the transmission.

17. The control method according to

claim 16

, wherein

the torque generated when torque is being transmitted to the first and the second wheels is set to be smaller than the torque generated when torque is being transmitted only to the first wheels when generating the torque to be transmitted from the second drive source to the second wheels upon gear shifting of the transmission.

18. The control method according to

claim 15

, wherein

the torque transmitted from the second drive source to the second wheels is increased in accordance with a depression amount of an accelerator pedal.

19. The control method according to

claim 15

, wherein

the torque transmitted from the second drive source to the second wheels is increased in accordance with the shifting gear of the transmission.

20. The control method according to

claim 15

, wherein

the torque transmitted from the second drive source to the second wheels is generated such that during gear shifting, the driving force is kept at the same level as that of the driving force before gear shifting.

21. The control method according to

claim 14

, wherein the second drive source is a motor generator.

22. The control method according to

claim 21

, wherein the motor generator provides with:

a function for generating torque to be transmitted to the wheels during running of the vehicle; and

a regenerative function for re-generating electric power based on power input from the wheels during braking of the vehicle.

23. The control method according to

claim 14

, wherein the first drive source is an engine.

24. The control method according to

claim 14

, wherein the transmission is a synchro-mesh transmission.

25. The control method according to

claim 14

, wherein the clutch is automatically engaged or disengaged in association with a shift operation of the transmission.

26. The control method according to

claim 14

, further comprising:

providing a generator that generates an electric power,

wherein the second drive source is driven by the electric power of the generator.

27. A four-wheel-drive vehicle comprising:

a transmission;

a first drive source that generates torque for driving wheels;

a first transmission path through which the torque is transmitted from the first drive source via the transmission;

a clutch disposed in the first transmission path, which disengages upon gear shifting of the transmission;

a second drive source that generates torque for driving wheels;

a second transmission path through which the torque is transmitted from the second drive source without passing through the transmission; and

a control portion that drives and controls the second drive source so as to generate the torque to be transmitted from the second drive source to the wheels upon gear shifting of the transmission.

28. The four-wheel-drive vehicle according to

claim 27

, wherein

the wheels include first wheels disposed in the first transmission path and second wheels disposed in the second transmission path,

the torque generated by the first drive source is transmitted to the first wheels via the transmission and the torque generated by the second drive source is transmitted to the second wheels without passing through the transmission.