Control device for a hybrid vehicle

• US 20040152558A1
• Filed: 12/22/2003
• Published: 08/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Tajima, Yoichi, Kubo, Takayuki, Takami, Shigeki, Inuzuka, Takeshi, Kido, Takahiro, Kobayashi, Yasuhiko, Murase, Yoshitaka
• Granted Patent: US 7,089,095 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 477/3
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/485 Motor-assist type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/547 the transmission being a stepped gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2009 for braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/443 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• 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 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0657 Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/083 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18027 Drive off, accelerating from standstill
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/0047 the gear ratios comprising five forward speeds
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/201 with three sets of orbital gears
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/2025 using a Ravigneaux set with 5 connections
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2306/42 Changing the input torque to the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2312/02 Driving off
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 3/663 with conveying rotary motion between axially spaced orbital gears, e.g. RAVIGNEAUX
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 35/10 Arrangements or devices for absorbing overload or preventing damage by overload for screw mechanisms F16H25/2021
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/061 : using electric control means
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/686 : with orbital gears
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 63/50 : Signals to an engine or motor
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

A control unit for a hybrid vehicle includes a take-off detection unit that detects a start of movement of the hybrid vehicle from a stopped state; and a torque control unit that limits a engine torque input to an automatic transmission from becoming excessive by generating negative torque using a regeneration operation of a motor on occasions when the start of running of the hybrid vehicle is detected by the take-off detection unit. Accordingly, it is possible to reliably inhibit problems, such as an occupant of the hybrid vehicle being caused to feel an unpleasant jolt due to torque transmitted to a driven wheel side increasing instantaneously as a result of change in an application state of a clutch during the start of movement.

Claims

1. A control device for a hybrid vehicle having a motor drivingly coupled with an engine, and a transmission which transmits an output torque that is output from the engine and the motor to driven wheels, comprising:

a take-off requirement detection unit that detects a start of movement requirement of a driver; and

a torque control unit that limits torque input to the transmission by generating a negative torque using the motor when the start of movement requirement of the hybrid vehicle is detected by the take-off requirement detection unit.

2. The control device for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a brake operation state detection unit that detects an operation state of a brake resulting from operation by the driver, wherein the take-off requirement detection unit detects the start of movement requirement based on the operation state of the brake detected by the brake operation state detection unit.

3. The control device for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising:

an application pressure supply unit that supplies an application pressure for the clutch within the transmission; and

an application pressure command unit that outputs an application pressure command value that sets the application pressure at a predetermined value to the application pressure supply unit, wherein the torque control unit calculates an input torque limit value for an input torque that is input to the clutch based upon the application pressure command value output from the application pressure command unit, and calculates the negative torque that it is necessary to output from the motor based upon the calculated input torque limit value and an engine torque at the time of calculation of the input torque limit value.

4. The control device for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the torque control unit calculates, when calculating the negative torque, a necessary motor torque that forms a basis of the negative torque, and when it is determined that the necessary motor torque is less than zero, obtains an outputable motor torque at that time.

5. The control device for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the torque control unit sets, when the outputable motor torque is a value equal to or less than the necessary motor torque, the outputable motor torque as a torque that it is necessary to output from the motor for the negative torque.

6. The control device for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the torque control unit also calculates the engine torque that is necessary to add to the set outputable motor torque.

7. The control device for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a neutral control unit that, when the hybrid vehicle stops while the transmission remains switched to a drive range, executes control such that torque transmitted by a clutch that is applied when the drive range is selected is in a reduced state of transmitted torque, and when the start of movement requirement of the driver is detected by the take-off requirement detection unit, executes control such that the clutch is placed in a fully applied state, wherein the torque control unit executes driving control of the motor such that the negative torque becomes a predetermined value while the clutch moves from the reduced state of transmitted torque to the fully applied state.

8. The control device for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the torque control unit executes driving control of the motor such that the negative torque becomes the predetermined value when a throttle opening amount at the engine side changes by a predetermined value or more.

9. The control device for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 8, further comprising:

an application pressure supply unit that supplies an application pressure for the clutch within the transmission; and

an application pressure command unit that outputs an application pressure command value that sets the application pressure at a predetermined value to the application pressure supply unit, wherein the torque control unit calculates an input torque limit value for an input torque that is input to the clutch based upon the application pressure command value output from the application pressure command unit, and calculates the negative torque that is necessary to output from the motor based upon the calculated input torque limit value and an engine torque at the time of calculation of the input torque limit value.

10. The control device for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the torque control unit calculates, when calculating the negative torque, a necessary motor torque that forms a basis of the negative torque, and when it is determined that the necessary motor torque is less than zero, obtains an outputable motor torque at that time.

11. The control device for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the torque control unit sets, when the outputable motor torque is a value equal to or less than the necessary motor torque, the outputable motor torque as torque that is necessary to output from the motor for the negative torque.

12. The control device for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the torque control unit also calculates the engine torque that is necessary to add to the set outputable motor torque.

13. The control device for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 7, further comprising:

an application pressure supply unit that supplies an application pressure for the clutch within the transmission; and

an application pressure command unit that outputs an application pressure command value that sets the application pressure at a predetermined value to the application pressure supply unit, wherein the torque control unit calculates an input torque limit value for an input torque that is input to the clutch based upon the application pressure command value output from the application pressure command unit, and calculates the negative torque that is necessary to output from the motor based upon the calculated input torque limit value and an engine torque at the time of calculation of the input torque limit value.

14. The control device for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the torque control unit calculates, when calculating the negative torque, a necessary motor torque that forms a basis of the negative torque, and when it is determined that the necessary motor torque is less than zero, obtains an outputable motor torque at that time.

15. The control device for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the torque control unit sets, when the outputable motor torque is a value equal to or less than the necessary motor torque, the outputable motor torque as torque that is necessary to output from the motor for the negative torque.

16. The control device for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 15, wherein the torque control unit also calculates the engine torque that is necessary to add to the set outputable motor torque.

17. The control device for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

an application pressure supply unit that supplies an application pressure for the clutch within the transmission; and

an application pressure command unit that outputs an application pressure command value that sets the application pressure at a predetermined value to the application pressure supply unit, wherein the torque control unit calculates an input torque limit value for an input torque that is input to the clutch based upon the application pressure command value output from the application pressure command unit, and calculates the negative torque that is necessary to output from the motor based upon the calculated input torque limit value and an engine torque at the time of calculation of the input torque limit value.

18. The control device for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the torque control unit calculates, when calculating the negative torque, a necessary motor torque that forms a basis of the negative torque, and when it is determined that the necessary motor torque is less than zero, obtains an outputable motor torque at that time.

19. The control device for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 18, wherein the torque control unit sets, when the outputable motor torque is a value equal to or less than the necessary motor torque, the outputable motor torque as torque that is necessary to output from the motor for the negative torque.

20. The control device for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 19, wherein the torque control unit also calculates the engine torque that is necessary to add to the set outputable motor torque.

21. The control device for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the transmission is provided with a fluid transmission unit that receives the output torque that is output from the engine and the motor, and an automatic speed change mechanism that receives the output torque via the fluid transmission unit, wherein the motor is provided with an output member which is directly coupled to an output shaft of the engine, and which is coupled to an input member of the fluid transmission unit.

24. The method according to claim 1, further comprising executing a control, when the hybrid vehicle stops while the transmission remains switched to a drive range, such that torque transmitted by a clutch, that is applied when the drive range is selected, is in a reduced state of transmitted torque, and when the start of movement requirement is detected, executing a control such that the clutch is placed in a fully applied state, wherein driving control of the motor is executed such that the negative torque becomes a predetermined value while the clutch moves from the reduced state of transmitted torque to the fully applied state.

22. A control method for a hybrid vehicle having a motor drivingly coupled with an engine, and a transmission which transmits an output torque that is output from the engine and the motor to driven wheels, comprising:

detecting a start of movement requirement of a driver; and

limiting a torque input to the transmission by generating a negative torque using the motor when the start of movement requirement of the hybrid vehicle is detected.

23. The method according to claim 22, further comprising detecting an operation state of a brake resulting from operation by the driver, wherein the detecting of the start of movement requirement is based on the detected operation state of the brake.