Control system for hybrid drive unit

• US 20040259680A1
• Filed: 06/08/2004
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Endo, Hiroatsu, Okasaka, Kazuomi, Kayukawa, Atsushi, Ozeki, Tatsuya
• Granted Patent: US 7,108,630 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 477/3
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• 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 20/11 using model predictive control [MPC] strategies, i.e. control methods based on models predicting performance utilising navigation and traffic information in the control strategy B60W20/12
• CPC Class Codes: 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/065 Idle condition
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

A control system for a hybrid drive unit, in which an assist prime mover is connected through a transmission mechanism to an output member, to which a torque outputted by a main prime mover is transmitted, comprises gear shift controller for switching a shift control condition of said transmission in accordance with the action state of said main prime mover. A gear shift is inhibited in case a vehicle is run by an assist prime mover, and the gear shift is inhibited also in case the assist prime mover outputs a torque in connection with starting the main prime mover. A transmission is operated into a state just before starting the shifting operation in case the gear shift is inhibited in connection with starting the main prime mover.

Claims

1. A control system for a hybrid drive unit, in which an assist prime mover is connected through a transmission mechanism to an output member, to which a torque outputted by a main prime mover is transmitted, comprising:

gear shift control means for switching a shift control condition of said transmission in accordance with an action state of said main prime mover.

2. A control system for a hybrid drive unit according to claim 1,

wherein said gear shift control means include means for switching the shift control condition of said transmission in accordance with a situation of a control to startup said main prime mover.

3. A control system for a hybrid drive unit according to claim 1,

wherein said main prime mover includes an internal combustion engine which is started by an external force;

and

wherein said gear shift control means include means for executing a shifting preparatory control to put said transmission into the state just before a gear ratio changes, while said internal combustion engine is being started by the external force, and means for changing the gear ratio of said transmission after the startup of said internal combustion engine is completed.

4. A control system for a hybrid drive unit according claim 3,

wherein said gear shift control means include means for starting the shift control to change the gear ratio of said transmission at the instant when the startup of said internal combustion engine is completed.

5. A control system for a hybrid drive unit according to claim 1,

wherein said gear shift control means include gear shift inhibiting means for inhibiting the shift control to change the gear ratio of said transmission, when said assist prime mover outputs the torque in connection with the startup of said main prime mover.

6. A control system for a hybrid drive unit according to claim 1,

wherein said gear shift control means include the gear shift inhibiting means for inhibiting the shift control to change the gear ratio of said transmission, when the vehicle having said hybrid drive unit is run by a power of said assist prime mover.

7. A control system for a hybrid drive unit according to claim 1,

wherein said main prime mover comprises a torque distributing mechanism composed of a planetary gear mechanism for establishing a differential action with three rotary elements from first to third, the internal combustion engine connected to the first rotary element, and a motor generator connected to the second rotary element;

wherein said output member is connected to the third rotary element; and

wherein said internal combustion engine is rotated and started by the torque outputted by said motor generator.

8. A control system for a hybrid drive unit according to claim 7, comprising:

control means for controlling the output of said assist prime mover so as to reduce the torque transmitted from said torque distributing mechanism to said output member as a result of rotating said internal combustion engine by the torque outputted from said motor generator;

startup control deciding means for deciding that said internal combustion is under a startup control in connection with controlling the output of said assist prime mover by said control means; and

the gear shift inhibiting means for inhibiting the shift control to change the gear ratio of said transmission, in case said startup control deciding means decides that said internal combustion engine is under the startup control.

9. A control system for a hybrid drive unit according to claim 8,

wherein said gear shift control means include shifting preparatory means for executing the shifting preparatory control to put said transmission into the state just before the gear ratio changes, when the shift control of said transmission is inhibited by said gear shift inhibiting means.

10. A control system for a hybrid drive unit according to claim 9,

wherein said transmission comprises an engagement device for changing the gear ratio by being engaged;

and

wherein said shifting preparatory means include means for operating said engagement device into the state just before the engagement.

11. A control system for a hybrid drive unit, in which an assist prime mover is connected through a transmission mechanism to an output member, to which a torque outputted by a main prime mover is transmitted, comprising:

a gear shift controller for switching the shifting condition of said transmission in accordance with the action state of said main prime mover.

12. A control method for a hybrid drive unit, in which an assist prime mover is connected through a transmission mechanism to an output member, to which a torque outputted by a main prime mover is transmitted, comprising:

a gear shift control step for switching the shifting condition of said transmission in accordance with said main prime mover.

13. A control method for a hybrid drive unit according to claim 12,

wherein the shifting condition of said transmission is switched in accordance with the situation of the control to startup said main prime mover, at said gear shift control step.

14. A control method for a hybrid drive unit according claim 12,

wherein said transmission is brought into the state just before a gear ratio changes, during said internal combustion engine included in said main prime mover is being started by the external force, and the gear ratio of said transmission is changed after the startup of said internal combustion engine is completed, at said gear shift control step.

15. A control method for a hybrid drive unit according to claim 14,

wherein the gear ratio of said transmission is changed at the instant when the startup of said internal combustion engine is completed.

16. A control method for a hybrid drive unit according to claim 12,

wherein the shift control to change the gear ratio of said transmission is inhibited when said assist prime mover outputs the torque in connection with the startup of said main prime mover, at said gear shift control step.

17. A control method for a hybrid drive unit according to claim 12,

wherein the shift control to change the gear ratio of said transmission is inhibited in case the vehicle having said hybrid drive unit is run by the power of said assist prime mover.

18. A control method for a hybrid drive unit according to claim 12,

wherein said main prime mover comprises a torque distributing mechanism composed of the planetary gear mechanism for establishing the differential action with three rotary elements from first to third;

the internal combustion engine connected to the first rotary element; and

a motor generator connected to the second rotary element;

wherein said output member is connected to the third rotary element;

wherein the output of said assist prime mover is controlled to reduce the torque transmitted from said torque distributing mechanism to said output member, when said internal combustion engine is rotated and started by said motor generator; and

wherein the shift control to change the gear ratio of said transmission is inhibited in case the output of said assist prime mover is controlled.

19. A control method for a hybrid drive unit according to claim 18,

wherein the shifting preparatory control to put said transmission into the state just before the gear ratio changes is executed, when the shift control of said transmission is inhibited.

20. A control method for a hybrid drive unit according to claim 19,

wherein said shifting preparatory control includes a control to put the engagement device of said transmission into the state just before the engagement.