Electrically powered vehicle drive control device and electrically powered vehicle drive control method

• US 20050082096A1
• Filed: 09/13/2004
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Oono, Yoshinori
• Granted Patent: US 7,178,619 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/65.235
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/30 Parking brake position
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/425 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/429 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/441 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/443 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/445 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/486 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/525 Temperature of converter or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/26 by pedal actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0076 relating to braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/586 the retarders being of the electric type
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/081 : Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 : Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/12 : Detecting malfunction or potential malfunction, e.g. fail safe in control of hydrostatic gearing F16H61/4192; Circumventing or fixing failures
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 63/48 : Signals to a parking brake or parking lock; Control of parking locks or brakes being part of the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 63/483 : Circuits for controlling engagement of parking locks or brakes
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/947 : Characterized by control of braking, e.g. blending of regeneration, friction braking

Abstract

A vehicle including an electrically powered machine, a parking gear mechanically connected to the electrically powered machine, a parking lock mechanism that locks the parking gear, a sensor that detects a rotor position of the electrically powered machine, and a controller that reads the rotor position when a parking range is selected and judges, on the basis of a change in the rotor position, whether a failure has occurred in the parking lock mechanism.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising:

an electrically powered machine;

a parking gear mechanically connected to the electrically powered machine;

a parking lock mechanism that locks the parking gear;

a sensor that detects a rotor position of the electrically powered machine; and

a controller that;

reads the rotor position when a parking range is selected; and

judges, on the basis of a change in the rotor position, whether a failure has occurred in the parking lock mechanism.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the controller:

judges whether the electrically powered machine is put in a stopped state; and

judges whether the failure has occurred in the parking lock mechanism when the electrically powered machine is put in the stopped state.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein when a change in the rotor position is greater than a threshold value that corresponds to one pitch of a plurality of gears provided on the parking gear, the controller judges that the failure has occurred in the parking lock mechanism.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the controller performs a fail-safe operation for suppressing movements of the vehicle, when the failure has occurred in the parking lock mechanism.

5. The vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the controller effects reset from the fail-safe operation when a predetermined reset operation is performed.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the parking gear is formed integrally with a ring gear.

7. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the controller judges that the electrically powered machine is in the stopped state when a vehicle speed is less than a threshold vehicle speed.

8. The vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the threshold vehicle speed is set to a value corresponding to a rotating speed of the parking gear when the vehicle moves based on vehicle weight.

9. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein when the parking range is selected, the controller reads an initial position of the rotor at a time when the parking range is initially selected and then reads a present position of the rotor after a preset period of time and judges that the failure has occurred when a difference between the initial position and the present position is greater than a threshold value.

10. The vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the threshold value corresponds to one pitch of a plurality of gears provided on the parking gear.

11. The vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the threshold value corresponds to two pitches of a plurality of gears provided on the parking gear.

12. A method of operating a vehicle, comprising:

detecting a rotor position of an electrically powered machine;

reading the rotor position when a parking range is selected; and

judging, based on a change in the rotor position, whether a failure has occurred in a parking lock mechanism that locks a parking gear mechanically connected to the electrically powered machine.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

judging whether the electrically powered machine is put in a stopped state; and

judging whether the failure has occurred in the parking lock mechanism when the electrically powered machine is put in the stopped state.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

judging that the failure has occurred in the parking lock mechanism when a change in the rotor position is greater than a threshold value that corresponds to one pitch of a plurality of gears provided on the parking gear.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein a fail-safe operation is performed for suppressing movements of the vehicle, when the failure has occurred in the parking lock mechanism.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein reset from the fail-safe operation is effected when a predetermined reset operation is performed.

17. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

judging that the electrically powered machine is in the stopped state when a vehicle speed is less than a threshold vehicle speed.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the threshold vehicle speed is set to a value corresponding to a rotating speed of the parking gear when the vehicle moves based on vehicle weight.

19. The method according to claim 12, wherein when the parking range is selected, an initial position of the rotor is read at a time when the parking range is initially selected and then a present position of the rotor is read after a preset period of time and a judgment is made that the failure has occurred when a difference between the initial position and the present position is greater than a threshold value.

20. A vehicle control device, comprising:

a controller that;

reads a rotor position of an electrically powered machine when a parking range is selected; and

judges, based on a change in the rotor position, whether a failure has occurred in a parking lock mechanism that locks a parking gear mechanically connected to the electrically powered machine.

21. The vehicle control device according to claim 20, wherein the controller:

judges whether the electrically powered machine is put in a stopped state; and

judges whether the failure has occurred in the parking lock mechanism when the electrically powered machine is put in the stopped state.

22. The vehicle control device according to claim 20, wherein when a change in the rotor position is greater than a threshold value that corresponds to one pitch of a plurality of gears provided on the parking gear, the controller judges that the failure has occurred in the parking lock mechanism.

23. The vehicle control device according to claim 20, wherein the controller performs a fail-safe operation for suppressing movements of the vehicle, when the failure has occurred in the parking lock mechanism.

24. The vehicle control device according to claim 23, wherein the controller effects reset from the fail-safe operation when a predetermined reset operation is performed.

25. The vehicle control device according to claim 21, wherein the controller judges that the electrically powered machine is in the stopped state when a vehicle speed is less than a threshold vehicle speed.

26. The vehicle control device according to claim 25, wherein the threshold vehicle speed is set to a value corresponding to a rotating speed of the parking gear when the vehicle moves based on vehicle weight.

27. The vehicle control device according to claim 20, wherein when the parking range is selected, the controller reads an initial position of the rotor at a time when the parking range is initially selected and then reads a present position of the rotor after a preset period of time and judges that the failure has occurred when a difference between the initial position and the present position is greater than a threshold value.

28. The vehicle control device according to claim 27, wherein the threshold value corresponds to one pitch of a plurality of gears provided on the parking gear.

29. The vehicle control device according to claim 27, wherein the threshold value corresponds to two pitches of a plurality of gears provided on the parking gear.