Drive state shift control apparatus for hybrid vehicle

• US 20070259755A1
• Filed: 04/30/2007
• Published: 11/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Tanishima, Kaori
• Granted Patent: US 7,771,310 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 477/3
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/387 Actuated clutches, i.e. clutches engaged or disengaged by electric, hydraulic or mechanical actuating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/547 the transmission being a stepped gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2054 by controlling transmissions or clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/441 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/443 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/486 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/507 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/145 Structure borne vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• 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 20/40 Controlling the engagement or disengagement of prime movers, e.g. for transition between prime movers power-up or power-down of the driveline B60W30/192
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0657 Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• 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 903/945 : Characterized by control of gearing, e.g. control of transmission ratio

Abstract

A drive state shift control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle and a control method for a hybrid vehicle smoothly perform a shift in drive state in accordance with an operating state by a mode shift and a gear shift. When an accelerator operation causes a mode shift request and a gear shift request at substantially the same time, vehicle information including at least one of the vehicle speed and the engine load is used to determine the sequence of the shifts based on the competing interests of shock control and responsiveness.

Claims

1. A drive state shift control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle, comprising:

an engine;

a motor-generator;

a first clutch disposed between the engine and the motor-generator for engagement and disengagement;

a second clutch disposed between the motor generator and a driving wheel for engagement and disengagement;

a transmission disposed between the motor generator and the driving wheel; and

a controller operable to;

selectively provide a mode shift between an electric drive mode in which the first clutch is disengaged and the second clutch is engaged and a hybrid drive mode in which the first clutch and the second clutch are engaged;

selectively provide a gear shift in the transmission; and

perform two driving power transmission state shifts including the mode shift and the gear shift in accordance with a timing based on vehicle information including at least one of vehicle speed and engine load when a request for the mode shift and a request for the gear shift are received at or substantially at a same time.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further operable to perform the gear shift after the mode shift when the vehicle information indicates a desire to perform the two driving power transmission state shifts slowly below a first predetermined speed.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the controller is further operable to conclude the vehicle information indicates the desire to perform the two driving power transmission state shifts slowly below the first predetermined speed when a value related to the vehicle speed is higher than a first speed value and when a value related to the engine load is smaller than a first load value.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the controller is further operable to perform the gear shift in parallel with the mode shift when the vehicle information indicates a desire to perform the two driving power transmission state shifts quickly above a second predetermined speed.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the controller is further operable to conclude the vehicle information indicates the desire to perform the two driving power transmission state shifts quickly above the second predetermined speed when the value related to the vehicle speed is lower than a second speed value and when the value related to the engine load is larger than a second load value.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the value related to the vehicle speed is the vehicle speed or an acceleration of the vehicle and wherein the value related to the engine load is an accelerator opening or a rate of change of the accelerator opening with respect to time.

7. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the controller is further operable to perform the gear shift in parallel with the mode shift when the vehicle information indicates a desire to perform the two driving power transmission state shifts quickly above a second predetermined speed.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the controller is further operable to conclude the vehicle information indicates the desire to perform the two driving power transmission state shifts quickly above the second predetermined speed when a value related to the vehicle speed is lower than a second speed value and when a value related to the engine load is larger than a second load value.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the controller is further operable to perform the gear shift in parallel with the mode shift when the vehicle information indicates a desire to perform the driving power transmission state shifts quickly above a predetermined speed.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the controller is further operable to conclude the vehicle information indicates the desire to perform the driving power transmission state shifts quickly above the predetermined speed when a value related to the vehicle speed is lower than a predetermined speed value and when a value related to the engine load is larger than a predetermined load value.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the mode shift is a mode shift from the electric drive mode to the hybrid drive mode.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the gear shift is a downshift.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the engine load corresponds to an accelerator opening.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the second clutch is within the transmission.

15. A drive state shift control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle, the hybrid vehicle including an engine and a motor-generator switchable between an electric drive mode and a hybrid drive mode during a mode shift and a transmission switchable between a plurality of gear shift positions during a gear shift, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a request for a mode shift and a request for a gear shift at or substantially at a same time;

means for receiving vehicle information including at least one of a vehicle speed and an engine load; and

means for performing the mode shift and the gear shift in a sequence based on the vehicle information when the receiving means receives the requests.

16. A drive state shift control method for a hybrid vehicle, the hybrid vehicle including an engine and a motor-generator switchable between an electric drive mode and a hybrid drive mode during a mode shift and a transmission switchable between a plurality of gear shift positions during a gear shift, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a mode shift and a request for a gear shift at or substantially at a same time;

receiving vehicle information including at least one of a vehicle speed and an engine load; and

performing the mode shift and the gear shift in a sequence based on the vehicle information after receiving the requests.

17. The method according to claim 16 wherein performing the mode shift and the gear shift in the sequence based on the vehicle information after receiving the requests further comprises performing the gear shift after the mode shift when the vehicle information indicates a desire to perform the mode shift and the gear shift slowly below a first predetermined speed.

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

concluding the vehicle information indicates the desire to perform the mode shift and the gear shift slowly below the first predetermined speed when a value related to the vehicle speed is higher than a speed value and when a value related to the engine load is smaller than a load value.

19. The method according to claim 16 wherein performing the mode shift and the gear shift in the sequence based on the vehicle information after receiving the request further comprises performing the gear shift in parallel with the mode shift when the vehicle information indicates a desire to perform the driving power transmission state shifts quickly above a second predetermined speed.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

concluding the vehicle information indicates the desire to perform the driving power transmission state shifts quickly above the second predetermined speed when a value related to the vehicle speed is lower than a speed value and when a value related to the engine load is larger than a load value.

21. The method according to claim 16 wherein performing the mode shift and the gear shift in a sequence based on the vehicle information after receiving the requests further comprises performing a shift from the electric drive mode to the hybrid drive mode as the mode shift and performing a downshift as the gear shift in order or in parallel based on the vehicle information after receiving the requests.