Motor Vehicle And Control Method Of The Same

• US 20080033617A1
• Filed: 08/11/2005
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Oshima, Keijiro, Watanabe, Hideto
• Application Number:
  US11/660,683
• Publication Number:
  US 20080033617A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/48
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/44 Series-parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/122 for locking of reverse movement
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/14 Central differentials for dividing torque between front and rear axles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/10 Weight
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/91 Electric vehicles
• 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 63/50 Signals to an engine or motor
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

In response to a brake OFF operation (step S110) after a gearshift operation of a gearshift lever to a parking position, a motor is controlled to output a torque corresponding to an adjusted driving force F*, which is applied in a direction of canceling a force component of a vehicle weight M acting in a longitudinal direction of a motor vehicle based on a measured road surface gradient θ (steps S120 to S180). Such control reduces the force applied in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and decreases the moving speed of the vehicle. The decreased moving speed of the vehicle enables moderate engagement of gears in a parking lock mechanism to decrease the potential shock of gear engagement and reduces the driver'"'"'s feeling of idle running.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle, comprising:

a motor that outputs driving force to drive said motor vehicle;

a locking structure that utilizes gear engagement to lock an axle of said motor vehicle in a non-rotatable state;

an adjusted driving force setting module that sets an adjusted driving force, which is smaller than a vehicle weight force component or a force component of a vehicle weight acting in a longitudinal direction of said motor vehicle based on a road surface gradient and is applied in a direction of canceling the vehicle weight force component; and

a control module that, when a driver'"'"'s depression amount of a brake pedal becomes less than a preset level to move said motor vehicle in the acting direction of the vehicle weight force component after a gearshift operation of a gearshift lever to a parking position, controls the motor to output the adjusted driving force and controls the locking structure to lock the axle.

2. A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 1, wherein said control module controls the motor to output the adjusted driving force when the driver'"'"'s depression amount of the brake pedal becomes less than the preset level within a predetermined time period since the gearshift operation of the gearshift lever to the parking position.

3. A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 1, wherein said control module controls the motor to terminate the output of the adjusted driving force when a predetermined condition is satisfied.

4. A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 3, wherein the predetermined condition is that a measured vehicle speed of said motor vehicle becomes less than a preset vehicle speed.

5. A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 3, wherein the predetermined condition is that a rotational angle of a drive shaft linked to the axle is kept unchanged in a specified angle range.

6. A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 1, wherein said adjusted driving force setting module measures the road surface gradient and sets the adjusted driving force to increase with an increase in measured road surface gradient.

7. A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 1, wherein said adjusted driving force setting module measures the vehicle weight force component and sets the adjusted driving force to increase with an increase in measured vehicle weight force component.

8. A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 1, said motor vehicle further comprising:

a second motor that outputs driving force to a different axle from the axle receiving the driving force output from the motor,

wherein said control module controls the motor and the second motor to cooperatively output the adjusted driving force.

9. A motor vehicle, comprising:

multiple motors that output driving force to an identical axle or to different axles to drive said motor vehicle;

a locking structure that utilizes gear engagement to lock an axle of said motor vehicle in a non-rotatable state;

an adjusted driving force setting module that sets an adjusted driving force, which is smaller than a vehicle weight force component or a force component of a vehicle weight acting in a longitudinal direction of said motor vehicle based on a road surface gradient and is applied in a direction of canceling the vehicle weight force component; and

a control module that, when a driver'"'"'s depression amount of a brake pedal becomes less than a preset level to move said motor vehicle in the acting direction of the vehicle weight force component after a gearshift operation of a gearshift lever to a parking position, controls the multiple motors to ensure output of the adjusted driving force from at least one of the multiple motors and controls the locking structure to lock the axle.

10. A control method of a motor vehicle equipped with a motor that outputs driving force to drive said motor vehicle and a locking structure that utilizes gear engagement to lock an axle of said motor vehicle in a non-rotatable state,

said control method comprising the steps of:

(a) setting an adjusted driving force, which is smaller than a vehicle weight force component or a force component of a vehicle weight acting in a longitudinal direction of said motor vehicle based on a road surface gradient and is applied in a direction of canceling the vehicle weight force component; and

(b) when a driver'"'"'s depression amount of a brake pedal becomes less than a preset level to move said motor vehicle in the acting direction of the vehicle weight force component after a gearshift operation of a gearshift lever to a parking position, controlling the motor to output the adjusted driving force and controlling the locking structure to lock the axle.

11. A control method of a motor vehicle in accordance with claim 10, wherein said step (b) controls the motor to output the adjusted driving force when the driver'"'"'s depression amount of the brake pedal becomes less than the preset level within a predetermined time period since the gearshift operation of the gearshift lever to the parking position.

12. A control method of a motor vehicle in accordance with claim 10, wherein said step (b) controls the motor to terminate the output of the adjusted driving force when a predetermined condition is satisfied.

13. A control method of a motor vehicle in accordance with claim 10, wherein said step (a) measures the road surface gradient and sets the adjusted driving force to increase with an increase in measured road surface gradient.

14. A control method of a motor vehicle in accordance with claim 10, wherein said step (a) measures the vehicle weight force component and sets the adjusted driving force to increase with an increase in measured vehicle weight force component.

15. A control method of a motor vehicle equipped with multiple motors that output driving force to an identical axle or to different axles to drive said motor vehicle and a locking structure that utilizes gear engagement to lock an axle of said motor vehicle in a non-rotatable state,

said control method comprising the steps of:

(a) setting an adjusted driving force, which is smaller than a vehicle weight force component or a force component of a vehicle weight acting in a longitudinal direction of said motor vehicle based on a road surface gradient and is applied in a direction of canceling the vehicle weight force component; and

(b) when a driver'"'"'s depression amount of a brake pedal becomes less than a preset level to move said motor vehicle in the acting direction of the vehicle weight force component after a gearshift operation of a gearshift lever to a parking position, controlling the multiple motors to ensure output of the adjusted driving force from at least one of the multiple motors and controlling the locking structure to lock the axle.