Control device for vehicle driving apparatus

• US 20080120011A1
• Filed: 11/06/2007
• Published: 05/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Iwase, Yuji, Tabata, Atsushi, Kakinami, Takuma
• Granted Patent: US 8,511,408 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/102
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/40 characterised by the assembly or relative disposition of components
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/547 the transmission being a stepped gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• 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 20/15 Control strategies specially adapted for achieving a particular effect
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0666 Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/083 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2250/28 Control for reducing torsional vibrations, e.g. at acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2037/0873 with switching, e.g. to change ranges
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/0047 the gear ratios comprising five forward speeds
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/2012 with four sets of orbital gears
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/2043 with five engaging means
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 3/728 with means to change ratio in the mechanical gearing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility

Abstract

The present invention provides, in a vehicle driving apparatus that includes an internal combustion engine 6 and electric motors M1 and M2, a control device that can provide both confined noise reduction and fuel efficiency improvement. A control device 40 includes a confined noise reduction means 98 that controls the electric motor, to reduce confined noise caused by the variation of torque that is provided from the internal combustion engine, so that the electric motor provides variation of torque in opposite phase to the variation of the torque that is provided from the internal combustion engine.

Claims

1. A control device for a vehicle driving apparatus that includes an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, the control device comprising:

confined noise reduction means that controls said electric motor, to reduce confined noise caused by variation of torque outputted from said internal combustion engine, so that the electric motor outputs variation of torque in opposite phase to the variation of the torque outputted from said internal combustion engine.

2. The control device for a vehicle driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said confined noise reduction means controls said electric motor if the confined noise caused by said variation of the torque is larger than background noise.

3. The control device for a vehicle driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said confined noise reduction means controls said electric motor if a driver does not issue a low fuel consumption requirement.

4. The control device for a vehicle driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said confined noise reduction means includes a rotational speed control means that, if said electric motor cannot operate, adjusts the rotational speed of said internal combustion engine into a non-confined noise generating operation area not generating the confined noise, within an operating area in which the internal combustion engine can operate.

5. The control device for a vehicle driving apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said control device further includes an automatic transmission that is arranged on a power transmission path that transfers the output of said internal combustion engine and said electric motor to driving wheels,

wherein said rotational speed control means changes the shifting ratio of said automatic transmission so that the rotational speed of said internal combustion engine falls within said non-confined noise generating operation area.

6. The control device for a vehicle driving apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said automatic transmission includes a differential portion as a continuously variable shifting portion, and an automatic shifting portion as a step variable shifting portion.

7. The control device for a vehicle driving apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said control device changes the shifting ratio of said continuously variable shifting portion or the gear stage of said automatic shifting portion, or changes both the shifting ratio and the gear stage, to change the shifting ratio of said automatic transmission as a whole.

8. The control device for a vehicle driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said confined noise reduction means includes an electric motor control means that, if said electric motor cannot operate, controls said electric motor to output the variation of torque in opposite phase to the variation of the torque outputted from said internal combustion engine.

9. The control device for a vehicle driving apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said confined noise reduction means compares the confined noise detected by confined noise detection means with the background noise detected by background noise detection means, and controls said electric motor if the level of the background noise is at a level at which the confined noise is serious.

10. The control device for a vehicle driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said confined noise reduction means controls said electric motor, if a shift lever installed in a vehicle is set at the D or M position.