VEHICULAR CONTROL APPARATUS AND CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20080220933A1
• Filed: 03/05/2008
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: MAEDA, Yasuhiro
• Application Number:
  US12/042,431
• Publication Number:
  US 20080220933A1
• 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 6/26 characterised by the motors or the generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• 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: B60L 2240/441 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/486 Operating parameters
• 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 10/115 with planetary gears
• 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 2510/0604 Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0638 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/1005 Transmission ratio engaged
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/1015 Input shaft speed, e.g. turbine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/1025 Input torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/104 Output speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/105 Output torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 : Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 : Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/027 : Clutch torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0644 : Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/083 : Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/1022 : Input torque
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2037/0873 : with switching, e.g. to change ranges
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

A control apparatus for a vehicle is provided with an electric motor that outputs driving force for running the vehicle; an automatic transmission that establishes a plurality of gears by selectively applying and releasing a plurality of friction apply elements in a predetermined combination for each gear among the plurality of gears, and transmits power from the electric motor to an output shaft of the vehicle; and a torque controlling portion which, when there is a demand for a power-off downshift, controls output torque of the electric motor such that input torque of the automatic transmission becomes constant torque during an inertia phase of that shift, and controls the output torque of the electric motor such that the output torque of the automatic transmission comes to match the torque required after the shift, after rotation synchronization by an apply-side friction apply element is complete.

Claims

1. A vehicular control apparatus comprising:

an electric motor that outputs driving force for running the vehicle;

an automatic transmission that establishes a plurality of gears by selectively applying and releasing a plurality of friction apply elements in a predetermined combination for each gear among the plurality of gears, and transmits power from the electric motor to an output shaft of the vehicle; and

a torque controlling portion which, when there is a demand for a power-off downshift, controls output torque of the electric motor such that input torque of the automatic transmission becomes constant torque during an inertia phase of that shift, and controls the output torque of the electric motor such that the output torque of the automatic transmission comes to match the torque required after the shift, after rotation synchronization by an apply-side friction apply element is complete.

2. The vehicular control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a hybrid vehicle that has an internal combustion engine and the electric motor as driving sources.

3. The vehicular control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an accelerator operation amount sensor that detects an accelerator operation amount of the vehicle; and

a vehicle speed sensor that detects a vehicle speed of the vehicle,

wherein the torque controlling portion determines whether there is a demand for the power-off downshift based on the accelerator operation amount and the vehicle speed.

4. The vehicular control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the torque controlling portion calculates the torque required after the shift, based on the vehicle speed and the accelerator operation amount.

5. The vehicular control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apply-side friction apply element is at least one friction apply element from among the plurality of friction apply elements that is applied when one gear from among the plurality of gears is established.

6. The vehicular control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the torque controlling portion determines that rotation synchronization by the apply-side friction apply element is complete when an input rotation speed of the automatic transmission has reached a synchronous rotation speed.

7. The vehicular control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the torque controlling portion increases the output torque of the electric motor at a predetermined slope such that the output torque of the automatic transmission comes to match the torque required after the shift, after rotation synchronization by the apply-side friction apply element is complete.

8. A control method for a vehicle provided with an electric motor that outputs driving force for running the vehicle, and an automatic transmission that establishes a plurality of gears by selectively applying and releasing a plurality of friction apply elements in a predetermined combination for each gear among the plurality of gears, and transmits power from the electric motor to an output shaft of the vehicle, the control method comprising:

controlling, when there is a demand for a power-off downshift, output torque of the electric motor such that input torque of the automatic transmission becomes constant torque during an inertia phase of that shift; and

controlling, after rotation synchronization by an apply-side friction apply element is complete, the output torque of the electric motor such that the output torque of the automatic transmission comes to match the torque required after the shift.

9. The control method according to claim 8, further comprising:

detecting an accelerator operation amount of the vehicle; and

detecting a vehicle speed of the vehicle,

wherein a determination as to whether there is a demand for the power-off downshift is made based on the accelerator operation amount and the vehicle speed.

10. The control method according to claim 9, wherein the torque required after the shift is calculated based on the vehicle speed and the accelerator operation amount.

11. The control method according to claim 8, wherein the apply-side friction apply element is at least one friction apply element from among the plurality of friction apply elements that is applied when one gear from among the plurality of gears is established.

12. The control method according to claim 8, wherein it is determined that rotation synchronization by the apply-side friction apply element is complete when an input rotation speed of the automatic transmission has reached a synchronous rotation speed by the apply-side friction apply element.

13. The control method according to claim 8, wherein the output torque of the electric motor is increased at a predetermined slope such that the output torque of the automatic transmission comes to match the torque required after the shift, after rotation synchronization by the apply-side friction apply element is complete.