ENERGY-EFFICIENT AUTOMOBILE

• US 20090281711A1
• Filed: 05/11/2009
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RUSK Intellectual Reserve AG
• Original Assignee: RUSK Intellectual Reserve AG
• Inventors: Ueno, Ryuji
• Granted Patent: US 8,145,407 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/441 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/445 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0638 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0676 Engine temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0605 Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0616 Position of fuel or air injector
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 11/106 Detection of demand or actuation
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/2027 Control of the current by pulse width modulation or duty cycle control
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/701 Information about vehicle position, e.g. from navigation system or GPS signal
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/702 Road conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/107 and deceleration
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

Disclosed is an automobile equipped with an engine having an electronically-controlled throttle valve adapted to have an opening angle which is controlled according to an accelerator-pedal depression amount. The engine further includes an accelerator pedal sensor, an actuator adapted to selectively open and close the throttle valve, and a controller. The controller is adapted to calculate a target throttle opening angle corresponding to the accelerator-pedal depression amount, and output a continuous control signal corresponding to the target throttle opening angle, to the actuator. The controller is operable, in a traveling environment of the automobile or an operating condition of the engine where a required engine power is less than an engine power corresponding to the target throttle opening angle, to convert the continuous control signal into a pulsed control signal, and output the pulsed control signal to the actuator.

Claims

1. An automobile comprising:

a prime mover adapted to generate motive power from an energy source;

an energy-source supply system adapted to supply an energy source to the prime mover;

an accelerator pedal adapted to be manipulated according to a depressing action by a driver;

an accelerator pedal sensor adapted to detect a depression amount of the accelerator pedal; and

a controller adapted to calculate a target operating amount of the energy-source supply system corresponding to the accelerator-pedal depression amount detected by the accelerator pedal sensor, and output a continuous control signal corresponding to the target operating amount to the energy-source supply system to actuate the energy-source supply system so as to control an supply amount of the energy source for the prime mover, the controller being operable, in a traveling environment or an operating condition where a motive power required for the prime mover is less than a motive power corresponding to the target operating amount, to convert the continuous control signal into a pulsed control signal which has a pulse height equal to a magnitude of the continuous control signal, a predetermined pulse width and a predetermined interpulse interval, and output the pulsed control signal to the energy-source supply system.

2. The automobile according to claim 1, wherein:

the prime mover is a spark-ignition engine;

the energy-source supply system comprises an electronically-controlled throttle valve adapted to have an opening angle which is controlled according to the accelerator-pedal depression amount, and a fuel injection valve adapted to supply fuel to the engine at a predetermined rate with respect to air flowing through the throttle valve;

the energy source is fuel for a spark-ignition engine; and

the controller is adapted to calculate a target opening angle of the throttle valve corresponding to the accelerator-pedal depression amount, and output a continuous control signal corresponding to the target opening angle to the throttle valve to actuate the throttle valve.

3. The automobile according to claim 2, wherein the operating condition is a target opening angle of the throttle valve.

4. The automobile according to claim 3, wherein the controller is operable, when the target opening angle of the throttle valve is equal to or less than a reference value, to convert the continuous control signal into the pulsed control signal.

5. The automobile according to claim 1, wherein:

the prime mover is an electric motor;

the energy-source supply system comprises a voltage supply circuit adapted to control a supply voltage for the electric motor, according to the accelerator-pedal depression amount;

the energy source is electricity; and

the controller is adapted to calculate a target supply voltage of the voltage supply circuit corresponding to the accelerator-pedal depression amount, and output a continuous control signal corresponding to the target supply voltage to the voltage supply circuit to actuate the voltage supply circuit.

6. The automobile according to claim 5, wherein:

the voltage supply circuit is a variable resistor circuit which is connected in series with the electric motor, and adapted to have an electric resistance which is controlled according to the accelerator-pedal depression amount; and

the controller is adapted to calculate a target electric resistance of the variable resistor circuit corresponding to the accelerator-pedal depression amount, and output a continuous control signal corresponding to the target electric resistance to the variable resistor circuit to actuate the variable resistor circuit.

7. The automobile according to claim 1, which comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of:

road surface slope-detecting means adapted to detect a slope of a road surface on which the automobile is traveling;

road surface flatness-detecting means adapted to detect a flatness of the road surface; and

a wind velocity/wind direction detector adapted to detect a velocity and a direction of a wind surrounding the automobile.

8. The automobile according to claim 7, wherein the road surface slope-detecting means is provided with a GPS receiving device, and adapted to detect a slope of the road surface, based on GPS radio waves received by the GPS receiving device.

9. The automobile according to claim 7, wherein the road surface flatness-detecting means is provided with an image pickup camera, and adapted to detect a flatness of the road surface, based on an image picked up by the image pickup camera to represent a scene forward of the automobile.

10. The automobile according to claim 7, wherein the traveling environment is at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a slope of a road surface on which the automobile is traveling;

a flatness of the road surface; and

a velocity and a direction of a wind surrounding the automobile.

11. The automobile according to claim 10, wherein the controller is operable, under at least one of the conditions that a downward slope of the road surface is equal to or greater than a reference value, that a flatness of the road surface is better than a reference state, and that a velocity of a tail wind is equal to or greater than a reference value, to convert the continuous control signal into the pulsed control signal.

12. An automobile comprising:

a prime mover adapted to generate motive power from an energy source;

an energy-source supply system adapted to supply an energy source to the prime mover;

an accelerator pedal adapted to be manipulated according to a depressing action by a driver;

an accelerator pedal sensor adapted to detect a depression amount of the accelerator pedal; and

a controller adapted to calculate a target operating amount of the energy-source supply system corresponding to the accelerator-pedal depression amount detected by the accelerator pedal sensor, and output a pulsed control signal corresponding to the target operating amount to the energy-source supply system to actuate the energy-source supply system so as to control an supply amount of the energy source for the prime mover, the controller being operable, in a traveling environment or an operating condition where a motive power required for the prime mover is less than a motive power corresponding to the target operating amount, to reduce a pulse width of the pulsed control signal to form a modified pulsed control signal, and then output the modified pulsed control signal to the energy-source supply system.

13. The automobile according to claim 12, wherein:

the prime mover is a diesel engine;

the energy-source supply system comprises an electronically-controlled injector adapted to have a fuel injection amount which is controlled according to the accelerator-pedal depression amount;

the energy source is fuel for a diesel engine; and

the controller is adapted to calculate a target fuel injection amount of the injector corresponding to the accelerator-pedal depression amount, and output a pulsed control signal corresponding to the target fuel injection amount to the injector to actuate the injector.

14. The automobile according to claim 12, wherein:

the prime mover is an electric motor;

the energy-source supply system comprises an electronically-controlled chopper circuit adapted to control an ON/OFF ratio of a supply voltage for the electric motor, according to the accelerator-pedal depression amount;

the energy source is electricity; and

the controller is adapted to calculate a target ON/OFF ratio of the chopper circuit corresponding to the accelerator-pedal depression amount, and output a pulsed control signal corresponding to the target ON/OFF ratio to the chopper circuit to actuate the chopper circuit.

15. The automobile according to claim 12, which comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of:

road surface slope-detecting means adapted to detect a slope of a road surface on which the automobile is traveling;

road surface flatness-detecting means adapted to detect a flatness of the road surface; and

a wind velocity/wind direction detector adapted to detect a velocity and a direction of a wind surrounding the automobile.

16. The automobile according to claim 15, wherein the road surface slope-detecting means is provided with a GPS receiving device, and adapted to detect a slope of the road surface, based on GPS radio waves received by the GPS receiving device.

17. The automobile according to claim 15, wherein the road surface flatness-detecting means is provided with an image pickup camera, and adapted to detect a flatness of the road surface, based on an image picked up by the image pickup camera to represent a scene forward of the automobile.

18. The automobile according to claim 15, wherein the traveling environment is at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a slope of a road surface on which the automobile is traveling;

a flatness of the road surface; and

a velocity and a direction of a wind surrounding the automobile.

19. The automobile according to claim 18, wherein the controller is operable, under at least one of the conditions that a downward slope of the road surface is equal to or greater than a reference value, that a flatness of the road surface is better than a reference state, and that a velocity of a tail wind is equal to or greater than a reference value, to reduce a pulse width of the pulsed control signal.