Vehicle and method for controlling the same

• US 20100222949A1
• Filed: 05/23/2007
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Muta, Koichiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,974,747 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2006/268 Electric drive motor starts the engine, i.e. used as starter 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 6/448 Electrical distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/52 Driving a plurality of drive axles, e.g. four-wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/441 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/26 Transition between different drive modes
• 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: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• 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 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/10 Controlling the power contribution of each of the prime movers to meet required power demand
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0638 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0685 Engine crank angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/083 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/20 : Reducing vibrations in the driveline
• 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

Abstract

When a system stop instruction is issued in the middle of the operation of an engine to stop the engine, the engagement of the gears in a gear mechanism is pressed toward one side. After the engine has stopped, a torque command for a motor connected to a drive shaft is gradually reduced. When the torque command decreases below a threshold value, the system is stopped. In this way, it is possible to prevent generation of vibration of the drive shaft when the system is stopped.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

an internal combustion engine;

a torque output module that is connected to an output shaft of said internal combustion engine and a drive shaft connected to an axle via a gear mechanism, said torque output module outputting torque, while supplying and receiving electric power and mechanical power and outputting a torque as a reaction force to one of said output shaft and said drive shaft, to the other one of said output shaft and said drive shaft;

an electric motor capable of supplying and receiving mechanical power to and from said drive shaft;

an accumulator unit capable of supplying and receiving electric power to and from said torque output module and said electric motor; and

a control module that, when a system stop instruction is issued in the middle of the operation of said internal combustion engine, controls said internal combustion engine and said torque output module in such a way that the output shaft of said internal combustion engine is stopped within a predetermined rotational position range, controls said electric motor in such a way that the sum of a cancelling torque that cancels the torque outputted as the reaction force to said drive shaft in response to the output of the torque from said torque output module to the output shaft of said internal combustion engine and a pressing torque necessary to press the engagement of the gears in said gear mechanism toward one side is outputted from said electric motor, controls said electric motor in such a way that the torque from said electric motor gradually decreases at least after said internal combustion engine has stopped, and stops the system when the torque outputted from said electric motor reaches a predetermined torque.

2. A vehicle according to claim 1,

further comprising a blocking module for blocking the supply of the electric power from said accumulator unit to said electric motor,

wherein said control module controls said blocking module in said system stop operation in such a way that the supply of the electric power from said accumulator unit to said electric motor is blocked.

3. A vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein said torque output module includes a three shaft-type power input output module that is connected to three shafts, the output shaft of said internal combustion engine, said drive shaft, and a rotating shaft, said three shaft-type power input output module supplying and receiving mechanical power, based on the mechanical power supplied and received to and from two shafts of said three shafts, to and from the remaining shaft, and an electric motor capable of supplying and receiving mechanical power to and from said rotating shaft.

4. A vehicle comprising:

an internal combustion engine;

a torque output module that is connected to an output shaft of said internal combustion engine and a drive shaft connected to an axle via a gear mechanism, said torque output module outputting torque, while supplying and receiving electric power and mechanical power and outputting a torque as a reaction force to one of said output shaft and said drive shaft, to the other one of said output shaft and said drive shaft;

an electric motor capable of supplying and receiving mechanical power to and from said drive shaft;

an accumulator unit capable of supplying and receiving electric power to and from said torque output module and said electric motor; and

a control module that, when a system stop instruction is issued in the middle of the operation of said internal combustion engine, controls said internal combustion engine and said torque output module in such a way that the output shaft of said internal combustion engine is stopped within a predetermined rotational position range, controls said electric motor in such a way that the sum of a cancelling torque that cancels the torque outputted as the reaction force to said drive shaft in response to the output of the torque from said torque output module to the output shaft of said internal combustion engine and a pressing torque necessary to press the engagement of the gears in said gear mechanism toward one side is outputted from said electric motor, controls said electric motor in such a way that the torque from said electric motor gradually decreases at least after said internal combustion engine has stopped, and stops the system when a predetermined time has passed, said predetermined time being the required time from a predetermined timing after said system stop instruction has been issued to the timing when the torque from said electric motor gradually decreases to a predetermined torque.

5. A vehicle according to claim 4,

further comprising a blocking module for blocking the supply of the electric power from said accumulator unit to said electric motor,

wherein said control module controls said blocking module in said system stop operation in such a way that the supply of the electric power from said accumulator unit to said electric motor is blocked.

6. A vehicle according to claim 4,

wherein said torque output module includes a three shaft-type power input output module that is connected to three shafts, the output shaft of said internal combustion engine, said drive shaft, and a rotating shaft, said three shaft-type power input output module supplying and receiving mechanical power, based on the mechanical power supplied and received to and from two shafts of said three shafts, to and from the remaining shaft, and an electric motor capable of supplying and receiving mechanical power to and from said rotating shaft.

7. A method for controlling a vehicle including an internal combustion engine, a torque output module that is connected to an output shaft of said internal combustion engine and a drive shaft connected to an axle via a gear mechanism, said torque output module outputting torque, while supplying and receiving electric power and mechanical power and outputting a torque as a reaction force to one of said output shaft and said drive shaft, to the other one of said output shaft and said drive shaft, an electric motor capable of supplying and receiving mechanical power to and from said drive shaft, and an accumulator unit capable of supplying and receiving electric power to and from said torque output module and said electric motor, the method comprising the steps of:

when a system stop instruction is issued in the middle of the operation of said internal combustion engine,

controlling said internal combustion engine and said torque output module in such a way that the output shaft of said internal combustion engine is stopped within a predetermined rotational position range, and controlling said electric motor in such a way that the sum of a cancelling torque that cancels the torque outputted as the reaction force to said drive shaft in response to the output of the torque from said torque output module to the output shaft of said internal combustion engine and a pressing torque necessary to press the engagement of the gears in said gear mechanism toward one side is outputted from said electric motor;

controlling said electric motor in such a way that the torque from said electric motor gradually decreases at least after said internal combustion engine has stopped; and

stopping the system when the torque outputted from said electric motor reaches a predetermined torque.

8. A method for controlling a vehicle including an internal combustion engine, a torque output module that is connected to an output shaft of said internal combustion engine and a drive shaft connected to an axle via a gear mechanism, said torque output module outputting torque, while supplying and receiving electric power and mechanical power and outputting a torque as a reaction force to one of said output shaft and said drive shaft, to the other one of said output shaft and said drive shaft, an electric motor capable of supplying and receiving mechanical power to and from said drive shaft, and an accumulator unit capable of supplying and receiving electric power to and from said torque output module and said electric motor, the method comprising the steps of:

when a system stop instruction is issued in the middle of the operation of said internal combustion engine,

controlling said internal combustion engine and said torque output module in such a way that the output shaft of said internal combustion engine is stopped within a predetermined rotational position range, and controlling said electric motor in such a way that the sum of a cancelling torque that cancels the torque outputted as the reaction force to said drive shaft in response to the output of the torque from said torque output module to the output shaft of said internal combustion engine and a pressing torque necessary to press the engagement of the gears in said gear mechanism toward one side is outputted from said electric motor;

controlling said electric motor in such a way that the torque from said electric motor gradually decreases at least after said internal combustion engine has stopped; and

stopping the system when a predetermined time has passed, said predetermined time being the required time from a predetermined timing after said system stop instruction has been issued to the timing when the torque from said electric motor gradually decreases to a predetermined torque.