DRIVE CONTROLLER FOR VEHICLE

• US 20120143426A1
• Filed: 07/30/2010
• Published: 06/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Akihiro, Kanamaru, Yoshihiro, Shinohara, Sei, Hiramatsu, Nobuyuki, Katayama, Tomokazu
• Granted Patent: US 9,174,526 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/00 Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00; electric transmission arrangements B60K17/12; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles per se B60L; current-collectors for power supply lines of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/046 with planetary gearing having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/356 having fluid or electric motor, for driving one or more wheels disposition of motor in, or adjacent to, traction wheel B60K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/001 one motor mounted on a propulsion axle for rotating right and left wheels of this axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2007/0046 the motor moving together with the vehicle body, i.e. moving independently from the wheel axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2007/0092 the motor axle being coaxial to the wheel axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/383 One-way clutches or freewheel devices
• 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: B60K 7/0007 the motor being electric
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2036 Electric differentials, e.g. for supporting steering vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/461 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/28 Four wheel or all wheel drive
• 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: B60L 7/18 : Controlling the braking effect B60L7/12, B60L7/14, B60L7/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 : including control of driveline clutches
• 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 20/13 : in order to stay within battery power input or output limits; in order to prevent overcharging or battery depletion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 : Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/081 : Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2300/73 : Synchronisation of shaft speeds
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/427 : One-way clutches
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

In a drive controller for a vehicle including: a drive source configured to output a drive force to a first axle serving as one of front and rear wheel axles; an electric motor configured to output a drive force to a second axle serving as the other of the front and rear wheel axles; a one-way power transmission device disposed on a power transmission pathway between the second axle and the electric motor so as to transmit a power drive force from the electric motor to the second axle; a two-way power transmission device that transmits a rotation power from the second axle to the electric motor or transmits the power drive force and a regeneration drive force from the electric motor to the second axle, the drive controller includes: a first detector that detects a speed of the vehicle or a rotation speed of the second axle; a target rotation speed determination section that determines a target rotation speed of the electric motor based on the speed of the vehicle or the rotation speed of the second axle; a second detector that detects a rotation speed of the electric motor; and a controller that controls the electric motor such that the rotation speed of the electric motor is synchronized with the target rotation speed and that controls an output torque of the electric motor or an activation of the two-way power transmission device, when the electric motor starts power drive or regeneration drive while the vehicle is traveling by the drive force from the drive source.

Claims

1. A drive controller for a vehicle, the vehicle comprising:

a drive source configured to output a drive force to a first axle serving as one of front and rear wheel axles;

an electric motor configured to output a drive force to a second axle serving as the other of the front and rear wheel axles;

a one-way power transmission device disposed on a power transmission pathway between the second axle and the electric motor so as to transmit a power drive force from the electric motor to the second axle;

a two-way power transmission device disposed on the power transmission pathway in parallel with the one-way power transmission device so as to transmit a rotation power from the second axle to the electric motor or transmit the power drive force and a regeneration drive force from the electric motor to the second axle, the drive controller comprising;

a first detector that detects a speed of the vehicle or a rotation speed of the second axle;

a target rotation speed determination section that determines a target rotation speed of the electric motor based on the speed of the vehicle or the rotation speed of the second axle detected by the first detector;

a second detector that detects a rotation speed of the electric motor; and

a controller that controls the electric motor such that the rotation speed of the electric motor is synchronized with the target rotation speed and that controls an output torque of the electric motor or an activation of the two-way power transmission device, when the electric motor starts power drive or regeneration drive while the vehicle is traveling by the drive force from the drive source.

2. The drive controller of claim 1, wherein

the controller activates the two-way power transmission device, when the electric motor performs regeneration drive and the rotation speed of the electric motor reaches a threshold rotation speed lower than the target rotation speed.

3. The drive controller of claim 1, wherein

the controller controls the electric motor such that the electric motor outputs a predetermined torque, when the electric motor performs power drive and the rotation speed of the electric motor reaches the threshold rotation speed lower than the target rotation speed.

4. The drive controller of claim 3, wherein the predetermined torque is a constant torque necessary for enabling the rotation speed of the electric motor to be synchronized with the target rotation speed.

5. The drive controller of claim 1, further comprising:

a reducer disposed on the power transmission pathway between the second axle and the electric motor.

6. The drive controller of claim 5, wherein

the electric motor, the reducer, the two-way power transmission device and the second axle are provided for each of left and right wheels provided to the second axle, and

the controller independently controls the output torque of the electric motor corresponding to each of the left and right wheels or the operation of the two-way power transmission device corresponding to each of the left and right wheels, when the electric motor starts power drive or regeneration drive while the vehicle is turning by the drive force from the drive source.

7. The drive controller of claim 1, wherein:

the controller activates the two-way power transmission device, when the electric motor starts power drive and the rotation speed of the electric motor reaches the threshold rotation speed lower than the target rotation speed; and

the controller inactivates the two-way power transmission device, when the rotation speed of the electric motor is synchronized with the target rotation speed.

8. The drive controller of claim 1, wherein:

the controller activates the two-way power transmission device, when the electric motor starts regeneration drive and the rotation speed of the electric motor reaches the threshold rotation speed lower than the target rotation speed; and

the controller maintains the activation of the two-way power transmission device even when the rotation speed of the electric motor is synchronized with the target rotation speed.

9. The drive controller of claim 7, wherein:

the controller determines that the rotation speed of the electric motor is synchronized with the target rotation speed, when the rotation speed of the electric motor has exceeded the threshold rotation speed and reached the target rotation speed.

10. The drive controller of claim 7, wherein:

the two-way power transmission device transmits power between the second axle and the electric motor using a hydraulic pressure; and

the controller determines that the rotation speed of the electric motor is synchronized with the target rotation speed, when the hydraulic pressure of the two-way power transmission device has reached a threshold value.

11. The drive controller of claim 7, wherein

the controller determines that the rotation speed of the electric motor is synchronized with the target rotation speed, when a predetermined time has passed after the operation of the two-way power transmission device.

12. The drive controller of claim 1, wherein:

the controller controls the electric motor such that the electric motor outputs a predetermined torque, when the electric motor performs regeneration drive and the rotation speed of the electric motor reaches the threshold rotation speed lower than the target rotation speed; and

the controller operates the two-way power transmission device, when the rotation speed of the electric motor is synchronized with the target rotation speed.

13. The drive controller of claim 1, wherein

the controller controls the electric motor such that the electric motor outputs a predetermined torque, when the electric motor performs power drive and the rotation speed of the electric motor reaches the threshold rotation speed lower than the target rotation speed;

and

the controller controls the electric motor such that the electric motor outputs a requested torque, when the rotation speed of the electric motor is synchronized with the target rotation speed.

14. The drive controller of claim 12, wherein

the controller controls the electric motor such that the output torque of the electric motor is 0, when the rotation speed of the electric motor is synchronized with the target rotation speed.

15. The drive controller of claim 12, wherein

the controller determines that the rotation speed of the electric motor is synchronized with the target rotation speed, when the rotation speed of the electric motor has exceeded the threshold rotation speed and reached the target rotation speed.

16. The drive controller of claim 12, wherein

the controller determines that the rotation speed of the electric motor is synchronized with the target rotation speed, when a predetermined time has passed after the controller controls the electric motor such that the electric motor outputs the predetermined torque.

17. The drive controller of claim 12, wherein

the predetermined torque is a constant torque necessary for enabling the rotation speed of the electric motor to be synchronized with the target rotation speed.

18. The drive controller of claim 8, wherein:

the controller determines that the rotation speed of the electric motor is synchronized with the target rotation speed, when the rotation speed of the electric motor has exceeded the threshold rotation speed and reached the target rotation speed.

19. The drive controller of claim 8, wherein:

the two-way power transmission device transmits power between the second axle and the electric motor using a hydraulic pressure; and

the controller determines that the rotation speed of the electric motor is synchronized with the target rotation speed, when the hydraulic pressure of the two-way power transmission device has reached a threshold value.

20. The drive controller of claim 8, wherein

the controller determines that the rotation speed of the electric motor is synchronized with the target rotation speed, when a predetermined time has passed after the operation of the two-way power transmission device.

21. The drive controller of claim 13, wherein

the controller determines that the rotation speed of the electric motor is synchronized with the target rotation speed, when the rotation speed of the electric motor has exceeded the threshold rotation speed and reached the target rotation speed.

22. The drive controller of claim 13, wherein

the controller determines that the rotation speed of the electric motor is synchronized with the target rotation speed, when a predetermined time has passed after the controller controls the electric motor such that the electric motor outputs the predetermined torque.