TORQUE RESPONSE CONTROL APPARATUS FOR ELECTRIC MOTOR OF VEHICLE

• US 20130124024A1
• Filed: 04/14/2011
• Published: 05/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Nakamura, Yohei, Kazama, Isamu
• Granted Patent: US 9,002,556 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2009 for braking
• 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 2250/28 Accelerator pedal thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/145 Structure borne vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/14 for vehicles propelled by ac motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/083 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/087 where the control system corrects or modifies a request from the driver
• 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 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

A torque response control apparatus for an electric motor of a vehicle comprises a motor torque response control means that is configured to carry out finding a difference between a required acceleration that is variable in accordance with a change of a vehicle driving condition and an actual acceleration that is obtained, at the time of the change of the vehicle driving condition, with the aid of a torque characteristic of the electric motor, the difference being caused by the torque characteristic of the electric motor in which the maximum torque is varied in accordance with a rotation speed of the electric motor; and controlling the torque response of the electric motor in a manner to cause a driver to feel the difference of the actual acceleration from the required acceleration to be small by compensating the difference between the required acceleration and the actual acceleration.

Claims

1. In a vehicle that can be moved by driving its road wheels by using a torque from an electric motor,

a torque response control apparatus for the electric motor of the vehicle, comprising:

a motor torque response control means that is configured to carry out;

finding a difference between a required acceleration that is variable in accordance with a change of a vehicle driving condition and an actual acceleration that is obtained, at the time of the change of the vehicle driving condition, with the aid of a torque characteristic of the electric motor, the difference being caused by the torque characteristic of the electric motor in which the maximum torque is varied in accordance with a rotation speed of the electric motor; and

controlling the torque response of the electric motor in a manner to cause a driver to feel the difference of the actual acceleration from the required acceleration to be small by compensating the difference between the required acceleration and the actual acceleration.

2. A torque response control apparatus for the electric motor of the vehicle as claimed in claim 1, in which the motor torque response control means is a device that controls the torque response of the electric motor in accordance with a vehicle speed.

3. A torque response control apparatus for the electric motor of the vehicle as claimed in claim 1, in which the motor torque response control means is a device that controls the torque response of the electric motor in accordance with a load desired by the electric motor.

4. A torque response control apparatus for the electric motor of the vehicle as claimed in claim 2, in which the motor torque response control means is a device that makes the torque response of the electric motor higher as the vehicle speed is higher.

5. A torque response control apparatus for the electric motor of the vehicle as claimed in claim 3, in which the motor torque response control means is a device that makes the torque response of the electric motor higher as the load desired by the electric motor is higher.

6. A torque response control apparatus for the electric motor of the vehicle as claimed in claim 3, in which the motor torque response control means is a device that, in a creeping running area where the vehicle speed is very low and the load is very low, causes the torque response of the electric motor to be higher than the minimum response.

7. A torque response control apparatus for the electric motor of the vehicle as claimed in claim 2, in which the motor torque response control means is a device that, in a medium vehicle speed area where a torque characteristic of the electric motor shows a rapid change in rate, causes a torque response variation density of the electric motor that varies in accordance with the vehicle speed to be higher than a torque response variation density provided at the other vehicle speed area.

8. A torque response control apparatus for the electric motor of the vehicle as claimed in claim 3, in which the motor torque response control means is a device that, in a range where the load is small or medium and the vehicle speed is medium or high, causes the torque response variation density of the electric motor that varies in accordance with the load to be higher than a torque response variation density provided at a larger load area.

9. A torque response control apparatus for the electric motor of the vehicle as claimed in claim 3, in which the motor torque response control means is a device that causes the maximum torque response of the electric motor provided at a larger load area to be the highest one provided in a range that does not produce a torsional vibration in a motor driving system.