VEHICLE CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20130166121A1
• Filed: 09/14/2011
• Published: 06/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Takeuchi, Keisuke, Tanahashi, Toshio, Agata, Yoshimitsu, Koibuchi, Ken, Itabashi, Kaiji, Noumura, Shin
• Granted Patent: US 8,972,087 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• 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 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/22 including control of suspension systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/11 using model predictive control [MPC] strategies, i.e. control methods based on models predicting performance utilising navigation and traffic information in the control strategy B60W20/12
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/15 Control strategies specially adapted for achieving a particular effect
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0088 Adaptive recalibration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0095 Automatic control mode change
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/105 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/125 Lateral acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0644 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/1882 characterised by the working point of the engine, e.g. by using engine output chart
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/06 Improving the dynamic response of the control system, e.g. improving the speed of regulation or avoiding hunting or overshoot
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/93 : Conjoint control of different elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/945 : Characterized by control of gearing, e.g. control of transmission ratio

Abstract

A vehicle control system includes: a controller that configured to obtain an index on the basis of a running condition of a vehicle and that configured to vary a running characteristic of the vehicle on the basis of the index, wherein the controller is configured to relatively delay a variation in the index in response to a variation in the running condition when the variation in the index decreases quickness of a behavior of the vehicle as compared with when the variation in the index increases the quickness of the behavior of the vehicle, and to correct the running characteristic on the basis of the index so that energy efficiency of a driving force source of the vehicle varies within a predetermined range depending on control over power output from the driving force source.

Claims

1. A vehicle control system comprising:

a controller that configured to obtain an index on the basis of a running condition of a vehicle and that configured to vary a running characteristic of the vehicle on the basis of the index, wherein

the controller is configured to relatively delay a variation in the index in response to a variation in the running condition when the variation in the index decreases quickness of a behavior of the vehicle as compared with when the variation in the index increases the quickness of the behavior of the vehicle, and to correct the running characteristic on the basis of the index so that energy efficiency of a driving force source of the vehicle varies within a predetermined range depending on control over power output from the driving force source.

2. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein

the running condition includes a resultant acceleration that includes a longitudinal acceleration component and lateral acceleration component of the vehicle,

the controller is configured to set the index so as to be larger as the resultant acceleration increases, and

the controller is configured to set the running characteristic such that energy efficiency of the driving force source is better when the index is obtained on the basis of a resultant acceleration smaller than a predetermined value than when the index is obtained on the basis of a resultant acceleration larger than or equal to the predetermined value.

3. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein

the vehicle includes an internal combustion engine as the driving force source,

the controller is configured to control a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine, and

the energy efficiency of the driving force source is fuel efficiency of the internal combustion engine.

4. The vehicle control system according to claim 3, wherein

the vehicle further includes a transmission of which a speed ratio is varied to vary the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine, and

the controller is configured to control the speed ratio of the transmission such that the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine becomes a rotational speed at which the fuel efficiency falls within the predetermined range.

5. The vehicle control system according to claim 3, wherein

the vehicle further includes a power split mechanism that has a differential function for splitting power output from the internal combustion engine and a generator that is coupled to the power split mechanism and that is configured to vary a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine on the basis of an amount of electric power generated, and

the controller is configured to control a rotational speed of the generator such that the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine becomes a rotational speed at which the fuel efficiency falls within the predetermined range.

6. The vehicle control system according to claim 5, wherein

the vehicle further includes an electrical storage device that stores electric power generated by the generator, and

the rotational speed at which the fuel efficiency falls within the predetermined range is lower when an amount of electric power stored in the electrical storage device is large than when the amount of electric power stored in the electrical storage device is small.

7. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein

the running condition includes at least one of a longitudinal acceleration and lateral acceleration of the vehicle.

8. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is configured to acquire information about a running environment that is an environment outside the vehicle, including a road surface on which the vehicle runs, and to correct the running characteristic on the basis of the index and the information about the running environment.