VEHICLE CONTROL DEVICE

• US 20140019021A1
• Filed: 02/01/2011
• Published: 01/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Yanagida, Tomoaki, Moriyama, Shuji, Morino, Takuro, Matsunaga, Hitoshi, Hattori, Yuji
• Granted Patent: US 9,487,213 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/54
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/107 with endless flexible members
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/11 Stepped gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2030/1809 Without torque flow between driveshaft and engine, e.g. with clutch disengaged or transmission in neutral
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/00 Input parameters relating to data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/1005 Transmission ratio engaged
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/1038 Output speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18072 Coasting
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18109 Braking

Abstract

A vehicle control device includes an engine that is a power source of a vehicle, a transmission configured to connect the engine to a drive wheel of the vehicle, and a clutch configured to connect or block transmission of power between the engine and the drive wheel through the transmission. The vehicle control device is capable of executing predetermined control to allow the vehicle to travel while stopping supplying fuel to the engine and releasing the clutch that has been engaged, during travel of the vehicle, and the vehicle control device downshifts the transmission at the time the clutch is released in the predetermined control. It is possible to shift the transmission into a lowest-speed side gear ratio by the downshift.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device comprising:

an engine that is a power source of a vehicle;

a transmission configured to connect the engine to a drive wheel of the vehicle; and

a clutch configured to connect or block transmission of power between the engine and the drive wheel through the transmission, wherein

the vehicle control device is capable of executing predetermined control to allow the vehicle to travel while stopping supplying fuel to the engine and releasing the clutch that has been engaged, during travel of the vehicle, and the vehicle control device downshifts the transmission at the time the clutch is released in the predetermined control.

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

the predetermined control is started according to a braking operation.

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

the transmission is shifted into a lowest-speed side gear ratio by the downshift by the time a rotation of the engine stops at the time the clutch is released in the predetermined control.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein

the downshift is started in synchronization with a release instruction to release the clutch in the predetermined control.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein

a speed of the downshift is controlled at the time the clutch is released in the predetermined control.

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

the speed of the downshift at the time the clutch is released in the predetermined control is a speed to decrease change in deceleration of the vehicle at the time the clutch is released.

7. The vehicle control device according to claim 5, wherein

the speed of the downshift at the time the clutch is released in the predetermined control is based on a releasing speed at which the clutch is released.

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

a timing at which the clutch is released and a timing at which the downshift is completed are synchronized with each other at the time the clutch is released in the predetermined control.

9. The vehicle control device according to claim 3, wherein

a speed of the downshift is controlled at the time the clutch is released in the predetermined control.