CONTROL SYSTEM FOR FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLE

• US 20160229405A1
• Filed: 09/12/2014
• Published: 08/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: OBAYASHI, Yoshiro, HORIE, Ryota, MIZOGUCHI, Norihiro, MUKOUGAWA, Shintarou, SHIMIZU, Satoshi, IWATSUKI, Kunihiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,914,456 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/35 including arrangements for suppressing or influencing the power transfer, e.g. viscous clutches differential gearing with locking devices F16H48/20
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/3515 with a clutch adjacent to traction wheel, e.g. automatic wheel hub
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 23/08 for changing number of driven wheels , for switching from driving one axle to driving two or more axles B60K17/3515 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/52 Control of displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/81 for controlling displays
• 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 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/02 Clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/06 Combustion engines, Gas turbines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/10 Change speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18 Propelling the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/182 Selecting between different operative modes, e.g. comfort and performance modes

Abstract

A rotation state of each rotating element of a four-wheel drive vehicle and an operating state of each engagement element of a disconnect mechanism, corresponding to an operating state of the disconnect mechanism, are displayed on or near a vehicle model image on a vehicle display. Thus, it is possible to inform a driver of the operating state of the disconnect mechanism at any time. Thus, the driver is able to recognize the operating state of the disconnect mechanism at any time, so the driver is able to carry out driving based on the operating state.

Claims

19. A four-wheel drive vehicle, comprising:

an engine;

an in-vehicle display;

drive wheels to which power is transmitted from the engine while the vehicle travels in a two-wheel drive mode and a four-wheel drive mode;

auxiliary drive wheels to which power is not transmitted from the engine while the vehicle travels in the two wheel drive mode and power is transmitted from the engine while the vehicle travels in the four-wheel drive mode;

a rotating element configured to transmit power from the engine to the auxiliary drive wheels in the four-wheel drive mode;

a disconnect mechanism provided in a power transmission path between the engine and the auxiliary drive wheels, the disconnect mechanism including a first clutch and a second clutch, the first clutch of the disconnect mechanism being configured to transmit or interrupt transmission of power from the engine to the rotating element, the second clutch of the disconnect mechanism being configured to transmit or interrupt transmission of power from the auxiliary drive wheels to the rotating element; and

an electronic control unit configured to;

control the disconnect mechanism such that power is transmitted from the engine to the rotating element and is transmitted from the auxiliary drive wheels to the rotating element during the four-wheel drive mode;

control the disconnect mechanism such that transmission of power from the engine to the rotating element is interrupted and transmission of power from the auxiliary drive wheels to the rotating element is interrupted during the two wheel driving mode; and

control the in-vehicle display so as to display an operating state whether the disconnect mechanism interrupts transmission of power from the engine and the auxiliary drive wheels to the rotating element or not at one of the following display positions,

(i) a display position on a vehicle model image of an in-vehicle display, and

(ii) a display position near the vehicle model image of the in-vehicle display.

20. The four-wheel drive vehicle according to claim 19, wherein

the electronic control unit is configured to control the in-vehicle display so as to display the operating state of the disconnect mechanism by one of text and a mark.

21. The four-wheel drive vehicle according to claim 19, wherein

the vehicle model image includes an image showing the rotating element, and

the electronic control unit is configured to control the in-vehicle display so as to display the rotating element in one of the following display modes in a disconnect mode where transmission of power from the engine and the auxiliary drive wheels to the rotating element is interrupted,

(a) the image showing the rotating element is not displayed,

(b) the image showing the rotating element is displayed by a lighter color than that of images showing other rotation elements, and

(c) the image showing the rotating element in the disconnect mode is displayed by a color different from that of the image showing the rotating element in a state other than the disconnect mode.

22. The four-wheel drive vehicle according to claim 19, wherein

the vehicle model image includes an image showing the first clutch and the second clutch of the disconnect mechanism, and

the electronic control unit is configured to control the in-vehicle display so as to display one of an engaged state and a released state of the first clutch and the second clutch.

23. The four-wheel drive vehicle according to claim 19, wherein

the electronic control unit is configured to control the in-vehicle display so as to display a disconnect mode where transmission of power from the engine and the auxiliary drive wheels to the rotating element is interrupted, a non-disconnect mode, and a transitional mode at the time of shifting from one of the disconnect mode and the non-disconnect mode to the other one of the disconnect mode and the non-disconnect mode.

24. The four-wheel drive vehicle according to claim 19, wherein

the electronic control unit is configured to control the in-vehicle display so as to display a rotation state of the rotating element by one of text and a mark, and

the electronic control unit is configured to control the in-vehicle display so as to display a state where transmission of power to the rotating element is interrupted from the engine and the auxiliary drive wheels, by one of the text and the mark in a disconnect mode where transmission of power from the engine and the auxiliary drive wheels to the rotating element is interrupted.

25. The four-wheel drive vehicle according to claim 20, wherein

the electronic control unit is configured to control the in-vehicle display so as to display a rotation state of the rotating element, in addition to the operation state whether the disconnect mechanism interrupts transmission of power from the engine and the auxiliary drive wheels to the rotating element or not, by the size of an arrow placed at one of a position on the rotating element and a position near the rotating element, and

the electronic control unit is configured to control the in-vehicle display so as to display the arrow, corresponding to the rotating element of which rotation is stopped, in substantially zero length in a disconnect mode where transmission of power from the engine and the auxiliary drive wheels to the rotating element is interrupted.

26. The four-wheel drive vehicle according to claim 19, wherein

the electronic control unit is configured to control the in-vehicle display so as to change a display of the rotating element, to which transmission of power from the engine and the auxiliary drive wheels is interrupted, from continuous line to dashed line in a disconnect mode where transmission of power from the engine and the auxiliary drive wheels to the rotating element is interrupted.

27. The four-wheel drive vehicle according to claim 19, wherein

the electronic control unit is configured to control the in-vehicle display so as to change a display of the rotating element, to which transmission of power from the engine and the auxiliary drive wheels is interrupted, into one of the following modes when the electronic control unit shifts into a disconnect mode where transmission of power from the engine and the auxiliary drive wheels to the rotating element is interrupted,

(1) the display of the rotating element is changed from a lit state of both a frame of the rotating element and an area of the rotating element, surrounded by the frame, into a lit state of only the frame of the rotating element, and

(2) the display of the rotating element is changed from a lit state of both the frame of the rotating element and the area of the rotating element, surrounded by the frame, to a lit state of only the frame of the rotating element in dashed-line form.

28. The four-wheel drive vehicle according to claim 19, wherein

the electronic control unit is configured to control the in-vehicle display so as to display a driving force of each wheel at one of the display positions, and

the electronic control unit is configured to control the in-vehicle display so as to display the driving force of each of the auxiliary drive wheels as one of zero and substantially zero in a disconnect mode where transmission of power from the engine and the auxiliary drive wheels to the rotating element is interrupted.

29. The four-wheel drive vehicle according to claim 28, further comprising:

a right and left driving force distribution control device provided in association with at least one of a pair of front wheels or a pair of rear wheels, wherein

the electronic control unit is configured to control the in-vehicle display so as to display the driving force of each of the right and left wheels and the operating state of the disconnect mechanism together.

30. The four-wheel drive vehicle according to claim 19, wherein

the electronic control unit is configured to control the in-vehicle display so as to display an abnormality of a system of the four-wheel drive vehicle when the electronic control unit detects the abnormality.

31. The four-wheel drive vehicle according to claim 30, wherein

the electronic control unit is configured to control the in-vehicle display so as to switch from a screen for displaying the operating state of the disconnect mechanism to a screen for displaying the abnormality of the system of the four-wheel drive vehicle when the electronic control unit detects the abnormality.

32. The four-wheel drive vehicle according to claim 30, wherein

the electronic control unit is configured to control the in-vehicle display so as to blink the vehicle model image when the electronic control unit detects the abnormality.

33. The four-wheel drive vehicle according to claim 30, wherein

the electronic control unit is configured to control the in-vehicle display so as to display a fact that the abnormality is detected, on the vehicle model image when the electronic control unit detects the abnormality.

34. The four-wheel drive vehicle according to claim 19, wherein

the electronic control unit is configured to control the in-vehicle display so as to display one of fuel economy effect based on operation of the disconnect mechanism and fuel economy effect based on traveling in a mode other than the four-wheel drive mode.