VEHICLE

• US 20160362102A1
• Filed: 02/19/2016
• Published: 12/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Honda, Tomokazu, Sasaki, Hitoshi
• Granted Patent: US 10,220,836 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• 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 2005/003 the internal combustion or jet propulsion unit is arranged between the front and the rear axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2023/043 Control means for varying left-right torque distribution, e.g. torque vectoring
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2023/0833 for adding torque to the rear wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 23/04 for differential gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 23/0808 for varying torque distribution between driven axles, e.g. by transfer clutch
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 5/04 with the engine main axis, e.g. crankshaft axis, transversely to the longitudinal centre line of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/442 Series-parallel switching type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/52 Driving a plurality of drive axles, e.g. four-wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/54 Transmission for changing ratio
• 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 2240/18 lateral
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/22 Yaw angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/24 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/26 by pedal actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/15 with additional electric power supply with capacitors charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/40; with batteries charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/61
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 : including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/16 : Axle differentials, e.g. for dividing torque between left and right wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 : including control of steering systems
• 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 20/15 : Control strategies specially adapted for achieving a particular effect
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/081 : Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 : Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/125 : Lateral acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 : Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/406 : between left and right wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/045 : Improving turning performance
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 11/04 : by means of separate power sources
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/025 : Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation B62D1/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/00 : Arrangements for automatically controlling steering depending on driving conditions sensed and responded to, e.g. control circuits means for initiating a change in direction B62D1/00; steering valves B62D5/06; combined with means for inclining the vehicle body or wheels on bends B62D9/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/002 : computing target steering angles for front or rear wheels B62D7/159 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• 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

A drive control device of the vehicle controls a left and right driving force difference by a driving device based on a rotational velocity of a rotary electric machine, which imparts a steering force or a steering additive force to a steering system of the vehicle. Furthermore, at a time that there is a deviation or a likelihood of a deviation of the vehicle with respect to a travel path or when an avoidance assistance unit produces a notifying operation or imparts a deviation avoidance assistance steeling force or a deviation avoidance assistance steering additive force, the drive control device prohibits or suppresses control of the left and right driving force difference based on the rotational velocity.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a driving device configured to control a left and right driving force difference, which is a difference between a left driving force and a right driving force, by controlling the left driving force and the right driving force, the left driving force being a driving force of a left wheel of the vehicle, the fight driving force being a (hiving force of a fight wheel of the vehicle;

a drive control device configured to control the driving device;

a rotary electric machine connected mechanically to steered wheels and configured to impart a steering force or a steering additive force to a steering system including the steered wheels; and

a driving assistance device configured to assist avoidance of a deviation of the vehicle with respect to a travel path;

wherein the driving assistance device includes;

a travel path recognizing unit configured to recognize the travel path;

a deviation acquisition unit configured to acquire a deviation or a likelihood of a deviation of the vehicle with respect to the travel path; and

an avoidance assistance unit configured to produce a notifying operation with respect to a steering input device of the steering system by driving the rotary electric machine or impart a deviation avoidance assistance steering force or a deviation avoidance assistance steering additive force with respect to the steering system, when the deviation acquisition unit has acquired the deviation or the likelihood of the deviation;

wherein the vehicle further comprises a rotational velocity acquisition unit configured to acquire a rotational velocity of the rotary electric machine;

the drive control device controls the left and right driving force difference by the driving device, based on the rotational velocity; and

furthermore, the drive control device prohibits or suppresses control of the left and right driving force difference based on the rotational velocity, when the deviation acquisition unit has acquired the deviation or the likelihood of the deviation, or when the avoidance assistance unit produces the notifying operation or imparts the deviation avoidance assistance steering force or the deviation avoidance assistance steering additive force.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

the steering system includes a steering amount acquisition unit configured to acquire a steering amount of a steering subject of the vehicle;

the rotary electric machine is arranged on a steering force transmission path more closely to the steered wheels than the steeling amount acquisition unit; and

the steering force or the steering additive force is determined based on the steering amount.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the driving device includes a left rotary electric machine connected mechanically to the left wheel, and a right rotary electric machine connected mechanically to the right wheel.

4. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the drive control device:

executes a steering amount proportional control configured to control the left and right driving force difference, based on the steering amount and a lateral acceleration of the vehicle;

controls the left and tight driving force difference by combining the control of the left and right driving force difference based on the rotational velocity and the steering amount proportional control; and

prohibits or suppresses the control of the left and right driving force difference based on the rotational velocity and continues the control of the left and right driving force difference by the steering amount proportional control, when the deviation acquisition unit has acquired the deviation or the likelihood of the deviation, or when the avoidance assistance unit produces the notifying operation or imparts the deviation avoidance assistance steering force or the deviation avoidance assistance steering additive force.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

the avoidance assistance unit produces the notifying operation with respect to the steering input device of the steeling system by driving the rotary electric machine, and thereafter, imparts the deviation avoidance assistance steering force or the deviation avoidance assistance steering additive force with respect to the steering system, when the deviation acquisition unit has acquired the deviation or the likelihood of the deviation; and

furthermore, the drive control device prohibits or suppresses the control of the left and right driving force difference based on the rotational velocity, when the deviation acquisition unit has acquired the deviation or the likelihood of the deviation, or when the avoidance assistance unit produces the notifying operation.

6. A vehicle comprising:

a driving device configured to control a torque of a left wheel and a torque of a right wheel, by controlling a left torque, which is a torque of a left rotary electric machine connected mechanically to the left wheel of the vehicle, and a right torque, which is a torque of a right rotary electric machine connected mechanically to the right wheel of the vehicle;

a drive control device configured to control the driving device;

a rotary electric machine connected mechanically to steered wheels and configured to impart a steering force or a steering additive force to a steering system including the steered wheels; and

a driving assistance device configured to assist avoidance of a deviation of the vehicle with respect to a travel path,

wherein the driving assistance device includes an avoidance assistance unit configured to produce a notifying operation with respect to as steering input device of the steering system by driving the rotary electric machine or impart a deviation avoidance assistance steering force or a deviation avoidance assistance steering additive force with respect to the steeling system, when there is a deviation or a likelihood of the deviation of the vehicle with respect to the travel path;

wherein the vehicle further comprises a rotational velocity acquisition unit configured to acquire a rotational velocity of the rotary electric machine;

the drive control device controls the left torque and the right torque, based on the rotational velocity; and

furthermore, the drive control device prohibits or suppresses the control of the left torque and the right torque based on the rotational velocity, when there is the deviation or the likelihood of the deviation, or when the avoidance assistance unit produces the notifying operation or imparts the deviation avoidance assistance steering force or the deviation avoidance assistance steering additive force.