Control system for vehicle for controlling the driving force depending on operating conditions of the vehicle

• US 6,076,032 A
• Filed: 04/24/1997
• Issued: 06/13/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kouno, Ryuuji, Takahashi, Jun, Kato, Akira, Saito, Yoshiharu, Kuroda, Shigetaka, Sawamura, Kazutomo
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIPALA, EDWARD J
• Application Number:
  US08/842,499
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• Field of Search: 701/57, 701/51, 701/53, 701/54, 701/58, 701/65, 701/66, 477/94, 477/97, 477/105
• US Class Current: 701/54
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/11 Stepped gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/106 Rate of change
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0666 Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/105 Output torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18 Propelling the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/1819 Propulsion control with control means using analogue circuits, relays or mechanical links
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 11/105 characterised by the function converting demand to actuation, e.g. a map indicating relations between an accelerator pedal position and throttle valve opening or target engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2011/102 at least one throttle being moved only by an electric actuator
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0404 Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/602 Pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/702 Road conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2250/18 Control of the engine output torque
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 35/00 Controlling engines, dependent on conditions exterior or interior to engines, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/021 Introducing corrections for particular conditions exterior to the engine conjoint control of vehicle sub-units for propelling the vehicle B60W30/18
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0225 in relation with the gear ratio or shift lever position
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/023 in relation with the gear ratio shifting conjoint control for improving gear change B60W30/19
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1404 Fuzzy logic control
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/14 Control of torque converter lock-up clutches
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 63/40 comprising signals other than signals for actuating the final output mechanisms

Abstract

A control system for a vehicle calculates a desired driving force required by the vehicle in response to operating conditions of the vehicle including an amount of operation of an accelerator pedal of the vehicle, and controls the driving force of the vehicle, based on the calculated desired driving force. The desired driving force is corrected depending on whether the vehicle is in a particular operating condition. For example, when the vehicle is in a standing condition while traveling on a road congested with traffic when the desired driving force is corrected in the decreasing direction, the correction amount of the desired driving force in the decreasing direction is corrected to a value closer to zero. The desired driving force is also corrected according to a time period over which the particular operating condition continues.

Claims

1. In an improved control system for a vehicle, the control system having operating means operable by a driver of said vehicle for controlling a driving force of said vehicle, desired driving force-calculating means for calculating a desired driving force required by said vehicle in response to operating conditions of said vehicle including an amount of operation of said operating means, and driving force control means for controlling the driving force of said vehicle, based on the calculated desired driving force,

the improvement comprising:

storage means for storing a plurality of operating conditions therein;

particular operating condition-detecting means for detecting a particular operating condition in which said vehicle is operating, said detected particular operating condition being matched with one of said plurality of operating conditions stored in said storage means; and

desired driving force-correcting means responsive to an output from said particular operating condition-detecting means, for correcting said desired driving force.

2. A control system as claimed in claim 1, including measuring means for measuring a time period over which said particular operating condition of said vehicle continues, and wherein said desired driving force-correcting means corrects said desired driving force according to said time period measured by said measuring means.

3. A control system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said desired driving force-correcting means terminates the correction of said desired driving force when said vehicle leaves said particular operating condition.

4. A control system as claimed in claim 1 or 3, wherein said particular operating condition of said vehicle is a standing condition of said vehicle.

5. A control system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said desired driving force-calculating means includes traffic congestion-traveling detecting means for detecting whether said vehicle is traveling on a road congested with traffic, and traffic congestion-dependent correction means for correcting said desired driving force in a direction of decreasing same when said traffic congestion-traveling detecting means detects that said vehicle is traveling on the road congested with traffic, said desired driving force-correcting means correcting a correction amount by which said traffic congestion-dependent correction means corrects said desired driving force in said decreasing direction to a value closer to zero.

6. A control system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said desired driving force-correcting means corrects said desired driving force to a larger value as a time period over which said standing condition continues is longer.

7. A control system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, wherein said particular operating condition of said vehicle includes at least one of a cruising condition of said vehicle and an accelerating condition of said vehicle in which said vehicle is accelerated to a degree corresponding to a degree of accelerating intention of said driver.

8. A control system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said desired driving force-calculating means includes high speed degree-detecting means for detecting a degree to which traveling speed of said vehicle is high, and high speed degree-dependent correction means for correcting said desired driving force in a direction of increasing same, according to said degree detected by said high speed degree-detecting means, said desired driving force-correcting means correcting a correction amount by which said high speed degree-dependent correction means corrects said desired driving force in said increasing direction to a value closer to zero.

9. A control system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said desired driving force-correcting means corrects said desired driving force to a smaller value as a time period over which said cruising condition continues is longer.

10. A control system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said desired driving force-correcting means corrects said desired driving force to a larger value as said degree of accelerating intention of said driver is higher.

11. A control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said vehicle has an automatic transmission, said control system including:

speed reduction ratio control means for controlling a speed reduction ratio of said automatic transmission according to said amount of operation of said operating means and traveling speed of said vehicle;

first desired driving force-changing means for changing said desired driving force by changing a kind or value of at least one parameter used in control of said speed reduction ratio by said speed reduction ratio control means; and

second driving force-changing means for changing said desired driving force by changing a kind or value of at least one parameter not affecting said control of said speed reduction ratio by said speed reduction ratio control means;

said first desired driving force-changing means or said second desired driving force-changing means changing said desired driving force in response to said output from said particular operating condition-detecting means.

12. A control system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said first desired driving force-changing means changes said desired driving force in a direction of decreasing same.

13. A control system as claimed in claim 11 or 12, wherein said second desired driving force-changing means includes at least one of high speed degree-dependent changing means for changing said desired driving force according to a degree to which traveling speed of said vehicle is high, and slope traveling-dependent changing means for changing said desired driving force according to a gradient of a slope on which said vehicle is traveling.

14. In an improved control system for a vehicle having an internal combustion engine installed therein, the control system having operating means operable by a driver of said vehicle, for controlling a driving force of said vehicle, desired driving force-calculating means for calculating a desired driving force required by said vehicle in response to operating conditions of said vehicle including an amount of operation of said operating means, and output torque control means for controlling output torque from said engine to a desired output torque based on the calculated desired force,

the improvement comprising:

storage means for storing a plurality of operating conditions therein;

particular operating condition-detecting means for detecting a particular operating condition in which said vehicle is operating, said detected particular operating condition being matched with one of said plurality of operating conditions stored in said storage means; and

desired torque-setting means responsive to an output from said particular operating condition-detecting means, for setting said desired output torque to a value for decreasing rotational speed of said engine to a predetermined value.

15. A control system as claimed in claim 14, wherein said particular operating condition of said vehicle is a predetermined stall state of said vehicle.

16. A control system as claimed in claim 15, wherein said vehicle has a brake system, an accelerator pedal, and an automatic transmission, said predetermined stall state of said vehicle is a condition that a state in which traveling speed of said vehicle is zero, said brake system is operated, said accelerator pedal is stepped on, the rotational speed of said engine exceeds a predetermined value, and at the same time said automatic transmission has a shift position thereof set to a position other than a position for standing of said vehicle, has continued over a predetermined time period.

17. A control system as claimed in claim 14, wherein said vehicle has an accelerator pedal, said desired output torque-setting means setting said desired output torque to a value corresponding to an amount of stepping-on of said accelerator pedal.

18. A control system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said desired output torque-setting means sets said desired output torque to a value corresponding to an amount of stepping-on of said accelerator pedal.

19. A control system as claimed in claim 17 or 18, wherein said desired output torque-setting means sets said desired output torque to a value for holding the rotational speed of said engine at a predetermined idling speed corresponding to said amount of stepping-on of said accelerator pedal.

20. A control system as claimed in any of claims 15, 16 and 18, wherein if an operation of starting said vehicle is carried out during control of said output torque by said output torque control means when said vehicle is in said predetermined stall state, said output torque control means terminates said control of said output torque and controls an amount of intake air supplied to said engine to a value required by said driver.

21. A control system as claimed in 19, wherein if an operation of starting said vehicle is carried out during control of said output torque by said output torque control means when said vehicle is in said predetermined stall state, said output torque control means terminates said control of said output torque and controls an amount of intake air supplied to said engine to a value required by said driver.