Driving force control with gradient resistance torque dependent correction factor

• US 6,306,062 B1
• Filed: 03/03/2000
• Issued: 10/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Toukura, Nobusuke, Yasuoka, Masayuki, Nishijima, Hiroaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Estremsky, Sherry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lewis, Tisha D.
• Application Number:
  US09/518,691
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 477/47, 477/901, 477/97, 477/107, 701/55, 701/58
• US Class Current: 477/107
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• 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 2530/16 Driving resistance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• 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: F16H 59/66 Road conditions, e.g. slope, slippery

Abstract

A driving force control system for an automotive vehicle comprises a controller. The controller determines standard resistance (RLDTRQ) in response to vehicle speed (VSP), and it also determines an increment in running resistance (RESTRQ) from the standard resistance (RLDTRQ). The controller determines driving force correction (ADDFD) in response to the increment in running resistance (RESTRQ). The controller adds the driving force correction (ADDFD) to ordinary target driving force (tTd#n) to provide corrected target driving force (tTd). The controller converts the increment in running resistance (RESTRQ) into the driving force correction (ADDFD) at a rate that is variable in response to the increment in running resistance (RESTRQ).

Claims

1. A driving force control system for an automotive vehicle having an accelerator pedal, an engine, and an automatic transmission, comprising:

an ordinary target driving force generator generating ordinary target driving force in response to operator manipulation of the accelerator pedal and vehicle speed;

a running resistance increment generator including a standard resistance generator that generates standard resistance, said running resistance increment generator being operative to determine an increment in running resistance from said standard resistance;

a driving force correction generator converts said increment in running resistance into said driving force correction over a portion of variations of said increment in running resistance at a rate that is variable in response to said increment in running resistance;

a corrected driving force generator determining corrected target driving force by adding said driving force correction to said ordinary target driving force;

a target engine torque generator generating a target engine torque in response to said corrected target driving force; and

a target ratio generator generating a target ratio in response to said corrected target driving force.

2. The driving force control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said driving force correction generator is operative to set said driving force correction equal to zero over variation of said increment in running resistance less than a predetermined value.

3. The driving force control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said driving force correction generator is operative to continuously vary said driving force correction over variation of said increment in running resistance.

4. The driving force control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said driving force correction generator is operative to keep said driving force correction constant over variation of said increment in running resistance greater than a predetermined value.

5. The driving force control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said driving force correction generator is operative to set said driving force correction equal to a predetermined percentage of said increment in running resistance, said predetermined percentage falling in a range from 30% to 70%.

6. The driving force control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said running resistance increment generator is operative to determine acceleration resistance, and wherein said running resistance increment generator is operative to determine said increment in running resistance in response to said acceleration resistance.

7. The driving force control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said running resistance increment generator is operative to determine driving torque and acceleration resistance, and wherein said running resistance increment generator is operative to determine said increment in running resistance by subtracting from said determined driving torque a sum of said standard resistance and said acceleration resistance.

8. The driving force control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said running resistance increment generator is operative to vary said ratio of said driving force correction to said increment in running resistance in response to said increment in running resistance, and wherein said running resistance increment generator determines said driving force correction by multiplying said ratio with said increment in running resistance.

9. A driving force control process for an automotive vehicle having an accelerator pedal, an engine, and an automatic transmission, comprising:

generating ordinary target driving force in response to operator manipulation of the accelerator pedal and vehicle speed;

generating running resistance torque;

generating acceleration resistance torque;

generating standard resistance torque;

determining an increment in running resistance torque by subtracting from said running resistance torque a sum of said acceleration resistance torque and said standard resistance torque;

determining driving force correction in response to said increment in running resistance;

converting said increment in running resistance into an driving force correction over a portion of variations of said increment in running resistance at a rate that is variable in response to the magnitude of said increment in running resistance;

determining corrected target driving force by adding said driving force correction to said ordinary target driving force;

generating a target engine torque in response to said corrected target driving force; and

generating a target ratio in response to said corrected target driving force.

10. A driving force control system for an automotive vehicle having a power train including an internal combustion engine and a continuously variable transmission (CVT), and a controller that determines an increment in running resistance derived from road gradient, determines a driving force correction in response to the determined increment in running resistance, and corrects a target driving force applied to the power train with the driving force correction,

wherein said controller determines said driving force correction in response to operator demand on motion of the automotive vehicle relative to the surface of a road as well as said increment in running resistance.

11. The driving force control system as claimed in claim 10, wherein, over a portion of the whole variations of said increment in running resistance, said controller converts said increment in running resistance into said driving force correction at a rate.

12. The driving force control system as claimed in claim 10, wherein, over a portion of the whole variations of said increment in running resistance lower than a first predetermined value, said controller keeps said driving force correction zero.

13. The driving force control system as claimed in claim 10, wherein, over a portion of the whole variations of said increment in running resistance greater than a second predetermined value, said controller keeps said driving force correction at a predetermined value.