Motor control apparatus for vehicle

• US 6,345,216 B1
• Filed: 10/25/2000
• Issued: 02/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Suzuki Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Suzuki Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Morimoto, Kazuhiko, Omata, Yoshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hernandez, Olga
• Application Number:
  US09/696,164
• Time in Patent Office: 468 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 701/53, 477/7, 477/8, 477/13, 477/15, 477/20, 477/34, 477/62, 477/70, 477/77, 477/79, 477/87, 477/166, 180/337
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/485 Motor-assist type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/547 the transmission being a stepped gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/441 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/486 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/525 Temperature of converter or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• 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 20/40 Controlling the engagement or disengagement of prime movers, e.g. for transition between prime movers power-up or power-down of the driveline B60W30/192
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0208 Clutch engagement state, e.g. engaged or disengaged
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0638 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/16 Ratio selector position
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/706 Monitoring gear ratio in stepped transmissions, e.g. by calculating the ratio from input and output speed
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/70 dependent on the ratio established
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/919 : Stepped shift

Abstract

A motor control apparatus for a vehicle, including a vehicle velocity sensor; an engine rotational speed sensor; a first clutch switch which becomes off when a clutch is fully engaged, and successively from the fully engaged state becomes on just before the clutch is placed in a partially engaged state; a second clutch switch which becomes off when a clutch is fully released, and successively from the fully released state becomes on just before the clutch is placed in a partially engaged state; and a motor control device for controlling so as to generate electricity by the motor, determining as the approval of the idling power-generating control state, when at least one of the following two conditions is satisfied: the condition that a vehicle velocity is zero and an engine rotational speed exceeds zero, and the condition that a vehicle velocity is zero and the second clutch switch is off. The motor control apparatus can control the motor by determining an approval of the various motor control state using the neutral determination of the transmission, without using a mechanical gear position sensor.

Claims

1. A motor control apparatus for a vehicle having and engine which is connected to a transmission through a clutch, and which is connected to a motor having both driving and power-generating functions, and controlling both driving and power-generating states of the motor based on a traveling state of the vehicle and a running state of the engine, comprising:

a vehicle velocity sensor for detecting a vehicle velocity of the vehicle;

an engine rotational speed sensor for detecting an engine rotational speed of the engine;

a first clutch switch which becomes off when the clutch is fully engaged, and successively from the fully engaged state becomes on when the clutch is moved toward a partially engaged state;

a second clutch switch which becomes off when the clutch is fully released, and successively from the fully released state becomes on when the clutch is moved toward a partially engaged state; and

a motor control means for controlling so as to generate electricity by the motor, determining as the approval of an idling power-generating control state, when at least one of the following two neutral determining conditions, which are set to determine that the transmission is neutral, is satisfied;

the condition that a vehicle velocity is zero and an engine rotational speed exceeds zero, and the condition that a vehicle velocity is zero and the second clutch switch is off.

2. A motor control apparatus for a vehicle having an engine which connects a transmission through a clutch, and which is connected to a motor having both driving and power-generating functions, and controlling both driving and power-generating states of the motor based on a traveling state of the vehicle and a running state of the engine, comprising:

a vehicle velocity sensor for detecting a vehicle velocity of the vehicle; and

engine rotational speed sensor for detecting an engine rotational speed of the engine;

a first clutch switch which becomes off when the clutch is fully engaged, and successively from the fully engaged state becomes on when the clutch is moved toward a partially engaged state;

a second clutch switch which becomes off when the clutch is fully released, and successively from the fully released state, becomes on when the clutch is moved toward a partially engaged state; and

a motor control means setting a following two regions;

a gear engaging region wherein a gearing gear of the transmission is engaged, and a neutral region wherein no gearing gear is engaged;

thereby the motor control means for controlling so as to prohibit a drive/power-generation of the motor, determining as the approval of a drive/power-generation prohibiting control state, when at least one of the following two neutral determining conditions, which are set to determine that the transmission is neutral, is satisfied;

the condition that a vehicle velocity exceeds zero and a determining value obtained from a relation between a vehicle velocity and an engine rotational speed is in the neutral; and

the condition that a vehicle velocity exceeds zero and the second clutch switch is off.