Vehicle control device

• US 6,401,016 B1
• Filed: 11/13/2000
• Issued: 06/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yoshino, Takahiro, Nakajima, Yuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): To, Tuan C
• Application Number:
  US09/709,573
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 701/51, 318/139, 318/432, 318/448, 318/615, 318/618, 318/376, 318/8, 318/460, 180/65.8, 180/65.4, 180/65.2, 477/5, 477/3
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/46 Series type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/543 the transmission being a continuously variable transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• 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 20/11 using model predictive control [MPC] strategies, i.e. control methods based on models predicting performance utilising navigation and traffic information in the control strategy B60W20/12
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/918 Continuously variable

Abstract

A target output torque and target power generation output of a motor are computed based on a vehicle running state, and a target input rotation speed of a generator is computed based on the target power generation output. The final target output torque of the motor is computed by performing delay processing on the target output torque using a filter of second or higher order. The same delay processing by an identical filter is performed on the target input rotation speed, and the final target input rotation speed supplied to the generator is computed. In this way, the response of the driving power output (=power consumption of the motor) and the generated power of the generator are made to coincide even if the vehicle running state changes sharply, and the battery capacity can be minimized.

Claims

1. A control device for a vehicle,

the vehicle comprising:

an engine,

a generator connected to the engine, and

a motor driven by the power generated by the generator, connected to a drive shaft of the vehicle, and

the control device comprising;

a sensor which detects a vehicle speed,

a sensor which detects an accelerator depression amount, and

a microprocessor programmed to;

compute either of a target driving force and target output torque of the motor based on the vehicle speed and accelerator depression amount,

compute a delayed target output torque of the motor by performing a delay processing on either of the target driving force and target output torque, and

control the torque of the motor based on the delayed target output torque.

2. A control device as defined in claim 1, wherein the microprocessor is further programmed to:

compute a target power generation output of the generator based on either of the target driving force and target output torque,

compute a target input rotation speed of the generator based on the target power generation output,

compute a delayed target input rotation speed of the generator by performing the delay processing on the target input rotation speed, and

control the rotation speed of the generator based on the delayed target input rotation speed.

3. A control device as defined in claim 2, wherein the microprocessor is further programmed to:

compute a target engine torque of the engine according to the target power generation output, and

control the engine based on the target engine torque.

4. A control device as defined in claim 1, wherein the delay processing is delay processing using a filter of second or higher order.

5. A control device as defined in claim 3, wherein:

the delay processing is delay processing using a filter of second or higher order, and

the time constant of the filter is computed based on the ratio of the variation amount of the target engine torque to the variation amount of the target input rotation speed.

6. A control device as defined in claim 3, wherein:

the delay processing is delay processing using a filter of second or higher order, and

the time constant of the filter is a fixed value computed based on the minimum value of the ratio of the variation amount of the target engine torque to the variation amount of the target input rotation speed.

7. A control device as defined in claim 4, wherein:

the microprocessor is further programmed to compute the delayed target output torque of the motor by dividing by the vehicle speed after performing delay processing on either of the target driving force and target output torque.

8. A control device as defined in claim 7, wherein:

the microprocessor is further programmed to limit the vehicle speed used for the computation to a value larger than a predetermined value.

9. A control device as defined in claim 4, wherein:

the microprocessor is further programmed to;

compute the delayed target output torque of the motor by performing the delay processing on the result of dividing either of the target driving force and target output torque by the vehicle speed, and

limit the vehicle speed used for the computation to a larger value than a predetermined value.

10. A control device as defined in claim 2, wherein:

the microprocessor is further programmed to compute the target power generation output by considering any of the efficiency of the motor, the efficiency of the generator and the power generation requirement of electrical accessories.

11. A control device for a vehicle,

the vehicle comprising:

an engine,

a generator connected to the engine, and

a motor driven by the power generated by the generator, connected to a drive shaft of the vehicle, and

the control device comprising;

means for detecting a vehicle speed,

means for detecting an accelerator depression amount,

means for computing either of a target driving force and target output torque of the motor based on the vehicle speed and accelerator depression amount,

means for computing a delayed target output torque of the motor by performing a delay processing on either of the target driving force and target output torque, and

means for controlling the torque of the motor based on the delayed target output torque.