Apparatus for controlling automotive vehicle having a plurality of drive power sources

• US 6,484,832 B1
• Filed: 08/07/2000
• Issued: 11/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ichioka, Eiji, Morisawa, Kunio
• Primary Examiner(s): Culbreth, Eric
• Assistant Examiner(s): LUM VANNUCCI, LEE SIN YEE
• Application Number:
  US09/634,868
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65-- 6, 180/65.8, 701/22
• US Class Current: 180/65.225
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 23/0808 for varying torque distribution between driven axles, e.g. by transfer clutch
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/16 responsive to, or preventing, skidding of wheels brake control systems for vehicle drive stability B60T8/1755; arrangements responsive to a speed condition for adjusting wheel braking force B60T8/32; control of vehicle driving stability otherwise than by controlling the propulsion unit only B60W30/02; preventing wheel slippage by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/44 Series-parallel 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: B60L 2240/486 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/40 Coefficient of friction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/105 Output torque
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/916 with plurality of drive axles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/917 with transmission for changing gear ratio
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/945 Characterized by control of gearing, e.g. control of transmission ratio

Abstract

An apparatus for controlling an automotive vehicle having a primary drive power source and an auxiliary drive power source. The apparatus includes a controller adapted to control the auxiliary drive power source such that an assisting drive torque which is generated by the auxiliary drive power source and applied to the vehicle in addition to a primary drive torque generated by the primary drive power source increases with an increase of a required output of the vehicle desired by the vehicle operator, and such that the auxiliary drive power source is operated for a length of time which decreases with the increase of the required output of the vehicle.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling an automotive vehicle having a primary drive power source and an auxiliary drive power source, comprising;

required output determining means for determining a required output of the vehicle which is desired by an operator of the vehicle; and

first control means for controlling said auxiliary drive power source such that an assisting drive torque which is generated by said auxiliary drive power source and applied to said vehicle in addition to a primary drive torque generated by said primary drive power source increases with an increase of said required output of the vehicle and such that said auxiliary drive power source is operated for a length of time which decreases with the increase of said required output.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said primary drive power source is operable to generate said primary drive torque for driving one of a front-wheel drive system and a rear-wheel drive system of the vehicle while said auxiliary drive power source is to generate said assisting drive torque for driving the other of said front-wheel and rear-wheel drive systems.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said primary drive power source is an internal combustion engine, while said auxiliary drive power source is an electric motor.

4. An apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising assisting drive torque compensating means for compensating said assisting drive torque as determined by said first control means, so as to determine a ratio of the assisting drive torque as compensated by said assisting drive torque compensating means to said primary device torque, to maximize fuel economy of said internal combustion engine.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

roadway surface friction coefficient determining means for determining whether a friction coefficient of a roadway surface on which the vehicle lies is lower than a predetermined threshold; and

second control means operable when said roadway surface friction coefficient determining means has determined that said friction coefficient of said roadway surface is lower than said predetermined threshold, said second control means reducing an output of said primary drive power source and operating said auxiliary drive power source,

and wherein said first control means operates said auxiliary drive power source such that said assisting drive torque increases with said increases of said required output of the vehicle and such that said length of time of operation of said auxiliary drive power source decreases with said increase of said required output, when said roadway surface friction coefficient determining means has determined that said friction coefficient is not lower than said predetermined threshold.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising third control means operable when said roadway surface friction coefficient determining means has determined that said friction coefficient is not lower than said predetermined threshold, said third control means reducing an output of said primary drive power source with an increase in said assisting drive torque generated by said auxiliary drive power source.

7. An apparatus for controlling an automotive vehicle having a primary drive power source and an auxiliary drive power source, comprising:

assisting drive torque control means for operating said primary drive power source to generate a primary drive torque on the basis of a required output of the vehicle which is desired by an operator of the vehicle, and simultaneously operating said auxiliary drive power source such that an assisting drive torque which is generated by said auxiliary drive power source and applied to the vehicle in addition to said primary drive torque is a predetermined percentage of said primary drive torque; and

auxiliary drive power source control means operable after initiation of an operation of said auxiliary drive power source, for controlling said auxiliary drive power source so as to optimize a percentage of said assisting drive torque with respect to said primary drive torque, on the basis of an energy consuming state of said primary drive power source.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said primary drive power source is an internal combustion engine operable to generate said primary drive torque for driving one of a front-wheel drive system and a rear-wheel drive system of the vehicle while said auxiliary drive power source is an electric motor operable to generate said assisting drive torque for driving the other of said front-wheel and rear-wheel drive systems.

9. An apparatus for controlling an automotive vehicle having a primary drive power source and an auxiliary drive power a source, comprising;

energy supply control means for operating said auxiliary drive power source while limiting an output of said primary drive power source when a required output of the vehicle which is desired by an operator of the vehicle is smaller than a predetermined threshold and when a power mode in which the vehicle is driven with modified shift boundaries is not selected by said operator, said energy supply control means reducing an amount of limitation of the output of said primary drive power source, while controlling said auxiliary drive power source, when said required output of the vehicle is not smaller than said predetermined threshold and when said power mode is selected by said operator, such that an assisting drive torque which is generated by said auxiliary drive power source and applied to the vehicle in addition to a primary drive power source generated by said primary drive power source is made larger than that when said required output is smaller than said predetermined threshold and when said power mode is not selected, and such that said auxiliary drive power source is operated for a shorter length of time than when said required output is smaller than said predetermined threshold and when said power mode is not selected.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said primary drive power source is an internal combustion engine operable to generate said primary drive torque for driving one of a front-wheel drive system and a rear-wheel drive system of the vehicle while said auxiliary drive power source is an electric motor operable to generate said assisting drive torque for driving the other of said front-wheel and rear-wheel drive systems.

11. An apparatus for controlling an automotive vehicle having a primary drive power source, an energy storing means for storing an energy, an auxiliary drive power source operated with the energy stored in said energy storing means, and energy generating means operated by said primary drive power source, for generating an energy, comprising:

required output determining means for determining whether a required output of the vehicle which is desired by an operator of the vehicle is larger than a predetermined threshold; and

energy supply control means for supplying the energy from said energy storing means to said auxiliary drive power source such that an assisting drive torque which is generated by said auxiliary drive power source and applied to said vehicle in addition to a primary drive torque generated by said primary drive power source is relatively small, while said required output of the vehicle determined by said required output determining means is not larger than said predetermined threshold,

and wherein while said required output of the vehicle determined by said required output determining means is larger than said predetermined threshold, said energy supply control means supplies not only the energy stored in said energy storing means but also the energy generated by said energy generating means to said auxiliary drive power source, such that the assisting drive torque generated by said auxiliary drive power source is larger than while said required output is not larger than said predetermined threshold and such that said auxiliary drive power source is operated for a length of time shorter than while said required output is not larger than said predetermined threshold.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said primary drive power source is an internal combustion engine operable to generate said primary drive torque for driving one of a front-wheel drive system and a rear-wheel drive system of the vehicle while said auxiliary drive power source is an electric motor operable to generate said assisting drive torque for driving the other of said front-wheel and rear-wheel drive systems.

13. An apparatus for controlling an automotive vehicle having a primary drive power source, an energy storing means for storing an energy, an auxiliary drive power source operated with the energy stored in said energy storing means, energy generating means operated by said primary drive power source, for generating an energy, and a transmission operatively connected to said primary drive power source, comprising:

stored energy amount determining means for determining whether an amount of energy stored in said energy storing means is smaller than a predetermined threshold; and

energy supply control means operable when said stored energy amount determining means has determined that the amount of energy stored in said energy storing means is smaller than said predetermined threshold, for supplying the energy from said energy generating means to said auxiliary drive power source, and increasing a speed reduction ratio of said transmission so as to increase a drive force of the vehicle.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said primary drive power source is an internal combustion engine operable to generate said primary drive torque for driving one of a front-wheel drive system and a rear-wheel drive system of the vehicle while said auxiliary drive power source is an electric motor operable to generate said assisting drive torque for driving the other of said front-wheel and rear-wheel drive systems.

15. An apparatus for controlling an automotive vehicle having a primary drive power source, an energy storing means for storing an energy, an auxiliary drive power source operated with the energy stored in said energy storing means, and energy generating means operated by said primary drive power source, for generating an energy, comprising:

auxiliary drive power source control means for operating said auxiliary drive power source with an energy suppled from said energy generating means, in a selected one of a first mode and a second mode, said auxiliary drive power source control means operating said auxiliary drive power source in said first mode such that a moment of initiation of an operation of said auxiliary drive power source with the energy supplied from said energy storing means is retarded by a predetermined time after a moment at which an operation performed by an operator of the vehicle to increase an output of the vehicle is initiated, said auxiliary drive power source control means operating said auxiliary drive power source in said second mode such that the operation of the auxiliary drive power source with the energy supplied from said energy storing means is initiated at the moment at which the operation performed by the operator is initiated.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said primary drive power source is an internal combustion engine operable to generate said primary drive torque for driving one of a front-wheel drive system and a rear-wheel drive system of the vehicle while said auxiliary drive power source is an electric motor operable to generate said assisting drive torque for driving the other of said front-wheel and rear-wheel drive systems.

17. An apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising power mode selection determining means for determining whether a power mode for driving the vehicle with high drivability is selected by the operator of the vehicle.

18. An apparatus for controlling an automotive vehicle having a primary drive power source, an energy storing means for storing an energy, an auxiliary drive power source operated with the energy stored in said energy storing means, and energy generating means operated by said primary drive power source, for generating an energy, comprising:

energy supply control means operable when an operation to accelerate the vehicle is performed by an operator of the vehicle, for first initiating a supply of an energy from said energy generating means to said auxiliary drive power source, and then initiating a supply of an energy from said energy storing means to said auxiliary drive power source when a predetermined time has passed after a moment of initiation of said supply of the energy from said energy generating means to said auxiliary drive power source.

19. An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said primary drive power source is an internal combustion engine operable to generate said primary drive torque for driving one of a front-wheel drive system and a rear-wheel drive system of the vehicle while said auxiliary drive power source is an electric motor operable to generate said assisting drive torque for driving the other of said front-wheel and rear-wheel drive systems.