Control system for small electric motor vehicle

• US 6,541,938 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2001
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company), Asahi Matsushita Electric Works Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Sakamoto, Kenji, Okamura, Yukihiko, Kanke, Hiroo, Inui, Tsutomu
• Primary Examiner(s): Masih, Karen
• Application Number:
  US09/928,438
• Publication Number:
  US 20020021106A1
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.1, 318/778, 318/779, 318/798, 318/805, 318/812
• US Class Current: 318/778
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/22 Microcars, e.g. golf cars
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/52 characterised by DC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

In a small electric motor vehicle equipped with an electric motor for driving wheels through a reduction gear mechanism, a first predetermined voltage is immediately applied to the electric motor when a drive-off instruction is generated from vehicle standstill and then the voltage is increased at a predetermined rate until the voltage exceeds a second predetermined voltage, and is then controlled such that the driving speed converges to a desired speed. With this, since the application of the first predetermined voltage slightly rotates the electric motor to take up reduction gear mechanism backlash, shock at drive-off caused by reduction gear mechanism backlash can be reduced or eliminated even when a high-capacity electric motor is used to enhance hill-climbing performance, and smooth drive-off is possible. Furthermore, since the rate of increase/decrease of the driving speed is varied in proportion to the difference between a set speed and a calculated command speed, the driving feel is therefore improved.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a small electric motor vehicle equipped with an electric motor for driving wheels through a reduction gear mechanism, comprising:

a speed setting switch which generates a signal indicative of a maximum speed inputted by a vehicle operator;

an accelerator which generates signals indicative of drive-off instruction and stop instruction inputted by the vehicle operator; and

an electric motor controller which inputs the signal generated by the speed setting switch and the accelerator and determines a desired speed and conducts a first voltage control of the electric motor such that a driving speed converges to the desired speed;

wherein the electric motor controller conducts a second voltage control to immediately apply a first predetermined voltage to the electric motor when the drive-off instruction is generated from vehicle standstill and then to increase the voltage at a predetermined rate until the voltage exceeds a second predetermined voltage, and then conducts the first voltage control such that the driving speed converges to the desired speed.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the electric motor controller conducts the second voltage control even when the drive-off instruction is generated after the stop instruction was generated.

3. A system according to claim 1, further including driving start discriminating means for discriminating whether or not the vehicle has started driving,

and the electric motor controller discontinues the voltage control and immediately controls the voltage such that the driving speed converges to the desired speed, when it is discriminated that the vehicle has started driving.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein the driving start discriminating means comprises rotation direction detection means for detecting a direction of rotation of the electric motor;

and the electric motor controller discontinues the voltage control and immediately controls the voltage such that the driving speed converges to the desired speed, when it is detected that the detected electric motor rotation direction is opposite from a direction of the drive-off instruction.

5. A system according to claim 2, further including driving start discriminating means for discriminating whether or not the vehicle has started driving,

and the electric motor controller discontinues the voltage control and immediately controls the voltage such that the driving speed converges to the desired speed, when it is discriminated that the vehicle has started driving.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein the driving start discriminating means comprises rotation direction detection means for detecting a direction of rotation of the electric motor;

and the electric motor controller discontinues the voltage control and immediately controls the voltage such that the driving speed converges to the desired speed, when it is detected that the detected electric motor rotation direction is opposite from a direction of the drive-off instruction.

7. A system for controlling a small electric motor vehicle equipped with an electric motor for driving wheels through a reduction gear mechanism, comprising:

a speed setting switch which generates a signal indicative of a maximum speed inputted by a vehicle operator;

an accelerator which generates signals indicative of drive-off instruction and stop instruction inputted by the vehicle operator;

a speed controller which calculates a set speed based on the signals of the speed setting switch and the accelerator and calculates a command speed to accelerate or decelerate a driving speed at a rate which is varied with a difference between the set speed and the command speed, such that a driving speed converges to the set speed; and

an electric motor controller which feedback-controls a voltage to be applied to the electric motor such that an error between the command speed and the driving speed decreases.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein the rate is increased with increasing the difference between the set speed and the command speed.

9. A system according to claim 7, wherein the rate during driving is larger than at least one of that during the drive-off instruction and the stop instruction is generated.

10. A system according to claim 7, wherein the rate during driving is larger than at least one of that during the drive-off instruction and the stop instruction is generated.