Four-wheel drive hybrid vehicle

• US 6,569,055 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2001
• Issued: 05/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hiraku, Ryozo, Harada, Chiaki, Sakakibara, Satoshi, Urasawa, Toru, Soutome, Asuka, Shouji, Makoto, Nakazawa, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Wright, Dirk
• Application Number:
  US10/022,217
• Publication Number:
  US 20020094908A1
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• Field of Search: 477/3, 477/5, 180/65-2, 180/64
• US Class Current: 477/5
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/356 having fluid or electric motor, for driving one or more wheels disposition of motor in, or adjacent to, traction wheel B60K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/38 characterised by the driveline clutches shift clutches within the gearing or transmission B60K6/36 , B60K6/54
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/383 One-way clutches or freewheel devices
• 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 6/547 the transmission being a stepped gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• 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 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• 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 903/905 Combustion engine
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/906 Motor or generator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/909 Gearing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/913 One way
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/916 : with plurality of drive axles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/919 : Stepped shift
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/945 : Characterized by control of gearing, e.g. control of transmission ratio
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/946 : Characterized by control of driveline clutch
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/947 : Characterized by control of braking, e.g. blending of regeneration, friction braking
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/951 : Assembly or relative location of components

Abstract

A hybrid vehicle includes a first motor generator (1) and an engine (3) connected to first drive wheels (7) via a transmission (5), a second motor generator connected to a second drive wheel (17), a battery (8) electrically connected to the first and second motor generators (7,17), a sensor (25) which detects a running state of the vehicle, a sensor which detects a charge state of the battery (8), and a controller (10,11,12). The controller (10,11,12) controls a drive force of the engine (3) and the first motor generator (1) according to the running state of the vehicle and the charge state of the battery (8), and drives the second motor generator (2) by the battery (8) or the power generated by the first motor generator (1).

Claims

1. A hybrid vehicle, comprising:

a first drive wheel,

a second drive wheel,

an automatic transmission,

a first motor generator and engine connected to the first drive wheel via the transmission,

a second motor generator connected to the second drive wheel,

a battery electrically connected to the first and second motor generators, and

a controller functioning to;

determine a running state of the vehicle,

determine a charge state of the battery,

control the drive force of the engine and the first motor generator based on the running state of the vehicle and the charge state of the battery, and

drive the second motor generator using the battery and the power generated by the first motor generator.

2. The hybrid vehicle as defined in claim 1, further comprising a sensor which detects an operation amount of an accelerator pedal, and wherein:

the transmission further comprises a friction device which connects the engine with the first drive wheel, and

the controller further functions to release the friction device and perform regeneration by the second motor generator when the accelerator pedal is released.

3. The hybrid vehicle as defined in claim 2, wherein the controller further functions to stop the fuel supply to the engine and rotate the engine by the first motor generator when the accelerator pedal is released and regeneration is performed by the second motor generator.

4. The hybrid vehicle as defined in claim 2, wherein the controller further functions to engage the friction device and cause the engine brake to be operated by the engine when the accelerator pedal is released and the charge state of the battery is saturated.

5. The hybrid vehicle as defined in claim 2, wherein the transmission further comprises a one-way clutch, and the friction device is disposed in parallel with the one-way clutch.

6. The hybrid vehicle as defined in claim 5, wherein the controller further functions to perform an upshift operation when the gear position of the transmission which depends on the running state, is set to a gear position wherein the engine braking torque is not transmitted through the friction device.

7. The hybrid vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein the controller further functions to:

compute the output torque of the engine,

compute the torque generated or consumed by the first motor generator,

compute the torque input to the transmission based on the output torque of the engine and the torque generated or consumed by the first motor generator,

compute a virtual accelerator operation amount required for the computed input torque to be generated only by the engine, and

perform the speed change control of the transmission based on the virtual accelerator operation amount.

8. A hybrid vehicle, comprising:

a first drive wheel,

a second drive wheel,

an automatic transmission,

a first motor generator and engine connected to the first drive wheel via the transmission,

a second motor generator connected to the second drive wheel,

a battery electrically connected to the first and second motor generators,

means for determining a running state of the vehicle,

means for determining a charge state of the battery,

means for controlling the drive force of the engine and the first motor generator based on the running state of the vehicle and the charge state of the battery, and

means for driving the second motor generator using the battery and the power generated by the first motor generator.