Apparatus, method, and program for drivingly controlling hybrid vehicles

• US 6,636,787 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2002
• Issued: 10/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Akira, Kojima, Hiroyuki, Suzuki, Takehiko, Yamaguchi, Kozo, Shiimado, Toshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc-Coleman, Marthe Y.
• Application Number:
  US10/101,366
• Publication Number:
  US 20020143441A1
• Time in Patent Office: 580 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 701/23, 701/25, 701/200, 701/213, 701/207, 477/20, 477/16, 477/3, 180/65.2, 180/165, 180/65.4
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/485 Motor-assist type
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• 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 20/12 using control strategies taking into account route information estimation or calculation of non-directly measurable driving parameters B60W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/14 Yaw
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/00 Input parameters relating to infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0666 Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/106 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18145 Cornering
• 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 903/919 Stepped shift
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/945 Characterized by control of gearing, e.g. control of transmission ratio
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/947 Characterized by control of braking, e.g. blending of regeneration, friction braking

Abstract

A hybrid vehicle drive controller, to improve driving comfort during running control, that detects the position of the vehicle and road-condition information, calculates a required deceleration, an optimal speed-change stage, and an adjustable torque. The invention includes, transmission to change the vehicle'"'"'s speed on the basis of the vehicle position, road-condition information and optimal speed-change stage, and a torque control processor for driving a drive motor that generates the adjustable torque. A regenerative torque is calculated and generated on the basis of the required deceleration and the deceleration corresponding to the optimal speed-change stage.

Claims

1. An apparatus for drivingly controlling hybrid vehicles, comprising:

a drive motor;

current position detection means for detecting a current position;

road-condition information acquisition processing means for acquiring information regarding road conditions;

required deceleration calculation processing means for calculating a required deceleration on the basis of the current position and the information regarding road conditions;

optimal speed-change stage calculation processing means for calculating an optimal speed-change stage on the basis of the required deceleration;

adjustable torque calculation processing means for calculating an adjustable torque on the basis of the required deceleration and a deceleration corresponding to the optimal speed-change stage;

a transmission for performing a speed-change operation on the basis of the optimal speed-change stage; and

torque control processing means for driving the drive motor to generate the adjustable torque.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

recommended vehicle speed calculation processing means for calculating a recommended vehicle speed on the basis of the information regarding road conditions,

wherein the required deceleration calculation processing means calculates the required deceleration on the basis of the recommended vehicle speed.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

recommended speed-change stage calculation processing means for calculating recommended speed-change stages on the basis of the required deceleration,

wherein the optimal speed-change stage calculation processing means calculates the lowest one of the recommended speed-change stages as the optimal speed-change stage.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the deceleration corresponding to the optimal speed-change stage is calculated in accordance with the optimal speed-change stage and a current vehicle speed.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the adjustable torque is a regenerative torque.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the adjustable torque calculation processing means calculates an adjustable torque on the basis of the difference between the required deceleration and a deceleration corresponding to the optimal speed-change stage.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the adjustable torque calculation processing means calculates an adjustable torque, which is outputted by the drive motor so as to achieved the required deceleration.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmission achieves a plurality of speed-change stages.

9. A method for drivingly controlling hybrid vehicles, comprising the steps of:

detecting a current position;

acquiring information regarding road conditions;

calculating a required deceleration on the basis of the current position and the information regarding road conditions;

calculating an optimal speed-change stage on the basis of the required deceleration;

calculating an adjustable torque on the basis of the required deceleration and a deceleration corresponding to the optimal speed-change stage;

performing a speed-change operation on the basis of the optimal speed-change stage; and

driving the drive motor to generate the adjustable torque.

10. A program for drivingly controlling hybrid vehicles, wherein

a computer functions as current position detection means for detecting a current position, road-condition information acquisition processing means for acquiring information regarding road conditions, required deceleration calculation processing means for calculating a required deceleration on the basis of the current position and the information regarding road conditions, optimal speed-change stage calculation processing means for calculating an optimal speed-change stage on the basis of the required deceleration, adjustable torque calculation processing means for calculating an adjustable torque on the basis of the required deceleration and a deceleration corresponding to the optimal speed-change stage, and torque control processing means for driving a drive motor to generate the adjustable torque.