Electric vehicle drive control device and control method therefor

• US 7,469,758 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2006
• Issued: 12/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ibaraki, Ryuji, Shibata, Hiroyuki, Matsubara, Tooru, Iwanaka, Makoto, Takami, Shigeki
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, HAU VAN
• Application Number:
  US11/586,634
• Publication Number:
  US 20070114081A1
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.2, 180/65.3, 180/65.4, 180/65.6, 180/65.8, 180/65.7, 903/910, 903/914, 903/923, 903/918, 701/20, 701/110
• US Class Current: 180/65.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2006/268 Electric drive motor starts the engine, i.e. used as starter motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/547 the transmission being a stepped gearing
• 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 10/115 with planetary gears
• 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 20/15 Control strategies specially adapted for achieving a particular effect
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/1005 Transmission ratio engaged
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/081 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/023 in relation with the gear ratio shifting conjoint control for improving gear change B60W30/19
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/006 using a plurality of electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/04 the motors being associated with current generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/08 Circuits or control means specially adapted for starting of engines
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 15/046 of the planetary type
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2300/102 Control of the starter motor speed; Control of the engine speed during cranking
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2037/0873 with switching, e.g. to change ranges
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/0043 the gear ratios comprising four forward speeds
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/2007 : with two sets of orbital gears
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/201 : with three sets of orbital gears
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/2043 : with five engaging means
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/2046 : with six engaging means
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2312/14 : Going to, or coming from standby operation, e.g. for engine start-stop operation at traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 3/66 : composed of a number of gear trains without drive passing from one train to another
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 3/728 : with means to change ratio in the mechanical gearing
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/0437 : by using electrical signals F16H61/0403 and F16H61/061 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/686 : with orbital gears
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/91 : Orbital, e.g. planetary gears

Abstract

An electric vehicle drive control device includes a first electric motor and a second electric motor; a differential device that includes first, second and third rotational elements, wherein the first rotational element is connected with the first electric motor, the second rotational element is connected with the second electric motor, and the third rotational elements is connected with the engine; a transmission that is connected with the second electric motor via a transmission shaft, and that shifts a speed of a rotation transferred from the transmission shaft; and a controller that: judges whether an engine start request for starting the engine is generated and whether a downshift request is generated; and starts, if the engine start request and the downshift request are generated, one of an engine start control and a downshift control when the other of the engine start control and the downshift control is executed.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle drive control device, comprising:

a first electric motor and a second electric motor that are mechanically connected with an engine;

a differential device that includes first, second and third rotational elements, wherein the first rotational element is connected with the first electric motor, the second rotational element is connected with the second electric motor, and the third rotational elements is connected with the engine;

a transmission that is connected with the second electric motor via a transmission shaft, and that shifts a speed of a rotation transferred from the transmission shaft; and

a controller that;

judges whether an engine start request for starting the engine is generated and whether a downshift request is generated; and

starts, if the engine start request and the downshift request are generated, one of an engine start control and a downshift control when the other of the engine start control and the downshift control is executed.

2. The electric vehicle drive control device according to claim 1, wherein the controller starts the engine start control and the downshift control at an identical timing.

3. The electric vehicle drive control device according to claim 1, wherein the controller starts the engine start control and the downshift control at different timings.

4. The electric vehicle drive control device according to claim 1, wherein the controller selects content for simultaneous shifting based on a rotation speed of the first electric motor.

5. The electric vehicle drive control device according to claim 1, wherein the controller:

calculates a target rotation speed of the second electric motor based on a shift ratio, and

calculates a target rotation speed of the first electric motor based on the target rotation speed of the second electric motor, a target rotation speed of the engine, and a gear ratio.

6. The electric vehicle drive control device according to claim 1, wherein

the differential device is a planetary gear unit formed from a single planetary gear, and

the transmission is provided with first and second gear units formed from single planetary gears.

7. The electric vehicle drive control device according to claim 1, wherein

the first electric motor is a generator,

the second electric motor is a drive motor, and

in the differential device, the first rotational element is a first sun gear connected to the generator, the second rotational element is a first ring gear connected to the drive motor and the transmission, and the third rotational element is a first carrier connected to the engine.

8. The electric vehicle drive control device according to claims 7, wherein

the first gear unit in the transmission is provided with a second sun gear, a second ring gear, and a second carrier,

the second gear unit in the transmission is provided with a third sun gear, a third ring gear, and a third carrier,

the second sun gear is connected to the first ring gear via a clutch and connected to a case via a brake,

the second ring gear is connected to the third carrier and an output shaft,

the second carrier is connected to the third ring gear, connected to the first ring gear via the clutch, and connected to the case via a one-way clutch and the brake, and

the third sun gear is connected to the first ring gear via the clutch.

9. A control method for an electric vehicle drive control device comprising a first electric motor and a second electric motor that are mechanically connected with an engine;

a differential device that includes first, second and third rotational elements, wherein the first rotational element is connected with the first electric motor, the second rotational element is connected with the second electric motor, and the third rotational elements is connected with the engine; and

a transmission that is connected with the second electric motor via a transmission shaft, and that shifts a speed of a rotation transferred from the transmission shaft, comprising;

judging whether an engine start request for starting the engine is generated and whether a downshift request is generated; and

starting, if the engine start request and the downshift request are generated, one of an engine start control and a downshift control when the other of the engine start control and the downshift control is executed.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the engine start control and the downshift control are started at an identical timing.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the engine start control and the downshift control are started at different timings.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein content for simultaneous shifting is selected based on a rotation speed of the first electric motor.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein a target rotation speed of the second electric motor is calculated based on a shift ratio, and a target rotation speed of the first electric motor is calculated based on the target rotation speed of the second electric motor, a target rotation speed of the engine, and a gear ratio.