Motor vehicle and control method of the same

• US 7,698,042 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2005
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Shimizu, Yasuo, Watanabe, Hideto
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith; Jack W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dager; Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US11/632,695
• Publication Number:
  US 20070213907A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,687 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/22, 701/36, 701 51- 68, 701 99-102, 701/116, 702/127, 702/150, 702/154, 192/2.5, 192/218, 192/219, 192/219.4, 192/219.5, 280/761, 307/9.1, 307/10.1
• US Class Current: 701/51
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/047 by preventing or solving a tooth butt situation upon engagement failure due to misalignment of teeth
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2312/12 Parking
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 63/483 Circuits for controlling engagement of parking locks or brakes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

In response to the driver'"'"'s brake OFF operation after a gearshift operation of a gearshift lever to a parking position, a motor MG2 is controlled to sequentially output a torque in a backward direction of a vehicle and a torque in a forward direction of the vehicle. Gears are accordingly engaged in a parking lock mechanism during rotation of a parking gear by an angle corresponding to half a tooth in the backward direction of the vehicle or during subsequent rotation of the parking gear by an angle corresponding to one tooth in the forward direction of the vehicle. This arrangement effectively ensures gear engagement in the parking lock mechanism, while desirably reducing a moving distance from a vehicle stop position before gear engagement in the parking lock mechanism.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle, comprising:

a motor that outputs power to drive said motor vehicle;

a locking mechanism comprising a first gear that is directly or indirectly linked to a specific axle of said motor vehicle and rotates with rotation of the specific axle, and a second gear that engages with the first gear and locks the specific axle in a non-rotatable state, the locking mechanism configured to cause second gear to engage with the first gear in response to a driver'"'"'s gearshift operation of a gearshift lever to a parking position; and

a parking control module configured to execute a parking control after the driver'"'"'s gearshift operation of the gearshift lever to the parking position, the parking control configured to control the motor to sequentially output a torque for moving said motor vehicle in one of forward and backward directions by or over a first distance and a torque for moving said motor vehicle in the other of the forward and backward directions by or over a second distance.

2. A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 1, wherein said parking control module executes the parking control with settings of a distance corresponding to half a tooth of the first gear and a distance corresponding to one tooth of the first gear to the first distance and to the second distance.

3. A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 1, wherein said parking control module executes the parking control with settings of a preset torque for a predetermined first time period and the preset torque for a predetermined second time period to the torque for moving said motor vehicle by or over the first distance and to the torque for moving said motor vehicle by or over the second distance.

4. A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 1, wherein said parking control module detects a lock of the specific axle by engagement of the first gear with the second gear during execution of the parking control and terminates the parking control in response to detection of a lock of the specific axle.

5. A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 4, said motor vehicle further comprising:

a vehicle speed measurement unit that measures a vehicle speed of said motor vehicle,

wherein said parking control module detects the lock of the specific axle when the vehicle speed measured by the vehicle speed measurement unit decreases below a preset reference level during output of the torque for moving said motor vehicle by or over the first distance or during output of the torque for moving said motor vehicle by or over the second distance.

6. A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 4, said motor vehicle further comprising:

a rotational angle detection unit that detects a rotational angle of a drive shaft, which is connected to either the specific axle or a different axle from the specific axle,

wherein said parking control module detects the lock of the specific axle when the rotational angle of the drive shaft detected by the rotational angle detection unit is kept unchanged in a preset angle range during output of the torque for moving said motor vehicle by or over the first distance or during output of the torque for moving said motor vehicle by or over the second distance.

7. A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 1, wherein said parking control module executes the parking control after the driver'"'"'s brake off operation subsequent to the driver'"'"'s gearshift operation of the gearshift lever to the parking position.

8. A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 1, said motor vehicle further comprising:

a second motor that outputs power to a different axle from the specific axle of receiving the power output from the motor,

wherein said parking control module executes the parking control to control the second motor, instead of the motor.

9. A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 1, said motor vehicle further comprising:

a second motor that outputs power to a different axle from the specific axle of receiving the power output from the motor,

wherein said parking control module executes the parking control to control the second motor, in addition to the motor.

10. A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 1, said motor vehicle further comprising:

an internal combustion engine;

an electric power-mechanical power input output mechanism that is connected to an output shaft of the internal combustion engine and to a drive shaft linked with either the specific axle of said motor vehicle or a different axle from the specific axle and outputs at least part of power of the internal combustion engine to the drive shaft through input and output of electric power and mechanical power; and

a start control module that, in response to a start command of the internal combustion engine, controls the electric power-mechanical power input output mechanism and the internal combustion engine to start the internal combustion engine with output of power from the electric power-mechanical power input output mechanism,

wherein said parking control module executes the parking control, prior to a start of the internal combustion engine by said start control module.

11. A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 10, wherein the electric power-mechanical power input output mechanism comprises:

a three shaft-type power input output module that is linked to three shafts, that is, the output shaft of the internal combustion engine, the drive shaft, and a third shaft, and automatically determines power input from and output to a residual one shaft based on powers input from and output to any two shafts among the three shafts; and

a generator that inputs and outputs power from and to the third shaft.

12. A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 10, wherein the electric power-mechanical power input output mechanism comprises a pair-rotor motor that has a first rotor connected to the output shaft of the internal combustion engine and a second rotor connected to the drive shaft and is driven through relative rotation of the first rotor to the second rotor.

13. A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 1, said motor vehicle further comprising:

an internal combustion engine;

an electric power-mechanical power input output mechanism that is connected to an output shaft of the internal combustion engine and to a drive shaft linked with either the specific axle of said motor vehicle or a different axle from the specific axle and outputs at least part of power of the internal combustion engine to the drive shaft through input and output of electric power and mechanical power; and

a start control module that, in response to a start command of the internal combustion engine, instructs said parking control module to execute the parking control and controls the electric power-mechanical power input output mechanism and the internal combustion engine after conclusion of the parking control to start the internal combustion engine with output of power from the electric power-mechanical power input output mechanism.

14. A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 13, wherein the electric power-mechanical power input output mechanism comprises:

a three shaft-type power input output module that is linked to three shafts, that is, the output shaft of the internal combustion engine, the drive shaft, and a third shaft, and automatically determines power input from and output to a residual one shaft based on powers input from and output to any two shafts among the three shafts; and

a generator that inputs and outputs power from and to the third shaft.

15. A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 14, wherein the electric power-mechanical power input output mechanism comprises a pair-rotor motor that has a first rotor connected to the output shaft of the internal combustion engine and a second rotor connected to the drive shaft and is driven through relative rotation of the first rotor to the second rotor.

16. A control method of a motor vehicle, said motor vehicle comprising:

a motor that outputs power to drive said motor vehicle; and

a locking mechanism comprising a first gear that is directly or indirectly linked to a specific axle of said motor vehicle and rotates with rotation of the specific axle, and a second gear that engages with the first gear and locks the specific axle in a non-rotatable state, the locking mechanism causing the second gear to engage with the first gear in response to a driver'"'"'s gearshift operation of a gearshift lever to a parking position,

said control method executing a parking control after the driver'"'"'s gearshift operation of the gearshift lever to the parking position, the parking control controlling the motor to sequentially output a torque for moving said motor vehicle in one of forward and backward directions by or over a first distance and a torque for moving said motor vehicle in the other of the forward and backward directions by or over a second distance.

17. A control method in accordance with claim 16, wherein the parking control is executed with settings of a distance corresponding to half a tooth of the first gear and a distance corresponding to one tooth of the first gear to the first distance and to the second distance.

18. A control method in accordance with claim 16, wherein the parking control is executed with settings of a preset torque for a predetermined first time period and the preset torque for a predetermined second time period to the torque for moving said motor vehicle by or over the first distance and to the torque for moving said motor vehicle by or over the second distance.

19. A control method in accordance with claim 16, said control method comprising the step of:

detecting a lock of the specific axle by engagement of the first gear with the second gear during execution of the parking control and terminating the parking control in response to detection of a lock of the specific axle.