Vehicle controller and control method

• US 8,093,843 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2008
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• 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: Okamura, Masaki, Hanada, Hideto, Suhama, Masayoshi, Iwatsuki, Ken, Sugiyama, Yuki
• Primary Examiner(s): DUDA, RINA I
• Application Number:
  US12/312,605
• Publication Number:
  US 20100052588A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,331 Days
• Field of Search: 318/139, 318/798, 318/799, 318/800, 318/432, 318/434
• US Class Current: 318/139
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/20 the prime-movers consisting of electric motors and internal combustion engines, e.g. HEVs
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/086 Power
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

By the vehicle controller of the present invention, when the economy mode is selected by a driver, boosting by a converter is limited and output torque of a motor is limited. Even in the economy mode, however, if the driver requests large torque, either the limit on boosting or the limit on output torque is cancelled. As a result, a vehicle controller for a vehicle including a battery, a converter boosting/lowering the battery voltage and a motor operating with the power from the converter is provided, by which unnecessary power consumption is reduced and the torque requested by the driver can be generated.

Claims

1. A controller for a vehicle including a power storage mechanism, a converter boosting electric power from said power storage mechanism, and a rotating electric machine that operates with the electric power from said converter, comprising:

a detecting unit for detecting which operation mode of a normal mode and an economy mode is selected by a driver of said vehicle; and

a control unit;

wherein

said control unit limits boosting by said converter and limits output torque of said rotating electric machine, when selection of said economy mode is detected by said detecting unit, calculates a required torque value of said rotating electric machine, and based on said required torque value, cancels at least one of said limit on boosting and said limit on the output torque.

2. The controller according to claim 1, further comprising

a speed detecting unit for detecting speed of said rotating electric machine;

wherein

said control unit cancels at least one of said limits, based on the speed detected by said speed detecting unit, in addition to said required torque value.

3. The controller according to claim 2, wherein

said control unit determines whether or not said required torque value is larger than a threshold value, calculates a possible output torque value of said rotating electric machine when said boosting is limited, based on said detected speed, determines whether or not said required torque value is larger than said possible output torque value, and based on a result of determination as to whether said required torque value is larger than the threshold value and on a result of determination as to whether said required torque value is larger than said possible output torque value, cancels at least one of said limits.

4. The controller according to claim 3, wherein

said control unit cancels said limit on the output torque while maintaining said limit on boosting, if a state in which said required torque value is larger than said threshold value and smaller than said possible output torque value continues for a prescribed time period.

5. The controller according to claim 4, wherein

said control unit stops cancellation of said limit on the output torque and resumes said limit on the output torque, if said required torque value becomes smaller than said threshold value while said limit on said output torque has been cancelled.

6. The controller according to claim 3, wherein

said control unit cancels said limit on boosting while maintaining said limit on the output torque, if a state in which said required torque value is smaller than said threshold value and larger than said possible output torque value continues for a prescribed time period.

7. The controller according to claim 6, wherein

said control unit stops cancellation of said limit on boosting and resumes said limit on boosting, if said required torque value becomes smaller than said possible output torque value while said limit on boosting has been cancelled.

8. A controller for a vehicle including a power storage mechanism, a converter boosting electric power from said power storage mechanism, and a rotating electric machine that operates with the electric power from said converter, comprising:

detecting means for detecting which operation mode of a normal mode and an economy mode is selected by a driver of said vehicle;

control means for limiting boosting by said converter and limiting output torque of said rotating electric machine when selection of said economy mode is detected by said detecting means;

means for calculating a required torque value of said rotating electric machine; and

limit canceling means for canceling at least one of said limit on boosting and said limit on the output torque, based on said required torque value.

9. The controller according to claim 8, further comprising

speed detecting means for detecting speed of said rotating electric machine;

wherein

said limit canceling means includes means for canceling at least one of said limits, based on the speed detected by said speed detecting means, in addition to said required torque value.

10. The controller according to claim 9, wherein

said limit canceling means includes

first determining means for determining whether said required torque value is larger than a threshold value,

means for calculating a possible output torque value of said rotating electric machine when said boosting is limited, based on said detected speed,

second determining means for determining whether said required torque value is larger than said possible output torque value, and

canceling means for canceling at least one of said limits, based on a result of determination by said first determining means and a result of determination by said second determining means.

11. The controller according to claim 10, wherein

said canceling means includes means for canceling said limit on the output torque while maintaining said limit on boosting, if a state in which said required torque value is larger than said threshold value and smaller than said possible output torque value continues for a prescribed time period.

12. The controller according to claim 11, further comprising

means for stopping cancellation of said limit on the output torque and resuming said limit on the output torque by said limiting means, if said required torque value becomes smaller than said threshold value while said limit on said output torque has been cancelled by said canceling means.

13. The controller according to claim 10, wherein

said canceling means includes means for canceling said limit on boosting while maintaining said limit on the output torque, if a state in which said required torque value is smaller than said threshold value and larger than said possible output torque value continues for a prescribed time period.

14. The controller according to claim 13, further comprising

means for stopping cancellation of said limit on boosting by said canceling means and resuming said limit on boosting by said limiting means, if said required torque value becomes smaller than said possible output torque value while said limit on boosting has been cancelled by said canceling means.