Apparatus and method for controlling motor position and creep of electric vehicle

• US 8,315,752 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2009
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Kwon, Sang Uk, Choi, Seo Ho, Kwon, Soon Woo, Lee, Joon Yong, Lee, Kyu Il
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US12/625,220
• Publication Number:
  US 20110029172A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,092 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 701/36, 477/3, 318/452
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2009 for braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18063 Creeping
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus and method for controlling motor position and creep of an electric vehicle, in which when a running vehicle is stopped, motor position control for maintaining the vehicle in the stopped position even when a brake pedal is released is performed, and then creep torque control is performed such that the vehicle is prevented from rolling backwards and suddenly starting when the vehicle is restarted after a stop on a slope.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling motor position and creep of an electric vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a motor position determiner for determining the duration of motor position control from the stop of the vehicle to a predetermined time after release of a brake pedal;

a motor position controller for maintaining the position of a motor by calculating a motor torque for maintaining the position of the motor; and

a creep torque controller for generating a creep torque of the motor after a time delay and controlling the motor speed to be at a constant level.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the motor position controller sets a target input angle by adding a motor position angle at a point of time when entering a position control mode and a backlash compensation angle and automatically calculates a torque for maintaining the position of the motor by inputting a difference between the motor position angle at the point of time when entering the position control mode and the target input angle into a PD controller.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the creep torque controller comprises:

a torque converter hydraulic pressure formation modeling unit for generating the creep torque of the motor after a time delay; and

a torque converter normal state modeling unit for controlling the creep torque of the motor to a level that maintains the motor speed constant.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a filter for adjusting the creep torque so as not to cause an abrupt change is connected to a final torque output end of the creep torque controller.

5. A method for controlling motor position and creep of an electric vehicle, the method comprising:

a motor position control step of controlling backlash compensation to eliminate backlash when a brake pedal is depressed during running and then applying a motor torque to maintain the position of a motor when the brake pedal is released;

a motor position stabilization check step of checking whether to continue to maintain the motor position or to enter a creep torque control step after a predetermined time; and

the creep torque control step of constantly increasing the motor torque from a stabilization torque for maintaining the motor position to a maximum creep torque.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the motor position control step comprises:

setting a target input angle by adding a motor position angle at a point of time when entering the position control step and a backlash compensation angle;

calculating a motor torque for maintaining the position of the motor by inputting a difference between the motor position angle at the point of time when entering the position control step and the target input angle into a PD controller; and

applying the torque calculated to a level that maintains the motor position to the motor.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the motor position stabilization check step comprises:

determining that the motor position is stably maintained by increasing a stabilization determination count if a change in the motor torque is less than a motor torque stabilization reference value or if a change in the motor position is less than a motor position stabilization reference value; and

determining whether to switch to the creep torque control step or not.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, if the stabilization torque for maintaining the motor position is less than the maximum creep torque, the vehicle is switched to the creep torque control mode, and if the stabilization torque for maintaining the motor position is greater than the creep torque, the motor position is maintained.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the motor position control and the creep torque control are cancelled immediately when an accelerator pedal or the brake pedal is depressed.

10. An apparatus for controlling motor position and creep of an electric vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a slope determiner for determining whether to enter a motor position control mode or a creep torque control mode based on detection information of a slope angle sensor detecting a slope angle of a traveling road upon release of a brake pedal after the vehicle is stopped;

a motor position controller for maintaining the position of a motor by calculating a motor torque; and

a creep torque controller for generating a creep torque of the motor after a time delay and controlling the motor speed to be at a constant level.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the motor position controller sets a target input angle by adding the current angle of the motor at a point of time when entering the motor position control mode and an offset angle for compensating for an angle error in a normal state and automatically calculates a motor torque for maintaining the position of the vehicle, i.e., the position of the motor by inputting a difference between the current angle and the target input angle into a PD controller.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the creep torque controller comprises:

a torque converter hydraulic pressure formation modeling unit for generating the creep torque of the motor after a time delay; and

a torque converter normal state modeling unit for controlling the creep torque of the motor to a level that maintains the motor speed constant.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein a filter for adjusting the creep torque so as not to cause an abrupt change is connected to a final torque output end of the creep torque controller.

14. A method for controlling motor position and creep of an electric vehicle, the method comprising:

a slope determination step of determining whether to enter a motor position control step or a creep torque control step by measuring a slope angle of a traveling road and determining whether the slope angle is enough to make the vehicle roll backwards upon release of a brake pedal;

the motor position control step of entering the creep torque control step if the slope angle is less than a reference slope angle for the slope determination and increasing the motor torque to maintain the motor position if the slope angle is greater than the reference slope angle for the slope determination;

a motor position stabilization check step of checking whether to continue to maintain the motor position or to enter the creep torque control step after a predetermined time; and

a creep torque control step of constantly increasing the motor torque from a stabilization torque for maintaining the motor position to a maximum creep torque.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising a backlash compensation control step including calculating a motor torque by taking backlash into account to prevent a shock caused by the backlash and to eliminate the backlash upon stopping of the vehicle when the brake pedal is depressed during running and applying a torque enough to eliminate the backlash to the motor.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein, in the slope determination step, the level of the slope angle is determined by a slope angle sensor.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the motor position control step comprises:

setting a target input angle by adding the current angle of the motor at a point of time when entering the motor position control step and an offset angle for compensating for an angle error in a normal state;

calculating a motor torque for maintaining the position of the motor by inputting a difference between the current angle and the target input angle into a PD controller; and

applying a final motor torque, obtained by adding the calculated motor torque and a torque corresponding to a slope load value (mgsinθ

) detected by the slope angle sensor and provided as a feedforward input to the motor.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the motor position stabilization check step comprises:

determining that the motor position is stably maintained by increasing a stabilization determination count if a change in the motor torque is less than a motor torque stabilization reference value or if a change in the motor position is less than a motor position stabilization reference value; and

determining whether to switch to the creep torque control step or not.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein, if the stabilization torque for maintaining the motor position is less than the maximum creep torque, the vehicle is switched to the creep torque control mode, and if the stabilization torque for maintaining the motor position is greater than the creep torque, the motor position is maintained.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the motor position control and the creep torque control are cancelled immediately when an accelerator pedal or the brake pedal is depressed.

21. An apparatus for controlling motor position and creep of an electric vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a rolling determiner for determining whether or not the vehicle is rolling backwards upon release of a brake pedal after the vehicle is stopped;

a motor position controller for maintaining the position of a motor by calculating a motor torque; and

a creep torque controller for generating a creep torque of the motor after a time delay and controlling the motor speed to be at a constant level.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the rolling determiner comprises:

a gear shift detector for detecting a gear in a forward position; and

a wheel rotation direction detector for detecting wheels rotating backwards.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the motor position controller sets a target input angle by adding the current angle of the motor at a point of time when entering a motor position control mode and an offset angle for compensating for an angle error in a normal state, and automatically calculates a motor torque for maintaining the position of the vehicle, i.e., the position of the motor by inputting a difference between the current angle and the target input angle into a PD controller.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the creep torque controller comprises:

a torque converter hydraulic pressure formation modeling unit for generating the creep torque of the motor after a time delay; and

a torque converter normal state modeling unit for controlling the creep torque of the motor to a level that maintains the motor speed constant.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein a filter for adjusting the creep torque so as not to cause an abrupt change is connected to a final torque output end of the creep torque controller.

26. A method for controlling motor position and creep of an electric vehicle, the method comprising:

a rolling determination step of determining whether or not the vehicle is rolling backwards upon release of a brake pedal;

a motor position control step of entering a creep torque control step if it is determined that the vehicle is not rolling backwards and applying a torque for maintaining the position of a motor if it is determined that the vehicle is rolling backwards;

a motor position stabilization check step of checking whether to continue to maintain the motor position or to enter the creep torque control step after a predetermined time; and

a creep torque control step of constantly increasing the motor torque from a stabilization torque for maintaining the motor position to a maximum creep torque.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising a backlash compensation control step including calculating a motor torque by taking backlash into account to prevent a shock caused by the backlash and to eliminate the backlash upon stopping of the vehicle when the brake pedal is depressed during running and applying a torque enough to eliminate the backlash to the motor.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the rolling determination step comprises:

detecting wheels rotating backwards while a gear shift lever is in a forward (D) position; and

increasing a rolling determination count and determining that the vehicle is rolling backwards if the rolling determination count is greater than a rolling determination reference count value.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the motor position control step comprises:

setting a target input angle by adding the current angle of the motor at a point of time when entering a motor position control step and an offset angle for compensating for an angle error in a normal state;

calculating a motor torque for maintaining the position of the motor by inputting a difference between the current angle and the target input angle into a PD controller; and

applying a torque increased to a level that maintains the motor position to the motor.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the motor position stabilization check step comprises:

determining that the motor position is stably maintained by increasing a stabilization determination count if a change in the motor torque is less than a motor torque stabilization reference value or if a change in the motor position is less than a motor position stabilization reference value; and

determining whether to switch to the creep torque control step or not.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein, if the stabilization torque for maintaining the motor position is less than the maximum creep torque, the vehicle is switched to the creep torque control mode, and if the stabilization torque for maintaining the motor position is greater than the creep torque, the motor position is maintained.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein the motor position control and the creep torque control are cancelled immediately when an accelerator pedal or the brake pedal is depressed.

33. An apparatus for controlling motor position and creep of an electric vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a motor position determiner for determining the duration of motor position control from the stop of the vehicle to a time after release of a brake pedal;

a motor position controller for maintaining the position of a motor by calculating a motor torque for maintaining the position of the motor; and

a creep torque controller for generating a creep torque of the motor.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the creep torque controller generates a creep torque after a time delay and controls the motor speed to be at a constant level.