Control device for vehicular power transmitting apparatus

• US 8,403,807 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2008
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Tabata, Atsushi, Matsubara, Tooru, Shibata, Hiroyuki, Kumazaki, Kenta, Iwase, Yuji, Kaifuku, Masakazu
• Primary Examiner(s): LEWIS, TISHA D
• Application Number:
  US12/450,941
• Publication Number:
  US 20100125019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,833 Days
• Field of Search: 477/3, 477/7, 477/15, 477/20, 180/65.1, 180/65.21, 180/65.28, 180/65.285, 475 3- 5
• US Class Current: 477/3
• 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 6/26 characterised by the motors or the generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/36 characterised by the transmission gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/40 characterised by the assembly or relative disposition of components
• 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: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/441 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/485 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/486 Operating parameters
• 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 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/115 with planetary gears
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• 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 20/30 Control strategies involving selection of transmission gear ratio control of change speed gearings, together with other vehicle sub-units B60W10/10; HEV transmission gearing B60K6/36; gearings and control thereof F16H
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0638 : Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/081 : Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/107 : Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 : Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/246 : Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/105 : Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/28 : Wheel speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/10 : Weight
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 : Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 : Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/16 : Ratio selector position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0605 : Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0616 : Position of fuel or air injector
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/083 : Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/435 : Supercharger or turbochargers
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/02 : peculiar to engines driving vehicles; peculiar to engines driving variable pitch propellers
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/08 : Circuits or control means specially adapted for starting of engines
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2300/2002 : using different starting modes, methods, or actuators depending on circumstances, e.g. engine temperature or component wear
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2037/0873 : with switching, e.g. to change ranges
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility

Abstract

In a vehicular power transmitting apparatus provided with an electrically-controlled differential portion in which controlling an operating state of an electric motor controls a differential state of a differential mechanism, a control device for starting up a drive force source in an appropriate mode depending on a vehicle condition can be provided. The control device includes drive-force source start control means for switching start modes of an engine depending on a vehicle condition to achieve an appropriate start mode for the engine depending on the vehicle condition, so that for instance a contracted drive range by a second electric motor can be avoided.

Claims

1. A control device for a vehicular power transmitting apparatus having an electrically controlled differential portion in which controlling an operating state of a first electric motor connected to rotary element of a differential mechanism controls a differential state between a rotation speed of an input shaft connected to a drive force source and a rotation speed of an output shaft, the control device for the vehicular power transmitting apparatus comprising:

a drive-force source driving electric motor that is connected to the drive force source in a power transmissive state; and

a drive-force source start control portion that switches start modes of the drive force source depending on a vehicle condition,

wherein the drive-force source start control portion is operative to switch the start modes of the drive force source depending on a variation amount in a rotation speed of a first electric motor based on a change of gear ratios of the differential mechanism during a start control of the drive-force source.

18. The control device for the vehicular power transmitting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drive-force source start control portion is operative to switch the start modes of the drive force source depending on a temperature of a battery for supplying electric power to the first and second electric motors.

19. The control device for the vehicular power transmitting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drive-force source start control portion is operative to switch the start modes of the drive force source depending on a power output of a battery for supplying electric power to the first and second electric motors.

20. The control device for the vehicular power transmitting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drive-force source start control portion is operative to switch the start modes of the drive force source depending on functional degradation in an electric motor control equipment of a high-voltage system.

2. A control device for a vehicular power transmitting apparatus having an electrically controlled differential portion in which controlling an operating state of a first electric motor connected to rotary element of a differential mechanism controls a differential state between a rotation speed of an input shaft connected to a drive force source and a rotation speed of an output shaft, the control device for the vehicular power transmitting apparatus comprising:

a drive-force source driving electric motor that is connected to the drive force source in a power transmissive state; and

a drive-force source start control portion that switches start modes of the drive force source depending on a vehicle condition

wherein the vehicular power transmitting apparatus includes a power transmitting/interrupting portion that connects/interrupts a power transmitting path extending from the electrically-controlled differential portion to drive wheels, and the drive-force source start control portion starts the drive force source by using the drive-force source driving electric motor when a transmitting capacity in the power transmitting path extending from the electrically-controlled differential portion to the drive wheels is decreased.

3. The control device for the vehicular power transmitting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the power transmitting apparatus includes a shifting portion that forms a portion of the vehicular power transmitting path, a part of which is formed by the power transmitting/interrupting portion.

4. The control device for the vehicular power transmitting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein decrease of the transmitting capacity in the power transmitting path extending from the electrically-controlled differential portion to the drive wheel occurs when the shifting portion is under shifting.

5. The control device for the vehicular power transmitting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the electrically-controlled differential portion operates as a continuously-variable transmission by being controlled an operating state of the first electric motor.

6. The control device for the vehicular power transmitting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a third electric motor is operatively connected to a crankshaft provided in the drive force source.

7. The control device for the vehicular power transmitting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the third electric motor is connected to the crankshaft provided in the drive force source via a gear.

8. The control device for the vehicular power transmitting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when the transmitting capacity in the power transmitting path extending from the electrically-controlled differential portion to the drive wheels is not decreased, the drive force source is started by using the first electric motor.

9. The control device for the vehicular power transmitting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when the shifting portion is under shifting a rotation speed of the drive force source is increased.

10. The control device for the vehicular power transmitting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the start of the drive force source is determined based on a shifting progression degree in the shifting portion.

11. The control device for the vehicular power transmitting apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the drive force source is started so that a shifting completion of the shifting portion and a start timing of the drive force source are not overlapped.

12. The control device for the vehicular power transmitting apparatus according to claim 11, wherein when the shifting completion of the shifting portion and the start timing of the drive force source are overlapped, the drive force source is started after the shifting completion of the shifting portion.

13. The control device for the vehicular power transmitting apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the drive force source is started when the shifting portion is under shifting.

14. The control device for the vehicular power transmitting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the drive force source is started so that an engagement completion of the power transmitting/interrupting portion and the start timing of the drive force source are not overlapped.

15. The control device for the vehicular power transmitting apparatus according to claim 14, wherein when the engagement completion of the power transmitting/interrupting portion and the start timing of the drive force source are overlapped, the drive force source is started after the engagement completion of the power transmitting/interrupting portion.

16. The control device for the vehicular power transmitting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the vehicular power transmitting apparatus includes a second electric motor connected to the power transmitting path extending from the drive force source to the drive wheels.

17. The control device for the vehicular power transmitting according to claim 2, wherein the vehicular power transmitting apparatus includes a second electric motor connected to the electrically-controlled differential portion in a power transmissive state.