Shift controller and shift controlling method

• US 8,512,202 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2011
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Morita, Takeshi, Oota, Yoshikazu, Hiraku, Ryozo, Takano, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): ESTREMSKY, SHERRY LYNN
• Application Number:
  US13/168,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20110319225A1
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• Field of Search: 903/930, 903/945, 477/39, 477/5
• US Class Current: 477/5
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/543 the transmission being a continuously variable transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• 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 10/107 with endless flexible members
• 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 2510/0208 Clutch engagement state, e.g. engaged or disengaged
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18127 Regenerative braking
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/66259 using electrical or electronical sensing or control means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

A shift controller controls a transmission for a hybrid vehicle in which: an engine and a motor are connected together via a clutch; and the transmission is placed between the motor and driving wheels. The shift controller has: a first shift controlling unit which performs shift control on a basis of at least one of transmission efficiency of the transmission and power generation efficiency of the motor in a case where regeneration is performed with the clutch disengaged during deceleration of the hybrid vehicle; and a second shift controlling unit which performs shift control to make a transmission gear ratio of the transmission smaller than in the shift control performed by the first shift controlling unit in a case where the regeneration is performed with the clutch engaged during the deceleration of the hybrid vehicle.

Claims

1. A shift controller for a hybrid vehicle in which:

an engine and a motor are connected together via a clutch; and

a transmission is placed between the motor and driving wheels,

the shift controller comprising;

a first shift controlling unit configured to perform shift control on a basis of at least one of transmission efficiency of the transmission and power generation efficiency of the motor in a case where regeneration is performed with the clutch disengaged during deceleration of the hybrid vehicle; and

a second shift controlling unit configured to perform shift control to make a transmission gear ratio of the transmission smaller than in the shift control performed by the first shift controlling unit in a case where the regeneration is performed with the clutch engaged during the deceleration of the hybrid vehicle.

2. The shift controller according to claim 1, wherein

in the regeneration with the clutch disengaged, the first shift controlling unit performs the shift control to make torque inputted into the motor equal to or less than a motor tolerable torque that is a torque tolerable by the motor.

3. The shift controller according to claim 1, wherein

in the regeneration with the clutch disengaged, the first shift controlling unit performs the shift control to make the transmission gear ratio highest when the hybrid vehicle stops as a result of continued deceleration of the hybrid vehicle.

4. The shift controller according to claim 1, wherein

in the regeneration with the clutch disengaged, the first shift controlling unit performs the shift control to make torque inputted into the motor equal to or less than a motor tolerable torque that is a torque tolerable by the motor;

and to make the transmission gear ratio highest when the hybrid vehicle stops as a result of continued deceleration of the vehicle.

5. The shift controller according to claim 1, wherein

in the regeneration with the clutch engaged, the second shift controlling unit performs the shift control to make a torque lost by the engine equal to or less than a engine tolerable torque that is a torque tolerable by the engine.

6. The shift controller according to claim 1, wherein

in the regeneration with the clutch engaged, the second shift controlling unit performs the shift control to make the transmission gear ratio highest when the hybrid vehicle stops as a result of continued deceleration of the hybrid vehicle.

7. The shift controller according to claim 1, wherein

the second shift controlling unit control the transmission with the transmission efficiency of the transmission taken into account.

8. The shift controller according to claim 1, further comprising

a clutch controlling unit configured to control whether to engage or disengage the clutch to perform the regeneration on a basis of judgment on whether or not the reacceleration is achievable by use of only the motor during the deceleration.

9. The shift controller according to claim 8, wherein

the clutch controlling unit is configured to perform the regeneration with the clutch engaged when the torque needed for the reacceleration is larger than the maximum torque which the motor is capable of producing, and perform the regeneration with the clutch disengaged when the torque needed for the reacceleration is equal to or less than the maximum torque which the motor is capable of producing.

10. A shift controlling method for a hybrid vehicle in which:

an engine and a motor are connected together via a clutch; and

a transmission is placed between the motor and driving wheels,

the shift controlling method comprising;

a first shift controlling operation of performing shift control on a basis of at least one of transmission efficiency of the transmission and power generation efficiency of the motor in a case where regeneration is performed with the clutch disengaged during deceleration of the hybrid vehicle; and

a second shift controlling operation of performing shift control to make a transmission gear ratio of the transmission smaller than in the shift control performed in the first shift controlling operation in a case where the regeneration is performed with the clutch engaged during the deceleration of the hybrid vehicle.

11. The shift controlling method according to claim 10, wherein

the first shift controlling operation includes performing the shift control to make torque inputted into the motor equal to or less than a motor tolerable torque that is a torque tolerable by the motor.

12. The shift controlling method according to claim 10, wherein

the first shift controlling operation includes performing the shift control to make the transmission gear ratio highest when the hybrid vehicle stops as a result of continued deceleration of the hybrid vehicle.

13. The shift controlling method according to claim 10, wherein

the first shift controlling operation includes performing the shift control to make torque inputted into the motor equal to or less than a motor tolerable torque that is a torque tolerable by the motor;

and to make the transmission gear ratio highest when the hybrid vehicle stops as a result of continued deceleration of the vehicle.

14. The shift controlling method according to claim 10, wherein

the second shift controlling operation includes performing the shift control to make a torque lost by the engine equal to or less than a engine tolerable torque that is a torque tolerable by the engine.

15. The shift controlling method according to claim 10, wherein

the second shift controlling operation includes performing the shift control to make the transmission gear ratio highest when the hybrid vehicle stops as a result of continued deceleration of the hybrid vehicle.

16. The shift controlling method according to claim 10, wherein

the first shift controlling operation includes controlling the transmission with the transmission efficiency of the transmission taken into account.

17. The shift controlling method according to claim 10, further comprising

a clutch controlling operation of controlling whether to engage or disengage the clutch to perform the regeneration on a basis of judgment on whether or not the reacceleration is achievable by use of only the motor during the deceleration.

18. The shift controlling method according to claim 17, wherein

the clutch controlling operation includes:

performing the regeneration with the clutch engaged when the torque needed for the reacceleration is larger than the maximum torque which the motor is capable of producing; and

,

performing the regeneration with the clutch disengaged when the torque needed for the reacceleration is equal to or less than the maximum torque which the motor is capable of producing.

19. A shift controller for a hybrid vehicle in which;

an engine and a motor are connected together via a clutch; and

a transmission is placed between the motor and driving wheels,

the shift controller comprising;

first shift controlling means for performing shift control on a basis of at least one of transmission efficiency of the transmission and power generation efficiency of the motor in a case where regeneration is performed with the clutch disengaged during deceleration of the hybrid vehicle; and

second shift controlling means for performing shift control to make a transmission gear ratio of the transmission smaller than in the shift control performed by the first shift controlling unit in a case where the regeneration is performed with the clutch engaged during the deceleration of the hybrid vehicle.