Start support apparatus for electromotive vehicle

• US 8,761,980 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2011
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Kimoto, Yu
• Primary Examiner(s): Jabr, Fadey
• Assistant Examiner(s): QUILLEN, ALLEN ERNEST
• Application Number:
  US13/253,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20120095632A1
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 701 51- 61, 701 64- 69, 701/70, 701/82, 701 84- 88, 701/90, 701 94- 95, 701/99, 701/116, 701 337- 341, 180/65.21, 180/65.31, 180/90, 180/315
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2072 for drive off
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/26 by pedal actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/083 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/1005 Transmission ratio engaged
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/105 Output torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18027 Drive off, accelerating from standstill
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

A start support apparatus to be disposed in an electromotive vehicle includes a requested driving force calculation portion, the startable driving force calculation portion, and an indication portion. The requested driving force calculation portion calculates a requested driving force that is generated at a motor based on operation by a driver of the electromotive vehicle. The startable driving force calculation portion calculates a startable driving force that is required to be generated at the motor for starting the electromotive vehicle. The indication portion shows a degree of gap between the requested driving force and the startable driving force.

Claims

1. A start support apparatus to be disposed in an electromotive vehicle that uses a motor as a travel driving source, comprising:

a requested driving force calculation portion configured to calculate a requested driving force that is generated at the motor based on operation by a driver of the electromotive vehicle;

a road state information acquisition portion configured to acquire information about at least one of a road surface resistance and a gradient of a current position of the electromotive vehicle;

a startable driving force calculation portion, including a microcomputer, configured to calculate a startable driving force that is required to be generated at the motor for starting the electromotive vehicle from a state where the electromotive vehicle has stopped, wherein the startable driving force calculation portion is configured to calculate the startable driving force based on the information acquired by the road state information acquisition portion; and

a display device, including a display, configured to show a degree of gap between the requested driving force and the startable driving force.

2. The start support apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a contact state information acquisition portion configured to acquire information about a contact state between a tire of the electromotive vehicle and a road surface,

wherein the startable driving force calculation portion calculates the startable driving force based on the information about the contact state acquired by the contact state information acquisition portion.

3. The start support apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a shift position information acquisition portion configured to acquire information about a shift position of the electromotive vehicle,

wherein the startable driving force calculation portion calculates the startable driving force based on the shift position information acquired by the shift position information acquisition portion.

4. The start support apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a requested driving force determination portion configured to determine whether the requested driving force reaches the startable driving force,

wherein the display device shows that the requested driving force does not reach the startable driving force when the requested driving force determination portion does not determine that the request driving force reaches the startable driving force, and the display device shows that the requested driving force reaches the startable driving force when the requested driving force determination portion determines that the requested driving force reaches the startable driving force.

5. The start support apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

a maximum driving force determination portion configured to determine whether a maximum driving force that is generated at the motor when an accelerator open degree of the electromotive vehicle is maximum reaches the startable driving force,

wherein when the maximum driving force determination portion determines that the maximum driving force does not reach the startable driving force, the display device shows a recommendation to change the shift position.

6. The start support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the display device shows the degree of gap between the requested driving force and the startable driving force by displaying an indication that expresses the requested driving force and an indication that expresses the startable driving force side-by-side so as to be comparable via the display.

7. The start support apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a gap calculation portion configured to calculate a gap value between the requested driving force and the startable driving force,

wherein the display device displays the gap value calculated by the gap calculation portion via the display.

8. The start support apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein the display device outputs audio in accordance with the gap value calculated by the gap calculation portion.

9. The start support apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein the display device includes a stimulus generation portion disposed in a member of the electromotive vehicle that comes in contact with the driver, and

wherein the stimulus generation portion is configured to generate a stimulus that causes a cutaneous sensation of the driver in accordance with the gap value calculated by the gap calculation portion.

10. The start support apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a gap calculation portion configured to calculate a gap value between the requested driving force and the startable driving force; and

a conversion portion configured to convert the gap value calculated by the gap calculation portion into a difference in accelerator open degree of the electromotive vehicle;

wherein the display device shows the difference in accelerator open degree by display via the display or wherein an audio output indicates the difference in accelerator open degree.

11. A start support system to be disposed in an electromotive vehicle that uses a motor as a travel driving source, comprising:

a requested driving force calculation portion configured to calculate a requested driving force that is generated at the motor based on operation by a driver of the electromotive vehicle;

a road state information acquisition portion configured to acquire information about at least one of a road surface resistance and a gradient of a current position of the electromotive vehicle;

a startable driving force calculation portion configured to calculate a startable driving force that is required to be generated at the motor for starting the electromotive vehicle from a state where the electromotive vehicle has stopped, wherein the startable driving force calculation portion is configured to calculate the startable driving force based on the information acquired by the road state information acquisition portion;

a requested driving force determination portion configured to determine whether the requested driving force reaches the startable driving force;

a driving force adjustment portion; and

a electronic control unit configured to control the motor based on output from the driving force adjustment portion, the electronic control unit comprising at least a computer processor and a computer readable storage medium,

wherein when the requested driving force determination portion does not determine that the requested driving force reaches the startable driving force, the driving force adjustment portion executes a driving force adjustment in which a driving force equal to the startable driving force is generated at the motor.

12. The start support system according to claim 11, further comprising:

an excess determination portion configured to determine whether the requested driving force exceeds the startable driving force,

wherein when the excess determination portion determines that the requested driving force exceeds the startable driving force, the driving force adjustment portion executes the driving force adjustment in which a driving force equal to the startable driving force is generate at the motor.

13. The start support system according to claim 11,

wherein when the driving force adjustment portion executes the driving force adjustment in which the driving force equal to the startable driving force is generated, the driving force adjustment portion increases the driving force to the startable driving force in stages and then decreases the driving force in stages.

14. The start support system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a changing driving force acquisition portion configured to successively acquire the driving force generated at the motor when the driving force adjustment portion increases the driving force to the startable driving force in stages and then decreases the driving force in stages; and

an indication portion configured to show a degree of gap between the driving force successively acquired by the changing driving force acquisition portion and the startable driving force.

15. The start support system according to claim 11, further comprising:

a shift position information acquisition portion configured to acquire information about a shift position of the electromotive vehicle;

a maximum driving force determination portion configured to determine whether a maximum driving force that is generated at the motor when an accelerator open degree of the electromotive vehicle is maximum reaches the startable driving force; and

an indication portion,

wherein the startable driving force calculation portion calculates the startable driving force based on the shift position information acquired by the shift position information acquisition portion, and

wherein when the maximum driving force determination portion does not determine that the maximum driving force reaches the startable driving force, the indication portion shows a recommendation to change the shift position.

16. The start support system according to claim 11, further comprising:

a selection portion configured to be operated by the driver to select a necessity of the driving force adjustment,

wherein the driving force adjustment portion executes the driving force adjustment when the selection portion is operated to require the driving force adjustment, and the driving force adjustment portion does not execute the driving force adjustment when the selection portion is operated not to require the driving force adjustment.

17. A start support system to be disposed in an electromotive vehicle that uses a motor as a travel driving source, comprising:

a requested driving force calculation portion configured to calculate a requested driving force that is generated at the motor based on operation by a driver of the electromotive vehicle;

a road state information acquisition portion configured to acquire information about at least one of a road surface resistance and a gradient of a current position of the electromotive vehicle;

a startable driving force calculation portion configured to calculate a startable driving force that is required to be generated at the motor for starting the electromotive vehicle from a state where the electromotive vehicle has stopped, wherein the startable driving force calculation portion is configured to calculate the startable driving force based on the information acquired by the road state information acquisition portion;

a requested driving force determination portion configured to determine whether the requested driving force reaches the startable driving force;

a driving force adjustment portion; and

a electronic control unit configured to control the motor based on output from the driving force adjustment portion, the electronic control unit comprising at least a computer processor and a computer readable storage medium,

wherein when the requested driving force determination portion does not determine that the requested driving force reaches the startable driving force, the driving force adjustment portion executes a driving force adjustment in which a driving force greater than the startable driving force is generated at the motor.

18. The start support system according to claim 17, further comprising:

a shift position information acquisition portion configured to acquire information about a shift position of the electromotive vehicle;

a maximum driving force determination portion configured to determine whether a maximum driving force that is generated at the motor when an accelerator open degree of the electromotive vehicle is maximum reaches the startable driving force; and

an indication portion,

wherein the startable driving force calculation portion calculates the startable driving force based on the shift position information acquired by the shift position information acquisition portion, and

wherein when the maximum driving force determination portion does not determine that the maximum driving force reaches the startable driving force, the indication portion shows a recommendation to change the shift position.

19. The start support system according to claim 17, further comprising:

a selection portion configured to be operated by the driver to select a necessity of the driving force adjustment,

wherein the driving force adjustment portion executes the driving force adjustment when the selection portion is operated to require the driving force adjustment, and the driving force adjustment portion does not execute the driving force adjustment when the selection portion is operated not to require the driving force adjustment.