Control apparatus for vehicular power transmitting system

• US 8,909,400 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2012
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Sato, Daiki, Uejima, Taiyo, Shiiba, Kazuyuki, Yamamura, Norihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Calvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Martinez Borrero, Luis A
• Application Number:
  US13/532,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20120310460A1
• Time in Patent Office: 897 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 701/99, 701/29, 701/87, 701/51, 701/82, 701/84, 180/65.285, 180/65.275, 180/65.2, 180/65.235, 180/65.265, 180/65.21, 318/400.3, 318/561, 318/400.26, 318/453, 903/903, 903/930, 903/907, 903/909
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2054 by controlling transmissions or clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/527 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/003 relating to inverters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/10 using propulsion power supplied by engine-driven generators, e.g. generators driven by combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/115 with planetary gears
• 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 2710/083 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/19 Improvement of gear change, e.g. by synchronisation or smoothing gear shift
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor

Abstract

It is provided a control apparatus for a vehicle provided with an electric motor power source, an inverter, an electric motor, an inverter smoothing capacitor, and a step-variable automatic transmission, the control apparatus being configured to implement a torque reduction control, and to implement a torque reduction limitation control to limit reduction of an output torque of the electric motor to within a range in which a terminal voltage of the inverter smoothing capacitor will not exceed a predetermined withstanding voltage of the inverter and to limit the reduction of the output torque by limiting an amount of change of the output torque per unit time during the reduction of the output torque in the torque reduction control, to within a predetermined torque reduction rate limiting range, and wherein the torque reduction rate limiting range is determined upon initiation of a shifting action of the automatic transmission.

Claims

1. A control apparatus for a vehicle provided with an electric motor power source, an inverter, an electric motor connected through said inverter to said electric motor power source, an inverter smoothing capacitor connected to a terminal of said inverter on the side of said electric motor power source to smooth a voltage input from said electric motor power source to the inverter, and a step-variable automatic transmission constituting a part of a power transmitting path between said electric motor and a drive wheel, said control apparatus comprising a torque reduction control portion configured to implement a torque reduction control to temporarily reduce an output torque of said electric motor during a shifting action of said automatic transmission, with respect to an output torque of the electric motor before initiation of the shifting action, said control apparatus further comprising:

a torque reduction limitation control portion configured to implement a torque reduction limitation control to limit reduction of the output torque of said electric motor to within a range in which a terminal voltage of said inverter smoothing capacitor which rises in relation to reduction of the output torque of said electric motor in said torque reduction control will not exceed a predetermined withstanding voltage of said inverter,

said torque reduction limitation control portion implements said torque reduction limitation control to limit the reduction of the output torque of said electric motor by limiting an amount of change of the output torque of said electric motor per unit time during the reduction of the output torque of said electric motor in said torque reduction control, to within a predetermined torque reduction rate limiting range in which the terminal voltage of said inverter smoothing capacitor will not exceed said predetermined withstanding voltage,

wherein said torque reduction rate limiting range is determined upon initiation of the shifting action of the automatic transmission.

wherein said automatic transmission is shifted by a releasing action of a releasing side coupling device and an engaging action of an engaging side coupling device.

and wherein said shifting action of said automatic transmission during which said torque reduction control is implemented is a shift-up action,

said control apparatus further comprising an engaging force limiting portion configured to reduce a rate of rise of an engaging force of said engaging side coupling device when said torque reduction limitation control is insufficient to prevent the terminal voltage of said inverter smoothinq capacitor from exceeding said withstanding voltage, with respect to a rate of rise of the engaging force when the torque reduction limitation control is sufficient.

2. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said torque reduction limitation control portion determines and updates said torque reduction rate limiting range from time to time on the basis of the terminal voltage of said inverter smoothing capacitor.

3. The control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said torque reduction limitation control portion determines and updates said torque reduction rate limiting range from time to time on the basis of an amount of change of an output of said electric motor per unit time due to a change of a speed of the electric motor, and the speed of said electric motor.