Vehicle control apparatus, vehicle, and motor

• US 9,061,676 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Inventors: Iizuka, Shinya, Murayama, Yasunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Holmes, Justin
• Application Number:
  US14/347,028
• Publication Number:
  US 20140229082A1
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 61/02 for driving cycles
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 11/105 characterised by the function converting demand to actuation, e.g. a map indicating relations between an accelerator pedal position and throttle valve opening or target engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/02 peculiar to engines driving vehicles; peculiar to engines driving variable pitch propellers
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/023 in relation with the gear ratio shifting conjoint control for improving gear change B60W30/19
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/04 Introducing corrections for particular operating conditions F02D41/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 45/00 Electrical control not provided for in groups F02D41/00 - F02D43/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 9/02 concerning induction conduits throttle valves, or arrangements thereof in conduits F02D9/08
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/0474 by smoothing engagement or release of positive clutches; Methods or means for shock free engagement of dog clutches for tooth butt situations F16H2061/047
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/04 Smoothing ratio shift
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/688 with two inputs, e.g. selection of one of two torque-flow paths by clutches
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 63/502 for smoothing gear shifts

Abstract

A vehicle control apparatus includes an opening degree determination unit that determines the opening degree of a throttle valve based on an accelerator operation amount, and a change suppression unit that reduces a time rate of changing of the opening degree of the throttle valve in a gear change period with a decrease of the rotation speed of the engine, when the opening degree of the throttle valve is changed from a value at which an output torque is greater than a load torque input from a transmission path to an engine toward a boundary value where the output torque is equal to the load torque.

Claims

1. A vehicle control apparatus mounted in a vehicle including an engine, two clutches mounted downstream of the engine to individually receive an output torque from the engine, two actuators to change torque capacities of the two clutches, two transmission mechanisms mounted downstream of the two clutches and including a common output shaft, an accelerator operated by a driver, and a throttle valve to adjust an amount of air flowing into the engine, the vehicle control apparatus being programmed to execute in a gear change period switching control to switch transmission paths of the output torque from one of the two clutches and two transmission mechanisms to another of the two clutches and two transmission mechanisms and to execute rotation control to change a rotation speed of the engine by ensuring a difference between the output torque and the torque capacities, the vehicle control apparatus comprising:

a target value determination unit programmed to determine a target value of the output torque based on an amount of operation of the accelerator; and

a change suppression unit programmed to reduce a time rate of changing of the target value of the output torque in the gear change period with a decrease of the rotation speed of the engine, in case the target value of the output target is changed from a value greater than a load torque inputted from the transmission path to the engine toward a boundary value where the output torque is equal to the load torque.

2. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the target value of the output torque becomes closer to the boundary value than a predetermined value, the change suppression unit reduces the time rate of changing of the target value of the output torque.

3. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an engine control unit programmed to change the rotation speed of the engine by adjusting the opening degree of the throttle valve.

4. A vehicle including the vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1.

5. A motor including the vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1.

6. A vehicle control apparatus mounted in a vehicle including an engine, two clutches mounted downstream of the engine to individually receive an output torque from the engine, two actuators to change torque capacities of the two clutches, two transmission mechanisms mounted downstream of the two clutches and including a common output shaft, an accelerator operated by a driver, and a throttle valve to adjust an amount of air flowing into the engine, the vehicle control apparatus being programmed to execute in a gear change period switching control to switch transmission paths of the output torque from one of the two clutches and two transmission mechanisms to another of the two clutches and two transmission mechanisms and to execute rotation control to change a rotation speed of the engine by ensuring a difference between the output torque and the torque capacities, the vehicle control apparatus comprising:

a target value determination unit programmed to determine a target value of the output torque based on an amount of operation of the accelerator; and

a change suppression unit programmed to reduce a time rate of changing of the target value of the output torque in the gear change period with an increase of the rotation speed of the engine, in case the target value of the output target is changed from a value smaller than a load torque inputted from the transmission path to the engine toward a boundary value where the output torque is equal to the load torque.

7. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, when the target value of the output torque becomes closer to the boundary value than a predetermined value, the change suppression unit reduces the time rate of changing of the target value of the output torque.

8. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising an engine control unit programmed to change the rotation speed of the engine by adjusting the opening degree of the throttle valve.

9. A vehicle including the vehicle control apparatus according to claim 6.

10. A motor including the vehicle control apparatus according to claim 6.

11. A vehicle control apparatus mounted in a vehicle including an engine, two clutches mounted downstream of the engine to individually receive an output torque from the engine, two actuators to change torque capacities of the two clutches, two transmission mechanisms mounted downstream of the two clutches and including a common output shaft, an accelerator operated by a driver, and a throttle valve to adjust an amount of air flowing into the engine, the vehicle control apparatus being programmed to execute in a gear change period switching control to switch transmission paths of the output torque from one of the two clutches and two transmission mechanisms to another of the two clutches and two transmission mechanisms and to execute rotation control to change a rotation speed of the engine by ensuring a difference between the output torque and the torque capacities, the vehicle control apparatus comprising:

an opening degree determination unit programmed to determine an opening degree of the throttle valve based on an amount of operation of the accelerator; and

a change suppression unit programmed to reduce a time rate of changing of the opening degree of the throttle valve in the gear change period with a decrease of the rotation speed of the engine, in case the opening degree of the throttle valve is changed from a value at which the output torque is greater than a load torque inputted from the transmission path to the engine toward a boundary value where the output torque is equal to the load torque.

12. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, when the opening degree of the throttle valve becomes closer to the boundary value than a predetermined value, the change suppression unit reduces the time rate of changing of the opening degree of the throttle valve.

13. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, when an accelerator operation amount becomes closer to the boundary value than a predetermined value, the change suppression unit reduces the time rate of changing of the opening degree of the throttle valve.

14. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising an engine control unit programmed to change the rotation speed of the engine by adjusting the opening degree of the throttle valve.

15. A vehicle including the vehicle control apparatus according to claim 11.

16. A vehicle control apparatus mounted in a vehicle including an engine, two clutches mounted downstream of the engine to individually receive an output torque from the engine, two actuators to change torque capacities of the two clutches, two transmission mechanisms mounted downstream of the two clutches and including a common output shaft, an accelerator operated by a driver, and a throttle valve to adjust an amount of air flowing into the engine, the vehicle control apparatus being programmed to execute in a gear change period switching control to switch transmission paths of the output torque from one of the two clutches and two transmission mechanisms to another of the two clutches and two transmission mechanisms and to execute rotation control to change a rotation speed of the engine by ensuring a difference between the output torque and the torque capacities, the vehicle control apparatus comprising:

an opening degree determination unit programmed to determine an opening degree of the throttle valve based on an amount of operation of the accelerator; and

a change suppression unit programmed to reduce a time rate of changing of the opening degree of the throttle valve in the gear change period with an increase of the rotation speed of the engine, in case the opening degree of the throttle valve is changed from a value at which the output torque is smaller than a load torque inputted from the transmission path to the engine toward a boundary value where the output torque is equal to the load torque.

17. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 16, wherein, when the opening degree of the throttle valve becomes closer to the boundary value than a predetermined value, the change suppression unit reduces the time rate of changing of the opening degree of the throttle valve.

18. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 16, wherein, when an accelerator operation amount becomes closer to the boundary value than a predetermined value, the change suppression unit reduces the time rate of changing of the opening degree of the throttle valve.

19. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising an engine control unit programmed to change the rotation speed of the engine by adjusting the opening degree of the throttle valve.

20. A vehicle including the vehicle control apparatus according to claim 16.