Vehicle and method of controlling vehicle

• US 9,219,433 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2011
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Amano, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ip, Paul
• Application Number:
  US14/355,102
• Publication Number:
  US 20140300302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,506 Days
• Field of Search: 318/139, 318/400.09, 318/494, 318/716, 477/5, 701/20, 701/22
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2009 for braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/14 Synchronous machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/24 Coasting mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/26 Transition between different drive modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/145 Structure borne vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 : having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 : including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• 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: H02P 6/28 : Arrangements for controlling current H02P6/10 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

A vehicle includes a motor generator generating driving power for running, and an ECU. The ECU performs driving power variation operation on the motor generator in which the motor generator is switched between a first state (acceleration running) and a second state (inertial running) when power requested by a user varies within a prescribed range to run the vehicle. In the first state, the motor generator generates driving power. In the second state, the motor generator generates driving power smaller than the driving power in the first state. The ECU controls the motor generator in such a manner that the driving power during the acceleration running has a non-rectangular shape. As a result, gradual variation in driving power can be provided at the time of switching between the acceleration running and the inertial running, to improve drivability.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a rotating electric machine configured to generate power for running the vehicle; and

a processor configured to in response to receiving a constant power request;

alternately switch the rotating electric machine between a first state and a second state, wherein the processor is further configured to control the rotating electric machine to;

generate power in the second state that is smaller than the power generated by the rotating electric machine in the first state, and

during a transition period between the two states, gradually increase or reduce the power generated by the rotating electric machine such that a magnitude of a rate of a temporal variation in the power generated by the rotating electric machine corresponds to a non-rectangular shape so as to prevent a great torque shock, thereby improving drivability, the gradual increase/reduction of the generated power being either a continuous increase/reduction of power or a plurality of steps of increase/reduction of power.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to vary generated by the rotating electric machine in the first state over time.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine that a user'"'"'s power request is a constant power request, when power requested by a user varies within a prescribed range.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to perform the alternate switching between the first and second states so as to maintain a speed of the vehicle within an acceptable range.

5. The vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to:

start a transition to the first state in response to a decrease in the speed of the vehicle to a first threshold value, which is determined from a lower limit value of the acceptable range, and

start a transition to the second state in response to an increase in the speed of the vehicle to a second threshold value determined from an upper limit value of the acceptable range.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the power generated in the first state is set to be larger than a reference power of constant output capable of maintaining a speed of the vehicle, and

the power generated in the second state is set to be smaller than the reference power.

7. The vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to stop the generation of power from the rotating electric machine in the second state.

8. The vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the vehicle runs mainly with inertial force of the vehicle in the second state.

9. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising another driving source generating driving power for running the vehicle.

10. The vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:

set a sum of the power generated by the rotating electric machine and the other driving source in the first state to be larger than a reference power of constant output capable of maintaining a speed of the vehicle, and

set a sum of the power generated by the rotating electric machine and the other driving source in the second state to be smaller than the reference power.

11. The vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to control the other driving source to alternately switch the other driving source between a third state and a fourth state, the other driving source generating power in the third state, the other driving source generating power smaller than the power generated in the third state in the fourth state.

12. The vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the other driving source is an internal combustion engine.

13. The vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the other driving source is another rotating electric machine different from the rotating electric machine.

14. A method of controlling a vehicle including a rotating electric machine generating power for running the vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

setting a first state of generating driving power for the rotating electric machine;

setting a second state of generating power for the rotating electric machine, the power generated in the second state being smaller than the power generated in the first state; and

in response to receiving a constant power request, alternately switching between the first state and the second state, wherein, during a transition period between the two states, the processor is further configured to cause gradual increase or reduction of the power generated by the rotating electric machine such that a magnitude of a rate of a temporal variation in the power generated by the rotating electric machine corresponds to a non-rectangular shape so as to prevent a great torque shock, thereby improving drivability, the gradual increase/reduction of the generated power being either a continuous increase/reduction of power or a series of steps of increase/reduction of power.