Control method of electric vehicle

• US 9,321,370 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2014
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Higashitani, Kosuke, Asakawa, Masanobu, Taguchi, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US14/245,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20140288746A1
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/16 longitudinal
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• 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 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

This electric vehicle is provided with at least a first traveling mode and a second traveling mode for which the maximum velocity (Vmax) is set lower than for the first traveling mode. The second traveling mode is a traveling mode that prioritizes travel distance per one electric power consumption unit.

Claims

1. A control method of an electric vehicle propelled by motive power generated by an electric motor when the electric motor is supplied with electric power from an electric energy storage device, comprising:

setting selectable traveling modes having different vehicle speed upper limit values for the electric vehicle, the traveling modes including a first traveling mode and a second traveling mode, the second traveling mode having a vehicle speed upper limit value smaller than the first traveling mode,

wherein the second traveling mode is a traveling mode in which priority is given to a traveled distance per unit amount of electric power consumption,

wherein, if a traveling mode with a greater vehicle speed upper limit value is switched to a traveling mode with a smaller vehicle speed upper limit value, and if an actual vehicle speed exceeds the vehicle speed upper limit value after switching of the traveling mode, a vehicle speed gradual reduction control process is performed to gradually reduce the vehicle speed to the vehicle speed upper limit value after switching of the traveling mode,

wherein the vehicle speed upper limit values of the first and second driving modes are predetermined and fixed values, and

wherein in the vehicle speed gradual reduction control process, the vehicle speed upper limit value is gradually reduced from the predetermined and fixed vehicle speed upper limit value of the first driving mode to the predetermined and fixed vehicle speed upper limit value of the second driving mode,

wherein a gradual reduction upper limit value, which is representative of the vehicle speed upper limit value used in the vehicle speed gradual reduction control process, is set from the actual vehicle speed depending on a vehicle speed gradual reduction gradient, which is representative of a reduced degree of the actual vehicle speed, and

wherein the gradual reduction upper limit value is reduced depending on the actual vehicle speed, if the actual vehicle speed becomes lower than the gradual reduction upper limit value during the vehicle speed gradual reduction control process.

2. The control method according to claim 1, wherein the traveling modes, which have different vehicle speed upper limit values for the electric vehicle, also include a third traveling mode having a vehicle speed upper limit value greater than the first traveling mode and the second traveling mode.

3. A control method of an electric vehicle propelled by motive power generated by an electric motor when the electric motor is supplied with electric power from an electric energy storage device, comprising:

setting selectable traveling modes having different vehicle speed upper limit values for the electric vehicle, the traveling modes including a first traveling mode and a second traveling mode, the second traveling mode having a vehicle speed upper limit value smaller than the first traveling mode,

wherein the second traveling mode is a traveling mode in which priority is given to a traveled distance per unit amount of electric power consumption,

wherein, if a traveling mode with a greater vehicle speed upper limit value is switched to a traveling mode with a smaller vehicle speed upper limit value, and if an actual vehicle speed exceeds the vehicle speed upper limit value after switching of the traveling mode, a vehicle speed gradual reduction control process is performed to gradually reduce the vehicle speed to the vehicle speed upper limit value after switching of the traveling mode,

wherein the traveling modes, which have different vehicle speed upper limit values for the electric vehicle, also include a third traveling mode having a vehicle speed upper limit value greater than the first traveling mode and the second traveling mode,

wherein an absolute value of a vehicle speed gradual reduction gradient, which is representative of a reduced degree of the actual vehicle speed in the vehicle speed gradual reduction control process, is set to a greater value when the third traveling mode is switched to the second traveling mode than when the third traveling mode is switched to the first traveling mode.

4. The control method according to claim 3, wherein a gradual reduction upper limit value, which is representative of the vehicle speed upper limit value used in the vehicle speed gradual reduction control process, is set from the actual vehicle speed depending on the vehicle speed gradual reduction gradient;

and

the gradual reduction upper limit value is reduced depending on the actual vehicle speed, if the actual vehicle speed becomes lower than the gradual reduction upper limit value during the vehicle speed gradual reduction control process.