Shift control system of hybrid vehicle with automatic transmission and method thereof

• US 8,874,334 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2010
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Inventors: Jeon, Byeongwook, Lee, Heeyong
• Primary Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US12/947,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20120029743A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,442 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 701/54, 701/55, 701/56, 701/58, 701/59, 701/70, 701 77- 80, 701/83, 701/98, 701/99, 701/123
• US Class Current: 701/57
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/11 Stepped gearings
• 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 20/30 Control strategies involving selection of transmission gear ratio control of change speed gearings, together with other vehicle sub-units B60W10/10; HEV transmission gearing B60K6/36; gearings and control thereof F16H
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/103 Accelerator thresholds, e.g. kickdown
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/106 Rate of change
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/1882 characterised by the working point of the engine, e.g. by using engine output chart
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

A shift control system of a hybrid vehicle with an automatic transmission may include a fuzzy function calculator that receives an accel position sensor (APS) signal that may be an input variable, and outputs a severity value by determining a driver'"'"'s driving severity value through a plurality of fuzzy rules including a fuzzy function for the APS signal, a sporty degree calculator that may be electrically connected with the fuzzy function calculator and determines a sporty degree corresponding to the severity value, and a mode determiner that may be electrically connected with the sporty degree calculator and determines whether an engine operates in accordance with the sporty degree.

Claims

1. A shift control system of a hybrid vehicle with an automatic transmission, comprising:

a fuzzy function calculator that receives an accel position sensor (APS) signal that is an input variable, and outputs a severity value by determining a driver'"'"'s driving severity value through a plurality of fuzzy rules including a fuzzy function for the APS signal;

a sporty degree calculator that is electrically connected with the fuzzy function calculator and determines a sporty degree corresponding to the severity value; and

a mode determiner that is electrically connected with the sporty degree calculator and determines whether an engine operates in accordance with the sporty degree;

wherein the sporty degree calculator includes a configuration that divides the severity values for the fuzzy rules by severity values for eco-, medium, and sporty traveling states, and determines the sporty degree by using a center of an area obtained by summing up the areas for the minimum values in the severity values for eco-, medium and sporty traveling states; and

wherein the mode determiner includes a configuration that starts the engine in advance to facilitate acceleration of the engine, if acceleration is required, when the sporty degree is above a first reference value and the vehicle speed is above a reference vehicle speed.

2. The shift control system of the hybrid vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein the fuzzy function calculator outputs the severity value by using a fuzzy rule including at least one of the fuzzy functions for an APS opening amount and an APS change rate, after receiving the APS opening amount and the APS change rate in the APS signal, as the input variables.

3. The shift control system of the hybrid vehicle as defined in claim 2, wherein the fuzzy rules of the fuzzy function calculator further includes a fuzzy function for vehicle speed, other than the APS signal.

4. The shift control system of the hybrid vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein the fuzzy function calculator outputs the severity value by using a fuzzy rule including a fuzzy function for an average APS opening amount after receiving the average APS opening amount as the input variables, which is the average of the APS opening amount after the vehicle starts, in the APS signal.

5. The shift control system of the hybrid vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein the fuzzy function calculator outputs the severity value by using a fuzzy rule including a fuzzy function for an average APS change rate, which is the average of an APS change rate, after the vehicle starts, in the APS signal.

6. A control method of a shift control system of a hybrid vehicle, comprising,

determining a sporty degree by finding a driver'"'"'s driving severity value on the basis of a plurality of fuzzy rules for accel position sensor (APS) signals that are detected input variables by using a sporty degree calculator;

ascertaining whether the determined sporty degree is larger than a first reference value by using a mode determiner;

ascertaining whether a vehicle speed is higher than a reference vehicle speed by using the mode determiner, when the sporty degree is larger than the first reference value; and

starting an engine in advance to facilitate acceleration of the engine by using the mode determiner, if acceleration is required, when the vehicle speed is higher than the reference vehicle speed.

7. The control method as defined in claim 6, further comprising stopping the engine, when the sporty degree is less than a second reference value, by ascertaining whether the sporty degree is less than the second reference value, while the engine starts in advance and operates.

8. The control method as defined in claim 6, further comprising keeping the engine stopped, when the sporty degree is not larger than the first reference value or the vehicle speed is below than the reference vehicle speed.

9. The control method as defined in claim 6, wherein the determining of sporty degree determines the sporty degree on the basis of the severity value outputted from the fuzzy rule including at least one of fuzzy functions for an APS opening amount and an APS change rate, after receiving the APS opening amount and the APS change rate, as input values, in the APS signals.

10. The control method as defined in claim 9, wherein the determining of sporty degree determines the sporty degree by finding the severity value outputted from a fuzzy rule further including a fuzzy function for the vehicle speed, other than the APS signals.

11. The control method as defined in claim 6, wherein the determining of sporty degree determines the sporty degree on the basis of the severity value from the fuzzy rule including a fuzzy function for an average APS opening amount, after receiving the average APS opening amount as input values, which is the average of an APS opening amount after the vehicle starts, in the APS signals.

12. The control method as defined in claim 6, wherein the determining of sporty degree determines the sporty degree by finding the severity value outputted from the fuzzy rule including a fuzzy function according to an average APS change rate, which is the average of an APS change rate, after the vehicle starts, in the APS signals.