JP2000052805A - Coordination control device for vehicle speed controller and transmission - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent shock caused by a speed change during a vehicle speed control so as to match a vehicle speed with a target vehicle speed. SOLUTION: A coordination control device coordinates and controls a vehicle speed controller which controls the amount of an engine output so as to match a vehicle speed with a target vehicle speed, and a transmission which controls a speed change ratio according to a command signal. The coordination control device is provided with a speed increase detecting means (step 1) which detects control for increasing the engine output so as to increase the vehicle speed toward the target vehicle speed, a downshift detecting means (step 2) for detecting a downshift which accompanies the increase of the engine output, and an input torque control means (step 3) which fixes a torque input state of the transmission into a predetermined state when both the speed increase control for increasing the vehicle speed toward the target vehicle speed and the downshift are detected.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle speed control device for controlling the running speed of a vehicle so as to maintain the running speed at a set target speed, and a transmission for setting a gear ratio based on the running state of the vehicle. The present invention relates to a control device that performs cooperative control.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, various devices mounted on a vehicle have been automatically controlled in response to a passenger's request due to the development of electronic technology. The purpose of this is to reduce the burden on the driver and perform comfortable driving by performing the operation that the driver should perform during traveling on behalf of the machine. An example of this kind of automated in-vehicle device is an automatic transmission, which is configured to automatically perform setting of a gear ratio based on a driving state or change of a gear shift pattern based on a driver's driving orientation. ing. The gear ratio is set based on the required driving force and the vehicle speed, and generally, the gear position is determined from the gear shift diagram based on the load on the power source such as the throttle opening and the vehicle speed, It is configured to output a command signal to set the gear position.

Another example of an automated vehicle-mounted device is a power device capable of automatically controlling the output of an engine equipped with an electronic throttle valve and a fuel injection device. This type of device calculates a driver's output request such as the amount of depression of an accelerator pedal by an electronic control device such as a microcomputer, and operates an actuator based on the calculation result to obtain a predetermined output. I have.

[0004] Recently, the current position of a vehicle is determined by GP.
S (Global Positioning System) or the like, and based on the detected current position and pre-stored road information, the current road conditions of the vehicle, the planned road, or the road ahead of the vehicle. Road conditions can be detected. This is a so-called navigation system. Since the road condition greatly affects the running state of the vehicle, the road condition detected by the navigation system can be reflected on the control of each part of the vehicle.

Conventionally, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 4-15799 discloses a control device capable of performing control without delay adapted to road conditions by utilizing such a road condition detection function and an electronic control function of each part of the vehicle. Proposed. This device detects a current position of a vehicle, reads out road information in a traveling direction based on road information stored in advance, and performs feed forward control for correcting a control amount of each part of the vehicle according to the road information. It is configured to do so. According to the device described in this publication, it is possible to control a constant speed traveling device (cruise controller), an automatic transmission, a suspension, and the like.

[0006]

According to the conventional control device described above, the control amount (operation amount) of each part of the vehicle is corrected based on the detected road condition. If a climbing gradient is detected on the road ahead while traveling by the traveling device, the operation amount of the throttle valve, that is, the throttle opening is increased in order to prevent the power shortage on the uphill road from occurring. Is corrected to In this case, if the automatic transmission is controlled based on the vehicle speed and the throttle opening as in the case of the normal control, the downshift is determined and executed based on the increase in the throttle opening.

That is, the output control of the engine and the shift control of the automatic transmission occur at the same time. Conventionally, however, since these controls are performed completely independently, for example, during the shift control, In some cases, new information on road conditions is input and new output control is executed. Therefore, the input torque to the transmission changes during the shift control, and the engagement of the friction engagement device that executes the shift is performed.
The timing of release may be out of order, which may cause a shock.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and performs control in which vehicle speed control for controlling the vehicle speed to match the target vehicle speed and shift control for controlling the speed ratio are coordinated. It is an object of the present invention to provide a cooperative control device capable of performing running without a sense of incongruity such as a shift shock.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, a vehicle speed control apparatus for controlling the output of a prime mover to make the vehicle speed equal to a target vehicle speed. A cooperative control device that cooperatively controls a transmission control device that controls a transmission ratio set by a transmission connected to the prime mover according to a command signal, wherein the vehicle speed control is performed to increase the vehicle speed toward a target vehicle speed. Speed increase detecting means for detecting control for increasing the output of the prime mover, downshift detecting means for detecting a downshift in the transmission accompanying an increase in the output of the prime mover, and increasing the speed toward a target vehicle speed. When the speed-up control is detected by the speed-up detection means and the downshift is detected by the downshift detection means, torque input to the transmission is performed. And it is characterized in that it comprises an input torque control means for fixing the state to a predetermined state in which predetermining.

Therefore, according to the first aspect of the present invention, if the current vehicle speed is lower than the target vehicle speed, the vehicle speed control device increases the output of the prime mover so that the vehicle speed matches the target vehicle speed. Further, a downshift occurs in the transmission as the output of the prime mover increases, and this is detected by the downshift detection means. When the increase in the output of the prime mover and the downshift in the transmission are detected in this manner, the input state of the torque to the transmission is fixed to a predetermined state. For example, the input torque is maintained at a predetermined constant value, or the rate of increase (change rate) of the input torque is maintained at a constant value. As a result, there is no torque fluctuation during the so-called power-on downshift or the torque fluctuation is stabilized, so that the shift shock is improved.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle speed control device for controlling the output of a prime mover so as to make the vehicle speed equal to a target vehicle speed, and a transmission set by a transmission connected to the prime mover. In a cooperative control device that cooperatively controls a shift control device that controls a ratio in accordance with a command signal, a deceleration detection unit that detects control for reducing the output of the prime mover so that the vehicle speed control device reduces the speed toward a target vehicle speed. Downshift detection means for detecting a downshift in the transmission, deceleration control for decelerating toward a target vehicle speed is detected by the deceleration detection means, and the downshift is detected by the downshift detection means. Input torque control means for fixing an input state of torque to the transmission to a predetermined state. It is an.

Therefore, according to the second aspect of the invention, if the current vehicle speed is higher than the target vehicle speed, the vehicle speed control device reduces the output of the prime mover so that the vehicle speed matches the target vehicle speed. In this case, when a downshift that increases the speed ratio in the transmission is determined, the downshift detection unit detects this. When the reduction of the output of the prime mover and the downshift in the transmission are detected in this way, the input state of the torque to the transmission is fixed to a predetermined state. For example, the input torque is maintained at a predetermined constant value, or the rate of change (change rate) of the input torque is maintained at a constant value. As a result, there is no torque fluctuation during the so-called power-off / downshift, or the torque fluctuation is stabilized, so that the shift shock is improved.

Further, according to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle speed control device for controlling the output of a prime mover so as to make the vehicle speed equal to a target vehicle speed, and a shift set by a transmission connected to the prime mover. A vehicle speed control detecting means for detecting that the output of the prime mover is being controlled by the vehicle speed control device; and A speed ratio prohibiting unit that prohibits setting the ratio by the transmission based on road conditions, and the vehicle speed control detecting unit detects that an output of the motor is controlled by the vehicle speed control device, And a change in torque input to the transmission when a gear shift occurs in accordance with prohibition of the gear ratio by the gear ratio prohibiting means or release of the prohibition. And it is characterized in that it comprises an input torque control means that.

Therefore, according to the third aspect of the present invention, when the output of the prime mover is controlled so that the vehicle speed matches the target vehicle speed, the vehicle speed control detecting means detects this.
In addition, a predetermined gear ratio is prohibited depending on road conditions.
Therefore, when the speed ratio is prohibited, if the predetermined speed ratio is set, a shift from the speed ratio to another speed ratio occurs, and conversely, if the speed ratio prohibition is released. Then, if the vehicle is in a traveling state in which the predetermined gear ratio is set, a gear shift to that gear ratio occurs. When such a shift occurs, even when the output of the prime mover is controlled by the vehicle speed control device so as to match the vehicle speed with the target vehicle speed, control is performed to reduce the change in input torque to the transmission. You. As a result, there is no or little torque change at the time of shifting regardless of the change in the running state,
The shock at the time of the shift is improved.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the third aspect, the input torque control means controls the torque input to the transmission when an upshift occurs with the release of the inhibition of the speed ratio. Is maintained at a predetermined low torque.

Therefore, according to the fourth aspect of the invention, the input torque to the transmission is maintained at a preset low torque during an upshift that is not caused by a change in the running state. As a result, a change in the number of revolutions during an upshift and an accompanying inertia force are reduced, so that the shift shock is improved.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle speed control device for controlling the output of a prime mover to make the vehicle speed equal to a target vehicle speed, and instructing a gear ratio set by a transmission connected to the prime mover. A cooperative control device that cooperates with a shift control device that controls in accordance with a signal, wherein output control detects that the vehicle speed control device changes the output of the prime mover so as to change the vehicle speed toward a target vehicle speed. Detection means, shift detection means for detecting a shift in the transmission, and control of the output of the prime mover for matching the vehicle speed to a target vehicle speed is detected by the output control detection means; Input torque control for setting a torque input state to the transmission to a predetermined state for reducing a shift shock when is detected by the shift detection means And it is characterized in that it comprises a stage.

Therefore, according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, if the output of the prime mover is controlled to match the vehicle speed with the target vehicle speed, even if a shift occurs in the transmission, the vehicle speed is not changed during the shift. Regardless of the control by the control device, the output of the prime mover is controlled so as to reduce the shift shock. As a result, the shift shock is improved even when the control of the output of the motor for the control of the vehicle speed and the shift control are superimposed.

[0019]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. First, the basic configuration of the cooperative control device according to the present invention will be described. The cooperative control device according to the present invention performs output control of a power source for a vehicle and speed ratio control of a transmission connected to the power source. It is configured to control in cooperation. Here, the power source is generally an engine (internal combustion engine) 1 as shown in FIG. 8, but the power source is not limited to this, and can be mounted on a vehicle such as an electric motor or a hybrid structure including an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. Various power sources can be targeted. The power source is configured so that its output can be electrically controlled. For example, in the case of the engine 1, the power source includes an electronic throttle valve and injects fuel to supply the fuel to the cylinder. Engine.

On the other hand, the transmission has a configuration capable of electrically controlling the gear ratio, and is a so-called automatic transmission 2.
As the automatic transmission 2, a stepped transmission or a continuously variable transmission can be adopted. In addition to a fluid transmission device such as a torque converter, an automatic clutch which can be electrically controlled, and a constantly meshing type In addition to the automatic transmission, an automatic transmission of a type in which a synchronizer is operated by an actuator to perform a shift can be employed.

An electronic control unit (E-ECU) 3 for controlling the engine 1 is provided. The engine electronic control unit 3 is mainly composed of a so-called microcomputer, performs calculations in accordance with input data and routines stored in advance, and based on the calculation results, a throttle opening, a fuel injection amount, or an ignition timing. And so on. Further, an electronic control unit (T-ECU) 4 mainly composed of a microcomputer is provided to control the automatic transmission 2. The electronic control unit 4 for an automatic transmission is configured to perform a calculation in accordance with input data and data stored in advance and a routine, and to output a shift command signal, a lockup command signal, and the like based on the calculation result. Have been. The automatic transmission 2 is configured such that the actuator operates according to the command signal to change the gear ratio, and the lock-up clutch is switched between the engaged and disengaged states.

The above-mentioned electronic control units 3 and 4 are connected so as to be able to communicate data with each other, and transmit data required for output control of the engine 1 from the electronic control unit 4 for the automatic transmission to the electronic control unit for the engine. 3 and data required for controlling the gear ratio is transmitted from the engine electronic control unit 3 to the automatic transmission electronic control unit 4.

An example of the transmission of the data and the accompanying control will be described. The operation amount of the accelerator pedal (accelerator opening) and the vehicle speed by the driver's operation are input to the electronic control unit 3 for the engine. The degree of opening of the electronic throttle valve is calculated based on the degree, and the degree of throttle opening is controlled. Further, the automatic transmission electronic control unit 4 calculates the gear ratio based on the accelerator opening and the vehicle speed, and outputs a command signal based on the calculation result, whereby the gear ratio in the automatic transmission 2 is controlled. You. Further, a signal for executing a shift in the automatic transmission 2 is transmitted to the engine electronic control device 3, and a torque reduction control for temporarily lowering the engine output during the shift is executed. This torque reduction control is executed by, for example, ignition timing retard control of the engine 1.

As is well known, the engine 1 is a power source for the vehicle and is also a device that is positioned as a main transmission. Therefore, the device shown in FIG. 8 is provided with a device for controlling the engine output in order to control the vehicle speed. Have been. This vehicle speed control device is a device called a cruise controller (C / C) 5, and is mainly configured by a microcomputer.

The cruise controller 5 will be further described. When a target vehicle speed is set, a deviation between the target vehicle speed and the current vehicle speed is detected, and a speed increase request signal or a deceleration request signal is generated based on the speed deviation. Output to the electronic control unit 3. The target vehicle speed is, for example, within a range of several tens km to 100 km per hour, at a predetermined speed based on a vehicle speed at the time when a cruise control start signal is input or a speed increase or deceleration request by a driver's operation or the like. The vehicle speed is set step by step. Therefore, the cruise controller 5 controls the output of the engine 1 based on the acceleration / deceleration request. More specifically, since the throttle opening is changed based on the acceleration / deceleration request, it acts in the same manner as the output request signal accompanying the operation of the accelerator pedal. In some cases, a shift in the automatic transmission 2 may occur based on this.

Further, a navigation device 6 for detecting a road condition or the like is provided in order to reflect a situation around the vehicle such as a road condition in the control of the engine 1 and the automatic transmission 2. This navigation device 6 has a GPS
This is a system that shows the position of the vehicle on an electronic map and guides the vehicle to the destination by autonomous navigation using a (global positioning system), a geomagnetic sensor, or a gyro sensor.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, a player 8 loaded with an information recording medium 7 such as an optical disk or a magnetic disk, and reading information stored in the information recording medium 7, A display unit 9 for displaying the read information in a two-dimensional or three-dimensional image is provided. The navigation device 6 includes:
The vehicle includes a first position detecting unit 10 and a second position detecting unit 11 for detecting a current position of the vehicle and a road condition, and a speaker 12 for notifying a driver of a road condition by voice. The display unit 9 uses a liquid crystal display, a CRT, or the like provided on the side of the instrument panel or glove box in the room, or an image projection unit provided at a location that does not affect the field of view of the front window. Is possible.

The player 8 and the display 9
A first position detecting unit 10 and a second position detecting unit 11,
The speaker 12 is controlled by the electronic control device 13. The electronic control unit 13 includes a central processing unit (CP)
U), a storage device (RAM, ROM), and a microcomputer mainly including an input / output interface.

The information recording medium 7 stores information necessary for running the vehicle, for example, maps, place names, roads, main buildings around the roads, and the like. Curves or uphills, downhills, general roads, highways, unpaved roads, gravel roads, deserts, riverbeds, forest roads, agricultural roads, low-friction roads, and the like are stored.

The first position detecting unit 10 includes a terrestrial magnetism sensor 14 for detecting the direction in which the vehicle is traveling, and a vehicle speed sensor 1.
5, a steering sensor 16 for detecting a steering angle of a steering wheel, a distance sensor 17 for detecting a distance between the vehicle and surrounding objects, an acceleration sensor 18, and the like.
Further, the second position detection unit 11 includes a GPS antenna 20 for receiving a radio wave from the artificial satellite 19, and a GPS antenna 2
An amplifier 21 is connected to the amplifier 21 and a GPS receiver 22 is connected to the amplifier 21.

According to the navigation device 6, it is possible to detect the current road condition where the vehicle is located or the condition of a road ahead such as a planned road, as described above.
The engine 1 and the automatic transmission 2 are controlled using these data. That is, data is transmitted from the navigation device 6 to the engine electronic control device 3 and the automatic transmission electronic control device 4, and the engine electronic control device 3 increases or reduces the engine output based on, for example, the road gradient ahead. Control to be executed. As an example, when the cruise controller 5 controls the engine output so that the vehicle speed matches the target vehicle speed, the control amount is corrected according to the road gradient.

The electronic control unit 4 for an automatic transmission executes uphill control by inputting a road gradient ahead. The uphill / downhill control is control for maintaining the shift speed at a predetermined shift speed in order to secure a driving force or an engine braking force on an uphill or downhill.
Specifically, the control is for prohibiting the upshift even when the vehicle speed increases. Note that this uphill / downhill control may be control for calculating a road gradient from a deviation between a reference acceleration obtained from an engine output and an actual acceleration based on a detected change in vehicle speed. Therefore, for example, when the uphill / downhill control is started while traveling at the highest speed, the downshift occurs because the highest speed is prohibited, and conversely, the uphill / downhill control is executed. At this time, the traveling state is a state where the highest speed stage is set, and if the prohibition control is canceled in that state when the uphill / downhill road is terminated, an upshift to the highest speed stage occurs.

Further, when a low coefficient of road friction is input from the navigation device 6, the electronic control unit 4 for the automatic transmission executes control for inhibiting the lowest speed ratio (the largest speed ratio). Can be configured.
This is a control for suppressing the torque generated at the wheels to avoid a slip before it occurs.

In the above-described control device, in addition to a signal input to the cruise controller 5 based on a driver's operation, road condition data based on vehicle position information detected by the navigation device 6, and the like, The data detected by the various sensors mounted on the device is input. An example of the data is as follows: vehicle speed V, throttle opening θ, accelerator opening Acc, engine speed Ne.
And a signal from a brake switch, a shift pattern, an engine water temperature, an oil temperature, a signal from a stop lamp switch, a signal from a neutral start switch, and the like. The electronic control unit 3 for the engine and the electronic control unit 4 for the automatic transmission perform calculations based on these various data in addition to the data input from the cruise controller 5 and the navigation device 6 described above. The transmission 2 is configured to be controlled.

As described above, the cruise controller 5
Controls the engine output so that the vehicle speed matches the target vehicle speed, and the transmission ratio of the automatic transmission 2 is basically controlled on the basis of the engine load and the vehicle speed. The shift control based on the road condition is executed. The cooperative control device according to the present invention is configured to execute the cruise control and the shift control that are originally executed independently in association with each other. An example of the control will be described below.

FIG. 1 shows an example of control when a speed increase request occurs during vehicle speed control by the cruise controller 5. First, in step 1, cruise control (C
/ C control) is being performed, and it is determined whether or not control accompanying the speed increase request is being executed. If a negative determination is made in step 1, the control returns without performing any control. If a positive determination is made, the power on-down from the fifth speed to the fourth speed is performed. It is determined whether or not the shift has been determined (step 2). Here, the fifth speed is the maximum speed ratio set by the automatic transmission 2. In this embodiment, a stepped transmission is taken as an example. The determination is made based on the fact that the throttle opening degree of No. 1 has increased and the traveling state on the shift map in which the shift speed region has been set using the throttle opening degree and the vehicle speed as parameters has been switched to the fourth speed state.

If the request for speed increase and the accompanying increase in the throttle opening are not particularly large, and a negative determination is made in step 2, the routine returns without performing any particular control. Conversely, when the request for speed increase and the accompanying increase in the throttle opening are large, the determination in step 2 is affirmative because the running state of the vehicle becomes the fourth speed state. If the determination in step 2 is affirmative, it means that there is a request for increasing the engine output during the control by the cruise controller 5 and at the same time the downshift determination in the automatic transmission 2 is established. That is, the control for increasing the output of the engine 1 and the shift control for the automatic transmission 2 are superimposed. In this case, during opening control of the throttle valve, the opening is adjusted to a predetermined opening. Fix (step 3).

The control in step 3 is for avoiding a state where the torque input to the automatic transmission 2 during the execution of the shift control in the automatic transmission 2 becomes inappropriate for the shift control. Therefore, when the throttle opening is fixed at a predetermined opening, the fixed throttle opening is an opening suitable for a shift executed by the automatic transmission 2, that is, an opening which is a torque suitable for the shift. Is set to Further, since it is sufficient that the torque is in an input state suitable for shifting, the rate of change of the throttle opening may be set to a predetermined value instead of fixing the throttle opening. Alternatively, the throttle opening may be controlled such that the turbine torque estimated value directly related to the input torque of the automatic transmission 2 is maintained at a constant value.

The control of the throttle opening is essentially as follows.
This is a control for preventing the input torque from becoming incompatible with the shift control during the shift in the automatic transmission 2 and for creating an input torque state in which the shift shock does not deteriorate. Therefore, the control for reducing the engine torque by the ignition timing retard control or the like executed to prevent the shift shock is performed as usual, and this type of engine torque control is not prohibited by the control in step 3. .

It is determined whether the shift from the fifth speed to the fourth speed has been completed (step 4). The determination of the end of the shift may be performed by a method generally performed in the past. For example, the determination can be made by comparing the product of the output rotation speed of the automatic transmission 2 and the gear ratio at the fourth speed after shifting with the input rotation speed of the automatic transmission 2 (for example, the turbine rotation speed Nt). it can. If the determination in step 4 is affirmative, control returns to normal throttle control (engine output control) (step 5). That is, the cruise controller 5 executes the throttle control based on the vehicle speed control. The return to the normal throttle control is executed in a state in which the shift shock is not affected and a feeling of strangeness such as a decrease in the vehicle speed does not occur. Therefore, the return control in step 5 may be executed immediately after the end of the inertia phase in the downshift from the fifth speed to the fourth speed.

If it is determined that the fifth speed is to be prohibited in association with the above-described uphill control, the fifth speed prohibition control is executed (step 6). That is, the fourth speed is maintained even if the running state is changed to the fifth speed state due to an increase in the vehicle speed or a decrease in the throttle opening. Note that the above step 4
If a negative determination is made in step 6,
To execute the fifth speed inhibition control.

Here, an example of a change in the throttle opening θ and the input torque Tt of the automatic transmission 2 when the control shown in FIG. 1 is performed is shown. As shown in FIG. At a predetermined time t1 when the throttle opening .theta. Tends to increase, the determination of the downshift from the fifth speed to the fourth speed is established, and at that time point 1, the throttle opening .theta. Is fixed to the predetermined opening. Therefore, the input torque Tt of the automatic transmission 2 also changes from a tendency to increase to a state of maintaining a constant value. At the time point t2 when the downshift to the fourth speed is completed, the throttle opening .theta. Is returned to the opening determined by the cruise control, and the input torque Tt increases accordingly. Then, when the normal torque reduction control at the time of shifting by the ignition timing retard control or the like is performed during the shifting period from the time point t1 to the time point t2, the input torque Tt temporarily decreases as shown by the broken line in FIG. I do.

Therefore, according to the control shown in FIG. 1, even when the cruise controller 5 is performing vehicle speed control, if a downshift occurs due to a request for speed increase, even if there is a request for speed increase by vehicle speed control, the engine output is not changed. Departs from the control by the speed increase request and temporarily shifts to the control for avoiding the shift shock. That is, since the input state of the torque to the automatic transmission 2 is set to a state suitable for the shift, the shift is performed without deteriorating the shift shock. In this case, the conventional torque-down control during shifting may be performed in parallel, but the power-on downshift from the fifth speed to the fourth speed shown in FIG. Since there is no gear change at all, the demand for gear shift shock is more severe. Therefore, by controlling the torque input state to the automatic transmission 2 as described above, gear shift shock becomes better and cruise It is possible to avoid discomfort during control.

In a vehicle equipped with a drive mechanism shown in FIG.
In addition to the shift caused by the change in the running state, the shift may be caused by the execution or termination of the uphill control. In this case, if the engine output is controlled for vehicle speed control by the cruise controller 5, the shift control and the output control are controlled in a coordinated manner as follows. FIG. 3 shows an example, and it is first determined whether the cruise control is being performed and the deceleration control is being performed (step 11). That is, since the target vehicle speed is lower than the current vehicle speed, it is determined whether or not the throttle opening is reduced so as to decelerate toward the target vehicle speed.

If a negative determination is made in step 11, the control returns without performing any particular control. On the other hand, if a positive determination is made, it is determined that the fifth speed is prohibited by the up-down slope control. Is determined (step 12). This uphill / downhill control is performed in order to secure a driving force or an engine braking force when an uphill road or a downhill road is detected and to avoid a busy shift in which an upshift and a downshift are repeatedly performed. This is control for prohibiting the maximum speed ratio). The uphill road or the downhill road is detected based on a deviation between a reference acceleration based on the above-described navigation device 6 or the throttle opening and an actual acceleration.

If the determination in step 12 is negative, the routine returns without performing any particular control. On the other hand, if the determination is affirmative, the routine proceeds to step 13, where the throttle valve closing control is performed. While the throttle opening is fixed at a predetermined opening, the fifth to fourth gears
Outputs a command signal for downshifting to high speed. Cruise control, which controls the engine output so that the vehicle speed matches the target vehicle speed, is executed within a predetermined vehicle speed range on the relatively high speed side, and therefore the fifth speed, which is usually the highest speed, is set. When it is determined that the uphill / downhill control is started, a downshift to the fourth speed is determined. At this time, if the throttle valve is controlled to close in order to reduce the speed, the throttle opening is fixed and the engine output is kept constant. The fixed throttle opening is
The opening may be substantially fully closed. However, if the fourth speed is a gear position where engine braking is effective, a small opening is set, and the engine braking is performed in accordance with the downshift to the fourth speed. It is preferable to control so that the force does not increase suddenly.

Step 13 is a control for preventing the torque input to the automatic transmission 2 from fluctuating at the time of shifting, thereby preventing the shift shock from deteriorating. Similarly to step 3, instead of fixing the throttle opening, the rate of change may be maintained at a predetermined value, or the throttle opening may be controlled so that the estimated value of the turbine torque becomes constant.
Further, in the step 13, the throttle opening or the rate of change thereof is fixed, or the control based on the turbine torque estimated value is executed by controlling the shift shock in place of the control of the throttle opening by the cruise control. That's why. Therefore, the engine torque reduction control, such as the ignition timing retard control that is normally performed during gear shifting, is executed as it is. That is, the control of maintaining the input state of the torque to the automatic transmission 2 in the predetermined state in step 13 does not include the control of prohibiting the engine torque reduction control during the normal shift.

Next, it is determined whether the shift from the fifth speed to the fourth speed is completed (step 14). This step 14 is a step for performing the same control as step 4 shown in FIG. 1 described above, and therefore compares the product of the output speed of the automatic transmission 2 and the speed ratio of the fourth speed with the input speed. It can be determined by the following. When it is determined in step 14 that the downshift to the fourth speed is completed, the control returns to the normal throttle control, that is, the throttle control by the cruise control (step 1).
5).

When the inertia phase in the downshift to the fourth speed ends, a torque appears on the output shaft of the automatic transmission 2 in accordance with the input torque. Therefore, in the case of the control shown in FIG. When the downshift ends, the engine brake is activated. Therefore, Step 1
If the so-called return control of No. 5 is delayed, the fourth speed will be set with the throttle valve almost fully closed,
As a result, the engine braking force may increase sharply and cause a shock. In order to avoid such an inconvenience, it is preferable that the timing to return to the throttle opening during deceleration by normal throttle control, that is, cruise control, is until the end of the inertia phase.

Since the determination of the ascending and descending slope control is established in the above-described step 12, the prohibition control of the fifth speed is executed in step 16. That is, the fourth speed is maintained even if the running state is changed to the fifth speed state due to an increase in the vehicle speed or a decrease in the throttle opening. If the determination in step 14 is negative, the process immediately proceeds to step 16 to execute the fifth-speed prohibition control.

Here, an example of a change between the throttle opening θ and the input torque Tt of the automatic transmission 2 when the control shown in FIG. 3 is performed is shown in FIG. At a predetermined time t11 when the throttle opening θ is decreasing, the determination of the downshift from the fifth speed to the fourth speed is established, and at that time 11, the throttle opening θ is fixed to the predetermined opening. Therefore, the input torque Tt of the automatic transmission 2 also changes from a decreasing tendency to a state of maintaining a relatively low constant value. At the time point t12 when the downshift to the fourth speed is completed, the throttle opening .theta. Is returned to the opening determined by the cruise control, and at the same time, the input torque Tt increases to the opening determined by the cruise control. Then, when the normal torque reduction control at the time of shifting by the ignition timing retard control or the like is executed during the shifting period from the time point t11 to the time point t12, the input torque Tt temporarily decreases as shown by the broken line in FIG. I do.

Therefore, in the control shown in FIG. 3, if a downshift based on road conditions such as uphill or downhill control occurs during throttle control for matching the vehicle speed to the target vehicle speed, ie, deceleration control by cruise control, the throttle opening is increased. By squeezing and maintaining a predetermined low opening or maintaining the rate of change of the throttle opening at a predetermined value, a downshift based on road conditions can be a downshift with aggressive power-off or automatic Since the input torque to the transmission 2 is stabilized, the shift shock is improved. In particular, the downshift in this case is a shift that is not based on the driver's operation such as acceleration / deceleration or downshift, as in the case shown in FIG. 1 described above. By performing the control as described above, the shift shock hardly occurs, so that an uncomfortable feeling during the cruise control can be prevented.

Uphill control is started when the gradient of the road on which the vehicle is actually running or the gradient of the road ahead is detected, and is ended when the uphill or downhill is detected and a flat road is detected. . If the running state determined by the throttle opening and the vehicle speed at the end of the up / down slope control is a running state corresponding to the shift speed prohibited by the up / down slope control, the vehicle is moved up with the end of the up / down slope control. A shift occurs. The cooperative control between the upshift and the cruise control is executed as shown in FIG.

First, it is determined whether or not cruise control is being performed (step 21). The determination in step 21 is that the cruise controller 5 is operating (active).
Can be determined based on whether or not. If a negative determination is made in step 21, the control returns without performing any particular control. On the other hand, if a positive determination is made, it is determined that the vehicle has returned from the fifth speed prohibition by the uphill / downhill control. (Step 22). This can be determined, for example, by detecting a flat road ahead of the vehicle by the navigation device 6 and, as a result, ending the uphill / downhill control.

If a negative determination is made in step 22, the routine returns without performing any particular control. If the result of the determination in step 22 is affirmative, the vehicle departs from the cruise control and performs closing control of the throttle opening to fix the throttle opening to a fully closed state or an opening close to the closed state. An upshift from the first speed to the fifth speed is executed (step 23). The upshift is a shift accompanied by a decrease in the input rotation speed of the automatic transmission 2, and the inertia force due to the change in the rotation speed is likely to appear as a shift shock. It is positively lowered, so-called upshift in a power-off state. Therefore, the reduction of the input rotation speed due to the upshift is achieved by reducing the input torque by fixing the throttle opening to a predetermined low opening, and as a result, the inertia force associated with the shift is reduced and the shift shock is effective. Is prevented.

The control of the throttle opening in step 23 is for departure from the cruise control and for inputting a torque suitable for the shift. Therefore, in this case as well, conventional control is performed to avoid a shift shock. The engine torque reduction control may be performed by, for example, retarding the ignition timing. Step 2
The control of the throttle opening in 3 is the control for inputting the torque to the automatic transmission 2 suitable for the upshift from the fourth speed to the fifth speed. Can be set, another control may be executed instead of fixing the throttle opening.
For example, instead of fixing the throttle opening, the rate of change of the throttle opening may be maintained at a predetermined value, or the throttle opening may be controlled such that the estimated turbine torque value becomes a predetermined constant value.

Next, it is determined whether or not the upshift from the fourth speed to the fifth speed has been completed (step 24). Similar to the determination in step 4 in FIG. 1 and the determination in step 14 in FIG. 3 described above, this determination also includes the product of the speed ratio of the fifth speed, which is the gear after the shift, and the output shaft rotation speed of the automatic transmission 2,
It can be determined by comparing with the input rotation speed (turbine rotation speed). When the upshift to the fifth speed is completed, that is, when the determination in step 24 is affirmative, the control returns to normal throttle control, that is, control of the throttle opening by cruise control (step 25).

In this case, the throttle opening decreased by the control in step 23 is increased to the throttle opening by the cruise control. Execute control. Specifically, there is no change in the throttle opening by the cruise control before and after the shift, or the throttle opening by the cruise control after the shift is larger than before the shift.
If the increase width of the throttle opening by the return control is large, so-called sweep-up control of the throttle opening is performed to gradually increase the throttle opening. Further, in order to prevent the feeling of shortage of the driving torque from occurring temporarily, it is preferable to execute the return control in step 25 almost simultaneously with the end of the inertia phase in the fifth speed upshift.

Then, the prohibition control of the fifth speed by the up / down slope control is released (step 26). If the result of the determination in step 24 is negative, the process immediately proceeds to step 26 to cancel the fifth speed prohibition control.

Here, an example of a change in the throttle opening θ and the input torque Tt of the automatic transmission 2 when the control shown in FIG. 5 is performed is shown. As shown in FIG. 6, the vehicle speed is almost equal to the target vehicle speed. At the predetermined time point t21 when the throttle opening θ by the cruise control is maintained at a substantially constant value, the determination of the upshift from the fourth speed to the fifth speed is established. Is decreased to a low opening close to the fully closed position, and is fixed to the opening. Therefore, the input torque Tt of the automatic transmission 2 also changes from the state where the constant value is maintained to the state where the low torque is reduced and the constant value is maintained. Then, at the time point t22 when the upshift to the fifth speed is completed, the throttle opening θ is returned to the opening determined by the cruise control,
At the same time, the input torque Tt increases. Then, when the normal torque reduction control at the time of shifting by the ignition timing retard control or the like is performed during the shifting period from the time point t21 to the time point t22, as shown by the broken line in FIG.
Decreases temporarily.

Therefore, according to the control shown in FIG. 5, the upshift due to the termination of the up / down slope control during the cruise control is executed in the power-off state by temporarily interrupting the cruise control and reducing the throttle opening. As a result, it is possible to perform a favorable shift while suppressing a shift shock. Also in this case, the shift is not based on the driver's operation such as the acceleration / deceleration operation or the shift operation, and the demand for the shift shock is severe. However, by performing the control as described above, the shift or the running without a feeling of strangeness is achieved. be able to.

Here, the relationship between the present invention and the above-described specific example will be described. The function of step 1 in FIG. 1 corresponds to the speed increasing detecting means of claim 1 and the output control detecting means of claim 5,
The function of step 2 of FIG. 1 corresponds to the downshift detecting means and the shift detecting means of claim 5, and the function of step 3 of FIG. 1 corresponds to the input torque control means of claim 1 and claim 5. Equivalent to. The function of step 11 in FIG. 3 corresponds to the deceleration detecting means of claim 2, the vehicle speed control means of claim 3, and the output control detecting means of claim 5,
The function of step 12 in FIG. 3 corresponds to the downshift detecting means of claim 2, the speed ratio inhibiting means of claim 3, and the shift detecting means of claim 5, and furthermore, step 13 of FIG.
Corresponds to the input torque control means of claim 2 and claim 3 and claim 5. And step 2 in FIG.
The first function is the vehicle speed control detecting means according to claim 3 and the fifth function.
The function of step 22 in FIG. 5 corresponds to the speed ratio inhibition means and the shift detection means of claim 5, and the function of step 23 of FIG. It corresponds to the input torque control means of claim 5.

In the cruise control, the throttle opening is controlled so that the vehicle speed matches a target vehicle speed set by a manual operation of the driver or the like. In that case, in the above-described cooperative control device according to the present invention, the throttle opening is controlled as follows. FIG. 7 is a flow chart for explaining an example of this case. First, it is determined whether or not cruise control is being performed (step 31).
If the determination in step 31 is negative, the process returns.
If the determination is affirmative, the road gradient β ahead of the vehicle after the vehicle travels for a predetermined time is calculated (step 32). The calculation of the road gradient in step 32 is as follows.
The navigation device 6 detects the position of the own vehicle on the road, the vehicle speed at that time is detected by a sensor, and the position after traveling at the vehicle speed for a predetermined time is detected on the electronic map by the navigation device 6. This can be performed by reading the road gradient at the arrival position from data stored in advance.

Then, the throttle opening θ is calculated in consideration of the road gradient β (step 33). The throttle opening θ is calculated by θ (i) = Fw (i) + FB (i). Here, Fw (i) is a feedforward term, and Fw (i) = f (estimated vehicle acceleration at the present time + (sinβ−sin
α), the target vehicle speed Vt). That is, the throttle opening Fw (i) is calculated based on a function including the value obtained by adding the influence of the acceleration due to the road gradient to the estimated vehicle acceleration at the current time and the target acceleration as parameters.
Is calculated. Note that the estimated vehicle acceleration can be obtained from a calculated value by calculating a driving force from a current throttle opening degree using a map or the like. Α is the gradient of the current road.

On the other hand, FB (i) is a feedback term,

(Equation 1) Is required. That is, the deviation from the target vehicle speed (Vt-V (i
The throttle opening FB (i) is calculated by the N-th feedback according to -j)).

Therefore, the estimated vehicle acceleration is a value reflecting vehicle characteristics such as vehicle weight and engine output.
Since the feedforward term is calculated based on this and the road gradient ahead, the obtained throttle opening θ is a value that reflects not only the road gradient but also the vehicle characteristics. As a result, when the vehicle travels on the road gradient ahead at the target vehicle speed, the throttle opening, that is, the engine output, is set according to the characteristics of each vehicle, and the vehicle can travel comfortably without a feeling of insufficient acceleration. Will be possible.

In performing the control shown in FIG. 7, the vehicle reference acceleration is calculated by using a reference acceleration map, such as a map of the throttle opening and the vehicle speed, for the automatic transmission 2, an estimated engine torque value, and the like. In this case, an increase in memory can be suppressed by sharing data.

Although the present invention has been described based on specific examples, the present invention is not limited to the above examples. For example, an electric motor can be used as a power source, and in this case, the object to be controlled by the cruise control is the electric motor. It becomes the current value. In addition, when a hybrid vehicle having an internal combustion engine and an electric motor is targeted, since the electric motor assists the internal combustion engine while being driven at a constant output, the control target by the cruise control in that case is the electric current value of the electric motor. do it. Further, the present invention can be applied not only to an automatic transmission having five forward speeds, but also to a cooperative control device for a vehicle equipped with a stepped transmission having four, three, six or more forward gears or a continuously variable transmission. . Further, in the above example, a case has been described in which a predetermined gear position (gear ratio) is prohibited by the uphill / downhill control. However, the control for prohibiting the predetermined gear ratio that causes a gear shift is, in short, dependent on road conditions. It is only necessary to perform the gear ratio prohibition control based on the speed ratio, and the control is not limited to the uphill / downhill control.

[0069]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, when an increase in the output of the prime mover due to vehicle speed control and a downshift in the transmission due to a change in the output of the prime mover are detected, the speed change is performed. Since the input state of the torque to the machine is fixed to a predetermined state, there is no torque fluctuation during the so-called power-on downshift, or the torque fluctuation is stabilized, so that the shift shock is good.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, when a reduction in the output of the prime mover due to vehicle speed control and a downshift in the transmission are detected, the input state of torque to the transmission is fixed to a predetermined state. Therefore, there is no torque fluctuation during the so-called power-off / downshift, or the torque fluctuation is stabilized, so that the shift shock is improved.

Further, according to the third aspect of the invention, when the output of the prime mover is controlled so that the vehicle speed matches the target vehicle speed, a shift is caused by prohibiting or canceling the prohibition of the transmission based on road conditions. And, even in a state where the output of the prime mover is controlled by the vehicle speed control device so that the vehicle speed matches the target vehicle speed, control is performed to reduce the change in input torque to the transmission, and as a result,
Since there is no or little change in torque at the time of shifting that is not accompanied by a change in the running state, the shock at the time of shifting is improved.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the input torque to the transmission is maintained at a predetermined low torque at the time of an upshift that is not caused by a change in the running state. Also, since the inertia force associated therewith is reduced, it is possible to suppress the shift shock and improve the riding comfort.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, when the output of the prime mover is controlled to match the vehicle speed with the target vehicle speed, even if a shift occurs in the transmission, the speed is not changed. Since the output of the prime mover is controlled so as to reduce the shift shock without depending on the control by the vehicle speed control device, even if the control of the prime mover output for the control of the vehicle speed and the shift control are superimposed, the shift is not changed. Shock improves.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart for explaining a control example executed by a cooperative control device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a time chart schematically showing changes in throttle opening and input torque of an automatic transmission when the control shown in FIG. 1 is executed.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining another control example executed by the cooperative control device of the present invention.

4 is a time chart schematically showing changes in throttle opening and input torque of an automatic transmission when the control shown in FIG. 3 is executed.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining still another control example executed by the cooperative control device of the present invention.

6 is a time chart schematically showing changes in the throttle opening and the input torque of the automatic transmission when the control shown in FIG. 5 is executed.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart for calculating a throttle opening during cruise control based on road gradients and vehicle characteristics.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing in principle a cooperative control device of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an example of the navigation system.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Engine, 2 ... Automatic transmission, 3 ... Electronic control device for engines, 4 ... Electronic control device for automatic transmission, 5 ...
Cruise controller, 6 ... Navigation device.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page F-term (reference) AD04 AD09 AD17 AE01 AE03 AE06 AE14 AE15 AE19 AE21 AE27 3G093 AA05 BA03 BA23 CB08 CB10 DA05 DA06 DB01 DB05 DB11 DB12 DB15 DB18 EA09 EA13 EB03 EC01 FA02 FA03 FA04 FA07 FA10 FA12 FB00 KB01 JA01 KB01 JA02 NC04 ND01 ND02 ND07 ND42 NE01 NE06 NE12 NE16 PA11A PA11Z PE06A PE06Z PE08Z PE09A PE09Z PF00Z PF01Z PF03Z PF05Z PF08A PF08Z PF10Z PF15Z

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A vehicle speed control device for controlling the output of a prime mover to make the vehicle speed equal to a target vehicle speed, and a shift control device for controlling a gear ratio set by a transmission connected to the prime mover in accordance with a command signal. A speed-up detecting means for detecting control for increasing the output of the prime mover so that the vehicle speed is increased toward a target vehicle speed; and increasing the output of the prime mover. A downshift detecting means for detecting a downshift in the transmission, and a speed increasing control for increasing the speed toward a target vehicle speed is detected by the speed increasing detecting means, and the downshift is detected by the downshift detecting means. Input torque control means for fixing an input state of torque to the transmission to a predetermined state when detected. Control device for the vehicle speed control device and the transmission. 2. A vehicle speed control device for controlling the output of a prime mover to make the vehicle speed equal to a target vehicle speed, and a shift control device for controlling a gear ratio set by a transmission connected to the prime mover in accordance with a command signal. A deceleration detecting means for detecting control for reducing the output of the prime mover so that the vehicle speed is reduced toward a target vehicle speed; and Inputting torque to the transmission when the downshift detection means detects the speed reduction control for decelerating toward the target vehicle speed, and the downshift is detected by the downshift detection means. Input torque control means for fixing the state to a predetermined state, and a transmission speed control device and a transmission. Cooperative control device. 3. A vehicle speed control device for controlling the output of a prime mover to make the vehicle speed equal to a target vehicle speed, and a shift control device for controlling a speed ratio set by a transmission connected to the prime mover in accordance with a command signal. A vehicle speed control detecting means for detecting that the output of the prime mover is controlled by the vehicle speed control device, and setting any one of the gear ratios by the transmission. Speed ratio prohibiting means for prohibiting based on road conditions, the vehicle speed control detecting means detecting that the output of the prime mover is controlled by the vehicle speed control device, and the speed ratio by the speed ratio prohibiting means. Input torque control means for suppressing a change in the torque input to the transmission when a shift occurs with the prohibition of the prohibition or the release of the prohibition. A cooperative control device for a vehicle speed control device and a transmission. 4. The input torque control means includes means for maintaining the torque input to the transmission at a predetermined low torque when an upshift occurs with the release of the inhibition of the gear ratio. A cooperative control apparatus for a vehicle and a transmission according to claim 3, characterized in that: 5. A vehicle speed control device for controlling the output of a prime mover to make the vehicle speed equal to a target vehicle speed, and a shift control device for controlling a gear ratio set by a transmission connected to the prime mover according to a command signal. Output control detecting means for detecting that the vehicle speed control device is changing the output of the prime mover so as to change the vehicle speed toward a target vehicle speed, and the transmission A shift detecting means for detecting a shift in the vehicle; and a control of an output of the prime mover for matching a vehicle speed to a target vehicle speed is detected by the output control detecting means, and a shift in the transmission is detected by the shift detecting means. And input torque control means for setting the input state of torque to the transmission to a predetermined state for reducing shift shock. A cooperative control device between a vehicle speed control device and a transmission.