JP2006177442A - Acceleration/deceleration control unit - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a one-pedal type acceleration/deceleration control unit which can effectively prevent a busy-shift feeling of a continuously variable transmission which is liable to occur in such a running environment that acceleration/deceleration operation is repeatedly required. <P>SOLUTION: The acceleration/deceleration control unit controls acceleration/deceleration of a vehicle by forming a deceleration region and an acceleration region in an operating stroke of a single pedal so as to control a braking force generation device, a driving force generation device and the continuously variable transmission in accordance with the amount of operation of the pedal. In the acceleration/deceleration control unit, a driving force not smaller than a predetermined value which is needed ahead of the present position of the vehicle is estimated as a required estimated driving force from information concerning the operating state and/or the running environment of the vehicle, and the gear shift control of the continuously variable transmission is performed from a point short of the point where the required estimated driving force is to be generated so that the gear-ratio fluctuation resulting from the generation of the required estimated driving force can be prevented. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an acceleration / deceleration control device applied to a vehicle including a braking force generator, a driving force generator, and a continuously variable transmission that are controlled according to a single pedal operation.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a technique for controlling vehicle acceleration according to an operation amount of an accelerator pedal by a combination of an engine and a continuously variable transmission is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this prior art, the driving force for the accelerator response margin (margin driving force) determined based on the driving state and driving environment of the vehicle is added to the required driving force determined according to the amount of operation of the accelerator pedal to achieve the target The driving force is derived and the shift control of the continuously variable transmission is performed based on the target driving force.

There is also known an acceleration / deceleration control device that controls acceleration / deceleration in accordance with the operation of an accelerator pedal (see, for example, Patent Document 2).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-82084 JP 2000-205015 A

  By the way, in the system that controls the acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle according to the operation amount of one pedal (for example, an accelerator pedal) as in the prior art of Patent Document 2 described above, the acceleration region and the deceleration region are included in the stroke of the accelerator pedal. Both are formed, and when the accelerator pedal is operated by the driver, the target deceleration is determined according to the operation amount of the accelerator pedal, and the gear ratio of the continuously variable transmission (CVT) according to the target deceleration is determined. Will be decided.

  In such a system, for example, even in a driving environment that requires repeated acceleration / deceleration operations such as winding roads with continuous corners, it is possible to respond by operating only the accelerator pedal, so the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal can be repeatedly switched. It becomes unnecessary and the burden of pedal operation is reduced. However, in this case, the operation speed of the accelerator pedal repeatedly reciprocates between the acceleration region and the deceleration region, so that the speed ratio of the continuously variable transmission repeatedly reciprocates through the minimum value. This increases the busy feeling of fluctuations in the speed of the continuously variable transmission (and hence the engine speed).

  Therefore, the present invention forms a deceleration region and an acceleration region within an operation stroke of a single pedal, and controls the braking force generator, the driving force generator, and the continuously variable transmission according to the operation amount of the pedal. An acceleration / deceleration control device that controls acceleration / deceleration of a vehicle effectively suppresses the busy feeling of shifting of a continuously variable transmission that is likely to occur in a traveling environment where acceleration / deceleration operations are repeatedly required.

In order to solve the above problems, according to one aspect of the present invention, a deceleration region and an acceleration region are formed in an operation stroke of a single pedal, and a braking force generator and a driving force are generated according to the operation amount of the pedal. In an acceleration / deceleration control device for controlling the acceleration / deceleration of a vehicle by controlling a generator and a continuously variable transmission,
Based on information related to the driving state and / or traveling environment of the vehicle, a driving force that is greater than a predetermined value required ahead of the current vehicle position is estimated as a required estimated driving force, and the necessary estimated driving force should be generated. Provided is an acceleration / deceleration control device characterized in that gear change control of a continuously variable transmission is performed from a point before the point so as to suppress a change in gear ratio due to generation of the required estimated driving force.

  In this aspect, the shift in the direction in which the gear ratio of the continuously variable transmission is lowered may be suppressed from a point before the point where the necessary estimated driving force is to be generated. The suppression of the shift in the direction of decreasing the gear ratio of the continuously variable transmission may be performed for a process in which the pedal operation amount increases from the deceleration region to the acceleration region. Shift control of the continuously variable transmission includes determining an optimal gear ratio so as to follow a predetermined engine optimum fuel consumption line based on an operation amount of a pedal, and shifting in a direction to lower the gear ratio of the continuously variable transmission. This suppression state may be released when the optimum gear ratio exceeds the gear ratio corresponding to the required estimated driving force in the process of increasing the pedal operation amount.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a one-pedal acceleration / deceleration control device that can effectively suppress the busy feeling of shifting of a continuously variable transmission that is likely to occur in a traveling environment where acceleration / deceleration operations are required repeatedly. it can.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing an embodiment of an acceleration / deceleration control apparatus according to the present invention. The acceleration / deceleration control device 10 according to the present embodiment is configured around a target acceleration / deceleration calculation device 20 that determines a target acceleration / deceleration in accordance with the opening of an accelerator pedal.

The target acceleration / deceleration calculation device 20 includes a CAN (controller area).
Various electronic components in the vehicle (various sensors such as a vehicle speed sensor and various ECUs such as the navigation ECU 70) are connected via an appropriate bus such as a network. These various electronic components include an accelerator opening sensor 12 that detects the operation amount of the accelerator pedal, and a brake operation amount detection means 14 that detects the operation of the brake pedal.

  The target acceleration / deceleration calculation device 20 includes a drive torque manager 40 and a brake manager 50 that collectively control a drive force generation device (for example, an engine) and a braking force generation device (for example, a brake), respectively. The drive torque manager 40 and the brake manager 50 are similarly connected to the target acceleration / deceleration calculation device 20 via an appropriate bus such as CAN. In the case of an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, the driving force generator includes an electric motor for driving wheels.

  The accelerator opening sensor 12 is disposed in the vicinity of the accelerator pedal. The accelerator opening sensor 12 outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the accelerator pedal depression stroke amount (hereinafter referred to as “accelerator opening”) to the target acceleration / deceleration calculation device 20. Although the accelerator pedal of this embodiment will be described in detail below, it differs from a normal accelerator pedal having substantially only an acceleration region in that it has not only an acceleration region but also a deceleration region.

  The brake operation amount detection means 14 may be a sensor that detects the operation amount (operation stroke) of the brake pedal, but based on a sensor that detects the brake pedal force, a sensor that detects the master cylinder pressure, and the like, An operation amount may be detected. The brake pedal is a normal brake pedal that has only a deceleration region and may be operated to generate a deceleration that is greater than the maximum deceleration possible in the accelerator pedal deceleration region, for example.

  The target acceleration / deceleration calculation device 20 determines a target acceleration / deceleration to be generated in the vehicle based on the operation amount of the accelerator pedal, that is, the accelerator opening from the accelerator opening sensor 12.

  FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of the target acceleration / deceleration calculation device 20. The target acceleration / deceleration calculation device 20 is configured as a microcomputer including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like connected to each other via a bus (not shown). The ROM stores a program executed by the target acceleration / deceleration calculation device 20 and various data necessary for the program (for example, various AC-G maps described later).

As shown in FIG. 2, the target acceleration / deceleration calculation device 20 uses an AC-G map processing unit 22 in accordance with a map that defines the relationship between the accelerator opening and the target acceleration / deceleration (hereinafter referred to as “AC-G map”). The target acceleration / deceleration [m / s ² ] corresponding to the accelerator opening [%] is determined.

FIG. 3 shows some examples of the AC-G map described above. In the AC-G map shown in FIG. 3 (A), a deceleration region (target acceleration / deceleration <0) is provided in a range of 0 ≦ accelerator opening <AC1 (shallow operation region of the accelerator pedal), and AC2 ≦ accelerator opening. (Acceleration region where the accelerator pedal is deep) is provided with an acceleration region (target acceleration / deceleration> 0). Further, a reference operation region in which the target acceleration / deceleration is 0 is provided in the range of AC1 ≦ accelerator opening <AC2. The non-operating position of the accelerator pedal (accelerator opening = 0) belongs to the deceleration region, and the largest target deceleration _GACO is set in the example shown in FIG.

  In the deceleration region and the acceleration region, as shown in FIG. 3, the change gradient of the target acceleration / deceleration with respect to the accelerator opening is set to a predetermined value sufficiently larger than zero (however, it does not need to be a constant gradient and may be a variable value). Is done. On the other hand, in the reference operation region, the change gradient of the target acceleration / deceleration is set to zero.

  The reference operation area may be an area having a certain width (AC1 to AC2) as shown in FIG. 3A, but is not an area having a width as shown in FIG. There may be. In the latter case, as shown in FIG. 3B, the AC-G map has a linear pattern, and a deceleration region and an acceleration region are formed before and after the reference operation region AC3 where acceleration / deceleration is zero. become. Further, in this case, the change gradient of the target acceleration / deceleration before and after the reference operation region AC3 may have a gentler gradient than the deceleration region and the acceleration region, as shown in FIG. Hereinafter, for convenience, the description will be continued by taking the AC-G map shown in FIG. 3A as an example.

The target acceleration / deceleration [m / s ² ] is converted into output shaft torque [N · m] in the subsequent output shaft torque converter 23. This output shaft torque is added to the travel resistance torque calculated by the travel resistance torque calculation unit 24 and input to the braking / driving distribution unit 26 as the final target output shaft torque.

  In the running resistance torque calculation unit 24, the running resistance torque may be appropriately calculated based on the vehicle speed. At this time, the running resistance torque may be corrected by various factors such as road surface μ (friction force between the tire and the road) and / or road gradient (road surface gradient of the road). In this case, weather information such as rain and snow that may affect the road surface μ may be taken into consideration. Further, the road gradient may be detected by any appropriate method, for example, it may be detected using road gradient information that can be included in the map data of the navigation device, or from an external information providing center. It may be detected using the provided road gradient information.

  The braking / driving distribution unit 26 distributes the target output shaft torque to the drive output shaft torque and the braking output shaft torque, and determines the target drive output shaft torque and the target braking output shaft torque that realize the target output shaft torque. The target drive output shaft torque thus obtained is input to the drive torque manager 40. For example, the braking / driving distributing unit 26 may distribute the required braking output shaft torque to the target braking output shaft torque only when the deceleration larger than the engine braking region is required (that is, the deceleration that can be generated in the engine braking region). The brake force generator may be operated by the brake manager 50 only when greater deceleration is required). Alternatively, the target output shaft torque may be distributed to the target braking output shaft torque in such a manner that the engine speed in the fuel cut region is maintained.

  The target braking output shaft torque is converted into wheel shaft torque by the wheel shaft torque converting unit 28 and input to the brake manager 50 through the braking torque adjusting unit 36. The braking torque arbitration unit 36 arbitrates between the above-described wheel shaft torque (the wheel shaft torque in the deceleration region of the accelerator pedal) and the required braking torque by operating the brake pedal to determine the final target braking torque. . The target braking torque obtained in this way is input to the brake manager 50. The required braking torque is obtained by converting the required braking deceleration obtained from the map processing unit 32 into braking torque by the braking torque converting unit 34. The required braking deceleration is determined by the map processing unit 32 according to a map that defines the relationship between the brake pedal operation amount and the required braking deceleration.

  FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of the brake manager 50. The brake manager 50 is configured as a microcomputer including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like connected to each other via a bus (not shown).

  In the brake manager 50, as shown in FIG. 4, a target braking pressure according to the target braking torque is calculated in the target wheel braking pressure calculation unit 52, and brake braking pressure control is executed via the braking pressure control block 54. .

  FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of the drive torque manager 40. The drive torque manager 40 is configured as a microcomputer including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like connected to each other via a bus (not shown).

  In the drive torque manager 40, as shown in FIG. 5, a gear ratio according to the target drive torque is determined by the gear ratio determining unit 42, and the gear change execution means 44 executes the gear change of the continuously variable transmission according to the gear ratio. Is done. At the same time, the target engine torque calculation unit 46 determines the target engine torque, and various engine controls such as electronic throttle control, ignition advance / retard angle control, and fuel cut control are executed based on the target engine torque.

  The present invention can be applied to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) of any configuration. For example, a continuously variable transmission is a continuously variable transmission mechanism (see FIG. Stepwise shifting may be realized by changing the groove width of the pulley by hydraulic pressure.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the normal control that can be compared with the variation suppression control of the gear ratio of the continuously variable transmission, which will be described in detail below, and shows an example of the engine optimum fuel consumption line used in the normal control. During normal control, the drive torque manager 40 determines the target engine torque and the target engine speed so as to trace the engine optimum fuel consumption line (a preset high torque range with a good fuel consumption rate), as shown in FIG. Then, the gear ratio of the continuously variable transmission is determined according to the target engine speed.

  Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the speed ratio determined based on the accelerator opening during the normal control of the continuously variable transmission is referred to as “optimal speed ratio” (the calculated value). On the other hand, the speed ratio γ of the continuously variable transmission refers to an actual speed ratio realized by the speed changing means 44. Note that, during normal control, the continuously variable transmission is, as a rule, controlled by the shift execution means 44 so as to achieve the optimum gear ratio. Therefore, in the description of the normal control, the gear ratio γ = It may be considered as the optimum gear ratio.

  FIG. 7 is an image diagram showing a variation aspect of the speed ratio γ of the continuously variable transmission with respect to a change in accelerator opening during normal control.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, assuming a change mode (accelerator operation mode) in which the accelerator opening decreases from AC (t0) to AC (t1) and then increases to AC (t2). The speed change ratio γ of the continuously variable transmission follows the above change of the accelerator opening, and changes from γ (t0) to γ (t1) through the lowest speed change ratio γmin as shown in FIG. 7 (B). Then, with the increase in the accelerator opening, γ (t2) is reached again via the gear ratio γmin.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, since not only the acceleration of the vehicle but also the deceleration operation is given to the accelerator pedal, it is effective from the viewpoint of the operation burden and the reduction of the uninhabited distance, but 7 (B) shows a variation mode of the speed ratio γ of the continuously variable transmission, for example, in a traveling environment where frequent acceleration / deceleration operations are required, a frequent speed ratio reciprocation via the speed ratio γmin ( This is embodied as fluctuations in the engine speed associated therewith) and brings about the problem of shifting the busy continuously variable transmission.

  In this embodiment, the characteristic configuration described in detail below maintains a good acceleration response to the operation of the accelerator pedal in a scene where acceleration / deceleration is frequently required, and at the time of frequent acceleration / deceleration operations of the accelerator pedal. This suppresses the busy feeling of the speed ratio fluctuation of the continuously variable transmission.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a characteristic processing flow realized by the acceleration / deceleration control apparatus 10 of this embodiment.

  First, in step 101, various vehicle state quantities such as an accelerator pedal operation amount, a steering wheel operation amount, a vehicle speed, and a yaw rate are acquired.

  In step 102, it is determined based on the state of the mode selection switch 25 whether or not the pedal mode is one pedal mode. Here, the one-pedal mode refers to a mode in which both acceleration control and deceleration control are performed by operating the accelerator pedal based on the AC-G map as shown in FIG. On the other hand, the normal mode refers to a mode in which acceleration control is performed by operating the accelerator pedal and deceleration control is performed by operating the brake pedal. The characteristics of the accelerator pedal, that is, the characteristics of the above-mentioned AC-G map are mainly different between the normal mode and the one-pedal mode. In addition, since deceleration control is not performed by the accelerator pedal, arbitration during operation of the brake pedal is unnecessary, and the functions of the wheel shaft torque conversion unit 28 and the braking torque arbitration unit 36 are unnecessary (stopped state). . That is, in the normal mode, as in a normal vehicle, the deceleration control for the operation of the brake pedal and the acceleration control for the operation of the accelerator pedal are independently realized in a manner that does not interfere with each other.

  The mode selection switch 25 is a switch operated by the user to switch between the one-pedal mode and the normal mode, and is disposed near the steering column, for example, as a position where the driver can easily operate. Note that switching between the normal mode and the one-pedal mode is not limited to a user operation, and may be automatically realized according to, for example, the traveling environment of the vehicle.

  If it is determined in step 102 that the mode is a mode other than the one-pedal mode (typically the normal mode), it is determined that the control for suppressing variation in the gear ratio of the continuously variable transmission, which will be described in detail below, is unnecessary, and the processing is ended. In this case, normal control of the shift of the continuously variable transmission is realized in accordance with the optimum gear ratio as described above.

  When it is determined in step 102 that the current mode is the one-pedal mode, as step 103, ambient environment information is acquired from various sensors and the navigation ECU 70. As the surrounding environment information, various road information (e.g., road gradient, intersection information, corner information, etc.) included in the map database of the navigation device, the preceding vehicle based on the detection result of the front monitoring sensor (e.g., radar sensor or CCD camera), Forward information on obstacles, buildings, pedestrians, etc., various environmental information that can be provided through external center facilities and inter-vehicle communication (weather information such as weather and temperature, traffic jam information, regulatory information due to accidents and construction, etc.) ) As an example.

  In the subsequent step 104, the target acceleration / deceleration according to the operation amount of the accelerator pedal is determined in the AC-G map processing unit 22 in the manner described with reference to FIG.

  In the subsequent step 105, the estimated vehicle acceleration / deceleration (driving force) required in the future is predicted and calculated based on the surrounding environment information acquired in step 103. Hereinafter, the estimated driving force required in the future is referred to as “necessary estimated driving force”.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a method for calculating the required estimated driving force, and is a flowchart showing an example of the processing content of step 105 in the flowchart of FIG.

  In step 1501, ambient environment information is acquired from various sensors and the navigation ECU 70. For example, as corner information of the surrounding environment information, corner start and end points (coordinate values), radius of curvature R [m], cant α [%], turning angle θ [rad], etc. are supplied, and the traveling direction as road information Road gradient information of the road ahead may be supplied. In addition, as other surrounding environment information, as described above, forward information, information on a road surface state (snow accumulation, freezing), and the like may be supplied.

  In steps 1502 to 1505, based on the surrounding environment information acquired in step 1501, a scene that requires a relatively large required estimated driving force in front of the vehicle travel route is determined based on each predetermined determination condition for each scene. Prediction / determination is performed, and the required estimated driving force at that time is calculated according to the determination result (steps 1507 to 1511).

For example, when a corner ahead in the traveling direction is detected based on the current position of the vehicle and the map data (Yes in step 1502), the target vehicle speed Vtg during corner driving is derived based on the radius of curvature R, and the current vehicle speed Based on the travel mode detected from the above to the present, the required estimated driving force for reaching the target vehicle speed Vtg at the corner entrance and the necessary estimated driving force after the corner exit are calculated (step 1507). The target speed Vtg is based on the relationship of Gy = Vtg ² / R + α · g / 100, where Gy [m / s ² ] is an allowable limit value of a predetermined lateral acceleration (turning lateral acceleration). {R (Gy−α · g / 100)} ^1/2 may be derived (g is gravitational acceleration). The permissible limit value Gy is a design value that is set as appropriate in accordance with differences in driving performance and the like that differ for each vehicle type. However, the allowable limit value Gy may be a variable value, for example, a downward correction for users who place importance on safety. May be. The target speed Vtg may be generated in advance for each corner. In this case, the target speed Vtg of each corner is stored in a memory accessible by the acceleration / deceleration control device 10 like other surrounding environment information. It may be supplied as part of the information.

  Similarly, if a preceding vehicle is detected based on the forward information (affirmative determination in step 1503), an appropriate one is applied to the preceding vehicle based on the relative relationship with the preceding vehicle and the current traveling mode of the host vehicle. A necessary estimated driving force for maintaining a relative relationship is calculated (step 1508).

  In addition, when a forward road having a road surface gradient greater than or equal to a predetermined value is detected (Yes in step 1504), the vehicle travels at an appropriate speed based on the road surface gradient information and the current driving mode of the vehicle. Necessary estimated driving force is calculated (step 1509). The road surface gradient may be derived from the detection result of the rotation sensor system instead of or in addition to the road surface gradient information measured and stored in advance.

  In addition, based on other environmental information (for example, information on road surface conditions, road construction / regulation information, etc.), the necessary estimated driving force for traveling on the road ahead is similarly calculated (step 1510).

  When a plurality of necessary estimated driving forces are calculated in this way, arbitration is executed in step 1511, and the necessary estimated driving force having the highest necessary estimated gear ratio γ * (to be the lowest side) described later is selected. .

  If the judgment conditions in steps 1502 to 1505 do not apply, that is, for example, when there is a straight road without a road surface gradient, when a scene requiring acceleration / deceleration is not detected when traveling on the road ahead, the current drive The force is calculated as the necessary estimated driving force (step 1506).

  Returning to FIG. 8, when the required estimated driving force is calculated in step 105 as described above, in the subsequent step 106, it is determined whether the current operating state is a steady state or a transient state. Here, the steady state is a state in which the current vehicle state is in a steady running state or a deceleration process. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the current vehicle speed V is greater than a predetermined value V1P, and the current shift mode is If the accelerator pedal operation amount (accelerator opening) is not in the ascending process, assuming that it is not in sequential mode (a state in which manual shift changes are possible for sports driving) (for example, the accelerator opening AC (i) in this cycle) May be determined to be in the steady state if the accelerator opening is AC (i-1) or less in the previous cycle.

  If it is determined in step 106 that the current vehicle state is a steady state, in the subsequent step 107, normal control of the shift of the continuously variable transmission is realized in accordance with the optimum gear ratio as described above.

  On the other hand, the transient state is a state in which the current vehicle state is in the acceleration process. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the current vehicle speed V is larger than a predetermined value V1P, and the current shift mode is the sequential mode (sport driving). If the accelerator pedal operation amount (accelerator opening) is in the rising process (for example, the accelerator opening AC (i) of the current cycle is the accelerator of the previous cycle) If it is larger than the opening degree AC (i-1)), it may be determined to be in a transient state.

  If it is determined in step 106 that the current vehicle state is a transient state, in the following step 107, the determination is made in step 105 instead of the normal control of the gear ratio of the continuously variable transmission as described above with reference to FIG. Shift control of the continuously variable transmission based on the necessary estimated driving force (hereinafter referred to as “variation suppression control”) is executed. During the fluctuation suppression control, the gear ratio determination unit 42 of the drive torque manager 40 suppresses the gear shift in the direction of lowering the gear ratio of the continuously variable transmission.

  FIG. 11 is an image diagram showing a variation aspect of the gear ratio of the continuously variable transmission with respect to a change in the accelerator opening during the variation suppression control. For comparison with the normal control, the same accelerator described with reference to FIG. A variation aspect of the gear ratio with respect to a change in the opening degree is shown.

  As shown in FIG. 11 (A), when the accelerator opening decreases from AC (t0) to AC (t1) and then increases to AC (t2), the gear ratio of the continuously variable transmission is the variable suppression control. Following the above change in the accelerator opening, as shown in FIG. 11 (B), the speed change ratio γ (t0) reaches the speed change ratio γ (t1) via the lowest speed change ratio γmin. In the opening degree increasing process (the process indicated by the arrow Y in the figure and corresponding to the above-described transient state), the speed ratio γ (t1) is maintained until the speed ratio γ (t2) is shifted. That is, as indicated by an arrow Z in FIG. 11B, the gear ratio γ (t1) is directly shifted to the gear ratio γ (t2) after being held for an appropriate period. This is in contrast to the above-described normal control in which the speed ratio γ (t1) reaches the speed ratio γ (t2) again through the speed ratio γmin during the increase process.

  Here, the transmission gear ratio γ (t2) in FIG. 11 is a transmission gear ratio γ * (hereinafter referred to as “necessary estimated transmission gear ratio γ *”) determined based on the required estimated driving force estimated in step 105. If there is a fluctuation suppression control, the speed ratio of the continuously variable transmission is changed until the required estimated driving force is actually required by operating the accelerator pedal (that is, until the optimum speed ratio becomes the required estimated speed ratio γ *). The shift in the lowering direction is suppressed.

  As described above, in this embodiment, when it is predicted that a relatively large necessary estimated driving force is inevitably required in front of the vehicle travel route, there is no operation in conjunction with the accelerator pedal operation from the deceleration region to the acceleration region. Since the gear ratio of the stepped transmission is prevented from fluctuating, inefficiency fluctuation (the accompanying busy feeling) of the gear ratio of the continuously variable transmission is reduced.

  The relationship between the required estimated driving force and the required estimated gear ratio γ * may be defined in advance in the map, and is corrected as appropriate by factors such as the running resistance torque as in the case of deriving the optimum gear ratio. It's okay.

  The fluctuation suppression control state is switched to the normal control state of the continuously variable transmission as described above with reference to FIG. 6 (i.e., the suppression control state) at the stage when the required estimated driving force is actually reached. Is released). Therefore, in the previous example, in FIG. 11, when the accelerator opening further increases beyond AC (t2) after time t2, the speed ratio of the continuously variable transmission is the required estimated speed ratio according to the optimum speed ratio. On the other hand, when the accelerator opening decreases from AC (t2), the gear ratio of the continuously variable transmission is the optimum gear ratio. Accordingly, the shift to the gear ratio side (hi side) lower than the required estimated gear ratio γ * is made.

  In addition, the fluctuation suppression control state can be used even when a scene where the required estimated driving force is actually required does not arrive (i.e., when the prediction is not satisfied), or after the vehicle has passed through a predetermined point. The normal control state may be switched. In step 105, the predetermined time or the predetermined point is derived as an estimated time or point where the necessary estimated driving force (necessary estimated gear ratio γ *) is required based on the surrounding environment information, the current vehicle speed, or the like. It's okay.

  As shown in FIG. 11, when the required estimated gear ratio γ * is substantially the same as the gear ratio γ (t1) at the suppression start time t1, as described above, it is determined based on the amount of operation of the accelerator pedal. The gear ratio may be held at γ (t1) until the optimum gear ratio becomes the necessary estimated gear ratio γ *. On the other hand, if the required estimated gear ratio γ * is higher than the gear ratio γ (t1), the gear ratio is held at γ (t1) until the optimum gear ratio becomes γ (t1). Alternatively, it may be switched to the normal control state, or the gear ratio may be set to the necessary estimated gear ratio γ * at a predicted time or point where the necessary estimated driving force is required.

  FIG. 12 shows a continuous corner as an example of a scene to which the speed ratio fluctuation suppression control of the continuously variable transmission according to this embodiment is applied. In the figure, X1 to X10 indicate vehicle positions at the time of continuous corner traveling. As a premise, the target acceleration / deceleration calculation device 20 is supplied with the above-mentioned surrounding environment information (particularly corner information) and own vehicle speed information every predetermined period, and the target acceleration / deceleration calculation device 20 is always up-to-date. It is assumed that the process as shown in FIG. 8 is executed while calculating and grasping the vehicle position and the vehicle speed.

  In the straight section before the vehicle enters the continuous corner (vehicle positions X1, X2), normal control of the speed ratio of the continuously variable transmission is executed. When the accelerator pedal is depressed at the vehicle position X3 near the entrance of the continuous corner and the accelerator opening becomes smaller than AC1 in FIG. 3, the gear ratio γ shifts to the low side via the gear ratio γmin, and the deceleration is reduced. This is realized (corresponding to the gear ratio γ (t1) in FIG. 11). At the exit of the first corner, there is a second corner immediately after that. At the vehicle position X4, the accelerator pedal is depressed according to the required estimated driving force (<current driving force) calculated based on the corner information. Even so, the gear ratio γ is controlled to the low side (maintenance and fluctuation suppression).

  Here, in a comparatively long straight section (vehicle position X7) after the exit of the second corner, acceleration is predicted based on the above-mentioned surrounding environment information, and the straight section is an uphill slope. When it is estimated that a relatively large required estimated driving force is required, the above-described continuously variable transmission fluctuation suppression control is performed based on the required estimated driving force during turning of the second corner (vehicle position X6). Is started. Therefore, even when the accelerator pedal is depressed to increase the accelerator opening to between AC1 and AC2 in order to keep the acceleration / deceleration at zero when the turning of the second corner is started, the gear ratio γ on the low side is increased accordingly. Does not shift to the side (does not change toward the gear ratio γmin). When the vehicle reaches the second corner exit (vehicle position X7) and the accelerator pedal is depressed to the acceleration range and the accelerator opening exceeds AC2, the low-side gear ratio γ or the necessary estimated gear ratio γ that has been maintained. * Based on acceleration. The vehicle positions X8 and X9 are the same as the vehicle positions X5 and X6. From the vehicle position X10, it is assumed that there is no scene that requires a relatively large required estimated driving force for the time being, and the normal control is performed.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, even in a continuous corner where repeated acceleration / deceleration operations are required, it is not necessary to frequently switch between the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal, and the accelerator pedal operation position is appropriately set to the acceleration region and deceleration. By moving between the regions, the acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle can be adjusted with one accelerator pedal, and the operation burden is remarkably reduced. In addition, with regard to frequent fluctuations in the gear ratio (busy feeling) caused by repeated traffic between the acceleration area and the deceleration area of the accelerator pedal, a scene where a relatively large required estimated driving force is required is predicted, It is possible to effectively prevent the change in the gear ratio from being suppressed based on the necessary estimated gear ratio γ * to be realized when the scene arrives before the scene arrives.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Can be added.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the variable suppression control of the continuously variable transmission based on the required estimated driving force is performed in a transient state, that is, the accelerator, on the way to the scene where the required estimated driving force is actually required. It is executed in the process of increasing the opening, and is not executed in the process of decreasing the accelerator opening. This is the previous example shown in FIG. 11, in which the gear ratio is changed to the gear ratio γmin in the accelerator opening decreasing process from the gear ratio γ (t0) through the lowest gear ratio γmin to the gear ratio γ (t1). This is because it is advantageous from the viewpoint of fuel consumption. However, for the accelerator opening decreasing process in which the depression of the accelerator pedal is largely released, that is, the accelerator opening decreasing process in which the speed ratio γ (t1) exceeds a predetermined threshold in the previous example shown in FIG. The transmission ratio γ may be suppressed to be high so that the transmission ratio γ (t1) does not exceed the predetermined threshold.

  In the above-described embodiment, the stepless transmission fluctuation suppression control is executed only when a relatively large required estimated driving force equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value is calculated. Is not necessarily a predetermined value, and may be variable.

  In the above-described embodiment, the acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle is adopted as a physical quantity representing the movement of the vehicle in the front-rear direction. However, other physical quantities corresponding to the acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle on a one-to-one basis or other physical quantities related thereto are provided. Alternatively, the acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle may be used in combination with other physical quantities.

  In the above-described embodiment, the braking force generator and / or the driving force generator is controlled in an open loop by adding the running resistance torque to the target acceleration / deceleration determined by the target acceleration / deceleration calculation device 20. However, the present invention does not exclude performing feedback control based on vehicle speed information obtained from a vehicle speed sensor. It may also be useful to perform feedback control based on vehicle speed information so that the target acceleration / deceleration is achieved.

  Also, a plurality of AC-G maps having different characteristic patterns may be prepared, and these may be switched appropriately according to the traveling environment during vehicle traveling and the user's selection. Further, a filter may be applied to the target acceleration / deceleration (that is, annealing may be added) in order to absorb the shock at the time of switching (suppressing a step difference in the target acceleration / deceleration).

1 is a system configuration diagram showing an embodiment of an acceleration / deceleration control apparatus according to the present invention. 3 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of a target acceleration / deceleration calculation device 20. FIG. It is a figure which shows the some example of the AC-G map used by the AC-G map process part 22. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of a brake manager 50. FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of a drive torque manager 40. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the engine optimal fuel consumption line which may be used at the time of the normal control of the gear ratio of a continuously variable transmission. It is an image figure which shows the fluctuation | variation aspect of the gear ratio of a continuously variable transmission with respect to the change of the accelerator opening at the time of normal control. It is a flowchart which shows the characteristic process flow implement | achieved by the acceleration / deceleration control apparatus 10 by a present Example. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the processing content of step 105 in the flowchart of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the processing content of step 106 in the flowchart of FIG. It is an image figure which shows the fluctuation | variation aspect of the gear ratio of a continuously variable transmission with respect to the change of the accelerator opening at the time of fluctuation | variation suppression control. It is a figure which shows a continuous corner as an example of the scene where the fluctuation suppression control of the gear ratio of a continuously variable transmission by a present Example is applied.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Acceleration / deceleration control device 12 Accelerator opening sensor 20 Target acceleration / deceleration calculation device 25 Mode selection switch 40 Drive torque manager 50 Brake manager

Claims (4)

A deceleration region and an acceleration region are formed within the operation stroke of a single pedal, and the braking force generator, the driving force generator, and the continuously variable transmission are controlled according to the amount of operation of the pedal to control the acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle. In the acceleration / deceleration control device to be controlled,
Based on information related to the driving state and / or traveling environment of the vehicle, a driving force that is greater than a predetermined value required ahead of the current vehicle position is estimated as a required estimated driving force, and the necessary estimated driving force should be generated. An acceleration / deceleration control apparatus for performing a speed change control of a continuously variable transmission so as to suppress a change in a speed change ratio accompanying the generation of the necessary estimated driving force from a point before the point.   The acceleration / deceleration control device according to claim 1, wherein a shift in a direction in which a speed ratio of the continuously variable transmission is lowered is suppressed from a position before the point where the necessary estimated driving force is to be generated.   The acceleration / deceleration control according to claim 2, wherein the suppression of the shift in the direction of decreasing the speed ratio of the continuously variable transmission is executed with respect to a process in which the operation amount of the pedal increases from the deceleration region to the acceleration region. apparatus. The shift control of the continuously variable transmission includes determining an optimal gear ratio so as to follow a predetermined engine optimum fuel consumption line based on an operation amount of the pedal,
The state of suppression of shifting in the direction of decreasing the speed ratio of the continuously variable transmission is canceled when the optimum speed ratio exceeds the speed ratio corresponding to the required estimated driving force in the process of increasing the pedal operation amount. The acceleration / deceleration control device according to claim 3.

Images