JP2009286185A - Travel controller - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a travel controller performing travel control to avoid mileage reduction in consideration of battery SOC (State Of Charge). <P>SOLUTION: This travel controller having an engine 42 and a motor 43, the motor 43 operating as a power generator, and charging the battery 44 by regenerative control has: a target speed pattern generation part 10 dividing a distance to a prescribed spot into a plurality of sections, and generating a target speed pattern in each section; and a target speed pattern regeneration part 11 performing larger acceleration than acceleration prescribed in the target speed pattern in an acceleration section wherein acceleration is performed based on the target speed pattern, and performing deceleration by the regenerative control in a deceleration section wherein deceleration is performed based on the target speed pattern, when the SOC of the battery 44 is a first prescribed value or below. Thereby, the reduction of mileage can be avoided by an operation caused by an insufficient SOC state. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a travel control device that controls travel of a vehicle.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a device for controlling the traveling of a vehicle, a device that controls the traveling of the vehicle so as to improve fuel efficiency is known (for example, see Patent Document 1). The device of Patent Document 1 is intended to improve fuel efficiency in a hybrid vehicle using an engine and a motor as drive sources while maintaining the vehicle at a target speed. Specifically, an upper limit speed that is higher than the target speed and a lower limit speed that is lower than the target speed are set, the engine is accelerated to the set upper limit speed, and then the engine is stopped (inertia driving). After reaching the speed, the engine is started to run to accelerate to the upper limit speed. As described above, the apparatus of Patent Document 1 executes speed control that repeats acceleration and deceleration based on a target speed.
JP 2007-187090 A

  Here, a motor, which is one of the drive sources of the hybrid vehicle, uses a battery as a power source. Generally, there is a target value for the state of charge (SOC) of the battery, and it is determined whether or not to charge based on this target value. For this reason, in the conventional travel control device, there are cases where, for example, the engine needs to be operated because the SOC of the battery is insufficient even in a section where coasting is planned. Further, even in a section where the vehicle is scheduled to travel while performing regenerative control, the battery may be unable to be charged because it is fully charged. As described above, the conventional travel control device cannot perform the fuel-efficient travel as planned depending on the state of the SOC of the battery, and there is a possibility that the fuel efficiency improvement may be hindered.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve such a technical problem, and provides a travel control device capable of performing travel control that avoids a reduction in fuel consumption in consideration of the state of SOC of a battery. With the goal.

  That is, a travel control device according to the present invention is a travel control device for a vehicle that has an engine and a motor and is configured to be able to charge a battery by regenerative control by operating the motor as a generator. A target speed pattern generating means for generating a target speed pattern in each section by dividing into a plurality of sections, and an acceleration section that accelerates based on the target speed pattern when the SOC of the battery is equal to or less than a first predetermined value A target speed pattern regenerating means for regenerating a target speed pattern for performing deceleration by regenerative control in a deceleration section that performs acceleration greater than that specified in the target speed pattern and decelerates based on the target speed pattern Is done.

  In the present invention, after the predetermined speed pattern is generated, when the SOC of the battery is equal to or lower than the first predetermined value, the speed pattern is regenerated so as to increase the acceleration in the acceleration section. The kinetic energy in the acceleration section can be increased by increasing the vehicle speed due to the increased acceleration in the acceleration section. In this way, by controlling the generation timing of the kinetic energy necessary to compensate for the shortage of the SOC of the battery, the engine must be driven for charging in a traveling section where, for example, coasting is planned by stopping the engine. The situation can be avoided. For this reason, even if the SOC of the battery is insufficient, the vehicle can travel as planned, so that it is possible to avoid a decrease in fuel consumption due to an operation caused by the SOC insufficient state. In the present invention, the speed pattern is regenerated so as to perform deceleration by regenerative control during deceleration. By controlling the charging timing of the battery in this way, the average speed to a predetermined point can be increased as compared with the case where charging is performed during acceleration, that is, conversion into electrical energy simultaneously with the generation of dynamic energy. For this reason, it becomes possible to shorten the whole travel time. As a result, for example, the shortened travel time can be assigned to inertial traveling or low speed traveling with priority on fuel efficiency, so that it is possible to improve fuel efficiency in time for the determined arrival time.

  Here, the motor functions as a drive source by the electric power supplied from the battery, and the target speed pattern regenerating unit is configured so that when the SOC of the battery is greater than or equal to a second predetermined value greater than the first predetermined value, It is preferable to regenerate a target speed pattern for discharging by driving the motor in the deceleration zone.

  With this configuration, when the SOC of the battery is decreased by discharging by driving the motor in order to avoid the battery from being fully charged, it can be performed when traveling in the deceleration zone. Thereby, for example, a low fuel consumption target speed pattern that repeats acceleration and deceleration can be made a gentle target speed pattern by the driving force of the motor. Thus, by controlling the discharge timing, it is possible to charge the battery with the electric energy obtained by the regenerative control without waste, and to improve riding comfort.

  In addition, the target speed pattern regeneration means does not cause the following vehicle to discharge for driving the motor as a drive source when the SOC of the battery is equal to or greater than a second predetermined value that is greater than the first predetermined value. It is preferable to regenerate the target speed pattern to be prioritized in the section where the following vehicle exists rather than the section.

  With this configuration, when the SOC of the battery is reduced by discharging by driving the motor, the motor is driven preferentially in the section where the succeeding vehicle is present, so the low speed traveling is likely to affect the traveling of the succeeding vehicle. And wavelike driving | running | working can be approximated to constant speed driving | running | working with the drive force of a motor. Therefore, it is possible to avoid obstructing traffic flow while executing low fuel consumption traveling.

  Furthermore, when running control based on the target speed in each section defined by the target speed pattern, engine operating state information, speed over / under information indicating the difference between the vehicle speed and the target speed, and the battery SOC It is preferable to include a travel control means for performing feedback control based on any one of SOC excess / deficiency information indicating a difference between the target SOC and the target SOC.

  With this configuration, when feedback control is performed on the target speed defined by the generated or regenerated target speed pattern, execution with good fuel efficiency can be performed.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the traveling control which avoids a fuel consumption fall can be performed in consideration of the state of SOC of a battery.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, in each figure, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same or an equivalent part, and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.

(First embodiment)
The travel control device according to the first embodiment is a vehicle travel control device configured to be able to charge a battery by regenerative control, and includes, for example, a vehicle having an automatic driving function, a follow-up operation, a lane keeping operation, and the like. It is suitably used for a vehicle equipped with a driver support system.

  First, the configuration of the travel control device (travel control unit) according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a vehicle including a travel control unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. A vehicle 5 shown in FIG. 1 is a vehicle having an automatic driving function, and includes a hybrid system 4 including an engine 42, a motor 43, and a battery 44.

  The hybrid system 4 has a function of driving the vehicle 5 by driving two drive sources of the engine 42 and the motor 43 singly or in combination. That is, the hybrid system 4 is configured to be able to travel by inertia while the engine 42 is stopped, so-called glide traveling. The engine 42 is configured such that its output can be controlled by a throttle actuator such as an electronic throttle. The motor 43 has a function of being driven by electric power supplied from the connected battery 44 or electric power supplied via a generator (not shown). Moreover, the hybrid system 4 has a function of performing regenerative control in which a motor 43 is rotated to convert kinetic energy into electric energy by a regenerative brake or a generator. That is, the motor 43 also functions as a generator. The hybrid system 4 has a function of charging the battery 44 with the obtained electrical energy. The hybrid system 4 is connected to an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 2 described later, and has a function of performing drive control and regenerative control based on a signal output from the ECU 2.

  The vehicle 5 includes a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver 30, a sensor 31, an operation unit 32, a navigation system 33, an ECU 2, a steering actuator 40, and a brake actuator 41. Here, GPS is a measurement system using a satellite, and is preferably used for grasping the current position of the host vehicle. The ECU is an electronically controlled vehicle device computer, and includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory) memory, an input / output interface, and the like. Yes.

  The GPS receiver 30 has a function of receiving position information of the vehicle 5, for example. The GPS receiver 30 has a function of outputting the received position information to the ECU 2.

  The sensor 31 has a function of acquiring traveling environment information around the vehicle 5 and vehicle state information of the vehicle 5. Examples of the sensor 31 include a lane recognition sensor and an image sensor for recognizing a traveling lane of the vehicle 5, an electromagnetic wave sensor and a millimeter wave sensor for detecting obstacles and subsequent vehicles around the vehicle 5 and acquiring distance information, and a yaw rate. A yaw rate sensor that measures the SOC, a sensor that detects the SOC of the battery 44, a steering angle sensor that detects the steering angle and tire angle, an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration, a wheel speed sensor that measures wheel speed, and the like are used. The sensor 31 has a function of outputting the acquired information to the ECU 2.

  The operation unit 32 has a function of inputting conditions requested by the driver. As the operation unit 32, for example, an operation panel for inputting a target point, a target travel time, a ride comfort level, or the like is used. The operation unit 32 has a function of outputting the input information to the ECU 2.

  The navigation system 33 has a function of performing route guidance to a predetermined point (for example, a destination). In addition, the navigation system 33 has a function of reading road information near the currently running road from, for example, a map database, and outputting the road information to the ECU 2 as a navigation signal. Furthermore, the navigation system 33 has a function of outputting traffic information such as traffic light lighting information to the ECU 2 as a navigation signal.

  The ECU 2 includes a target speed pattern generation unit (target speed pattern generation unit) 10, a target speed pattern regeneration unit (target speed pattern regeneration unit) 11, a vehicle motion control unit 12, an acceleration / deceleration control unit 20, and a steering control unit 21. The travel control unit 1 is configured by the target speed pattern generation unit 10, the target speed pattern regeneration unit 11, and the vehicle motion control unit 12.

  The target speed pattern generation unit 10 has a function of generating a target speed pattern for the vehicle 5. The target speed pattern indicates a speed depending on, for example, time or distance. The target speed pattern generation unit 10 has a function of generating a target speed pattern (initial speed pattern) in each section by dividing a process up to a predetermined point into a plurality of sections. For example, the target speed pattern generation unit 10 has a function of dividing the journey to the destination into a plurality of sections based on the destination output by the operation unit 32, the map information output by the navigation system 33, and the like. Yes. And the target speed pattern generation part 10 produces | generates an initial speed pattern for every divided area based on the vehicle environment information around the vehicle 5 which the sensor 31 input, and the vehicle information stored in the memory of ECU2, for example. It has a function. For example, the target speed pattern generation unit 10 performs a speed pattern by an optimization process using a constraint condition that must be satisfied in traveling of the vehicle and an evaluation function including a term for evaluating an item to be emphasized. It has the function to generate. When the item to be emphasized is fuel efficiency, an initial speed pattern with low fuel consumption can be generated by including, for example, a term for evaluating the thermal efficiency of the engine 42 in the evaluation function. This low fuel consumption initial speed pattern is a slow speed pattern of, for example, about 20 km / h, or a wave-like speed pattern that repeats an accelerating section and a decelerating section, based on the evaluation of the thermal efficiency of the engine 42. In the acceleration section, the engine 42 is generated under the best thermal efficiency. In the deceleration section, the engine 42 is stopped, so-called glide driving. Further, the target speed pattern generation unit 10 has a function of outputting the generated initial speed pattern to the target speed pattern regeneration unit 11.

  The target speed pattern regeneration unit 11 has a function of regenerating the initial speed pattern generated by the target speed pattern generation unit 10. For example, when the SOC of the battery 44 is equal to or less than the shortage reference value (first predetermined value), acceleration that is greater than the acceleration defined in the initial speed pattern is performed in the acceleration section that accelerates based on the initial speed pattern, and the initial It has a function of regenerating a target speed pattern (charging speed pattern) that performs deceleration by regenerative control in a deceleration section that decelerates based on the speed pattern. Here, for example, a value obtained by subtracting an allowable shortage amount from the SOC target value of the battery 44 is set as the shortage reference value. When the SOC is displayed as a ratio with respect to the total capacity as the shortage reference value, for example, 50% to 40% is used. In the following, the SOC is displayed as a ratio to the total capacity. The incremental acceleration amount is determined by normal HV control of the hybrid system 4. Further, the target speed pattern regeneration unit 11 has a function of outputting the regenerated speed pattern to the vehicle motion control unit 12.

  The vehicle motion control unit 12 has a function of calculating steering control information and acceleration / deceleration control information based on the target speed pattern, the surrounding traveling environment from the sensor 31 and the traveling state of the host vehicle. The vehicle motion control unit 12 has a function of generating control information using a speed pattern selected by the ECU 2 out of the initial speed pattern and the charging speed pattern. The speed pattern is selected by the ECU 2 based on the traffic information output by the navigation system 33, for example. Further, the vehicle motion control unit 12 has a function of outputting the calculated steering control information to the steering control unit 21 and outputting the calculated acceleration / deceleration control information to the acceleration / deceleration control unit 20. Further, the vehicle motion control unit 12 has a function of outputting timing information for discharging or charging the battery 44 to the hybrid system 4 by driving or operating the motor 43 as a generator. For example, the vehicle motion control unit 12 has a function of outputting a command signal for operating the regenerative brake to the hybrid system 4 in the deceleration zone of the charging speed pattern.

  The acceleration / deceleration control unit 20 generates a signal for controlling the hybrid system 4 and the brake actuator 41 based on the acceleration / deceleration control information output by the vehicle motion control unit 12, and the generated control signal is transmitted to the hybrid system 4 and It has a function of outputting to the brake actuator 41. Here, as the brake actuator 41, for example, in the case of a hydraulic brake, a valve or the like for adjusting the brake hydraulic pressure of each wheel is used.

  The steering control unit 21 has a function of generating a signal for controlling the steering actuator 40 based on the steering control information output by the vehicle motion control unit 12 and outputting the generated control signal to the steering actuator 40. . The steering actuator 40 is a mechanical component that controls traveling of the vehicle, and for example, a steering angle control motor or the like is used.

  Next, the operation of the travel control unit 1 according to the first embodiment will be described. 2 and 3 are flowcharts showing the operation of the travel control unit 1 according to the first embodiment. The control process shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is repeatedly executed at a predetermined timing after, for example, the ignition is turned on or a start button provided in the vehicle 5 is turned on.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the traveling control unit 1 starts from an initial speed pattern generation process (S10). The process of S10 is a process executed by the target speed pattern generation unit 10 to generate an initial speed pattern. For example, the target speed pattern generation unit 10 divides the journey to the destination into a plurality of sections based on the destination acquired by the operation unit 32, the map information output by the navigation system 33, and the like. Then, for example, an initial speed pattern is generated by an optimization process using an evaluation function including a term for evaluating an item to be emphasized. Hereinafter, an example in which a low fuel consumption speed pattern is generated will be described in consideration of ease of understanding. For example, the target speed pattern generation unit 10 inputs vehicle information stored in the memory of the ECU 2 and sets a constraint condition. As vehicle information, for example, vehicle acceleration performance, vehicle deceleration performance, vehicle weight, maximum allowable acceleration, maximum allowable deceleration, maximum allowable jerk, maximum speed, maximum lateral acceleration, maximum steering wheel angular velocity, minimum steady speed, minimum steady acceleration, minimum The steady jerk, the number of acceleration / deceleration changes during acceleration / deceleration, emergency brake performance, failure determination time, speed control error, and position control error are used. These values are set according to the specification information, the driver's request input from the operation unit 32, learning, and the like.

  Next, an initial speed pattern with low fuel consumption is generated by an optimization process using a travel time and an evaluation function including a term for evaluating engine output thermal efficiency. An example of the generated initial velocity pattern is shown in FIG. The graph shown in FIG. 4 is a speed pattern in which the horizontal axis indicates time and the vertical axis indicates speed. The speed pattern shown in FIG. 4A is a speed pattern of a short time from the start time t0 by blue lighting to the stop time t6 by red lighting until the vehicle 5 starts and stops. By connecting such speed patterns, the speed pattern to the destination is completed. In FIG. 4 (a), an acceleration section T1 from time t0 to time t1, a wavy traveling section T2 from time t1 to time t3, a wavy traveling section T3 from time t3 to time t5, and a deceleration section from time t5 to time t6. A speed pattern with low fuel consumption is generated by dividing into four sections of T4. The wavy travel sections T2 and T3 include deceleration sections T2a and T3a and acceleration sections T2b and T3b. By continuing the wavy travel sections, the deceleration sections and the acceleration sections are alternately repeated. The traveling in the deceleration sections T2a, T3a, T4 is so-called glide traveling, and the engine 42 is stopped. When the target speed pattern generation unit 10 generates a speed pattern, the process of S10 ends, and the process proceeds to the SOC confirmation process (S12).

  The process of S12 is a process executed by the target speed pattern regeneration unit 11 to determine whether or not the SOC of the battery 44 is insufficient. For example, the target speed pattern regeneration unit 11 determines whether the SOC input from the sensor 31 is equal to or less than the shortage reference value. For example, 40% is used as the shortage reference value. In the process of S12, when it is determined that the SOC is not insufficient, the routine proceeds to a normal travel control process (S14).

  The process of S14 is a process executed by the ECU 2 and performing a normal speed control process. The normal speed control process is a process for performing steering control and acceleration / deceleration control without considering the SOC of the battery 44. For example, in the case of running with low fuel consumption, the vehicle speed, acceleration, and the like that are the best in fuel efficiency are calculated and controlled. Moreover, you may drive | work using the initial speed pattern set by the process of S10. When the process of S14 ends, the control process shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 ends.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in the process of S12 that the SOC is insufficient, the process proceeds to a full regeneration state determination process (S16). The process of S16 is a process that is executed by the hybrid system 4 and determines whether or not it is in the full regeneration state. Whether or not the target speed pattern regeneration unit 11 decelerates at the maximum deceleration allowed by the hybrid system 4 in the deceleration sections T2a, T3a, and T4 of the initial speed pattern shown in FIG. It is determined whether it is in a full regeneration state. The maximum deceleration is a regeneration at which the input density limit of the battery 44 is limited, that is, a deceleration at which full regeneration is performed. For example, -0.2G is used. If it is determined in the process of S16 that the battery is in the full regeneration state, the process proceeds to the first charging speed pattern generation process (S18).

  The process of S18 is a process executed by the target speed pattern regeneration unit 11 to regenerate the target speed pattern. The target speed pattern regeneration unit 11 increases the output of the engine 42 in the acceleration sections T1, T2b, and T3b of the initial speed pattern, and performs deceleration by regenerative control instead of gliding in the deceleration sections T2a, T3a, and T4 of the initial speed pattern. The speed pattern (first charging speed pattern) is regenerated to be performed. The amount of increase in the output of the engine 42 is determined by normal HV control of the hybrid system 4, and is set such that, for example, the SOC becomes a reference value. An example of the generated first charging speed pattern is shown in FIG. FIG. 4B is the same coordinate system as FIG. 4A, and is regenerated in the process of S18 based on the initial velocity pattern shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4B, the output of the engine 42 is increased in the acceleration sections T1, T2b, and T3b to increase the final speed in the acceleration section from v2 to v3. In this way, when it is predicted that the engine 42 cannot be stopped due to charging because the SOC is insufficient, the speed is increased in the acceleration sections T1, T2b, and T3b in which the engine 42 is driven in order to control the charging timing. Thus, regenerative control can be performed in the deceleration sections T2a, T3a, and T4. As a result, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the engine 42 cannot be stopped in the deceleration sections T2a, T3a, T4 in which the engine 42 is stopped. Further, since the acceleration is accelerated and the speed is increased in the acceleration sections T1, T2b, and T3b, when the section is defined by the distance, the time to reach the end of the acceleration section can be shortened. For this reason, the shortened time can be allocated to the traveling time of the deceleration sections T2a, T3a, T4. That is, when the engine 42 is driven, the engine 42 moves fast, and when the engine 42 is stopped, it takes time to move the engine 42, so that it can take time to stop the engine 42 with good fuel consumption. It becomes possible to plan. When the process of S18 ends, the process proceeds to a SOC shortage confirmation process (S20).

  The process of S20 is a process executed by the ECU 2 to determine whether or not the SOC is significantly insufficient. The ECU 2 calculates the SOC shortage from the difference between the current SOC and the shortage reference value, and determines whether or not the SOC is significantly insufficient by determining whether the SOC shortage is equal to or less than a predetermined value. . For example, 30% is used as the predetermined value. In the process of S20, when it is determined that the SOC shortage is equal to or less than the predetermined value, that is, when it is determined that the SOC is not significantly short, the process proceeds to a traffic light determination process (S22).

  The process of S22 is executed by the ECU 2, and based on the traffic information output from the navigation system 33, whether or not the previous signal can be passed when the initial speed pattern generated by the process of S10 is adopted is determined by the process of S18. This is a process for determining whether or not the immediately preceding signal can be passed when the generated first charging speed pattern is adopted. For example, information including the switching time of the lighting color is used as the traffic information. In the process of S22, if it is determined that the initial speed pattern is adopted and the previous speed signal can be passed by adopting the initial speed pattern with a red signal, or if it is unavoidable that any speed pattern stops at the traffic light. Then, the process proceeds to the initial speed pattern adoption process (S24).

  The process of S24 is a process executed by the vehicle motion control unit 12 and traveling using the initial speed pattern generated in the process of S10. As described above, when the SOC shortage is not significant, it is possible to avoid energy loss due to charging by refraining from charging the battery 44 as much as possible. When the process of S24 is finished, the control process shown in FIGS.

  On the other hand, in the process of S20, when it is determined that the SOC is remarkably insufficient, the process proceeds to the first charging speed pattern adoption process (S26). The process of S26 is a process that is executed by the vehicle motion control unit 12 and travels using the first charging speed pattern generated by the process of S18. When the process of S26 ends, the control process shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 ends.

  In the process of S22, when the initial speed pattern is adopted, the previous signal cannot be passed, and when the first charge speed pattern is adopted, the previous signal can be passed, Shifting to the first charging speed pattern adoption process giving priority to time (S26).

  Further, in the process of S16, when it is determined that the state is not the full regeneration state, the process proceeds to the full regeneration speed pattern generation process (S28 in FIG. 3). The process of S28 is a process which the target speed pattern regeneration part 11 performs, and produces | generates the speed pattern (full regeneration speed pattern) at the time of making the whole deceleration area into a full regeneration state. For example, in the deceleration sections T2a, T3a, and T4 in FIG. 4A, the target speed pattern is generated so as to decelerate with the reduced acceleration that performs the regeneration of the input density limit of the battery 44. Information and methods necessary for generating the target speed pattern are the same as those in S10. When the process of S28 ends, the process proceeds to the energy calculation process (S30).

The process of S30 is a process executed by the ECU 2 to calculate the regenerative energy of each section. First, the ECU 2 calculates the regenerative energy U of the entire deceleration zone when the full regenerative speed pattern is adopted. Here, when the vehicle mass is m, the initial speed in the deceleration section is Vs, the final speed in the deceleration section (initial speed in the acceleration section) is Ve, the regenerative deceleration is a _k1 , and the full regenerative deceleration is a _f The regenerative energy of Un (n: integer) is expressed as in Equation 1 below.

^{Un = m · (Vs 2 -Ve} 2) · a k1 / a f ... (1)

The regenerative energy U of the entire deceleration section can be obtained by the sum of the regenerative energy Un of each section. The vehicle mass m is set in advance based on, for example, specification information. Next, the ECU 2 calculates the regenerative energy Us of the entire deceleration section when the initial speed pattern is adopted. Here, the vehicle mass m, the initial velocity of the deceleration zone V2, the terminal velocity of the deceleration zone (the initial rate of acceleration interval) V1, when the regenerative deceleration a _k2, the maximum regenerative braking deceleration and a _f, each section The regenerative energy of Usn (n: integer) is expressed as shown in Equation 2 below.

^{Usn = m · (V2 2 -V1} 2) · a k2 / a f ... (2)

  The regenerative energy Us of the entire deceleration section can be obtained by the sum of the regenerative energy Usn of each section. Next, the ECU 2 calculates the expected increase energy Uz. The expected increase energy Uz indicates energy that increases when the full regeneration state is assumed. This expected increase energy Uz is expressed as the following Expression 3.

  Uz = U−Us (3)

  Next, the ECU 2 calculates the SOC surplus expected energy Uu. The SOC surplus expected energy Uu indicates the surplus energy after the SOC shortage E is compensated with the expected increase energy. This SOC surplus potential energy Uu is expressed by the following Equation 4.

  Uu = Uz−E (4)

  After calculating the SOC surplus potential energy Uu, the ECU 2 ends the process of S30 and proceeds to the charge prediction determination process (S32).

  The process of S32 is a process executed by the ECU 2 to determine whether or not the SOC can be recovered to the target SOC. The target SOC is a predetermined value set in advance, for example, 50%. If the SOC surplus potential energy Uu calculated using Equation 4 is negative, the ECU 2 determines that the target SOC cannot be charged, and proceeds to the second charging speed pattern generation process (S34).

  The process of S34 is a process executed by the target speed pattern regeneration unit 11 to regenerate the target speed pattern. This process is the same as the process of S18, and a second speed pattern similar to the first charging speed pattern is regenerated. When the process of S34 ends, the process proceeds to a SOC shortage confirmation process (S36).

  The process of S36 is a process that is executed by the ECU 2 and determines whether or not the SOC is significantly insufficient. This process is the same as the process of S20. If it is determined in the process of S36 that the SOC is not significantly insufficient, the process proceeds to a traffic light determination process (S38).

  The process of S38 is executed by the ECU 2, and based on the traffic information output from the navigation system 33, whether or not the previous signal can be passed when the initial speed pattern generated in the process of S10 is adopted is determined by the process of S34. This is a process for determining whether or not the immediately preceding signal can be passed when the generated second charging speed pattern is adopted. This process is the same as the process of S22. In the process of S38, if it is determined that the initial speed pattern is adopted and the immediately preceding signal can be passed by adopting the initial speed pattern with a red signal, or if it is unavoidable that any speed pattern stops at the traffic light. The process proceeds to the initial speed pattern adoption process (S40).

  The process of S40 is a process executed by the vehicle motion control unit 12 and running using the initial speed pattern generated in the process of S10. Thus, when there is no remarkable SOC shortage, energy loss due to charging can be avoided by refraining from charging the battery 44 as much as possible. When the process of S40 ends, the control process shown in FIGS.

  On the other hand, when it is determined in the process of S36 that the SOC is extremely insufficient, the process proceeds to the second charge rate pattern adoption process (S42). The process of S42 is a process that is executed by the vehicle motion control unit 12 and travels using the second charging speed pattern generated by the process of S34. When the process of S42 ends, the control process shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 ends.

  In the process of S38, when the initial speed pattern is adopted, the previous signal cannot be passed, and when the second charge speed pattern is adopted, the previous signal can be passed, The time is given priority and the process proceeds to the second charging speed pattern adoption process (S42).

  Further, in the process of S32, when the SOC surplus expected energy Uu calculated using Expression 4 is positive, it is determined that the target SOC can be charged, and the process proceeds to the full regeneration speed pattern adoption process (S44). . The process of S44 is a process executed by the vehicle motion control unit 12 and running using the full regenerative speed pattern generated by the process of S28. When the process of S44 ends, the control process shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 ends.

  The control processing shown in FIGS. By executing the control processing shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, it is possible to avoid a reduction in fuel consumption due to an operation caused by an insufficient SOC state. For example, in the prior art, even if the vehicle is scheduled to run in a wave shape as shown in FIG. 4A, the engine 42 is forcibly started in the sections T2a, T3a, and T4 scheduled for glide travel due to insufficient SOC. There is a case. For this reason, it may not be possible to run as planned. On the other hand, the travel control unit 1 according to the first embodiment, for example, shown in FIG. 4B when the SOC of the battery 44 is scheduled to be below the shortage reference value after generating a predetermined speed pattern. As described above, the speed pattern is regenerated so as to increase the acceleration in the sections T1, T2b, and T3b. For this reason, it is possible to increase the kinetic energy in the acceleration section by increasing the vehicle speed by the increased acceleration in the acceleration section. The increased kinetic energy can be charged to the battery 44 by regeneration. In this way, by controlling the generation timing of the kinetic energy necessary to compensate for the shortage of the SOC of the battery 44, for example, the engine 42 must be driven for charging in a traveling section where the engine 42 is scheduled to stop traveling. It is possible to avoid a situation that does not occur. For this reason, even if the SOC of the battery 44 is insufficient, the vehicle can travel as planned, so that it is possible to avoid a decrease in fuel consumption due to an operation caused by the SOC insufficient state. Furthermore, by regenerating the speed pattern so as to perform deceleration by regenerative control during deceleration, the charging timing of the battery 44 is controlled, and when charging during acceleration, that is, when dynamic energy is generated, it is converted into electrical energy. Compared to the case, the average speed to the destination can be increased. Therefore, the time t0 to t1, t2 to t3, and t4 to t5 required for acceleration are shortened, and the shortened time is allocated to the running times t1 to t2, t3 to t4, and t5 to t6 due to the engine 42 being stopped. 42 The stop time can be extended to t6 to t2, t8 to t4, and t9 to t6. This makes it possible to improve fuel efficiency in time for the stop time (arrival time) t6.

(Second Embodiment)
The travel control device (travel control unit) according to the second embodiment is configured in substantially the same manner as the travel control unit 1 according to the first embodiment, and considers an excess of SOC compared to the travel control unit 1. The difference is that the generated velocity pattern is regenerated. In the second embodiment, the description of the same parts as those in the first embodiment will be omitted, and the differences will be mainly described.

  The configuration of the vehicle including the travel control unit according to the present embodiment is the same as that of the vehicle including the travel control unit 1 according to the first embodiment. The travel control unit according to the present embodiment is configured in substantially the same manner as the travel control unit 1 according to the first embodiment, and some of the functions of the target speed pattern regeneration unit 11 are different.

  The target speed pattern regeneration unit 11 has a function of regenerating the initial speed pattern generated by the target speed pattern generation unit 10. For example, when the SOC of the battery 44 is equal to or greater than the excess reference value (second predetermined value), a target speed pattern (for discharging the battery 44 by driving the motor 43 in the deceleration zone where the deceleration is performed based on the initial speed pattern) (Charge rate pattern) is regenerated. Here, the excess reference value is larger than the shortage reference value. For example, a value obtained by adding an allowable excess amount from the SOC target value of the battery 44 is set. For example, 70% is used as the excess reference value. Further, the target speed pattern regeneration unit 11 determines whether or not there is a following vehicle based on the sensor 31 or the navigation system 33, and discharges the motor 43 by driving the following vehicle more than the section where there is no following vehicle. It has a function of regenerating a target speed pattern that is preferentially performed in an existing section. Here, the amount of electricity discharged to drive the motor 43 is determined by normal HV control of the hybrid system 4. Other functions are the same as those of the target speed pattern regeneration unit 11 according to the first embodiment.

  Next, the operation of the travel control unit according to the second embodiment will be described. 5 and 6 are flowcharts showing the operation of the travel control unit according to the second embodiment. The control process shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is repeatedly executed at a predetermined timing after, for example, the ignition is turned on or the start button provided in the vehicle 5 is turned on.

  When the control process shown in FIG. 5 is started, the traveling control unit starts from an initial speed pattern generation process (S50). The process of S50 is a process executed by the target speed pattern generation unit 10 to generate an initial speed pattern. This process is the same as the process of S10 in FIG. 2, and for example, a speed pattern as shown in FIG. 7A is generated. When the process of S50 ends, the process proceeds to the SOC confirmation process (S52).

  The process of S52 is a process executed by the target speed pattern regeneration unit 11 to determine whether or not the SOC of the battery 44 is exceeded. For example, the target speed pattern regeneration unit 11 determines whether the SOC input from the sensor 31 is greater than or equal to the excess reference value. For example, 70% is used as the excess reference value. If it is determined in the process of S12 that the SOC has not exceeded, the routine proceeds to a normal travel control process (S68).

  The process of S68 is a process executed by the ECU 2 and performing a normal speed control process. The normal speed control process is a process for performing steering control and acceleration / deceleration control without considering the SOC of the battery 44. For example, in the case of running with low fuel consumption, the vehicle speed, acceleration, and the like that are the best in fuel efficiency are calculated and controlled. Moreover, you may drive | work using the initial speed pattern set by the process of S50. When the process of S68 ends, the control process shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 ends.

  On the other hand, in the process of S52, when it is determined that the SOC has exceeded, the process proceeds to the wavy traveling determination process (S54). The process of S54 is a process executed by the target speed pattern regeneration unit 11 to determine whether or not the vehicle is traveling in a wavy manner. For example, in the initial speed pattern shown in FIG. 7A, sections T2 and T3 are sections that run in a wavy manner, and section T1 that is executing start acceleration and section T4 that is performing a deceleration stop is a section that runs in a wavy manner. It is determined that it is not. If it is determined in the process of S54 that the vehicle is not traveling in a wavy manner, the process proceeds to a normal travel control process (S68). In this way, even if the SOC is exceeded, the output of the engine 42 is directly used as the driving force during acceleration, so that loss due to energy conversion can be reduced and the vehicle can travel efficiently. On the other hand, if it is determined in the process of S54 that the vehicle is traveling in a wavy manner, the process proceeds to an inter-vehicle distance confirmation process (S56).

  The process of S56 is a process executed by the target speed pattern regeneration unit 11 to determine whether or not the inter-vehicle distance with the following vehicle is long. For example, the ECU 2 inputs information on the following vehicle from the sensor 31 or the navigation system 33, and determines whether the inter-vehicle distance with the following vehicle is larger than a predetermined value in the wavy running sections T2 and T3. For example, 100 m is used as the predetermined value. In the process of S56, when it is determined that the inter-vehicle distance with the following vehicle is long, the process proceeds to an acceleration determination process (S58).

  The process of S58 is a process executed by the target speed pattern regeneration unit 11 to determine whether or not the vehicle is accelerating. The ECU 2 determines that the vehicle is accelerating when traveling in the acceleration sections T2b and T3b in the wavy traveling sections T2 and T3, and is decelerating when traveling in the deceleration sections T2a and T3a. Is determined. If it is determined in step S58 that the vehicle is not accelerating, the routine proceeds to normal travel control processing (S68). In this way, even if the SOC is exceeded, the output of the engine 42 is directly used as the driving force during acceleration, so that loss due to energy conversion can be reduced and the vehicle can travel efficiently. On the other hand, in the process of S58, when it is determined that the vehicle is not accelerating, the process proceeds to a constant speed speed pattern generation process (S60).

  The process of S60 is a process executed by the target speed pattern regeneration unit 11 to generate a constant speed speed pattern. The target speed pattern regenerator 11 is a constant speed when the motor 43 is driven to drive so that the sections T2 and T3 have a constant speed in the deceleration sections T2a and T3a in the initial speed pattern generated in the process of S50, for example. Generate a velocity pattern. When the process of S60 ends, the process proceeds to a final SOC confirmation process (S62).

  The process of S62 is a process executed by the ECU 2 to determine whether or not the SOC at the final stop point is equal to or less than the target charge amount. The ECU 2 determines whether or not the SOC at the stop time t6 when traveling by driving the motor 43 is equal to or less than the target charge amount. The target charge amount is a predetermined value, for example, 50% is used. If it is determined in the process of S62 that the charge amount is equal to or less than the target charge amount, the process proceeds to an initial speed pattern adoption process (S64).

  The process of S64 is a process that is executed by the vehicle motion control unit 12 and travels using the initial speed pattern generated by the process of S50. When the vehicle charge control unit 12 becomes equal to or less than the target charge amount at the stop point, the vehicle motion control unit 12 travels by adopting, for example, an initial speed pattern that travels in a wave. Thus, since the SOC charge is required again when the charge is below the target charge amount at the stop point due to the discharge by driving the motor 43, the charging is performed by adopting the initial speed pattern that does not perform the discharge by driving the motor 43. It is possible to avoid the occurrence of energy conversion loss due to. When the process of S64 ends, the control process shown in FIGS.

  On the other hand, in the process of S62, when it is determined that it is not less than the target charge amount, the process proceeds to the constant speed pattern adoption process (S66). The process of S66 is a process that is executed by the vehicle motion control unit 12 and adopts the constant speed pattern generated in the process of S60. As described above, even if the motor 43 is discharged in all the deceleration sections T2a and T3a, a situation where the SOC needs to be charged again does not occur immediately if the target charge amount is satisfied at the final stop point. Adopt a constant speed pattern. When the processing of S66 ends, the control processing shown in FIGS.

  Further, in the process of S56, when it is determined that the inter-vehicle distance with the following vehicle is not long, the process proceeds to a constant speed speed pattern generation process (S70 in FIG. 6). The process of S70 is a process executed by the target speed pattern regeneration unit 11 to generate a constant speed speed pattern. This process is the same as the process of S60. When the constant speed pattern is generated, the process of S70 ends and the process proceeds to the final SOC confirmation process (S72).

  The process of S72 is a process executed by the ECU 2 to determine whether or not the SOC at the final stop point is equal to or less than the target charge amount. This process is the same as the process of S62. In the process of S72, when it is determined that the SOC at the final stop point is equal to or less than the target charge amount, the process proceeds to a discharge speed pattern generation process (S74).

  The process of S74 is a process executed by the target speed pattern regeneration unit 11 to generate a discharge speed pattern. For example, the target speed pattern regeneration unit 11 drives the motor 43 in accordance with the distance between the following vehicles with a constant speed running (acceleration 0) as an upper limit in the deceleration sections T2a and T3a of the speed pattern generated in the process of S50. A speed pattern is generated that is decelerated and relaxed by electric discharge. First, the target speed pattern regeneration unit 11 calculates from the discharge power of each section. Here, assuming that the maximum discharge power is Wm and the following inter-vehicle coefficient is Kc, the discharge power H of the battery 44 is expressed by, for example, Expression 5 below.

  H = Wm · Kc (5)

  For example, when the inter-vehicle distance with the following vehicle is smaller than 30 m, the following inter-vehicle coefficient Kc is set to 1, and when the inter-vehicle distance with the following vehicle is 30 to 100 m, a value obtained by linear interpolation is set. . That is, when the inter-vehicle distance is Hc, the following inter-vehicle coefficient Kc is expressed as, for example, the following Expression 6.

  Kc = 1-{(Hc-30) / (100-30)} (6)

  Next, the target speed pattern regeneration unit 11 generates a speed pattern based on the obtained discharge power H. For example, it is assumed that the distance between the following vehicles is 44 m in the section T2 and the distance between the following vehicles is 20 m in the section T3. Then, the discharge power H in the section T3a where the inter-vehicle distance with the following vehicle is short is executed with the maximum discharge power Wm from Equation 5, and the section T3 has a constant speed. On the other hand, the discharge power H in the section T3a having a long inter-vehicle distance from the following vehicle is 0.8 Wm from Equation 5 because the following vehicle coefficient Kc is 0.2 from Equation 6. As a result, for example, as shown in FIG. 7B, a discharge speed pattern that changes the section to be discharged by driving the motor 43 according to the inter-vehicle distance from the following vehicle can be generated. When the processing of S74 is completed, the routine proceeds to discharge rate pattern adoption processing (S76).

  The process of S76 is a process that is executed by the vehicle motion control unit 12 and travels using the discharge speed pattern generated by the process of S74. When the process of S76 ends, the control process shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 ends.

  On the other hand, in the process of S72, when it is determined that the SOC at the final stop point is not less than or equal to the target charge amount, the process proceeds to a constant speed speed pattern adoption process (78). The process of S78 is a process executed by the vehicle motion control unit 12 to travel using the constant speed pattern generated in the process of S70. As described above, even if the motor 43 is discharged in all the deceleration sections T2a and T3a, a situation where the SOC needs to be charged again does not occur immediately if the target charge amount is satisfied at the final stop point. Adopt a constant speed pattern. When the process of S78 ends, the control process shown in FIGS.

  The control processing shown in FIGS. By executing the control processing shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, it is possible to improve the fuel consumption by controlling the timing of discharging by driving the motor 43 in order to avoid the SOC excess state.

  By the way, in the case of a conventional travel control device, even if the vehicle is scheduled to travel in a wave shape as shown in FIG. 7A, there is a case where discharge is performed by driving the motor 43 when the SOC is exceeded. In the hybrid system 4, energy loss occurs only by converting mechanical energy and electrical energy, so that the discharge from the battery 44 results in energy loss. For this reason, it may become inefficient driving | running | working by the energy loss by conversion.

  On the other hand, according to the travel control unit according to the second embodiment, after the predetermined speed pattern is generated, the SOC of the battery 44 is discharged by driving the motor 43 in order to avoid the battery 44 being fully charged. For example, as shown in FIG. 7 (b), the discharge timing can be controlled when traveling in the deceleration sections T2a and T2b by controlling the discharge timing. Thereby, for example, a low fuel consumption target speed pattern that repeats acceleration and deceleration can be made a gentle target speed pattern, so that the ride comfort can be improved. Furthermore, by controlling the discharge timing, the battery 44 can be prevented from being fully charged, and the electric energy obtained by the regeneration control can be charged to the battery 44 without waste.

  Further, according to the travel control unit according to the second embodiment, when the SOC of the battery 44 is reduced by discharging by driving the motor 43, the motor 43 is preferentially driven in the section T3a where the following vehicle exists nearby. For this reason, the wave-like traveling that easily affects the traveling of the following vehicle can be brought close to the constant-speed traveling. Further, it is possible to increase the speed of the low-speed traveling that easily affects the traveling of the following vehicle. For this reason, it is possible to avoid obstructing traffic flow while executing low fuel consumption traveling.

(Third embodiment)
The travel control device (travel control unit) according to the third embodiment is configured in substantially the same manner as the travel control unit 1 according to the first embodiment, and is a target speed pattern compared to the travel control unit 1. The difference is that it has a function capable of controlling the fuel consumption to low fuel consumption. In the third embodiment, the description of the same parts as those in the first embodiment will be omitted, and the description will focus on the differences.

  The configuration of the vehicle including the travel control unit according to the present embodiment is the same as that of the vehicle including the travel control unit 1 according to the first embodiment. Further, the travel control unit according to the present embodiment is configured in substantially the same manner as the travel control unit 1 according to the first embodiment, and some of the functions of the vehicle motion control unit 12 are different.

  When the vehicle motion control unit 12 performs travel control based on the target speed in each section defined by the target speed pattern, the operation state information of the engine 42, the speed excess / shortage information indicating the difference between the vehicle speed and the target speed. And a function of performing feedback control based on SOC excess / deficiency information indicating the difference between the SOC of the battery 44 and the target SOC. Other functions are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  Next, the operation of the travel control unit according to the third embodiment will be described. FIGS. 8-11 is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the traveling control part which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. The control processes shown in FIGS. 8 to 11 are repeatedly executed at a predetermined timing after, for example, the ignition is turned on or the start button provided in the vehicle 5 is turned on.

  When the control process shown in FIG. 8 is started, the traveling control unit starts from the speed pattern generation process (S80). The process of S80 is a process executed by the target speed pattern generation unit 10 to generate a speed pattern. This process is the same as the process of S10 in FIG. 2, and for example, a speed pattern as shown in FIG. 4A is generated. In the following, vehicle control is executed along this target speed pattern. When the process of S80 ends, the process proceeds to a speed error confirmation process (S82).

  The process of S82 is a process which the vehicle motion control part 12 performs and calculates a speed error. The vehicle motion control unit 12 calculates a difference between the vehicle speed acquired by the sensor 31 and the target vehicle speed of the speed pattern generated in the process of S80, and sets it as a speed error. When the process of S82 ends, the process proceeds to an error determination process (S84).

  The process of S84 is a process executed by the vehicle motion control unit 12 to determine the magnitude of the speed error. The vehicle motion control unit 12 determines whether or not the absolute value of the speed error calculated in the process of S82 is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. For example, 0.3 km / h is used as the predetermined value. In the process of S84, when it is determined that the speed error is not large, it is not necessary to change the vehicle speed, so the processes of FIGS. On the other hand, in the process of S84, when it is determined that the speed error is large, the process proceeds to the engine 42 state confirmation process (S86).

  The process of S86 is a process which the vehicle motion control part 12 performs and determines whether the engine 42 state has stopped. The vehicle motion control unit 12 determines that the engine 42 is stopped when, for example, the vehicle is decelerating or gliding. If it is determined in the process of S86 that the engine 42 is stopped, the process proceeds to a feedback parameter change process (S88).

  The process of S88 is a process executed by the vehicle motion control unit 12 to change a feedback control parameter for setting the actual speed to the target speed. Details of this processing will be described later. When the process of S88 ends, the process proceeds to an instruction acceleration calculation process (S90).

The process of S90 is executed by the vehicle motion control unit 12 and performs general speed feedback control. Vehicle motion control unit 12, for example, the target acceleration a _m seeking differential speed pattern generated by the processing of S80. When the speed error is V _h and the proportional gain (P gain) is P, the command acceleration a _h can be expressed by the following Expression 7.

a _h = a _m + V _h · P

Thus, the vehicle motion control unit 12 controls the addition of feedback term of the proportional gain (P gain) to the speed error target acceleration a _m obtained as the feedback term. Proportional gain P is a predetermined value P ₀ is set as the base gain. When the predetermined condition is satisfied, the vehicle motion control unit 12 changes the proportional gain P in the process of S88 and the process of S96 described later. When the process of S90 ends, the process proceeds to a control continuation confirmation process (S92).

  The process of S92 is a process that is executed by the vehicle motion control unit 12 and determines whether or not the feedback control is continued. In the process of S92, when it is determined that the feedback control is finished, the control process shown in FIGS. On the other hand, if it is determined in the process of S92 that the feedback control has not ended, the process returns to the speed error calculation process (S82).

  Further, in the process of S86, when it is determined that the engine 42 is stopped, the process proceeds to the engine 42 state determination process (S94). The process of S94 is a process executed by the vehicle motion control unit 12 to determine whether or not the engine 42 is operating. For example, if the vehicle motion control unit 12 determines that the engine 42 is not operating, the vehicle motion control unit 12 proceeds to an instruction acceleration calculation process (S90). On the other hand, when it is determined that the engine 42 is operating, such as when accelerating, the routine proceeds to a feedback parameter changing process (S96).

  The process of S96 is a process executed by the vehicle motion control unit 12 to change a parameter of feedback control for setting the actual speed to the target speed. Details of this processing will be described later. When the process of S96 is completed, the process proceeds to an instruction acceleration calculation process (S90).

  Above, the control processing shown in FIG. 8 is complete | finished. Next, details of the feedback parameter changing process while the engine 42 is stopped, which is the process of S88 of FIG. 8, will be described with reference to FIG.

  The control process shown in FIG. 9 is executed when it is determined that the engine 42 is stopped in the process of S86 of FIG. First, the speed determination process is started (S100). The process of S100 is a process which the vehicle motion control part 12 performs and determines whether it is an overspeed state. For example, the vehicle motion control unit 12 determines whether the speed error is positive and is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. For example, 0.3 km / h is used as the predetermined value. In the process of S100, when it is determined that the speed is in an overspeed state, the process proceeds to the SOC state and regeneration state determination process of the battery 44 (S102).

  The process of S102 is a process executed by the vehicle motion control unit 12 to determine the SOC state of the battery 44 and the regenerative state of the hybrid system 4. The vehicle motion control unit 12 confirms the SOC of the battery 44 from the sensor 31 and determines whether or not it is below the shortage reference value. For example, 40% is used as the shortage reference value. Next, the vehicle motion control unit 12 inputs the vehicle speed from the sensor 31 and confirms whether the regenerative limit (full regenerative state) is reached for each speed in the hybrid system 4. In the process of S102, when the SOC is equal to or less than the shortage reference value, i.e., when the SOC is not in the full regeneration state, the process proceeds to the proportional gain changing process (S108).

The process of S108 is a process executed by the vehicle motion control unit 12 to increase the proportional gain P. For example, a value obtained by multiplying the basic gain P ₀ by 1.5 is set as the proportional gain P. As described above, when the SOC is insufficient and the regenerative capacity has a surplus capacity, the proportional gain P is set large. When the process of S108 ends, the control process shown in FIG. 9 ends. Thereby, in the process of S90 of FIG. 8, the command acceleration _ah is calculated by the increased proportional gain P, and as a result, the regeneration deceleration can be increased. Therefore, when the SOC is insufficient, the feedback control can be changed so that the regeneration can be positively performed with respect to the excessive speed while the engine 42 is stopped, such as during deceleration or gliding. Can be planned.

  On the other hand, in the process of S102, when the SOC is insufficient and the battery is in the full regeneration state, or when the SOC is not less than the shortage reference value, the process proceeds to the SOC state confirmation process (S104). The process of S104 is a process which the vehicle motion control part 12 performs and determines whether SOC is an excess state. For example, the vehicle motion control unit 12 determines whether or not the SOC is equal to or greater than the excess reference value. For example, 60% is used as the excess reference value. If it is determined in the process of S104 that the SOC is in an excess state, the process proceeds to a proportional gain change process (S106).

The process of S106 is a process executed by the vehicle motion control unit 12 to reduce the proportional gain P. For example, a value obtained by multiplying the basic gain P ₀ by 0.5 is set as the proportional gain P. In this way, when the SOC is in an excess state and the regenerative capacity is at the limit, the proportional gain P is set to be small. When the process of S106 ends, the control process shown in FIG. 9 ends. Thereby, in the process of S90 of FIG. 8, the command acceleration _ah is calculated by the reduced proportional gain P, and as a result, the regeneration deceleration can be reduced. Therefore, when the SOC is in an excess state and the regenerative capacity is the limit, priority can be given to the engine 42 stop state such as gliding and the feedback control can be changed so that the regenerative power does not increase. Improvements can be made.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S104 that the SOC is not in an excess state, the SOC is insufficient but the full regeneration state or the SOC is in an ideal state. The control process shown in FIG.

  If it is determined in step S100 that the speed is not exceeded, the process proceeds to speed determination processing (S110). The process of S110 is a process which the vehicle motion control part 12 performs and determines whether the vehicle speed is insufficient. The vehicle motion control unit 12 determines whether or not the vehicle speed input from the sensor 31 is a predetermined value or less. For example, -0.3 km / h is used as the predetermined value. If it is determined in step S110 that the speed is not insufficient, the control process shown in FIG. 9 is terminated without changing the proportional gain. On the other hand, when it is determined in the process of S110 that the speed is insufficient, the process proceeds to the SOC state determination process (S112).

  The process of S112 is a process which the vehicle motion control part 12 performs and determines whether SOC is insufficient. This determination process is the same as the SOC determination process of S102. In the process of S112, when it is determined that the SOC is not insufficient, the process proceeds to the SOC excess determination process (S114).

  The process of S114 is a process which the vehicle motion control part 12 performs and determines whether SOC is exceeded. This process is the same as the process of S104. In the process of S114, when it is determined that the SOC has not exceeded, the control process shown in FIG. 9 is terminated without particularly changing the proportional gain. On the other hand, in the process of S114, when it is determined that the SOC has exceeded, the process proceeds to the discharge power determination process (S116).

  The process of S116 is a process which the vehicle motion control part 12 performs and determines whether the discharge used for acceleration is a battery output limit. In the process of S116, when the discharge is the maximum power, the control process shown in FIG. 9 is terminated without changing the proportional gain. On the other hand, if the discharge is not the maximum power in the process of S116, the process proceeds to the proportional gain changing process (S118).

The process of S118 is a process executed by the vehicle motion control unit 12 to increase the proportional gain P. For example, a value obtained by multiplying the basic gain P ₀ by 1.5 is set as the proportional gain P. As described above, when the speed is insufficient and the SOC is excessive, the proportional gain P is set large. When the process of S118 ends, the control process shown in FIG. 9 ends. Thereby, in the process of S90 of FIG. 8, the command acceleration a _h is calculated by the increased proportional gain P, and as a result, the discharge acceleration can be increased. Therefore, when the speed is insufficient and the SOC is exceeded while the engine 42 is stopped, the feedback control can be changed to increase the discharge, so that energy can be used efficiently.

On the other hand, in the process of S112, when it is determined that the SOC is insufficient, the process proceeds to a proportional gain change process (S120). The process of S120 is a process executed by the vehicle motion control unit 12 to increase the proportional gain P and start the engine 42. For example, a value obtained by multiplying the basic gain P ₀ by 1.5 is set as the proportional gain P. As described above, when the speed is insufficient and the SOC is insufficient, the proportional gain P is set large and the engine 42 is started. When the process of S120 ends, the control process shown in FIG. 9 ends. Thereby, in the process of S90 of FIG. 8, the commanded acceleration _ah is calculated by the increased proportional gain P, and as a result, the acceleration can be increased. For this reason, when the speed is insufficient and the SOC is insufficient, the feedback control can be changed so as to increase the output of the engine 42, so that an excessive speed can be induced. When the engine 42 is started, charging is controlled in consideration of energy conversion loss, and regenerative control is performed when an overspeed occurs. Thereby, a fuel consumption improvement can be aimed at.

  Above, the control processing shown in FIG. 9 is complete | finished. Next, details of the feedback parameter changing process during the operation of the engine 42, which is the process of S96 of FIG. 8, will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The control process shown in FIG. 10 is executed when it is determined that the engine 42 is operating in the process of S94 of FIG. First, it starts from a speed determination process (S130). The process of S130 is a process which the vehicle motion control part 12 performs and determines whether it is an overspeed state. This process is the same as the process of S104 in FIG. If it is determined in the process of S130 that the speed is in an overspeed state, the process proceeds to the SOC state of the battery 44 and the overspeed amount determination process (S132).

  The process of S132 is a process which the vehicle motion control part 12 performs and determines the SOC state of the battery 44 and the excess speed determined in the process of S130. The processing for confirming the SOC state is the same as the processing in S102 of FIG. In addition, the vehicle motion control unit 12 determines whether or not the speed excess amount calculated in the process of S130 is a small excess amount that is less than a predetermined value. For example, 1 km / h is used as the predetermined value. In the process of S132, when the SOC is insufficient and the speed is small, the process proceeds to the proportional gain changing process (S142).

The process of S142 is a process executed by the vehicle motion control unit 12 to reduce the proportional gain P. For example, a value obtained by multiplying the basic gain P ₀ by 0.5 is set as the proportional gain P. Thus, even if the SOC is insufficient, the proportional gain P is set to be small when the speed excess is small. When the process of S142 ends, the control process shown in FIG. 10 ends. Thereby, in the process of S90 of FIG. 8, the commanded acceleration _ah is calculated by the reduced proportional gain P, and as a result, the regeneration deceleration can be reduced. Therefore, when the SOC is in a shortage state and the speed is excessively small, it is possible to perform control that continues acceleration of the engine 42 and control to induce the speed excess.

  On the other hand, in the process of S132, when it is determined that the SOC is insufficient and the speed excess is not small, or when it is determined that the SOC is not insufficient, the process proceeds to the SOC state confirmation process (S134). The process of S134 is a process which the vehicle motion control part 12 performs and determines the SOC state of the battery 44 and the overspeed determined in the process of S130. The processing for confirming the SOC state is the same as the processing in S102 of FIG. Further, the vehicle motion control unit 12 determines whether or not the speed excess amount calculated in the process of S130 is a large excess amount that is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. For example, 1 km / h is used as the predetermined value. In the process of S132, if the SOC is insufficient and the speed is a large excess amount, the process proceeds to the proportional gain changing process (S140).

The process of S140 is a process executed by the vehicle motion control unit 12 to stop the engine 42 by greatly changing the proportional gain P. For example, a value obtained by multiplying the basic gain P ₀ by 1.5 is set as the proportional gain P. Thus, when the speed is exceeded and the SOC is insufficient, the proportional gain P is set to be large. When the process of S140 ends, the control process shown in FIG. 10 ends. Thereby, in the process of S90 of FIG. 8, the command acceleration _ah is calculated by the increased proportional gain P, and as a result, the regeneration deceleration can be increased. Therefore, when the speed exceeds the SOC and the SOC exceeds, the feedback control can be changed so that the engine 42 is stopped and actively regenerated, so that the fuel consumption can be improved.

  On the other hand, in the process of S134, when it is determined that the SOC is not insufficient, the process proceeds to the SOC state confirmation process (S136). The process of S136 is a process executed by the vehicle motion control unit 12 to check the SOC state of the battery 44. The processing for confirming the SOC state is the same as the processing in S104 of FIG. If it is determined in the process of S136 that the SOC has not exceeded, the control process shown in FIG. 10 is terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined in the process of S136 that the SOC has exceeded, the process proceeds to the glide travel process (S138).

  The process of S138 is a process executed by the vehicle motion control unit 12 and performing gliding. The vehicle motion control unit 12 stops the engine 42 and outputs a regeneration stop signal to the hybrid system 4. When the process of S138 ends, the control process shown in FIG. 10 ends. As a result, when the SOC is in an excess state and the speed is exceeded, fuel efficiency can be improved by performing gliding that stops the engine 42 and does not perform regeneration.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S130 that the speed is not exceeded, the process proceeds to output adjustment processing (S144). Details of the processing of S144 are described in FIG. As shown in FIG. 11, the output adjustment process starts from the speed determination process (S150). The process of S150 is a process which the vehicle motion control part 12 performs and determines whether the vehicle speed is insufficient. The processing content is the same as the processing of S110 of FIG. If it is determined in step S150 that the speed is not insufficient, the control process shown in FIG. 11 is terminated. On the other hand, when it is determined that the speed is insufficient in the process of S150, the process proceeds to the SOC state determination process (S152).

  The process of S152 is a process which the vehicle motion control part 12 performs and determines whether SOC is insufficient. This determination process is the same as the SOC determination process of S102 of FIG. If it is determined in the process of S152 that the SOC is not insufficient, the process proceeds to an output control process (S158).

  The process of S158 is a process executed by the vehicle motion control unit 12 to increase the engine 42 output. The vehicle motion control unit 12 is operated at a high output (high rotation) even in the inefficient region of the engine 42, for example. When the process of S158 ends, the control process shown in FIG. 11 ends.

  On the other hand, in the process of S152, when it is determined that the SOC is insufficient, the process proceeds to the SOC state confirmation process (S154). The process of S154 is a process of determining whether or not the SOC is exceeded. This process is the same as the process of S104 in FIG. If it is determined in step S154 that the SOC is not in excess, the control process shown in FIG. 11 is terminated. On the other hand, in the process of S154, when it is determined that the SOC is in the excess state, the process proceeds to the output control process (S156).

  The process of S156 is a process executed by the vehicle motion control unit 12 to control the outputs of the engine 42 and the motor 43. The vehicle motion control unit 12 rotates the engine 42 with optimum efficiency, and transmits a signal to the hybrid system 4 so as to compensate for the shortage of the driving force by the motor output due to the discharge of the battery 44. When the process of S156 ends, the control process shown in FIG. 11 ends.

  This is the end of the control process shown in FIGS. By executing the control processing shown in FIGS. 8 to 11, low fuel consumption traveling can be realized by performing feedback control optimal for the speed pattern.

  By the way, in the case of conventional feedback control, the highest priority is to execute the planned speed pattern faithfully, so the engine 42 output is increased or the SOC is exceeded when adjusting to the target speed. Regenerative braking may be performed at For this reason, the speed pattern may not be executed with low fuel consumption.

  On the other hand, according to the travel control unit according to the third embodiment, feedback control can be performed based on the operation state information of the engine 42, the speed excess / deficiency information, and the SOC excess / deficiency information. Thereby, when performing feedback control with respect to the target speed defined by the target speed pattern, it is possible to adjust to the target value while considering the low fuel consumption and the SOC state without giving the highest priority to adjusting to the target value. . Therefore, the speed pattern can be executed with low fuel consumption.

  Each embodiment mentioned above shows an example of the run control device concerning the present invention. The travel control device according to the present invention is not limited to the travel control device according to each embodiment, and the travel control device according to each embodiment is modified within a range not changing the gist described in each claim, or It may be applied to other things.

  For example, in each of the above embodiments, the vehicle 5 having the automatic driving function has been described, but the vehicle 5 having the driving support system function may be used. In this case, for example, it may be configured to include a display that supports vehicle control.

  In the third embodiment, the example in which the feedback control is performed based on the operation state information of the engine 42, the speed excess / deficiency information, and the SOC excess / deficiency information has been described. However, the feedback control is performed based on any one of these parameters. You may do it.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure outline | summary of a vehicle provided with the traveling control part which concerns on this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the traveling control part which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the traveling control part which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram of the speed pattern which the run control part concerning a 1st embodiment generates. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the traveling control part which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram explaining operation | movement of the traveling control part which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram of the speed pattern which the run control part concerning a 2nd embodiment generates. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the traveling control part which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the traveling control part which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the traveling control part which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the traveling control part which concerns on 3rd Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Travel control part (travel control apparatus), 2 ... ECU, 5 ... Vehicle, 10 ... Target speed pattern generation part (target speed pattern generation means), 11 ... Target speed pattern regeneration part (target speed pattern regeneration means) , 12 ... Vehicle motion control section (vehicle motion control means), 42 ... Engine, 43 ... Motor, 44 ... Battery.

Claims (4)

A travel control device for a vehicle having an engine and a motor, configured to be able to charge a battery by regenerative control by operating the motor as a generator,
Target speed pattern generation means for generating a target speed pattern in each section by dividing a process up to a predetermined point into a plurality of sections;
When the SOC of the battery is equal to or less than a first predetermined value, acceleration that is greater than the acceleration defined in the target speed pattern is performed in an acceleration section that accelerates based on the target speed pattern, and based on the target speed pattern Target speed pattern regenerating means for regenerating a target speed pattern for decelerating by regenerative control in a deceleration section that decelerates,
A travel control device comprising: The motor functions as a drive source by electric power supplied from the battery,
When the SOC of the battery is equal to or greater than a second predetermined value that is greater than the first predetermined value, the target speed pattern regenerating unit drives the motor in the deceleration zone to discharge the target speed pattern. The travel control device according to claim 1 which regenerates.   When the SOC of the battery is greater than or equal to a second predetermined value that is greater than the first predetermined value, the target speed pattern regeneration means performs discharge for driving the motor as a drive source for the following vehicle. The travel control device according to claim 2, wherein a target speed pattern that is prioritized in a section in which a subsequent vehicle exists is regenerated over a section in which no vehicle exists.   When running control based on the target speed in each section defined by the target speed pattern, the engine operating state information, speed excess / deficiency information indicating the difference between the vehicle speed and the target speed, and the battery The travel control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising travel control means for performing feedback control based on any one of SOC excess / deficiency information indicating a difference between the SOC and the target SOC.

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