JP2012076712A - Vehicle control system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable proper start support for a driver while enabling good start operation of a vehicle by expanding a startable area in an electric motor travel mode in a vehicle control system.SOLUTION: In a hybrid vehicle which can transmit drive forces of an engine 11 and a motor generator 14 to a driving wheel 16, a hybrid ECU 100 can switch an engine running mode which can run a vehicle by the drive force of the engine 11 and an EV running mode which can run the vehicle by the drive force of the motor generator 14. Although the hybrid ECU directs, when the required drive force for starting the vehicle is larger than control marginal drive force of the motor generator 14, a driver operation to the engine running mode, changes the control marginal drive force into the characteristics marginal drive force, when selection operation of the EV running mode is performed by the driver.

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle control device.

  Conventionally, there has been proposed a hybrid vehicle in which an internal combustion engine, a transmission, and an electric motor are drivingly connected. For example, in the vehicular traveling device described in Patent Document 1 below, a drive system using a motor is mounted on the vehicle separately from an engine drive system equipped with a manual transmission, and this motor can generate a driving force independent of the engine. And a select position for selecting a driving mode using only the driving force of the motor is set in the shift operation portion of the manual transmission for mechanically switching the gear position according to the driver operation of the select lever. Yes.

JP 2005-028968 A

  In the conventional vehicle travel device described above, when the driver operates the select lever to the select position for selecting the travel mode using only the driving force of the motor, the vehicle travels only with the driving force of the motor. Become. However, when the vehicle stops on the uphill road, if the driver operates the select lever to the select position of the driving mode by this motor, it is difficult for the motor to start the vehicle due to insufficient torque when the uphill road is inclined. It becomes.

  In this case, since the vehicle cannot start with only the driving force of the motor, it is conceivable to issue an instruction for prompting the operation of operating the shift lever to the select position of the travel mode by the engine. However, if the driver is not aware of this instruction, the start of the vehicle may be delayed, resulting in traffic congestion. On the other hand, if the driver recognizes that it is often difficult to start the vehicle only with the driving force of the motor, the starting frequency of the vehicle due to the driving force of the motor is reduced, and the fuel consumption is deteriorated. .

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and expands a region in which the vehicle can start in the electric motor travel mode to enable a favorable start operation of the vehicle and provide appropriate start support to the driver. It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle control device that enables this.

  The vehicle control device of the present invention includes an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, a driving force transmission device capable of transmitting the driving force of the internal combustion engine or the driving force of the electric motor to a driving wheel, and the driving force of the internal combustion engine. A traveling mode in which an internal combustion engine traveling mode in which the driving force transmission device transmits the driving force to the driving wheel side and an electric motor traveling mode in which the driving force of the electric motor is transmitted to the driving wheel side by the driving force transmission device can be switched. A switching means, a driving mode selection means for instructing the driving mode switching means to the driving mode selected by the driver, and a driving force required for starting the vehicle is a control limit driving force of the electric motor. A starting driving force determining means for determining whether or not the driving force is larger, and an electric motor traveling mode when the required driving force is determined to be less than or equal to the control limit driving force by the starting driving force determining means Driving mode instruction means for instructing the driver to operate the internal combustion engine traveling mode when it is determined that the required driving force is greater than the control limit driving force, and driving by the traveling mode instruction means. A control limit for increasing the control limit driving force to the characteristic limit value in the electric motor when the electric motor travel mode is selected and operated by the travel mode selection means in spite of instructing the user to operate the internal combustion engine travel mode. And a driving force changing means.

  In the vehicle control device, the internal combustion engine automatic start means capable of automatically starting the internal combustion engine is provided, and when the start drive force determination means determines that the required drive force is greater than the control limit drive force, the internal combustion engine Preferably, the internal combustion engine is automatically started by the engine automatic starting means, and the driver is instructed to operate the internal combustion engine traveling mode by the traveling mode instruction means.

  In the vehicle control device, a secondary battery capable of supplying electric power to the electric motor, and whether or not necessary power for outputting a necessary driving force for starting the vehicle is stored in the secondary battery. An electric power determination means for determining, and when the electric power determination means determines that the required electric power is not stored in the secondary battery, the internal combustion engine is automatically started by the internal combustion engine automatic start means, and the running mode is It is preferable to instruct the driver to operate the internal combustion engine travel mode by the instruction means.

  The vehicle control device according to the present invention instructs the driver to operate the internal combustion engine travel mode when it is determined that the required drive force is greater than the control limit drive force of the electric motor. When the selection operation is performed, the control limit driving force is increased to the characteristic limit value of the electric motor, so that the startable region in the electric motor traveling mode is expanded to enable a favorable start operation of the vehicle and to the driver. There is an effect of enabling appropriate start support.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a vehicle control apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a speed change operation device in the vehicle control device of the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a start control process in the vehicle control apparatus of the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a graph showing a control limit and a characteristic limit in the motor.

  Embodiments of a vehicle control device according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, this invention is not limited by this embodiment, and when there are a plurality of embodiments, it includes those configured by combining the embodiments.

Embodiment
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a speed change operation device in the vehicle control device of the present embodiment, and FIG. 3 is the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a graph showing a control limit and a characteristic limit in a motor.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the hybrid vehicle of this embodiment includes an engine (internal combustion engine) 11 as a power source, a manual (stepping) clutch 12, and a manual multi-stage transmission (power transmission device) 13. A motor generator (electric motor) 14 as a power source, a final reduction gear (power transmission device) 15, and drive wheels 16.

  The engine 11 is an internal combustion engine that is a heat engine that burns fuel in a combustion chamber and converts thermal energy generated thereby into mechanical energy. The engine 11 uses gasoline as fuel and reciprocates the piston to output shaft (crankshaft). ) 21 can output mechanical power. The engine 11 includes a fuel injection device and an ignition device. The operation of the fuel injection device and the ignition device is controlled by an engine electronic control device (hereinafter referred to as an engine ECU) 101. The engine ECU 101 controls the fuel injection amount of the fuel injection device, the fuel injection timing, and the like, and also controls the ignition timing of the ignition device, and mechanical power (engine output torque) output from the output shaft 21 of the engine 11. ) Can be adjusted.

  The engine ECU 101 is prepared in advance by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores a predetermined control program and the like, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) that temporarily stores the calculation results of the CPU. It is composed of a backup RAM or the like for storing stored information.

  The motor generator 14 converts the supplied electric power into mechanical power (motor output torque) and outputs it from the output shaft 22, and the mechanical power input to the output shaft 22. It also has a function as a generator (generator) that converts it into electric power and collects it. The motor generator 14 is configured as, for example, a permanent magnet type AC synchronous motor, and is rotated by being attracted to the rotating magnetic field by a stator 24 that is supplied with three-phase AC power from the inverter 23 to form a rotating magnetic field. And a rotor 25 as a rotor. The rotor 25 rotates integrally with the output shaft 22. The motor generator 14 is provided with a rotation sensor (resolver) that detects the rotation angle position of the rotor 25, and the rotation sensor refers to a detection signal as an electronic control unit for motor generator (hereinafter referred to as motor ECU). ) 102. The motor ECU 102 includes a CPU, a ROM that stores a predetermined control program in advance, a RAM that temporarily stores calculation results of the CPU, a backup RAM that stores information prepared in advance, and the like.

  In the motor generator 14, the output shaft 22 can be connected to the output shaft 37 of the multi-stage transmission 13 via a gear pair (power transmission device) 26. When the motor generator 14 functions as a motor, it transmits the motor output torque to the output shaft 37 of the multi-stage transmission 13, while when it functions as a generator, mechanical power from the output shaft 37 of the multi-stage transmission 13. Is input to the output shaft 22.

  The gear pair 26 includes a first gear 26a and a second gear 26b that are in mesh with each other. The first gear 26 a is attached to the output shaft 22 of the motor generator 14 so that it can rotate integrally with the rotor 25. On the other hand, the second gear 26b is formed to have a larger diameter than the first gear 26a, and is fixed to the output shaft 37 so as to rotate integrally with the output shaft 37 of the multi-stage transmission 13. In this case, the gear pair 26 functions as a speed reduction mechanism when a rotational torque is input from the rotor 25 side, and functions as a speed increase mechanism when a rotational torque is input from the output shaft 37 side of the multi-stage transmission 13. To do.

  The motor generator 14 is connected to a battery (secondary battery) 27 via an inverter 23. The DC power from the battery 27 is converted into AC power by the inverter 23 and supplied to the motor generator 14. The motor generator 14 supplied with the AC power operates as a motor and outputs a motor output torque from the output shaft 22. On the other hand, when the motor generator 14 is operated as a generator, the AC power from the motor generator 14 is converted into DC power by the inverter 23 and collected in the battery 27 or is regenerated to the drive wheel 17 while regenerating power. A braking force (regenerative braking) can be applied. In this case, in the motor generator 14, mechanical power (output torque) output from the multi-stage transmission 13 is input to the rotor 25 via the output shaft 22, and this input torque is converted into AC power. The operation of the inverter 23 is controlled by the motor ECU 102.

  The battery 27 is connected to a battery electronic control device (hereinafter referred to as a battery ECU) 103 that manages the state of charge (SOC). The battery ECU 103 transmits a signal related to the state of charge (SOC amount) to the battery ECU 103 as a signal corresponding to the state of charge of the battery 27 detected by the SOC sensor 61. The battery ECU 103 determines the charge state of the battery 27 based on this signal, and determines whether charging and discharging are necessary.

  The multi-stage transmission 13 uses the power of the engine 11 (engine output torque) and the power of the motor generator 14 (motor output torque) as driving forces and transmits them to the left and right drive wheels 16 via the final reduction gear 15.

  This manual multi-stage transmission 13 has four forward speeds and one reverse speed, and the first speed gear stage 31, the second speed gear stage 32, and the third speed are the forward speed stages. A gear stage 33 and a fourth gear stage 34 are provided, and a reverse gear stage 35 is provided as a reverse gear stage. The forward gear is configured so that the gear ratio decreases in the order of the first speed gear stage 31, the second speed gear stage 32, the third speed gear stage 33, and the fourth speed gear stage 34. The multi-stage transmission 13 includes an input shaft 36 to which the engine output torque of the engine 11 is transmitted, and an output shaft 37 that is disposed in parallel to the input shaft 36 with a space therebetween. The multi-stage transmission 13 is simply described in its configuration, and the number and arrangement of the respective shift stages are not limited to those shown in FIG.

  Here, the first speed gear stage 31 is composed of a first speed drive gear 31a and a first speed driven gear 31b that are in mesh with each other, and the first speed drive gear 31a is disposed on the input shaft 36, and The first speed driven gear 31 b is disposed on the output shaft 37. The second speed gear stage 32 includes a second speed drive gear 32a and a second speed driven gear 32b that are in mesh with each other, and the second speed drive gear 32a is disposed on the input shaft 36 and is driven by the second speed drive. The gear 32 b is disposed on the output shaft 37. The third speed gear stage 33 includes a third speed drive gear 33a and a third speed driven gear 33b that are in mesh with each other, and the third speed drive gear 33a is disposed on the input shaft 36 and is driven by the third speed drive. The gear 33 b is disposed on the output shaft 37. The fourth speed gear stage 34 includes a fourth speed drive gear 34a and a fourth speed driven gear 34b that are in mesh with each other, and the fourth speed drive gear 34a is disposed on the input shaft 36 and is driven by the fourth speed driven. The gear 34 b is disposed on the output shaft 37.

  The reverse gear stage 35 includes a reverse drive gear 35a, a reverse driven gear 35b, and a reverse intermediate gear 35c. The reverse drive gear 35a is disposed on the input shaft 36, the reverse driven gear 35b is disposed on the output shaft 37, the reverse intermediate gear 35c is in mesh with the reverse drive gear 35a and the reverse driven gear 35b, and the rotation shaft 38 is engaged. Placed on top.

  In the actual configuration of the multi-stage transmission 13, one of the drive gears of each shift stage is disposed so as to rotate integrally with the input shaft 36, while the remaining drive gear is connected to the input shaft 36. It arrange | positions so that it may rotate relatively with respect to. Further, the driven gears of the respective speed stages are arranged so that any one of them rotates integrally with the output shaft 37, while the rest are arranged so as to rotate relative to the output shaft 37.

  Further, the input shaft 36 and the output shaft 37 have sleeves that move in the axial direction by a shift operation device 41 by the driver. This sleeve moves in the axial direction when the driver operates the speed change operation device 41, and rotates the relatively rotatable drive gear and driven gear positioned in the moved direction together with the input shaft 36 and the output shaft 37. . In the manual multi-speed transmission 13, the sleeve moves in a direction corresponding to the shift operation of the driver, and can be switched to a shift stage or a neutral position according to the shift operation.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the shift operation device 41 includes a shift lever 42 that is operated when the driver performs a shift operation, and a so-called shift gauge 43 that guides the shift lever 42 for each shift stage. have. Here, the shift gauge 43 has a guide groove 43a, operation positions “1” to “4” from the first speed to the fourth speed, and a reverse operation position “R” for realizing the engine travel mode. , A start operation position “EV1” and a steady travel operation position “EV2” for realizing the EV travel mode are provided.

  In the hybrid vehicle of this embodiment, at least an engine travel mode, an EV travel mode, and a hybrid travel mode are prepared as travel modes. When the driver operates the speed change operation device 41 and moves the shift lever 42 to any of the operation positions “1” to “4”, “R”, the engine travel mode or the hybrid travel mode is selected, When moving to the operation position “EV1” or “EV2”, the EV travel mode is selected.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the clutch 12 is interposed between the engine 11 and the multistage transmission 13, and can transmit power between the output shaft 21 of the engine 11 and the input shaft 36 of the multistage transmission 13. It is possible to switch between a connected state and a disconnected state in which power transmission can be interrupted. The clutch 12 is a dry or wet single-plate clutch or multi-plate clutch, and has a disk-shaped friction plate. The engine output torque of the engine 11 is shifted from the output shaft 21 by a multi-stage transmission by the friction force of the friction plate. It can be transmitted to the input shaft 36 of the machine 13. The clutch 12 can perform a switching operation of its operating state (switching operation between a connected state and a disconnected state) by a depression operation of the clutch pedal 45 by the driver.

  The final reduction gear 15 decelerates the input torque input from the output shaft 37 of the multi-stage transmission 13 and distributes it to the left and right drive wheels 16. The final reduction gear 15 includes a pinion gear 51 fixed to the end of the output shaft 37, a ring gear 52 that meshes with the pinion gear 51 and converts the rotational direction to an orthogonal direction while reducing rotational torque, And a differential mechanism 53 that distributes the rotational torque input through the ring gear 52 to the left and right drive wheels 16.

  Further, this hybrid vehicle is provided with an electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as a hybrid ECU) 100 that comprehensively controls the operation of the entire vehicle. The hybrid ECU 100 includes a CPU, a ROM that stores a predetermined control program in advance, a RAM that temporarily stores calculation results of the CPU, a backup RAM that stores information prepared in advance, and the like. Information such as detection signals of various sensors and control commands can be exchanged with the ECU 101, the motor ECU 102, and the battery ECU 103.

  The hybrid ECU 100 can realize any one of the engine travel mode, the EV travel mode, and the hybrid travel mode based on the operation result of the driver operating the speed change operation device 41. As shown in FIG. 2, the shift operation device 41 includes a shift gauge 43 and a shift lever 42 positioned at a start operation position “EV1” in the EV travel mode or a steady travel operation position “EV2” in the EV travel mode. An EV travel mode selection position detection unit 62 that detects whether or not the vehicle is present is provided. The EV travel mode selection position detection unit 62 can transmit a detection signal to the hybrid ECU 100.

  Further, in this shift operation device 41, whether or not the shift gauge 43 is in the forward operation position “1” to “4” or the reverse operation position “R” in the engine travel mode (hybrid travel mode). That is, there is provided a shift position detecting unit 63 for detecting which gear stage the driver has selected. The shift position detection unit 63 can transmit a detection signal to the hybrid ECU 100.

  When the shift lever 42 is operated to the forward operation positions “1” to “4” or the reverse operation position “R”, the hybrid ECU 100 selects either the engine travel mode or the hybrid travel mode. For example, the hybrid ECU 100 includes a set driver's drive request (required driving force), a charge state amount of the battery 27 sent from the battery ECU 103, and vehicle travel state information (vehicle lateral acceleration, slip state of the drive wheels 16). Based on the above information), the engine driving mode and the hybrid driving mode are switched.

  When the engine running mode is selected, the hybrid ECU 100 sends a control command to the engine ECU 101 and the motor ECU 102 so that the required driving force is generated only by the engine torque. In this case, as a control command to the engine ECU 101, for example, information on engine torque that satisfies the required driving force at the current gear position or the gear position after the gear shifting operation is transmitted. Thereby, the engine ECU 101 controls the fuel injection amount of the engine 11 so as to generate the engine torque. On the other hand, the motor ECU 102 sends a control command so that the motor generator 14 does not operate as a motor or a generator.

  On the other hand, when the hybrid travel mode is selected, the hybrid ECU 100 sends a control command to the engine ECU 101 and the motor ECU 102 so as to generate the required driving force based on the engine torque and the output of the motor or generator. In this case, when both engine torque and motor power running torque are used, as a control command to engine ECU 101 and motor ECU 102, for example, engine torque that satisfies the required driving force at the current gear position or the gear position after the gear shifting operation is used. Information on the motor power running torque is transmitted to each. Thereby, the engine ECU 101 controls the engine 11 so as to generate the engine torque, and the motor ECU 102 controls the amount of power supplied to the motor generator 14 so as to generate the motor power running torque. When the motor generator 14 regenerates electric power, a control command is sent to the motor ECU 102 to operate the motor generator 14 as a generator. At that time, for example, information on the engine torque increased by the amount of the motor regeneration torque is sent to the engine ECU 101.

  When the shift lever 42 is operated to the start operation position “EV1” or the steady travel operation position “EV2”, the hybrid ECU 100 and the engine ECU 102 generate the required driving force only by the motor power running torque. Send a control command to. In this case, information on the motor power running torque that satisfies the required driving force is transmitted as a control command to the motor ECU 102. If the engine 11 is driven when the multi-stage transmission 13 is in the neutral state, the fuel efficiency is deteriorated. Therefore, the hybrid ECU 100 instructs the engine ECU 101 to stop the operation of the engine 11 so as to improve the fuel efficiency. Send. Further, in this EV travel mode, when the driver removes his or her foot from the accelerator pedal, or when a request for deceleration of the hybrid vehicle is made by a brake operation or the like, a control command is issued to the motor ECU 102 so that regenerative braking can be performed. May be sent.

  In the present embodiment, the shift operation device 41 can operate the shift lever 42 to the start operation position “EV1” in the EV travel mode and the steady travel operation position “EV2” in the EV travel mode, and to the engine travel mode (hybrid In the travel mode), the forward operation positions “1” to “4” and the reverse operation position “R” can be operated. Therefore, the vehicle travel mode is set between the EV travel mode and the engine travel mode (hybrid travel mode). The shift gauge 43 functions as a travel mode selection unit. The shift gauge 43 functions as a travel mode selection unit.

  In the vehicle control apparatus of the present embodiment configured as described above, when the driver operates the shift lever 42 to the start operation position “EV1” while the vehicle is stopped, the vehicle uses only the driving force of the motor generator 14. It will start. However, when the road where the vehicle is stopped is an uphill road having a large inclination angle, it may be difficult for the motor generator 14 to start the vehicle due to insufficient driving force. In this case, since it is difficult for the vehicle to start with only the driving force of motor generator 14, hybrid ECU 100 issues an instruction to urge the operation of operating shift lever 42 to forward operation position “1” in the engine travel mode. . However, when the driver is not aware of this instruction, the start of the vehicle is delayed.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the required driving force for starting the vehicle is determined by the starting driving force determining means for determining whether the required driving force for the vehicle is larger than the control limit driving force of the motor generator 14, and the required driving force is determined by the starting driving force determining means. If it is determined that the driving force is less than or equal to the control limit driving force, the driver is instructed to operate in the EV driving mode. A driving mode instructing means for controlling the driving force when the EV driving mode is selected by the driving mode selecting means in spite of instructing the driver to operate the engine driving mode by the driving mode instructing means. Control limit driving force changing means for raising the generator 14 to a characteristic limit value is provided.

  Here, the hybrid ECU 100 functions as the starting driving force determination means, the traveling mode instruction means, and the control limit driving force change means. Further, the control limit driving force is an upper limit value of the driving force that can realize the optimum fuel consumption when the motor generator 14 outputs the driving force when the vehicle starts and runs. The characteristic limit value (characteristic limit driving force) is an upper limit value of the driving force that can be output by the motor generator 14 itself.

  Further, in this embodiment, an internal combustion engine automatic start means capable of automatically starting the engine 11 is provided, and if the start drive force determination means determines that the required drive force is greater than the control limit drive force, the internal combustion engine automatic start means Thus, the engine 11 is automatically started, and the driver is instructed to operate the engine travel mode by the travel mode instruction means.

  Further, in the present embodiment, a power determination unit that determines whether the necessary power for outputting the necessary driving force for starting the vehicle is stored in the battery 27 is provided, and the required power is supplied to the battery 27 by the power determination unit. If it is determined that the battery is not charged, the engine 11 is automatically started by the internal combustion engine automatic starting means, and the driver is instructed to operate the engine traveling mode by the traveling mode instructing means.

  Here, the hybrid ECU 100 functions as an internal combustion engine automatic start unit and a power determination unit.

  Here, the start control process in the vehicle control apparatus of the present embodiment will be described in detail based on the flowchart of FIG.

  In the start control in the vehicle control apparatus of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, in step S11, the hybrid ECU 100 determines whether or not the vehicle is stopped. In this case, the vehicle is equipped with a vehicle speed sensor 64 (see FIG. 1) that detects the traveling speed (vehicle speed) of the vehicle, and the vehicle speed sensor 64 outputs the detected vehicle speed to the hybrid ECU 100. The hybrid ECU 100 determines whether or not the vehicle is stopped based on the current vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor 64. If it is determined that the vehicle is not stopped, the routine is terminated without doing anything.

  On the other hand, if it is determined here that the vehicle is stopped, in step S12, the front-back slope of the road where the vehicle is stopped, that is, whether the road is a flat road, an uphill road, or a downhill road. Is estimated. In this case, the vehicle is equipped with an inclination sensor 65 (see FIG. 1) for detecting the road front-rear gradient, and the inclination sensor 65 outputs the detected road front-rear gradient to the hybrid ECU 100. The hybrid ECU 100 estimates whether the road on which the vehicle is stopped is a flat road, an uphill road, or a downhill road based on the road front-rear gradient detected by the inclination sensor 65.

  Subsequently, in step S13, the hybrid ECU 100 determines whether the road is an uphill road. Here, if it is determined that the road is a flat road or a downhill road, this routine is exited without doing anything. On the other hand, when it is determined that the road is an uphill road, on the other hand, in step S14, the necessary driving force of the vehicle required for starting by the motor generator 14 from the state where the vehicle is stopped on the uphill road is calculated. . In this case, the calculation is based on the weight of the vehicle, the gear ratio and transmission efficiency of the multi-stage transmission 13, the diameter of the drive wheels 16, the inclination angle of the road, and the like.

  In step S15, the hybrid ECU 100 operates the shift lever 42 to the start operation position “EV1” of the speed change operation device 41, and determines whether or not the vehicle can start in the EV travel mode. Specifically, it is determined whether or not the required driving force of the vehicle calculated in step S14 is less than or equal to the control limit driving force. Here, as described above, the control limit driving force is an upper limit value of the driving force that can realize the optimum fuel consumption when the motor generator 14 outputs the driving force when the vehicle starts.

  Here, if it is determined that the vehicle can start in the EV travel mode by operating the shift lever 42 to the start operation position “EV1”, that is, if it is determined that the required driving force of the vehicle is equal to or less than the control limit driving force, step The process proceeds to S16, where the driver is instructed to select the start operation position “EV1” in the EV travel mode. In this case, there is a display on the instrument panel or a voice instruction. On the other hand, if it is determined here that the shift lever 42 is operated to the start operation position “EV1” and the vehicle cannot start in the EV travel mode, that is, the required driving force of the vehicle is larger than the control limit driving force, The process proceeds to step S17, where the driver is instructed to select the forward operation position “1” (shift operation) in the engine travel mode.

  In step S18, hybrid ECU 100 determines whether the driver has made a selection operation to start operation position “EV1” in the EV travel mode. In this case, the EV travel mode selection position detection unit 62 detects whether the shift lever 42 is positioned at the start operation position “EV1” in the EV travel mode, and the hybrid ECU 100 detects the EV travel mode selection position detection unit. The determination is based on 62 detection results. If it is determined that the driver has made a selection operation to the start operation position “EV1” in the EV travel mode, in step S19, the hybrid ECU 100 determines that the required driving force of the vehicle calculated in step S14 is less than the characteristic limit driving force. It is determined whether or not. Here, the characteristic limit driving force is an upper limit value of the driving force that can be output by the motor generator 14 itself, as described above.

  If it is determined that the required driving force of the vehicle is equal to or less than the characteristic limit driving force, it is determined in step S20 whether or not the necessary power for outputting the required driving force of the vehicle is stored in the battery 27. . Specifically, it is determined whether or not the charge amount SOC of the battery 27 is equal to or greater than the necessary power SOCt for outputting the required driving force of the vehicle. Here, if it is determined that the charge amount SOC of the battery 27 is equal to or greater than the required power SOCt for outputting the required driving force of the vehicle, the driving force map in the motor generator 14 is switched in step S21.

  That is, in step S15, it is determined that the vehicle cannot start at the EV operation mode start operation position “EV1” (the required driving force of the vehicle is equal to or less than the control limit driving force), and in step S17, the driver is notified. On the other hand, if the selection operation to the start operation position “EV1” in the EV travel mode is confirmed in step S18 even though the selection operation of the forward operation position “1” in the engine travel mode is instructed, the motor generator 14 Increases the critical driving force at.

  In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, the driving force map in the motor generator 14 represents the driving force (torque) with respect to the vehicle speed, and has a diagram of the control limit driving force and the characteristic limit driving force. Normally, taking into account the fuel consumption of the vehicle (power consumption by the motor generator 14), a diagram of the control limit driving force is applied, which is used as the limit driving force. On the other hand, the characteristic limit driving force is the maximum limit driving force that can be output by the motor generator 14 without considering the fuel consumption of the vehicle. In step S21 described above, the characteristic limit driving force diagram is applied. That is, normally, when the motor generator 14 is driven and controlled using the lower region of the control limit driving force line, and the predetermined condition is satisfied, the control limit driving force line and the characteristic limit driving force line are set. The motor generator 14 is driven and controlled using the area between the two.

  Accordingly, even when the vehicle cannot start at the start operation position “EV1” in the EV travel mode (the required drive force of the vehicle is equal to or less than the control limit drive force), the driver can perform the start operation in the EV travel mode. When the required driving force of the vehicle is equal to or lower than the characteristic limit driving force and the charge amount SOC of the battery 27 is equal to or higher than the required power SOCt when the selection operation to the position “EV1” is performed, the limiting driving force is reduced to the characteristic limiting driving force. Change to rise. Then, the hybrid ECU 100 can start the vehicle at the start operation position “EV1” in the EV travel mode. Although not shown, if the shift lever 42 is operated from the start operation position “EV1” to the steady travel operation position “EV2” or each operation position in the engine travel mode after the vehicle has started, the limit driving force is limited to the characteristic limit. Decrease from driving force and change to control limit driving force.

  On the other hand, in step S18, it is determined that the driver does not select the start operation position “EV1” in the EV travel mode, or in step S19, it is determined that the required driving force of the vehicle is greater than the characteristic limit driving force. When it is determined in S20 that the required power is not stored in the battery 27 (the charge amount SOC of the battery 27 is lower than the required power SOCt), the hybrid ECU 100 automatically starts the engine 11 in step S22. In this case, hybrid ECU 100 sends an instruction for starting engine 11 to engine ECU 101. At this time, the driver may be instructed again to select the forward operation position “1” (shift operation) in the engine travel mode.

  Thus, in the vehicle control apparatus of the present embodiment, the hybrid ECU 100 is a vehicle that can transmit the driving force of the engine 11 and the motor generator 14 to the drive wheels 16. Can be switched between an engine traveling mode capable of traveling the vehicle and an EV traveling mode capable of traveling the vehicle by the driving force of the motor generator 14, and the necessary driving force for starting the vehicle is greater than the control limit driving force of the motor generator 14. Sometimes, the driver is instructed to operate the engine travel mode, but when the EV travel mode is selected and operated by the driver, the control limit driving force is changed to the characteristic limit driving force.

  Therefore, if it is determined that the required driving force is greater than the control limit driving force of the motor generator 14, the driver is instructed to operate the engine travel mode. At this time, when the EV travel mode is selected, the control limit is reached. Since the driving force is increased to the characteristic limit driving force in the motor generator 14, the region where the vehicle can start in the EV driving mode is expanded, and the vehicle can be started in a favorable manner, and the vehicle can be started appropriately. Support can be made possible.

  Further, in the vehicle control apparatus of the present embodiment, the hybrid ECU 100 automatically starts the engine 11 and enters the engine travel mode when it is determined that the necessary driving force for starting the vehicle is larger than the characteristic limit driving force. The driver is instructed to operate. The driver can be appropriately supported for starting in the engine running mode.

  Further, in the vehicle control apparatus of the present embodiment, the hybrid ECU 100 automatically starts the engine 11 when it is determined that the battery 27 is not charged with the necessary power for outputting the necessary driving force for starting the vehicle. In addition, the driver is instructed to operate the engine running mode. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately determine the start in the EV travel mode and to appropriately support the start in the engine travel mode for the driver.

  In the above-described embodiment, the hybrid vehicle of this embodiment is configured by the engine 11, the clutch 12, the manual multi-stage transmission 13, the motor generator 14, the final reduction gear 15, and the drive wheels 16. For example, the driving force transmission path from the engine 11 to the driving wheel 16 and the driving force transmission path from the motor generator 14 to the driving wheel 16 are not limited thereto.

  As described above, the vehicle control apparatus according to the present invention can start in the electric motor traveling mode by changing the limit driving force in the electric motor as needed to start the vehicle with the electric motor. This makes it possible to perform a favorable start operation of the vehicle and to enable appropriate start support for the driver, and is useful for an apparatus for controlling the travel of any vehicle.

11 Engine (Internal combustion engine)
12 Clutch 13 Multi-stage transmission (power transmission device)
14 Motor generator (electric motor)
15 Final reduction gear (power transmission device)
16 Drive Wheel 23 Inverter 26 Gear Pair (Power Transmission Device)
27 Battery (secondary battery)
41 Speed change operation device (travel mode switching means)
42 Shift lever (travel mode selection means)
61 SOC Sensor 62 EV Travel Mode Selection Position Detection Unit 63 Shift Position Detection Unit 64 Vehicle Speed Sensor 65 Inclination Sensor 100 Hybrid ECU (Starting Driving Force Judgment Means, Driving Mode Instruction Means, Control Limit Driving Force Change Means, Internal Combustion Engine Automatic Start Means, Power judgment means)
101 engine ECU
102 motor ECU
103 battery ECU

Claims (3)

An internal combustion engine;
An electric motor;
A driving force transmission device capable of transmitting the driving force of the internal combustion engine or the driving force of the electric motor to a driving wheel;
An internal combustion engine traveling mode in which the driving force of the internal combustion engine is transmitted to the driving wheel side by the driving force transmission device, and an electric motor traveling mode in which the driving force of the electric motor is transmitted to the driving wheel side by the driving force transmission device. Driving mode switching means capable of switching between,
Driving mode selection means for instructing the driving mode switching means to select the driving mode selected by the driver;
Start driving force determination means for determining whether a required driving force for starting the vehicle is larger than a control limit driving force of the electric motor;
When the starting driving force determining means determines that the required driving force is less than or equal to the control limit driving force, the driver is instructed to operate the electric motor travel mode, while the required driving force is determined to be greater than the control limit driving force. A running mode instructing means for instructing the driver to operate the internal combustion engine running mode;
The control limit driving force is a characteristic of the electric motor when the electric motor driving mode is selected by the driving mode selection means even though the driving mode instruction means instructs the driver to operate the internal combustion engine driving mode. Control limit driving force changing means for increasing to the limit value,
A vehicle control apparatus comprising:   An internal combustion engine automatic start means capable of automatically starting the internal combustion engine is provided, and when the start drive force determination means determines that the required drive force is greater than the control limit drive force, the internal combustion engine automatic start means 2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle mode is automatically started and the driver is instructed to operate the internal combustion engine travel mode by the travel mode instructing unit.   A secondary battery capable of supplying electric power to the electric motor, and a power determination means for determining whether the necessary electric power for outputting the necessary driving force for starting the vehicle is stored in the secondary battery. If it is determined by the power determination means that the required power is not stored in the secondary battery, the internal combustion engine is automatically started by the internal combustion engine automatic start means, and the internal combustion engine travel mode is set by the travel mode instruction means. The vehicle control device according to claim 2, wherein the operation is instructed to a driver.

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