JP2020006920A - Vehicular control device, and vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a vehicular control device capable of recovering more recoverable regenerative energy on a down grade road.SOLUTION: A vehicle ECU 100 includes: a road information acquisition part 101; a demanded brake/drive force estimation part 103 for estimating demanded drive force and demanded bake force to travel at a predetermined target speed on the basis of road information; a regenerative energy amount prediction part 105 for predicting a recoverable regenerative energy amount on a down grade road; and a travel schedule setting part 104 for setting operation of an engine 11 and a motor 13 on the basis of a prescribed control map. If a regenerative energy amount predicted to be recoverable on a down grade road surpasses a prescribed threshold converted from an extra charging capacity of a battery 13b at a present time, the travel schedule setting part 104 increases a ratio of drive force of the motor 13 for outputting demanded drive force on a flat road or an up grade road in front of the down grade road more than a ratio set on the basis of the control map.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present disclosure relates to a vehicle control device and a vehicle.

  2. Description of the Related Art In a vehicle equipped with an engine and a motor as a driving source (also referred to as a hybrid vehicle), a technique for improving energy efficiency by recovering surplus power during deceleration as regenerative energy using regenerative braking is known. (For example, see Patent Document 1).

JP 2012-104652 A

  By the way, in this type of vehicle, there is a demand for further increasing regenerative opportunities in order to further improve energy efficiency.

  In this regard, in the prior art, in spite of an opportunity for regenerative braking (typically, a downhill road), the rechargeable battery has a surplus charge (a chargeable amount up to a fully charged state in the battery) during the regenerative braking. The same applies to the following.) There is a problem that the regenerative energy cannot be charged to the battery and is discharged as heat energy in the battery.

  The present disclosure has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to provide a vehicle control device and a vehicle that can recover more regenerative energy recoverable on a downhill road.

The main disclosure for solving the above-mentioned problems is as follows.
A vehicle control device that includes an engine and a motor as drive sources, and is configured to be able to recover rotational energy of wheels as electric energy to a battery connected to the motor,
A road information acquisition unit that acquires road information in a predetermined section ahead of the vehicle,
A request braking / driving force estimating unit that estimates a required driving force and a required braking force at each position in the predetermined section for traveling at a predetermined target speed based on the road information;
A regenerative energy amount prediction unit that predicts a regenerative energy amount recoverable on a downhill road of the predetermined section based on the required braking force at each position of the predetermined section;
The operation of the engine and the motor at each position in the predetermined section is set based on a predetermined control map so that the total driving force of the driving force of the engine and the driving force of the motor becomes the required driving force. Traveling schedule setting section
With
The travel schedule setting unit, when the regenerative energy amount exceeds a predetermined threshold value calculated from the remaining battery charge at the present time, a flat road or an uphill road before the downhill road in the predetermined section. In the control device, the operation of the engine and the motor is set such that the ratio of the driving force of the motor for outputting the required driving force is larger than the ratio set based on the control map. is there.

Also, in other aspects,
It is a vehicle provided with the above-mentioned control device.

  According to the control device for a vehicle according to the present disclosure, more regenerative energy that can be recovered on a downhill road can be recovered.

The figure which shows an example of the structure of the vehicle which concerns on one Embodiment. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a vehicle ECU according to an embodiment. The figure explaining the run schedule which the vehicle ECU concerning one embodiment sets. The figure which shows the relationship between the regenerative energy amount which can charge a battery by the regenerative braking of a motor in a downslope road which concerns on one Embodiment, and the remaining battery charge. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation of the vehicle ECU according to the embodiment.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same function are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

[Vehicle configuration]
Hereinafter, an example of a configuration of a vehicle 1 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment.

  The vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment includes an internal combustion engine (hereinafter, referred to as “engine”) 11, a clutch 12, a motor 13, an inverter 13a, a battery 13b, a transmission 14, a driving wheel 15, a braking device 20, a target vehicle speed setting device. 30, a current location information acquisition device 40, a vehicle information acquisition device 50, and a vehicle ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 100.

  The vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment is, for example, a parallel hybrid vehicle in which an engine 11, a clutch 12, a motor 13, a transmission 14, and a drive wheel 15 are connected in series in this order as a power transmission mechanism.

  The engine 11 burns fuel to generate a driving force for running the vehicle 1. The engine 11 is, for example, a diesel engine, and generates an arbitrary driving force by controlling a fuel injection amount and the like.

  The engine 11 has an injector for injecting fuel and an engine ECU (not shown) for controlling valve timing of intake and exhaust valves. Then, the engine 11 controls the fuel injection pressure, the fuel injection timing, the fuel injection amount, the valve timing of the intake / exhaust valve, and the like based on the control signal from the vehicle ECU 100 so as to obtain predetermined driving characteristics. I do.

  The motor 13 is a motor generator, and includes, for example, a permanent magnet synchronous motor. When functioning as a drive source, the motor 13 generates a driving force by using the electric power of the battery 13b, adds the driving force of the motor 13 to the driving force input from the engine 11, and sends the driving force to the transmission 14 side. Is output.

  When functioning as a generator, the motor 13 generates power by regenerative braking using motive power transmitted from the driving wheels 15.

  The motor 13 is electrically connected to the battery 13b via the inverter 13a. When the motor 13 functions as a driving source, the DC power from the battery 13b is converted into three-phase AC power by the inverter device 13a and supplied to the motor 13. When the motor 13 functions as a generator, the three-phase AC power generated by the motor 13 is converted into DC power via the inverter device 13a and charged in the battery 13b. In other words, the drive state and the power generation state of the motor 13 are controlled by the inverter device 13a.

  The inverter device 13a includes a motor ECU (not shown) that outputs a PWM signal (Pulse Width Modulation) to each switching element included in the inverter device 13a. Then, the motor ECU controls the motor 13 so as to perform a desired operation based on a control signal from the vehicle ECU 100. The motor ECU controls each switching element by vector control based on, for example, the number of revolutions of the motor 13 and a current flowing between the inverter device 13a and the motor 13.

  The battery 13b is, for example, a lithium ion secondary battery or an electric double layer capacitor, and is an energy source that supplies power to the motor 13. The electric power generated by the motor 13 is supplied to the battery 13b and charged by the electric power. The battery 13b is provided with a voltage sensor and the like for detecting the remaining charge of the battery 13b, and a detection signal of the voltage sensor is sent to the vehicle ECU 100.

  The clutch 12 is interposed between the engine 11 and the motor 13, and connects the output shaft of the engine 11 and the input shaft of the motor 13 so as to be able to be connected and disconnected.

  The transmission 14 is a transmission that changes the speed of rotation input from the engine 11 or the motor 13 and outputs the speed to the drive wheels 15. As the transmission 14, for example, a belt-type continuously variable transmission is used. The clutch 12 and the transmission 14 each have an actuator (not shown) for controlling these states. Then, the actuator is controlled based on a control signal from vehicle ECU 100.

  The drive wheels 15 cause the vehicle 1 to travel by driving force transmitted via the transmission 14. The drive wheels 15 according to the present embodiment correspond to the front wheels of the vehicle 1.

  The braking device 20 applies a resistance force due to frictional resistance to the wheels to decelerate the vehicle 1. Although FIG. 1 shows only the drive wheels 15 as the wheels of the vehicle 1, the braking device 20 is configured to apply a braking force to each wheel of the vehicle 1.

  In such a configuration, the vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment travels using the driving force of only the engine 11, the driving force of only the motor 13, or the driving force of both the engine 11 and the motor 13. In addition, when the vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment travels using the driving force of both the engine 11 and the motor 13, the output ratio between the engine 11 and the motor 13 when outputting the driving force during traveling. Is configured to be variable.

  The vehicle ECU 100 performs overall control of each unit of the vehicle 1 and includes, for example, a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, an input port, an output port, and the like.

  The vehicle ECU 100 includes various parts of the vehicle 1 (the engine 11, the clutch 12, the inverter device 13a, the transmission 14, the braking device 20, the target vehicle speed setting device 30, the current location information acquiring device 40, the vehicle information acquiring device 50, and the like) and a vehicle-mounted network. , And exchange necessary data and control signals with each other. The dotted arrows in FIG. 1 indicate signal paths.

  The vehicle ECU 100 according to the present embodiment is configured to automatically control each part of the vehicle 1 so that the vehicle 1 automatically runs at a target speed (also referred to as an auto cruise mode). When automatically driving the vehicle 1 at the target speed, the vehicle ECU 100 generates a travel schedule for a predetermined section ahead of the travel position of the vehicle 1 based on road information, vehicle information, and the like, and according to the generated travel schedule. Each part of the vehicle 1 is controlled (details will be described later).

  The target vehicle speed setting device 30 sets a target vehicle speed during automatic traveling of the vehicle 1 in the vehicle ECU 100. The target vehicle speed setting device 30 includes, for example, an information input interface such as a display with a touch panel arranged on a dashboard (not shown) in a driver's seat, and receives setting of a target vehicle speed from a driver.

  The current position information acquisition device 40 acquires information indicating the current position of the vehicle 1 and outputs the information to the vehicle ECU 100. The current location information acquisition device 40 is, for example, a satellite positioning system (GPS) receiver.

  The vehicle information acquisition device 50 acquires vehicle information indicating the details of the operation performed by the driver and the state of the vehicle 1, and outputs the information to the vehicle ECU 100. The vehicle information acquisition device 50 includes, for example, a vehicle speed sensor that detects a vehicle speed, a steering angle sensor that detects a steering angle, an accelerator sensor that detects an accelerator opening, a brake sensor that detects a brake operation amount, and the like.

[Configuration of vehicle ECU]
Next, an example of the configuration of the vehicle ECU 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 3, and 4. FIG.

  In the auto cruise mode, the vehicle ECU 100 according to the present embodiment sets a travel schedule for a predetermined section ahead of the travel position of the vehicle 1 (hereinafter, referred to as “travel schedule setting section”) in the auto cruise mode. It generates and automatically controls each part of the vehicle 1 according to the generated travel schedule. In other words, in the auto cruise mode, the vehicle ECU 100 causes the vehicle 1 to automatically travel without depending on the driving operation of the rider.

  The “travel schedule” includes, for example, the vehicle speed at each position in the travel schedule setting section (typically, the target vehicle speed set in the target vehicle speed setting device 30), the required driving force or the demand at each position in the travel schedule setting section. The operation of the engine 11 and the motor 13 for satisfying the required driving force at each position of the braking force and the travel schedule setting section, and the braking device 20 and the motor for satisfying the required braking force at each position of the travel schedule setting section 13 is included.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the vehicle ECU 100.

  The vehicle ECU 100 according to the present embodiment includes a road information acquisition unit 101, a vehicle information acquisition unit 102, a required braking / driving force estimation unit 103, a traveling schedule setting unit 104, a regenerative energy amount prediction unit 105, and an energy consumption amount prediction unit 106. It has.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a travel schedule set by vehicle ECU 100 (travel schedule setting unit 104).

  FIG. 3A shows an example of a road on which the vehicle 1 travels. In FIG. 3A, the horizontal axis represents the position of the road, and the vertical axis represents the altitude of the road.

  FIG. 3B shows the vehicle speed on the traveling schedule set for the road in FIG. 3A. The horizontal axis in FIG. 3B represents a position corresponding to the position of the road in FIG. 3A, and the vertical axis represents the vehicle speed on the travel schedule at each position on the road.

  FIG. 3C shows the required driving force and the required braking force on the traveling schedule set for the road in FIG. 3A. The horizontal axis in FIG. 3C represents a position corresponding to the position of the road in FIG. 3A, and the vertical axis represents the required driving force (the graph on the upper side of 0 [N · m]) or the required control on the travel schedule at each position on the road. It shows the power (graph below 0 [N · m]). FIG. 3C also shows a driving force that the motor 13 compensates for among the required driving forces (the hatched area R1 and the hatched area R1a represent the driving force of the motor 13).

  3A, 3B, and 3C, T0 represents a position where the vehicle 1 travels at the present time, a section L0 is a traveling schedule setting section (T1 is a start position of the traveling schedule setting section L0, and T2 is a traveling schedule setting section. L0 end position). The travel schedule setting sections shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C are sections in which an uphill road is continuously followed by a downhill road.

  The road information acquisition unit 101 acquires road information in a predetermined section (travel schedule setting section) in front of the position where the vehicle 1 is currently traveling.

  Specifically, the road information acquisition unit 101 determines the travel schedule setting section from the current position where the vehicle 1 currently travels acquired by the current location information acquisition device 40 and the map data stored in advance, Information such as the road gradient, curve, and the presence / absence of a signal in the travel schedule setting section is acquired.

  The road information is, for example, data describing the altitude (road altitude) of the corresponding position in association with the horizontal position (latitude / longitude information or the like) of each part of the road. The road information includes, for example, gradient information of each point on the road.

  The road information acquisition unit 101 determines, for example, a section that is separated from the vicinity of the position where the vehicle 1 currently travels by a predetermined distance (for example, 10 km) to the front as a travel schedule setting section. Then, the road information acquisition unit 101 sets a subsequent travel schedule setting section at a timing advanced by a predetermined distance from the position where the vehicle 1 currently travels.

  However, the road information acquisition unit 101 may make the distance of the travel schedule setting section variable according to the situation. More preferably, the road information acquisition unit 101 includes the end of the downhill road when the travel schedule setting section of the predetermined distance does not include the end of the downhill road. The distance of the travel schedule setting section is extended beyond a specified value. As a result, the regenerative energy amount prediction unit 105 can accurately predict the amount of regenerative energy that can be recovered on a downhill road, and the traveling schedule setting unit 104 sets a more appropriate traveling schedule. (Details will be described later).

  The vehicle information acquisition unit 102 acquires vehicle information necessary for causing the vehicle 1 to automatically travel.

  Specifically, the vehicle information acquisition unit 102 detects the sensor values detected by various sensors of the vehicle information acquisition device 50 (for example, the accelerator opening detected by the accelerator sensor, the brake operation amount detected by the brake sensor, the shift lever , The driving force information of the engine 11, and the information of the gear position of the transmission 14), as well as the weight of the vehicle 1.

  Note that the vehicle information acquisition unit 102 may acquire a target value set by the vehicle ECU 100 instead of acquiring the vehicle information related to the accelerator opening and the brake operation amount from various sensors. .

  The required braking / driving force estimating unit 103 is based on the road information acquired by the road information acquiring unit 101, and calculates the required driving force at each position in the travel schedule setting section for traveling at the target speed set in the target vehicle speed setting device 30. Alternatively, the required braking force is estimated. The required braking / driving force estimating unit 103 typically estimates the required driving force at each position in the travel schedule setting section for maintaining the target speed on an uphill road and a flat road in the travel schedule setting section. The required braking / driving force estimating unit 103 typically estimates the required braking force at each position in the travel schedule setting section for maintaining the target speed on the downhill road in the travel schedule setting section.

  More specifically, the demand / drive force estimating unit 103 takes into account the current running state of the vehicle 1 acquired by the vehicle information acquiring unit 102 and the unique information of the vehicle 1 (for example, the weight of the vehicle 1) and the like. Then, the required driving force or required braking force at each position in the travel schedule setting section is estimated.

The required driving force and the required braking force for traveling at the target speed are obtained, for example, using the following equation (1). Expression (1) is for calculating the required driving force or the required braking force such that the acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle 1 becomes zero, taking only the gradient resistance acting on the vehicle 1 into consideration.
F = M × g × sin θ Expression (1)
(However, F is the required driving force or required braking force [N], M is the weight of the vehicle 1, g is the gravitational acceleration, and θ is the slope of the traveling road)

  In the above equation (1), for convenience of explanation, the required driving force and the required braking force are calculated by considering only the gradient resistance acting on the vehicle 1, but other factors such as rolling resistance and air resistance are also considered. Of course, it may be possible. The required driving force and the required braking force may be expressed in units of torque [N · m] acting on the driving wheels 15, or in Newton units [N] with respect to the center of gravity of the vehicle 1. May be.

  The traveling schedule setting unit 104 includes a required driving force and a required braking force at each position in the traveling schedule setting section estimated by the required braking / driving force estimating unit 103, and an engine for satisfying the required driving force and the required braking force. The operation of the engine 11 and the motor 13 at each position in the travel schedule setting section is set based on a control map that defines the operation of the motor 11 and the motor 13.

  More specifically, the traveling schedule setting unit 104 estimates the total driving force of the driving force of the engine 11 and the driving force of the motor 13 on the uphill road and the flat road by the required braking / driving force estimation unit 103. The operation of the engine 11 and the motor 13 at each position in the travel schedule setting section is set so as to achieve the required driving force.

  The control map that defines the operations of the engine 11 and the motor 13 for satisfying the required driving force includes, for example, an engine 11 for all the required driving forces in accordance with the required driving force such that the energy efficiency (fuel efficiency) is maximized. And the driving force of the motor 13 are defined. In the control map according to the present embodiment, for example, when the required driving force is equal to or less than a predetermined driving force, only the engine 11 is operated, and when the required driving force exceeds the predetermined driving force, the engine 11 is activated. It is defined that the motor 13 is operated to assist. In addition, the motor 13 according to the present embodiment is configured to operate with a substantially constant driving force. When the required driving force exceeds a predetermined driving force, the control map indicates that the motor 13 has a substantially constant driving force. The driving force is defined so as to be added to the driving force of the engine 11.

  On the other hand, the traveling schedule setting unit 104 estimates the total braking force of the braking force due to the regenerative braking of the motor 13 and the braking force due to the friction braking of the braking device 20 to the required braking / driving force estimation unit 103 on the downhill road. The operation of the motor 13 and the operation of the braking device 20 at each position in the travel schedule setting section are set so as to achieve the required braking force.

  The control map that defines the operation of the regenerative braking of the motor 13 and the friction braking of the braking device 20 for satisfying the required braking force satisfies the required braking force, for example, from the viewpoint of maximizing energy efficiency (fuel efficiency). For this purpose, it is specified that the regenerative braking of the motor 13 is preferentially operated. For example, when the required braking force is equal to or less than the limit value of the braking force by the regenerative braking of the motor 13, the control map compensates for all of the required braking force only by the regenerative braking of the motor 13. When the braking force exceeds the limit value of the braking force by the regenerative braking of the motor 13, the required braking force is defined to be compensated by the regenerative braking of the motor 13 and the friction braking of the braking device 20.

  However, the traveling schedule setting unit 104 according to the present embodiment determines that the regenerative energy that would have been recoverable on the downhill road due to the remaining charge of the battery 13b may not be recovered, as necessary. Thus, the operations of the motor 13 and the engine 11 during the traveling schedule set above are corrected. From such a viewpoint, the travel schedule setting unit 104 calculates the regenerative energy amount prediction unit 105 when the travel schedule setting section is a section in which the downhill road is continuously included after the uphill road as shown in FIG. Regenerative energy that can be recovered on the downhill road, energy amount of the battery 13b that can be consumed on the uphill road before the downhill road calculated by the energy consumption prediction unit 106, and the remaining charge of the battery 13b at the present time To determine whether or not the situation occurs.

  The regenerative energy amount prediction unit 105 is configured to generate a regenerative energy amount (hereinafter, referred to as “recoverable energy” (hereinafter referred to as “recoverable energy”) that can be recovered by the battery 13b on the downhill road in the travel schedule setting section based on the temporal change of the required braking force estimated by the required braking / drive force estimation unit 103 , "The predicted value of the regenerative energy") (see the hatched portion R2 in FIG. 3C).

The predicted value of the regenerative energy is obtained, for example, using the following equation (2).
Predicted value of regenerative energy = regenerative energy per unit time according to required braking force x time traveling on downhill road ... Equation (2)

  The above equation (2) represents a method of calculating the predicted value of the regenerative energy amount in a case where all of the required braking force on the downhill road can be compensated by the braking force by the regenerative braking of the motor 13. When the required braking force estimated value on the downhill road is compensated by the braking force due to the regenerative braking of the motor 13 and the braking force due to the friction braking of the braking device 20, the required braking force is replaced with the required braking force in the above equation (2). Then, a value obtained by subtracting the braking force by the friction braking of the braking device 20 from the required braking force is set.

  Based on the temporal change of the required driving force estimated by the required braking / driving force estimating unit 103, the energy consumption prediction unit 106 calculates the battery 13b on a flat road or an uphill road before the downhill road in the travel schedule setting section. (Hereinafter, referred to as a “predicted value of the consumed energy amount”) (see a hatched portion R1 in FIG. 3C).

The predicted value of the consumed energy amount is obtained using, for example, the following equation (3).
Predicted value of energy consumption = energy consumption per unit time according to the driving force of the motor 13 × time for traveling on a flat road or an uphill road ... Equation (3)

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the amount of regenerative energy that can be charged to the battery 13b by regenerative braking of the motor 13 on a downhill road and the remaining charge of the battery 13b.

  As shown in FIG. 4, travel schedule setting section 104 predicts a predetermined threshold value (hereinafter, referred to as a “predetermined threshold value related to the remaining charge”) converted from the remaining charge of battery 13b at the present time, and predicts the amount of regenerative energy. Compare with value. When the predicted value of the regenerative energy amount exceeds the predetermined threshold value relating to the remaining charge, the travel schedule setting unit 104 determines the required driving force on the uphill road before the downgrade road in the travel schedule setting section. The ratio of the driving force of the motor 13 for outputting is increased from the ratio set based on the control map.

  Specifically, when the predicted value of the regenerative energy amount exceeds a predetermined threshold value related to the remaining charge, the traveling schedule setting unit 104 determines whether the motor 13 is to be operated or not. Set a lower value. Thereby, the driving force of the motor 13 for satisfying the required driving force can be relatively increased as compared with the driving force of the engine 11. Thereby, it is possible to secure the charge remaining capacity of the battery 13b in advance so that most of the regenerative energy amount predicted to be recoverable on the downhill road can be recovered.

  FIG. 3C shows an example of the correction processing, in which the required driving force compensated by the motor 13 set based on the control map is represented by an R1 area, and the corrected value of the required driving force compensated by the motor 13 is shown. Is represented by the R1a region. FIG. 3C shows a state in which the drive period of the motor 13 is extended by the correction process.

  It should be noted that as the reserve power of the battery 13b, which is used as a reference when the traveling schedule setting unit 104 compares the predicted value of the regenerative energy, the predicted value of the energy consumption is preferably determined based on the reserve power of the battery 13b at the present time. The remaining capacity of the battery 13b at the stage when the vehicle enters the downhill road is used. This makes it possible to more accurately calculate the amount of energy to be consumed before the vehicle enters the downhill road, and to further improve energy efficiency. However, from the viewpoint of reducing the calculation load, the remaining capacity of the battery 13b at the present time may be used.

  Further, more preferably, when the predicted value of the regenerative energy amount exceeds a predetermined threshold value related to the remaining charge, the traveling schedule setting unit 104 more preferably compares the predicted value of the regenerative energy amount with the remaining charge amount of the battery 13b. The operation of the engine 11 and the operation of the motor 13 are set such that the greater the difference, the higher the ratio of running with the driving force of the motor 13. This makes it possible to recover a larger amount of regenerative energy that is predicted to be recoverable on a downhill road. In order to realize the configuration, the travel schedule setting unit 104 determines whether to operate the motor 13 as the difference between the predicted value of the regenerative energy amount and the remaining charge of the battery 13b at the present time increases. Of the criterion relating to the required driving force is reduced.

  As described above, the vehicle ECU 100 according to the present embodiment sets a travel schedule in advance, and operates the engine 11, the motor 13, and the like according to the set travel schedule at each time when the vehicle 1 is traveling. This allows the vehicle 1 to run with good energy efficiency while maintaining the target speed.

[Operation of vehicle ECU]
Next, an example of an operation of the vehicle ECU 100 according to the present embodiment during automatic traveling will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the vehicle ECU 100.

  The flowchart shown in FIG. 5 is executed by the vehicle ECU 100 according to a computer program at predetermined intervals (for example, every one minute) during automatic traveling.

  In step S1, the vehicle ECU 100 (road information acquisition unit 101) sets a travel schedule based on the current position where the vehicle 1 currently travels acquired by the current location information acquisition device 40 and map data stored in advance. A section is set, and road information in the travel schedule setting section is acquired.

  In step S2, the vehicle ECU 100 (drive schedule setting unit 104) determines the required driving force in the drive schedule setting section based on the road information and the vehicle information in the drive schedule setting section so that the vehicle 1 runs at the target vehicle speed. The required braking force is estimated.

  In step S3, the vehicle ECU 100 (the traveling schedule setting unit 104) determines a traveling state at each position in the traveling schedule setting section based on a temporal change in the required driving force and the required braking force in the traveling schedule setting section. That is, the vehicle ECU 100 sets the driving force of the motor and the driving force of the engine for supplementing the required driving force on the flat road and the uphill road according to the control map. In addition, the vehicle ECU 100 sets the regenerative braking of the motor 13 and the friction braking by the braking device 20 to compensate for the required braking force on the downhill road according to the control map.

  In step S4, vehicle ECU 100 (travel schedule setting section 104) determines whether or not the travel schedule setting section is a section in which there is a downhill road that is continuous with the uphill road. If there is no downhill road in the travel schedule setting section (S4: NO), vehicle ECU 100 adopts the travel schedule determined in step S3 and ends a series of flows. On the other hand, if the travel schedule setting section is a section in which a downhill road exists continuously to the uphill road (S4: YES), vehicle ECU 100 proceeds to step S5.

  In step S5, the vehicle ECU 100 (the regenerative energy amount prediction unit 105) predicts the regenerative energy amount on the downhill road in the travel schedule setting section.

  In step S6, the vehicle ECU 100 (energy consumption amount prediction unit 106) predicts the energy consumption amount from the current traveling position until the vehicle enters the downhill road in the traveling schedule setting section based on the traveling schedule determined in step S3. I do.

  In step S7, vehicle ECU 100 (drive schedule setting unit 104) determines whether or not the amount of regenerative energy that can be recovered by battery 13b exceeds the remaining charge of battery 13b when the battery 13b enters a downhill. When the amount of regenerative energy that can be recovered by the battery 13b is equal to or less than the remaining charge of the battery 13b when the vehicle enters the downhill road (S7: NO), the traveling schedule determined in step S3 is adopted and a series of flows is performed. To end. On the other hand, when the amount of regenerative energy that can be recovered by battery 13b exceeds the remaining charge of battery 13b when the vehicle enters the downhill (S7: YES), vehicle ECU 100 proceeds to step S8.

  In step S8, vehicle ECU 100 (travel schedule setting section 104) corrects the travel schedule determined in step S3. At this time, the vehicle ECU 100 typically sets the ratio of the driving force of the motor 13 for outputting the required driving force on the uphill road before the downhill road in the travel schedule setting section based on the control map. Correction is made so as to increase the ratio.

  At the time of automatic traveling, vehicle ECU 100 repeatedly executes a process of determining a traveling schedule for traveling at the target vehicle speed in this way. Then, vehicle ECU 100 operates engine 11 and motor 13 according to the travel schedule.

[effect]
As described above, the vehicle ECU 100 according to the present embodiment includes the road information acquisition unit 101 that acquires road information in a predetermined section ahead of the vehicle 1 and the predetermined information for traveling at a predetermined target speed based on the road information. A demand braking / driving force estimating unit 103 for estimating a required driving force and a required braking force at each position of the section; Based on a predetermined control map, the prediction unit 105 controls each position of the predetermined section such that the total driving force of the driving force of the engine 11 and the driving force of the motor 13 at each position of the predetermined section becomes the required driving force. And a travel schedule setting unit 104 for setting the operation of the engine 11 and the motor 13 in the vehicle. When the measured regenerative energy amount exceeds a predetermined threshold value converted from the remaining charge capacity of the battery 13b at the present time, the required driving force is output on a flat road or an uphill road before a downhill road in a predetermined section. The ratio of the driving force of the motor 13 is set higher than the ratio set based on the control map.

  Therefore, according to the vehicle ECU 100 of the vehicle according to the present embodiment, the amount of regenerative energy that can be recovered on the downhill road is predicted in advance, and the battery 13b consumes an appropriate amount of energy according to the amount of regenerative energy. By doing so, a larger amount of the regenerative energy can be recovered by the battery 13b. Thereby, the energy efficiency during the automatic traveling can be further improved.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible.

  In the above-described embodiment, an example in which only a constant driving force is output is shown as an example of the motor 13. However, a motor having variable driving force may be used as the motor 13 in the present invention. Thus, when correcting the travel schedule, the ratio of the driving force of the motor 13 can be finely adjusted.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, as an example of the setting of the driving schedule in the driving schedule setting unit 104, when the required driving force exceeds a predetermined driving force, the driving of the motor 13 is fixed to the driving force of the engine 11. The manner in which force is applied has been shown. However, the driving schedule setting mode in the present invention may be a mode in which the driving force of the engine 11 and the driving force of the motor 13 are set for each required driving force.

  In the above-described embodiment, as an example of a method of setting the travel schedule in the travel schedule setting unit 104, after setting the operation of the engine and the motor at each position in the travel schedule setting section based on the control map, the predetermined condition is satisfied. In this case, the traveling schedule is corrected when the predicted value of the regenerative energy amount exceeds the predetermined threshold value related to the remaining charge. However, the driving schedule setting method according to the present invention is not limited to the method, and when a predetermined condition is satisfied, a predicted value of the regenerative energy amount and the charging of the battery 13b at the present time are determined using a separately provided control map. The driving schedule may be set based on the remaining power and the required driving force.

  In the above-described embodiment, as an example of a travel schedule setting method performed by the travel schedule setting unit 104, when the travel schedule setting section is a section that includes a downhill road continuously after an uphill road, the regenerative energy amount Has been verified whether or not the predicted value exceeds a predetermined threshold value relating to the remaining charge, and the traveling schedule is corrected as necessary. However, the travel schedule correction process of the present invention is applicable even when the travel schedule setting section is a section in which a downhill road is continuously included after a flat road.

  In the above embodiment, as an example of the configuration of the vehicle ECU 100, the road information acquisition unit 101, the vehicle information acquisition unit 102, the required braking / driving force estimation unit 103, the traveling schedule setting unit 104, the regenerative energy amount prediction unit 105, and the consumption Although the function of the energy amount prediction unit 106 has been described as being realized by one computer, it is needless to say that the functions may be realized by a plurality of computers.

  In the above embodiment, as an example of the operation of the vehicle ECU 100, the road information acquisition unit 101, the vehicle information acquisition unit 102, the required braking / driving force estimation unit 103, the traveling schedule setting unit 104, the regenerative energy amount prediction unit 105, and the consumption Although the operation of the energy amount prediction unit 106 has been described as being executed in a series of flows, it goes without saying that a part or all of these processes may be executed in parallel.

  As mentioned above, although the specific example of this invention was demonstrated in detail, these are only illustrations and do not limit a claim. The technology described in the claims includes various modifications and changes of the specific examples illustrated above.

  According to the control device for a vehicle according to the present disclosure, more regenerative energy that can be recovered on a downhill road can be recovered.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle 11 Engine 12 Clutch 13 Motor 13a Inverter device 13b Battery 14 Transmission 15 Drive wheel 20 Braking device 30 Target vehicle speed setting device 40 Current location information acquisition device 50 Vehicle information acquisition device 100 Vehicle ECU
101 Road Information Acquisition Unit 102 Vehicle Information Acquisition Unit 103 Requested Driving Force Estimation Unit 104 Driving Schedule Setting Unit 105 Regenerative Energy Estimation Unit 106 Energy Consumption Estimation Unit

Claims (8)

A vehicle control device that includes an engine and a motor as drive sources, and is configured to be able to recover rotational energy of wheels as electric energy to a battery connected to the motor,
A road information acquisition unit that acquires road information in a predetermined section ahead of the vehicle,
A request braking / driving force estimating unit that estimates a required driving force and a required braking force at each position in the predetermined section for traveling at a predetermined target speed based on the road information;
A regenerative energy amount prediction unit that predicts a regenerative energy amount recoverable on a downhill road of the predetermined section based on the required braking force at each position of the predetermined section;
The operation of the engine and the motor at each position in the predetermined section is set based on a predetermined control map so that the total driving force of the driving force of the engine and the driving force of the motor becomes the required driving force. Traveling schedule setting section
With
The travel schedule setting unit, when the regenerative energy amount exceeds a predetermined threshold value calculated from the remaining battery charge at the present time, a flat road or an uphill road before the downhill road in the predetermined section. A control device that sets the operation of the engine and the motor such that a ratio of the driving force of the motor for outputting the required driving force is larger than the ratio set based on the control map. The travel schedule setting unit,
When the regenerative energy amount exceeds the predetermined threshold, the engine is configured to increase the ratio of the driving force of the motor as the difference between the regenerative energy amount and the current reserve power of the battery increases. The control device according to claim 1, wherein an operation of the motor is set. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising: an energy consumption prediction unit configured to predict an energy consumption consumed on the flat road or the uphill road based on the required driving force and the control map. . The predetermined threshold is:
4. The control device according to claim 3, wherein the control device is a value obtained by subtracting an amount of energy consumed on the flat road or the uphill road from a remaining charge capacity of the battery at the present time. 5. The travel schedule setting unit,
When the predetermined section is a section including the downhill road continuously after the uphill road, it is determined whether or not the regenerative energy amount exceeds the predetermined threshold value. The control device according to claim 1. The travel schedule setting unit,
When the required driving force is equal to or less than a predetermined driving force, only the engine is operated,
The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein when the required driving force exceeds a predetermined driving force, the motor is set to operate so as to assist the engine. The road information acquisition unit,
When the predetermined section includes the downhill road and does not include the end of the downhill road, the distance of the predetermined section is extended so as to include the end of the downhill road. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.   A vehicle comprising the control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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