JP2022030562A - Control device for electric vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a control device for an electric vehicle which can simulatively reproduce a behavior of an MT vehicle when a shift position is neutral.SOLUTION: A control device for an electric vehicle that includes at least a driving force source having a motor, and an accelerator pedal, a clutch pedal and a shift device operated by a driver, and can set a manual mode for defining a torque of the motor according to operation of the clutch pedal and operation of the shift device, in which a controller controls a rotating speed of a virtual engine to a rotating speed corresponding to an idle rotating speed (step 4) when the controller assumes the virtual engine as the driving force source when a manual mode is set, a depression amount of the clutch pedal is equal to or less a predetermined amount (step S1), and the shift device is a neutral position and an accelerator is turned off (steps S2 to S3).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to at least a control device for an electric vehicle using a motor as a driving force source.

Patent Document 1 describes an invention relating to an electric vehicle using a motor as a driving force source. The electric vehicle described in Patent Document 1 executes torque fluctuation control in which the torque of the drive motor is reduced by a set fluctuation amount and then increased at a predetermined trigger for producing a pseudo shift change. The predetermined trigger is defined based on, for example, the vehicle speed, the accelerator opening degree, the brake depression amount, and the like. According to the electric vehicle described in Patent Document 1, driving accustomed to driving a vehicle equipped with a manual transmission is performed by performing torque fluctuation control as described above to produce a pseudo shift change. Even when a person drives an electric vehicle that is not equipped with a stepped transmission, it is said that it is possible to prevent the driver from giving a sense of discomfort.

Further, in the electric vehicle described in Patent Document 2, similarly to the electric vehicle described in Patent Document 1 above, the carrier frequency of the inverter is set at a predetermined opportunity for producing a pseudo shift change. The frequency fluctuation control that changes only the fluctuation amount is executed. In the frequency fluctuation control in the electric vehicle described in Patent Document 2, for example, by reducing the carrier frequency of the inverter, the bass noise generated by the motor increases, and the increased noise causes a pseudo shift change. I am directing.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2018-166386 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2018-191366

Usually, in a vehicle (engine vehicle) using an engine as a driving force source, a transmission that shifts the rotation speed of the engine and transmits the output torque to the drive wheels is also used. In recent years, automatic transmissions (ATs) that do not require the driver to operate the clutch have become the mainstream of transmissions for engine vehicles, and manual transmissions (automatic transmissions) in which the driver operates the clutch pedal and shift lever to perform shift changes ( MT) is decreasing. However, MT has a simpler structure than AT, and is therefore excellent in reliability and durability. Then, in a so-called three-pedal vehicle (MT vehicle) equipped with an MT, the driver can obtain a comfortable driving feel by performing a shift operation by himself / herself and driving the vehicle as intended. Therefore, there are still a certain number of users who support 3-pedal MT vehicles. A driver who prefers such a 3-pedal MT vehicle, or a driver who is accustomed to driving a 3-pedal MT vehicle, is a vehicle equipped with an AT, a hybrid vehicle, an electric vehicle that does not require a transmission, or the like. When driving an electric vehicle, there may be a sense of discomfort or insufficiency due to the behavior and driving sensation of the vehicle being different from that of the MT vehicle. Therefore, in the electric vehicle described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, a pseudo shift change is produced by executing the torque fluctuation control and the frequency fluctuation control as described above.

When actually driving a 3-pedal MT car, the driver, in addition to operating the clutch pedal, changes the gear stage by operating the shift lever and adjusts the engine speed by operating the accelerator pedal at the time of shift change. At the same time. In this way, when driving a 3-pedal MT vehicle, various driving operations such as clutch operation, shift operation, and accelerator operation (including brake operation in some cases) are linked and the timing is adjusted. Is going. Therefore, as in the electric vehicle described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, a driver who prefers a 3-pedal MT vehicle or a 3-pedal MT vehicle simply by producing a pseudo shift change. It is not possible to completely eliminate the sense of incongruity and insufficiency that drivers who are accustomed to driving operations have. For example, it is assumed that the shift position is set to neutral by taking the foot off the clutch pedal while the vehicle is stopped, such as when waiting for a traffic light. However, in the configuration of Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, when the shift position is set to neutral. I can't feel the behavior of the vehicle. Therefore, it is possible to give a comfortable driving feel to a driver who prefers a 3-pedal MT vehicle or a driver who is accustomed to driving a 3-pedal MT vehicle without giving a sense of discomfort or lack. There was still room for improvement in constructing an electric vehicle.

The present invention was conceived by paying attention to the above technical problems, and is an electric vehicle capable of simulating the behavior of a vehicle in a 3-pedal MT vehicle when the shift position is neutral. It is intended to provide a control device.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises at least a driving force source having a motor, an accelerator pedal operated by the driver, a clutch pedal operated by the driver, and the driver operated by the driver. A controller that controls the vehicle in an electric vehicle control device that includes a shift device and can set a manual mode that determines the torque of the motor according to the operation of the clutch pedal and the operation of the shift device. The controller assumes that the virtual engine is the driving force source when the manual mode is set, the amount of depression of the clutch pedal is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and the shift device is neutral. It is characterized in that it is configured to control the rotation speed of the virtual engine to the rotation speed corresponding to the idle rotation speed when the accelerator pedal is off at the position.

The electric vehicle to be controlled in the present invention includes a clutch pedal. The clutch pedal is a simulated one assuming a clutch pedal provided in a so-called three-pedal MT vehicle. By providing such a clutch pedal, the driver can experience a pseudo-driving operation similar to that of a 3-pedal MT vehicle. In particular, in the present invention, when the MT mode is set, the driving force source is used as a virtual engine and the rotation of the virtual engine is performed when the vehicle is in the neutral position and the accelerator pedal is off, such as when the vehicle is stopped while waiting for a signal. It is configured to control the number Ne to the rotation speed corresponding to the idle. Specifically, control such as generating a sound corresponding to the idle rotation speed from the speaker or applying vibration is performed. With this control, the driver can experience the same driving sensation as driving a 3-pedal MT vehicle. That is, the behavior of the vehicle in an actual 3-pedal MT vehicle can be realistically reproduced.

In addition, by simulating the behavior of the virtual engine in this way, a driver who prefers a conventional 3-pedal MT vehicle or a driver who is accustomed to driving a conventional 3-pedal MT vehicle feels uncomfortable. It is possible to give a comfortable driving feel without feeling a sense of insufficiency.

It is a figure which shows an example of the structure (drive system and control system) of the electric vehicle to be controlled by this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating an example of the control performed by the control device of the electric vehicle of this invention.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments shown below are merely examples of cases where the present invention is embodied, and do not limit the present invention.

The vehicle to be controlled in the embodiment of the present invention is an electric vehicle including at least one motor as a driving force source. It may be an electric vehicle equipped with one or more motors as a driving force source. Alternatively, it may be a so-called hybrid vehicle equipped with an engine and a motor as a driving force source. In either of these electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles, the torque output by the motor of the driving force source is transmitted to the driving wheels to generate the driving force. The driving force is controlled based on the amount of operation of the accelerator pedal by the driver.

FIG. 1 schematically shows an example of a configuration (drive system and control system) of an electric vehicle to be controlled in the embodiment of the present invention. The electric vehicle (hereinafter referred to as vehicle) Ve shown in FIG. 1 is an electric vehicle equipped with a motor (MG) 1 as a driving force source. The vehicle Ve includes a drive wheel 2, an accelerator pedal 3, a brake pedal 4, a detection unit 5, a battery (BATT) 6, and a controller (ECU) 7 as main components. The driving force source in the embodiment of the present invention may include one or a plurality of motors in addition to the motor 1. It may also include a motor 1 and an engine (not shown). Alternatively, it may be a so-called hybrid drive unit including a motor 1 and an engine (not shown), and a power dividing mechanism, a speed change mechanism, and the like (not shown).

The motor 1 is composed of, for example, a permanent magnet type synchronous motor, an induction motor, or the like. The motor 1 has at least a function as an electric motor that is driven by being supplied with electric power and outputs torque. Further, the motor 1 may function as a generator that generates electric power by being driven by receiving torque from the outside. That is, the motor 1 may be a so-called motor generator having both a function as an electric motor and a function as a generator. An inverter 8 for controlling the magnitude of the current energizing the motor 1 and the frequency of the current energizing each phase is connected to the motor 1. Further, a battery 6 is connected to the inverter 8. Therefore, the electric power stored in the battery 6 can be supplied to the motor 1, the motor 1 can function as an electric motor, and the drive torque can be output. Further, the motor 1 can be made to function as a generator by the torque transmitted from the drive wheels 2, and the regenerative power generated at that time can be stored in the battery. The output rotation speed and output torque of the motor 1 are electrically controlled by a controller 7 described later. Further, in the case of a motor / generator, switching between the function as an electric motor and the function as a generator as described above is electrically controlled.

The drive wheels 2 generate the driving force of the vehicle Ve by transmitting the driving torque output by the motor 1. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the drive wheel 2 is connected to a drive force source (that is, a motor 1) via a reduction gear 9, a differential gear 10, and a drive shaft 11. The vehicle Ve in the embodiment of the present invention is a front-wheel drive vehicle in which the drive torque (output torque of the motor 1) is transmitted to the front wheels and the drive force is generated by the front wheels, as in the embodiment shown in FIG. May be good. Alternatively, the vehicle Ve may be a rear-wheel drive vehicle in which the drive torque is transmitted to the rear wheels via, for example, a propeller shaft (not shown) and the driving force is generated by the rear wheels. Alternatively, the vehicle Ve may be a four-wheel drive vehicle that is provided with a transfer mechanism (not shown) to transmit drive torque to both the front and rear wheels and generate driving force on both the front and rear wheels. good.

The accelerator pedal 3 is provided as an operation unit of an accelerator device (not shown) that generates a driving force of the vehicle Ve according to the acceleration intention of the driver, and a conventional general configuration is used. The accelerator device is operated by, for example, operating an operation unit such as an accelerator pedal 3 or an accelerator lever (not shown) by the driver to generate a driving force or acceleration of the vehicle Ve. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the accelerator device is configured to generate a driving force or an acceleration in response to a driver's depression operation of the accelerator pedal 3. Specifically, the accelerator device generates a driving force or an acceleration according to the amount of depression (operation amount) of the accelerator pedal 3.

The brake pedal 4 is provided as an operation unit of a brake device (not shown) that generates a braking force of the vehicle Ve, and a conventional general configuration is used. The brake device is operated by, for example, an operation of an operation unit such as a brake pedal 4 or a brake lever (not shown) by the driver to generate a braking force (braking torque) of the vehicle Ve. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the brake device is configured to generate braking force in response to a driver's depression of the brake pedal 4. For example, in the brake device, a brake hydraulic pressure corresponding to the depression amount or the pedaling force of the brake pedal 4 acts, and a braking force corresponding to the brake hydraulic pressure is generated.

The vehicle Ve in the embodiment of the present invention is a driver who prefers a so-called 3-pedal MT vehicle (an engine vehicle equipped with a manual transmission equipped with a clutch pedal), or a driver who is accustomed to driving a 3-pedal MT vehicle. It is configured to imitate a 3-pedal MT car in order to meet the needs of. Therefore, the vehicle Ve includes a clutch pedal 12 and a shift lever (shift device) 13.

The clutch pedal 12 is a simulated operation unit operated by the driver. The vehicle Ve in the embodiment of the present invention is an electric vehicle and is not equipped with a manual transmission as provided in a conventional engine vehicle. Therefore, the vehicle Ve also does not have a clutch that cuts off the power transmission between the engine and the manual transmission. The clutch pedal 12 is not intended to actually operate the clutch, but is provided in a simulated manner so that the driving operation of a 3-pedal MT vehicle can be simulated even in an electric vehicle. There is. The clutch pedal 12 is provided with the same configuration as the clutch pedal used in a conventional 3-pedal MT vehicle. The clutch pedal 12 and the shift lever 13 may be configured to operate in cooperation with each other. Further, the clutch pedal 12 is a power switch of the vehicle Ve when the driver depresses the clutch pedal 12 by a predetermined operation amount or more to operate it, following the system adopted in the existing 3-pedal MT vehicle. May be configured to be bootable.

The shift lever 13 is a simulated operation unit operated by the driver. As described above, the vehicle Ve in the embodiment of the present invention is not equipped with a manual transmission as provided in a conventional engine vehicle. Therefore, the vehicle Ve originally does not require a shift device for operating the manual transmission. The shift lever 13 is not for actually operating the manual transmission, but is provided in a simulated manner so that the driving operation of the 3-pedal MT vehicle can be simulated even in an electric vehicle. Has been done. The shift lever 13 is provided with a shift lever having the same configuration as that used in a conventional 3-pedal MT vehicle. For example, the shift lever 13 is configured to operate by tracing a shift pattern called a so-called H pattern. Further, the shift lever 13 may be configured to operate in cooperation with the operation of the clutch pedal 12. For example, the shift lever 13 may be configured to be able to operate when the clutch pedal 12 is depressed more than a predetermined operation amount. Alternatively, when the shift lever 13 is operated while the clutch pedal 12 is in a state of less than a predetermined operation amount, it may be configured to produce a state in which the gears interfere with each other in a pseudo manner.

The detection unit 5 is a device or device for acquiring various data and information necessary for controlling the vehicle Ve, and includes, for example, a power supply unit, a microcomputer, a sensor, an input / output interface, and the like. In particular, the detection unit 5 in the embodiment of the present invention detects various data related to the operation amount of the accelerator pedal 3, the operation amount of the clutch pedal 12, the operation position of the shift lever 13, and the like. Specifically, the detection unit 5 includes an accelerator pedal sensor 5a that detects the amount of operation of the accelerator pedal 3 by the driver (depression amount, accelerator opening, etc.), and the operation amount of the brake pedal 4 by the driver (depression amount, pedaling force, etc.). Brake pedal sensor 5b for detecting (such as), clutch pedal sensor 5c for detecting the amount of operation of the clutch pedal 12 by the driver (depression amount, depression angle, etc.), operation position of the shift lever 13 by the driver (for example, first speed) The shift position sensor 5d that detects the sixth speed stage, the reverse stage (R), and the neutral (N) from the stage, the motor rotation speed sensor (or resolver) 5e that detects the rotation speed of the motor 1, and the motor 1. It has a motor torque sensor 5f or the like that detects or calculates torque. In addition, the detection unit 5 has various sensors such as a vehicle speed sensor (or a wheel speed sensor) 5g for detecting the vehicle speed of the vehicle Ve and an acceleration sensor 5h for detecting the acceleration of the vehicle Ve. ing. Then, the detection unit 5 is electrically connected to the controller 7 described later, and outputs an electric signal corresponding to the detection value or the calculated value of various sensors, devices / devices, etc. as described above to the controller 7 as detection data. do.

The battery 6 is a power storage device that stores electricity generated by the motor 1, and is connected to the motor 1 so that electric power can be exchanged. Therefore, the electricity generated by the motor 1 can be stored in the battery 6. Further, the electricity stored in the battery 6 can be supplied to the motor 1 to drive the motor 1. The power storage device may include an electronic component such as a capacitor in addition to a secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery.

The controller 7 is, for example, an electronic control device mainly composed of a microcomputer, and in particular, the controller 7 in the embodiment of the present invention mainly controls the operation of the motor 1 via the inverter 8. Various data detected or calculated by the detection unit 5 are input to the controller 7. The controller 7 performs a calculation using various input data, data stored in advance, a calculation formula, and the like. The controller 7 is configured to output the calculation result as a control command signal and control the inverter 8 and the motor 1. Although FIG. 1 shows an example in which one controller 7 is provided, a plurality of controllers 7 may be provided for each device or device to be controlled or for each control content.

In the vehicle Ve described above, the driver operates the accelerator pedal 3 and the brake pedal 4 without operating the shift lever 13, so that the driving force and the braking force corresponding to the operation amounts of the pedals 3 and 4 are generated. There is a normal mode (or AT mode) in which the vehicle is driven and a manual (MT) mode in which the driving force and braking force are generated according to the virtual gear stage according to the position of the shift lever 13 operated by the driver. It is configured to be switchable.

The MT mode is a mode in which a vehicle equipped with an engine and a manual transmission (hereinafter, also referred to as an MT vehicle) is simulated and traveled. Specifically, the virtual gear stage can be changed by operating the shift lever 13 with the clutch pedal 12 depressed, and is based on the set virtual gear stage and the operation amount of the accelerator pedal 3. This is a traveling mode in which torque is output from the motor 1, or a virtual engine rotation speed corresponding to a virtual gear stage and a vehicle speed is obtained, and a sound corresponding to the virtual engine rotation speed is generated from a device such as a speaker 14.

As described above, the vehicle Ve in the embodiment of the present invention is comfortable for a driver who prefers a conventional 3-pedal MT vehicle or a driver who is accustomed to driving a conventional 3-pedal MT vehicle. For the purpose of giving a driving feel, it is configured so that the driving operation of a 3-pedal MT vehicle can be simulated. Therefore, for example, when the shift lever 13 is in the neutral position (hereinafter, also simply referred to as the N position), the controller 7 of this vehicle Ve changes the virtual engine speed (simulated engine speed) to the idle speed. It is configured to control.

When the manual mode is set, the vehicle Ve performs torque control by using the virtually mounted engine as a "virtual engine". Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, the controller 7 includes a virtual engine rotation speed calculation unit 15 and a virtual engine output torque calculation unit 16 as functions related to the control of the motor 1.

The virtual engine rotation speed calculation unit 15 dynamically calculates the rotation speed Ne of the virtual engine based on the driving state while the vehicle Ve is running. Specifically, from the rotation speed Np of the output shaft (propeller shaft), the gear ratio r corresponding to the shift position of the shift lever 13, and the slip ratio S of the clutch mechanism calculated from the depression amount Pc of the clutch pedal 12. You can ask. When this is shown by an arithmetic expression, it can be shown as follows.
Ne = Np × (1 / r) × S ... (1)
Of the energy output from the engine, it can be assumed that the kinetic energy that is not used for torque transmission to the output shaft is used to increase the virtual engine speed Ne. Therefore, the virtual engine speed Ne may be dynamically calculated based on the equation of motion based on the operating energy.

Further, during idling of the MT vehicle, idle speed control control (ISC control) for maintaining the engine rotation speed Ne at a constant rotation speed is executed. Therefore, in consideration of ISC control in the virtual engine, the controller 7 is determined, for example, when the shift lever 13 is in the N position and the accelerator opening, which is the operation amount of the accelerator pedal 3, is "0". The virtual engine rotation speed Ne is controlled to a predetermined idle rotation speed (for example, about 1000 rpm).

The virtual engine output torque calculation unit 16 calculates the output torque of the virtual engine, and is calculated from, for example, the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal 3 (that is, the accelerator opening degree) and the above-mentioned virtual engine rotation speed Ne.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of control according to the embodiment of the present invention. As described above, when the shift lever 13 is located at the N position, the virtual engine speed Ne is controlled to the idle speed. It is configured to do. Note that this control example is executed when the MT mode is set.

First, it is determined whether or not the amount of depression of the clutch pedal 12 is equal to or less than a predetermined value (step S1). This is a step of determining whether or not the amount of depression of the clutch pedal 12 by the driver is a state in which the virtual engine and the transmission are connected, that is, it is determined whether or not the clutch is engaged. The amount of depression of the clutch pedal 12 is detected by the clutch pedal sensor 5c. Therefore, if it is negatively determined in step S1, that is, if the amount of depression of the clutch pedal 12 is larger than a predetermined value, the routine shown in the flowchart of FIG. 2 is temporarily terminated without executing the subsequent control. ..

On the contrary, when it is positively determined in step S1, that is, when the amount of depression of the clutch pedal 12 is equal to or less than a predetermined value, it is determined whether or not the shift lever 13 is in the N position (step S2). ). When the shift lever 13 is set to the N position, it is assumed that the vehicle is stopped while waiting for a traffic light or is coasting. The shift position sensor 5d determines whether or not the position is N. Therefore, if it is negatively determined in step S2, that is, if it is determined that the shift lever 13 is not in the N position, the routine shown in the flowchart of FIG. 2 is temporarily terminated without executing the subsequent control. do.

On the contrary, when it is positively determined in step S2, that is, when the shift lever 13 is in the N position, it is determined whether or not the accelerator is off (step S3). That is, it is determined whether or not the accelerator opening degree is "0". The accelerator opening degree is determined by the accelerator pedal sensor 5a. Therefore, if it is negatively determined in step S3, that is, if the accelerator is not off (in other words, if the accelerator is on), the routine shown in the flowchart of FIG. 2 is temporarily terminated without executing the subsequent control. do.

On the other hand, when it is positively determined in step S3, that is, when the accelerator is off, the rotation speed Ne of the virtual engine is controlled to the rotation speed corresponding to the idle (step S4). As described above, in the embodiment of the present invention, when the MT mode is set, the driving force source is a virtual engine. Therefore, in the state where the accelerator is off in the N position, the engine speed is controlled to the idle speed in a normal MT vehicle. Therefore, in this step S4, it is configured to simulate the idle state. Specifically, the sound is generated from the speaker 14 so as to simulate the sound of the engine rotation speed Ne. Alternatively, vibration is applied to the driver and passengers (as well as the vehicle Ve) by some device so as to simulate the vibration caused by the engine. In addition, in order to visually indicate to the driver that the rotation speed Ne of the virtual engine is controlled to the idle rotation speed, a meter indicating the rotation speed Ne of the virtual engine may be provided on the instrument panel. good. In short, it may be configured to reproduce the MT mode by simulating the engine speed Ne sensuously, visually, and audibly. Then, when the simulation of the idle rotation speed is executed in this step S4, the routine shown in the flowchart shown in FIG. 2 is temporarily terminated.

As described above, in the embodiment of the present invention, when the MT mode is set, the driving force source is used as a virtual engine and the virtual engine is used when the vehicle is in the N position and the accelerator is off, such as when the vehicle is stopped while waiting for a signal. It is configured to control the engine speed Ne to a speed equivalent to an idle speed. Specifically, control such as generating a sound corresponding to an idle rotation speed from the speaker 14 or applying vibration is performed. With this control, the driver can experience the same driving sensation as driving a 3-pedal MT vehicle. That is, the behavior of the vehicle in an actual 3-pedal MT vehicle can be realistically reproduced.

In addition, by simulating the behavior of the virtual engine in this way, a driver who prefers a conventional 3-pedal MT vehicle or a driver who is accustomed to driving a conventional 3-pedal MT vehicle feels uncomfortable. It is possible to give a comfortable driving feel without feeling a sense of insufficiency.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and may be appropriately modified and carried out within the scope of the object of the present invention. The series of control techniques for simulating the engine speed Ne described above can also be applied to, for example, a drive simulator for driving training, a simulation game for entertainment, and the like.

1 Motor (MG)
2 Drive wheel 3 Accelerator pedal 4 Brake pedal 5 Detector 6 Battery (BATT)
7 Controller (ECU)
12 Clutch pedal 13 Shift lever 14 Speaker 15 Virtual engine rotation speed calculation unit 16 Virtual engine output torque calculation unit Ve vehicle (electric vehicle)

Claims (1)

It comprises at least a driving force source having a motor, an accelerator pedal operated by the driver, a clutch pedal operated by the driver, and a shift device operated by the driver.
In an electric vehicle control device capable of setting a manual mode for determining the torque of the motor according to the operation of the clutch pedal and the operation of the shift device.
A controller for controlling the vehicle is provided.
The controller
When the manual mode is set, the virtual engine is assumed to be the driving force source.
When the amount of depression of the clutch pedal is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the shift device is in the neutral position, and the accelerator pedal is off, the rotation speed of the virtual engine corresponds to the idle rotation speed. A control device for an electric vehicle, characterized in that it is configured to control the number of revolutions.

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