WO2022202025A1

WO2022202025A1 - Vehicle travel control device

Info

Publication number: WO2022202025A1
Application number: PCT/JP2022/006751
Authority: WO
Inventors: 雄大佐藤
Original assignee: 三菱自動車工業株式会社
Priority date: 2021-03-24
Filing date: 2022-02-18
Publication date: 2022-09-29
Also published as: JP2024069737A

Abstract

This vehicle travel control device comprises: an EV priority switch (21a) that instructs the execution of motor priority control for increasing opportunities to run in an EV mode; and a cruise control unit (22) that sets a target vehicle speed of a vehicle and causes the vehicle to travel autonomously, wherein, when the execution of the motor priority control is instructed by the EV priority switch (21a), the hybrid control unit (22) sets the maximum value of the target vehicle speed when traveling autonomously by means of the cruise control unit (22), to the upper limit vehicle speed at which the vehicle can travel in the EV mode.

Description

Vehicle travel control device

The present invention relates to a cruise control device for a hybrid vehicle, and more particularly to a cruise control device for a hybrid vehicle that has a cruise control device and is capable of switching between running modes.

2. Description of the Related Art Among hybrid vehicles, there are known vehicles that can switch running modes such as an EV (Electric Vehicle) mode, a series mode, and a parallel mode. These driving modes are automatically switched according to driving conditions such as a required torque based on an accelerator operation amount or the like and a vehicle speed.
On the other hand, many vehicles are equipped with a cruise control device capable of automatically running at an arbitrarily set target vehicle speed. In recent years, more and more vehicles are equipped with an adaptive cruise control system that automatically follows the preceding vehicle.

Furthermore, Patent Literature 1 discloses EV priority control that improves fuel efficiency by increasing EV mode selection opportunities in a hybrid vehicle.

Japanese Patent No. 6649607

The EV priority control described in Patent Literature 1 expands the conditions under which the EV mode is selected and increases the chances of using the EV mode, for example, when an operation instruction is given by the driver of the vehicle.
However, there are cases where it is difficult to achieve both cruise control and EV priority control, for example, even if an EV priority instruction is given during automatic driving by the cruise control device, switching to the EV mode is impossible at the set target vehicle speed. be. On the other hand, it is demanded to enable cruise control in the EV mode on more occasions to improve quiet performance and fuel efficiency.

The present invention was made to solve such problems, and the purpose thereof is to increase the opportunities for compatibility between automatic driving (cruise control) and motor priority control (EV priority control), To provide a running control device for a vehicle which improves quietness performance and fuel consumption performance.

In order to achieve the above object, a hybrid vehicle running control device of the present invention is mounted in a vehicle provided with an engine and a motor as a running drive source of the vehicle. A driving mode switching control unit that performs switching control between a first driving mode in which the engine is operated and a second driving mode in which the engine is stopped and the motor is operated, and a motor that increases opportunities to execute the second driving mode. A running control device for a vehicle, comprising: a motor priority control instructing unit for instructing execution of priority control; and an automatic running control unit for automatically running the vehicle by setting a target vehicle speed of the vehicle, wherein the motor priority control is instructed to execute, in the automatic driving, the driving control unit is provided with a driving control unit that sets the maximum value of the target vehicle speed to the driving upper limit vehicle speed in the second driving mode.

As a result, when the motor priority control is instructed to execute, the target vehicle speed is set to the upper limit vehicle speed that can be traveled in the second travel mode, thereby enabling continuous automatic travel in the second travel mode. Therefore, it is possible to increase the chances of using the second driving mode in automatic driving.
Preferably, the running control unit executes the motor priority control when the target vehicle speed is set by the automatic running control unit to a vehicle speed higher than the upper limit vehicle speed in the second running mode and the vehicle is automatically running. should be regulated.

As a result, when the target vehicle speed is higher than the drivable upper limit vehicle speed and the vehicle is automatically traveling, execution of the second driving mode is suppressed and the first driving mode is selected, thereby enabling automatic driving at a high vehicle speed. become.
Preferably, when the accelerator of the vehicle is operated while the motor priority control is instructed to be executed during automatic traveling in the second traveling mode by the automatic traveling control unit, , the driving mode may be switched based on an accelerator operation amount.

As a result, the driving mode can be switched according to the accelerator operation during automatic driving in a state in which the motor priority control is instructed to be executed. Autonomous driving becomes possible.
Preferably, when the accelerator of the vehicle is operated while the motor priority control is instructed to be executed during automatic traveling in the second traveling mode by the automatic traveling control unit, The second running mode may be switched to the first running mode when the operation amount is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, and the second running mode may be maintained when the accelerator operation amount is less than the predetermined value.

As a result, when the accelerator is greatly operated during automatic driving in a state where the motor priority control is instructed, the driving mode is switched from the second driving mode to the first driving mode to ensure the output of the entire vehicle. It can improve driving performance. On the other hand, when the accelerator is operated lightly, the second driving mode is maintained, and the quietness performance and fuel efficiency of the vehicle can be improved.
Preferably, the travel control unit operates the motor and the engine by operating the accelerator in a state in which the instruction to execute the motor priority control is given during the automatic travel, so that the vehicle speed can travel in the second travel mode. After exceeding the upper limit vehicle speed, when the accelerator operation is turned off, it is preferable to restart the automatic traveling with the maximum value of the target vehicle speed set to the upper limit vehicle speed that can be traveled.

As a result, the automatic driving in the second driving mode is resumed after the accelerator is turned off, so the chances of automatic driving in the second driving mode increase.
Preferably, the vehicle includes a target vehicle speed setting unit that sets the target vehicle speed, and the automatic cruise control unit is a cruise control device that controls the operation of the motor and the engine so that the vehicle speed becomes the target vehicle speed.

As a result, when motor priority control is instructed during automatic driving by the cruise control device, the target vehicle speed is set to the upper limit vehicle speed that can be driven in the second driving mode, enabling priority to be given to the second driving mode. Become.
Preferably, the automatic cruise control unit is an adaptive cruise control device that controls the operation of the motor and the engine so that the vehicle follows the preceding vehicle.

As a result, when motor priority control is instructed during automatic driving by the adaptive cruise control device, the target vehicle speed is set to the upper limit vehicle speed that can be driven in the second driving mode, enabling priority to be given to the second driving mode. become.

According to the vehicle travel control device of the present invention, when the motor priority control is instructed to be executed, the target vehicle speed is set as the upper limit vehicle speed that can be traveled in the second travel mode, thereby automatically traveling in the second travel mode. continue to be possible.
As a result, the number of opportunities for the second driving mode in which the engine is stopped and the motor is driven during automatic driving increases, and the quietness performance and fuel consumption performance of the vehicle can be improved.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of a vehicle to which a running control device of this embodiment is applied; FIG. FIG. 5 is an example of a characteristic diagram showing switching of operating regions between EV mode and series mode; 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a travel control device of this embodiment; FIG. 5 is a time chart showing an example of changes in maximum driving torque, accelerator operation amount, and vehicle speed when EV priority control is turned ON during cruise control at a vehicle speed at which EV travel is possible; 4 is a time chart showing an example of changes in maximum drive torque, accelerator operation amount, and vehicle speed when EV priority control is turned ON during cruise control at a vehicle speed higher than an EV travelable vehicle speed; 5 is a time chart showing an example of changes in maximum drive torque, accelerator operation amount, and vehicle speed when cruise control is started with an EV priority switch ON; 5 is a time chart showing an example of changes in maximum driving torque, accelerator operation amount, and vehicle speed when accelerator override is performed beyond the detent during cruise control and EV priority control; 5 is a time chart showing an example of changes in maximum drive torque, accelerator operation amount, and vehicle speed when accelerator override is performed below the detent during cruise control and EV priority control;

Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the present invention is embodied in a travel control device for a plug-in hybrid vehicle (hereinafter referred to as vehicle 1) will be described.
FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a vehicle to which the cruise control device of this embodiment is applied.
A vehicle 1 according to this embodiment is a plug-in hybrid vehicle having a front motor 2, a rear motor 5, and an engine 3 as driving sources.

The vehicle 1 is a four-wheel drive vehicle configured to drive the front wheels 4 with the output of the front motor 2 or the output of the front motor 2 and the engine 3 and drive the rear wheels 6 with the output of the rear motor 5 .
The output shaft of the engine 3 is connected to the drive shaft 8 of the front wheels 4 via a speed reducer 7, and the speed reducer 7 incorporates a clutch 9 capable of connecting and disconnecting internal power transmission. When the clutch 9 is engaged, the driving force of the engine 3 is transmitted to the front wheels 4 via the reduction gear 7 and the drive shaft 8, and when the clutch 9 is disengaged, the engine 3 and the front wheels 4 are disconnected.

A front motor 2 is connected downstream of the clutch 9 of the speed reducer 7 in the power transmission direction (on the side of the front wheels 4), and the driving force thereof is transmitted from the speed reducer 7 to the front wheels 4 via the drive shaft 8. there is Further, a motor generator 10 is connected to the upstream side (engine 3 side) of the clutch 9 of the speed reducer 7 in the power transmission direction. It functions as a starter motor for starting the engine 3. Also, the rear motor 5 is connected to the drive shaft 12 of the rear wheel 6 via the speed reducer 11 , and the driving force thereof is transmitted from the speed reducer 11 to the rear wheel 6 via the drive shaft 12 .

Connected to the engine 3 is an engine control unit 14 comprising an input/output device, a storage device (ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), non-volatile RAM, etc.), a central processing unit (CPU), and the like. The engine control unit 14 controls the throttle opening, fuel injection amount, ignition timing, etc. of the engine 3 to operate the engine 3 .
The front motor 2, the rear motor 5, and the motor generator 10 are three-phase AC motors, and a running battery 15 (running drive storage battery) is provided as a power supply for them. The running battery 15 is composed of, for example, a secondary battery such as a lithium-ion battery, and incorporates a battery monitoring unit 15a for calculating its state of charge (hereinafter referred to as SOC) and detecting temperature.

The front motor 2 and motor generator 10 are connected to a running battery 15 via a front motor control unit 16, and the front motor control unit 16 is provided with a front motor inverter 16a and a motor generator inverter 16b. The DC power from the running battery 15 is converted into three-phase AC power by the front motor inverter 16 a and the motor generator inverter 16 b and supplied to the front motor 2 and the motor generator 10 . Further, the electric power regenerated by the front motor 2 and the electric power generated by the motor generator 10 are converted into DC power by the front motor inverter 16a and the motor generator inverter 16b, and the running battery 15 is charged.

Similarly, the rear motor 5 is connected to the running battery 15 via the rear motor control unit 17, and the rear motor control unit 17 is provided with a rear motor inverter 17a. The DC power from the running battery 15 is converted into three-phase AC power by the rear motor inverter 17a and supplied to the rear motor 5, and the regenerated power from the rear motor 5 is converted into DC power by the rear motor inverter 17a and supplied to the running battery. 15 is charged.

The vehicle 1 is also equipped with a charger 13 that charges the running battery 15 with an external power source.
The hybrid control unit 18 (driving mode switching control section, driving control section) is a control device for performing overall control of the vehicle 1, and includes input/output devices, storage devices (ROM, RAM, nonvolatile RAM, etc.), It is composed of a central processing unit (CPU (Central Processing Unit)) and the like. The hybrid control unit 18 controls the operating states of the engine 3, the front motor 2, the motor generator 10, and the rear motor 5, the connecting/disconnecting state of the clutch 9 of the reduction gear 7, and the like. On the input side of the hybrid control unit 18, a battery monitoring unit 15a for the running battery 15, a front motor control unit 16, a rear motor control unit 17, an engine control unit 14, an accelerator opening sensor 19 for detecting the accelerator opening, and A vehicle speed sensor 20 for detecting a vehicle speed Vsp is connected, and detection and operation information from these devices are input.

Also, the output side of the hybrid control unit 18 is connected to the front motor control unit 16, the rear motor control unit 17, the clutch 9 of the speed reducer 7, and the engine control unit 14. Furthermore, the hybrid control unit 18 is connected to a user interface 21 including a speaker, a display, an input switch, etc. The user interface 21 enables various warnings to the driver and various input operations by the driver. ing.

Then, the hybrid control unit 18 switches the driving mode of the vehicle 1 among EV mode, series mode, and parallel mode based on various detection amounts of the accelerator opening sensor 19 and the vehicle speed sensor 20. For example, in a region where the efficiency of the engine 3 is high, such as a high speed region, the running mode is the parallel mode. In the medium and low speed range, switching is made between the EV mode and the series mode based on the state of charge SOC of the running battery 15, the required torque (target driving torque) for driving the vehicle, and the like.

In the EV mode, the clutch 9 of the speed reducer 7 is disconnected, the engine 3 is stopped, and electric power from the battery 15 for driving drives the front motor 2 and the rear motor 5 to drive the vehicle 1 .
In the series mode, after disengaging the clutch 9 of the reduction gear 7, the engine 3 is operated to drive the motor generator 10, and the front motor 2 and the rear motor 5 are driven by the generated power and the power from the running battery 15. to drive the vehicle 1. It should be noted that the running battery 15 is charged with surplus power of the power generated by the motor generator 10 .

In the parallel mode, after the clutch 9 of the speed reducer 7 is connected, the engine 3 is operated to transmit the driving force from the speed reducer 7 to the front wheels 4, and when there is excess engine driving force, the front motor 2 regenerates it. When the engine driving force is insufficient, the battery power is used to assist the front motor 2. - 特許庁
The series mode and parallel mode correspond to the first running mode of the present invention, and the EV mode corresponds to the second running mode of the present invention.

In addition, the hybrid control unit 18 calculates the total required output required for running the vehicle 1 based on the running state of the vehicle 1 such as the various detected amounts and operation information, and calculates the total required output in the EV mode and the series mode. It is distributed to the front motor 2 side and the rear motor 5 side, and is distributed to the front motor 2 side, the engine 3 side and the rear motor 5 side in the parallel mode. Then, the required output distributed to each, the gear ratio of the reduction gear 7 from the front motor 2 to the front wheels 4, the gear ratio of the reduction gear 7 from the engine 3 to the front wheels 4, and the reduction gear 11 from the rear motor 5 to the rear wheels 6 based on the gear ratio of the front motor 2, the engine 3, and the rear motor 5, and instructs the front motor control unit 16, the rear motor control unit 17, and the engine control unit 14 to achieve each required torque. Output a signal.

In the front motor control unit 16 and the rear motor control unit 17, based on the command signal from the hybrid control unit 18, the torque is applied to each phase coil of the front motor 2 and the rear motor 5 in order to achieve the required torque of the front motor 2 and the rear motor 5. Calculate the target current value that should be Based on the target current value, the front motor inverter 16a and the rear motor inverter 17a are switching-controlled to control the current value of each coil to the target current value, thereby achieving the required torque. The same applies when the motor-generator 10 generates power. Based on the target current value obtained from the required torque on the negative side, the switching control of the motor-generator inverter 16b is performed, thereby achieving the target current value.

Based on the command signal from the hybrid control unit 18, the engine control unit 14 calculates target values for the throttle opening, fuel injection amount, ignition timing, etc. for achieving the required torque of the engine 3, and based on those target values. Achieving the required torque by control.
Furthermore, the vehicle 1 of this embodiment allows the driver to select switching characteristics between the EV mode and the series mode. Specifically, in addition to the normal mode, which is a normal switching characteristic, EV priority control (motor priority control) is possible in which the operating range of the EV mode is expanded compared to the normal mode. The EV priority control is executed by selecting the EV priority mode by operating the EV priority switch 21a (motor priority control instruction section). For this reason, the user interface 21 is provided with an EV priority switch 21a. When the EV priority switch 21a is not operated, the normal mode is selected, and when the EV priority switch 21a is operated, the EV priority mode is selected. .

FIG. 2 is an example of a characteristic diagram comparing the operating ranges of the EV mode and the series mode between the normal mode and the EV priority mode. A solid line indicates the boundary line of the driving mode, and a broken line indicates the boundary line of the driving mode in the EV priority mode. The EV mode is selected in the operating region where the target drive torque and vehicle speed are relatively low, and when the vehicle speed and target drive torque increase, the mode is switched to the series mode. And by setting it to the high vehicle speed side, the driving range of the EV mode is further expanded. Therefore, in the EV priority mode, the EV mode is selected more frequently than the normal mode, and the front motor 2 and the rear motor 5 are used more frequently, thereby improving fuel efficiency and environmental performance.

On the other hand, the hybrid control unit 18 is connected to a cruise control unit 22 (adaptive cruise control device, automatic travel control section). The cruise control unit 22 has a cruise control function that automatically drives the vehicle at a target vehicle speed set by the steering switch 23 (target vehicle speed setting unit), and an adaptive cruise control function that follows the preceding vehicle.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the travel control device 25. As shown in FIG.
A cruise control device 25 of this embodiment is configured by the hybrid control unit 18 and the cruise control unit 22 of the vehicle 1 .
The hybrid control unit 18 includes an EV priority mode change determination section 30 , various torque calculation sections 31 , and a motor/engine distributed torque calculation section 32 .

Whether the EV priority mode change determination unit 30, when the EV priority mode is selected by operating the EV priority switch 21a, sets the EV priority mode out of the normal mode and the EV priority mode based on the vehicle speed or the like. judge.
The various torque calculation unit 31 calculates various torques such as the maximum driving torque Tmax of the vehicle 1 corresponding to the normal mode or the EV priority mode selected by the EV priority mode change determination unit 30 . A maximum drive torque Tmax of the vehicle 1 is output to the cruise control unit 22 .

A motor/engine distributed torque calculation unit 32 calculates a target driving torque of the vehicle 1 set in the cruise control unit 22 so as to distribute the output from the front motor 2 and the rear motor 5 and the output from the engine 3, and performs a corresponding calculation. A target driving torque distributed to the

motor control units

16 and 17 and the engine control unit 14 is output.

The cruise control unit 22 includes a normal cruise mode control section 35 , an EV-priority cruise mode control section 36 and a cruise mode determination section 37 .
The normal cruise mode control unit 35 and the EV-priority cruise mode control unit 36 use the maximum drive torque Tmax input from the various torque calculation units 31 as an upper limit to calculate the target drive torque of the vehicle 1 for cruising. The normal cruise mode control unit 35 calculates the target driving torque of the vehicle 1 required for cruising in the normal mode, and the EV priority cruise mode control unit calculates the target driving torque of the vehicle 1 required for cruising in the EV priority mode. .

The cruise mode determination unit 37 determines the vehicle 1 speed calculated by the normal cruise mode control unit 35 or the EV priority cruise mode control unit 36 in accordance with the normal mode or the EV priority mode determined by the EV priority mode change determination unit 30. A target drive torque is selected and output to the motor/engine distributed torque calculator 32 .
Next, setting of the maximum drive torque Tmax when EV priority control and cruise control are executed simultaneously will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 4 shows the maximum drive torque Tmax when EV priority control is turned ON during cruise control at a vehicle speed that allows EV travel (VmaxEV, upper limit vehicle speed in EV mode) or less, accelerator operation amount (actual accelerator amount APS, cruise 4 is a time chart showing an example of changes in acceleration amount (virtual APS) by control and vehicle speed (actual vehicle speed Vsp, set target vehicle speed Vset).
As shown in FIG. 4, the EV priority mode is turned ON (ON-ACT) by turning ON the EV priority switch 21a while the engine is ON and the ACC is ON, that is, during cruise control. At this time, when the actual vehicle speed Vsp is equal to or lower than the EV travelable vehicle speed VmaxEV, the engine 3 is stopped and the EV mode is set in which only the

motors

2 and 5 are operated. Note that during cruise control with the engine ON, the maximum drive torque Tmax is the maximum drive torque of the engine 3 and the

motors

2 and 5, and in the EV mode the maximum drive torque Tmax is the maximum drive torque of the

motors

2 and 5. Become. In this case, even if the engine 3 is stopped, the vehicle speed Vsp is maintained at the target vehicle speed Vset (for example, 120 km) set in the cruise control.

FIG. 5 is a time chart showing an example of changes in the maximum drive torque Tmax, accelerator operation amount, and vehicle speed when EV priority control is turned ON during cruise control at a vehicle speed higher than the EV travelable vehicle speed VmaxEV.
As shown in FIG. 5, when the EV priority switch 21a is turned ON during cruise control at a vehicle speed higher than the EV travelable vehicle speed VmaxEV with the engine ON, the EV priority mode is not turned ON but turned OFF (normal mode). ). Therefore, the engine 3 does not stop and both the engine 3 and the

motors

2 and 5 output, and the maximum driving torque Tmax is maintained at the maximum driving torque by the engine 3 and the

motors

2 and 5 . As a result, the target driving torque of the vehicle 1 can be secured, and the vehicle speed Vsp is maintained at the target vehicle speed Vset (for example, 150 km) set in the cruise control.

FIG. 6 is a time chart showing an example of changes in the maximum drive torque Tmax, accelerator operation amount, and vehicle speed when cruise control is started with the EV priority switch ON.
As shown in FIG. 6, when the EV priority switch 21a is turned ON while the vehicle is running with the engine ON and the cruise control OFF, the EV priority mode standby state (ON-std) is entered. Even if an attempt is made to start cruise control by, for example, turning on the resume switch (RES/+ switch) in this standby state, if the vehicle speed Vsp is higher than the EV travelable vehicle speed VmaxEV, the engine 3 is not stopped. , and

motors

2 and 5, the maximum driving torque Tmax is set to the maximum driving torque by the engine 3 and the

motors

2 and 5, and the target driving torque of the vehicle 1 can be secured ( (1)).

In the standby state of the EV priority mode, if the vehicle speed Vsp is equal to or lower than the EV travelable vehicle speed VmaxEV when the resume switch or the like is turned on to start cruise control, the engine 3 is stopped and only the

motors

2 and 5 are operated. The EV mode is activated, and the cruise control is turned ON. The maximum drive torque Tmax here is the maximum drive torque of the motors 2 and 5 (2 in FIG. 6).

FIG. 7 is a time chart showing an example of changes in the maximum drive torque Tmax, the amount of accelerator operation, and the vehicle speed when the accelerator is overridden beyond the detent (WOT, predetermined value) during cruise control and EV priority control. .
As shown in FIG. 7, during cruise control and during EV priority control, when the accelerator is overridden beyond the detent, the vehicle speed Vsp increases with accelerator operation and reaches the EV travelable vehicle speed VmaxEV. 3 is started and both the engine 3 and the

motors

2 and 5 output. The maximum driving torque Tmax here is the maximum driving torque generated by the engine 3 and the

motors

2 and 5, and acceleration performance can be ensured.

After that, when the accelerator operation is turned off (accelerator override is turned off), cruising is restarted with the settable maximum vehicle speed Vmax set to the EV driving possible vehicle speed VmaxEV. Here, since the set target vehicle speed Vset is lower than the EV travelable vehicle speed VmaxEV (80 km/h), the vehicle speed Vsp decreases toward this target vehicle speed Vset. At this time, when the vehicle speed Vsp becomes equal to or lower than the EV travelable vehicle speed VmaxEV, the engine 3 is stopped to enter the EV mode, and the maximum drive torque Tmax is set to the maximum drive torque of the

motors

2 and 5.

FIG. 8 is a time chart showing an example of changes in maximum drive torque Tmax, virtual accelerator operation amount, and vehicle speed when accelerator override is performed below the detent during cruise control and EV priority control.
As shown in FIG. 8, during cruise control and during EV priority control, when the accelerator override is less than the detent, even if the vehicle speed Vsp increases with the accelerator operation, it does not exceed the EV travelable vehicle speed VmaxEV. 3 remains deactivated to maintain EV mode.

After that, when the accelerator operation is turned off (accelerator override is turned off), the settable maximum vehicle speed Vmax is set to the EV travelable vehicle speed VmaxEV, and the cruise travel is restarted. Since it is a low value (80 km/h), the vehicle speed decreases toward this target vehicle speed Vset. Note that in the case of the accelerator override less than the detent, the maximum drive torque Tmax is maintained at the maximum drive torque by the

motors

2 and 5 .

As described above, in the vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment, the running mode is switched between the EV mode, the series mode, and the parallel mode according to the target drive torque and vehicle speed for running the vehicle. Furthermore, an EV priority switch 21a is provided, and when the driver operates the EV priority switch 21a, the EV mode is preferentially selected by expanding the operating range such as the target drive torque and vehicle speed for which the EV mode is selected. EV priority control is possible.

Furthermore, the vehicle 1 is capable of cruise control, and the target driving torque is automatically set according to the vehicle speed set by the driver, the actual vehicle speed, the distance from the preceding vehicle, and the like.
This embodiment is characterized by running control when both EV priority control and cruise control are executed.
When the EV priority switch 21a is operated to instruct the execution of the EV priority control, the target vehicle speed in the cruise control is set to the EV travelable vehicle speed VmaxEV, which is the upper limit vehicle speed in the EV mode. As a result, the EV mode can be continuously used, and the priority opportunities for the EV mode are increased even in automatic driving, so that the quietness performance and the fuel efficiency performance of the vehicle 1 can be improved.

Further, when the target vehicle speed is set to a vehicle speed higher than the EV travelable vehicle speed VmaxEV and the vehicle is automatically traveling, execution of the EV priority control is restricted. As a result, by selecting the series mode in which the execution of the EV mode is suppressed and the engine 3 is driven, automatic running at a high vehicle speed becomes possible.
Further, when the accelerator of the vehicle 1 is operated while the EV priority control is instructed to be executed during automatic traveling in the EV mode, switching of the traveling mode is changed based on the accelerator operation amount.

For example, when the accelerator of the vehicle 1 is operated while the EV priority control is being instructed to be executed during automatic driving in the series mode, the accelerator operation amount exceeds a predetermined value (for example, the extent exceeding the EV driving possible vehicle speed VmaxEV). increases, the series mode is maintained, and when the accelerator operation amount is less than a predetermined value, the series mode is switched to the EV mode.
As a result, when the accelerator is greatly operated during automatic driving in a state where the EV priority control is instructed to be executed, the series mode can be maintained to secure the output of the entire vehicle and improve the driving performance. On the other hand, when the accelerator is operated lightly, the series mode is switched to the EV mode, and the quietness performance and fuel efficiency of the vehicle 1 can be improved.

Further, the accelerator operation is turned off after the vehicle speed exceeds the vehicle speed VmaxEV at which EV running is possible by operating the

motors

2 and 5 and the engine 3 by operating the accelerator while the motor priority control is instructed to be executed during automatic driving. In this case, automatic driving is resumed with the maximum target vehicle speed set to the EV driving possible vehicle speed VmaxEV. be possible.

Although the description of the embodiment is finished above, aspects of the present invention are not limited to this embodiment. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the cruise control unit 22 that performs adaptive cruise control is provided separately from the hybrid control unit 18. For example, in a vehicle that has a normal cruise control function that does not have an adaptive cruise function, the hybrid control unit 18 In many cases, a cruise control unit 40 (cruise control device, automatic travel control unit) is provided inside.

A cruise control unit 40 inside the hybrid control unit 18 includes a normal cruise mode control unit 35, an EV priority cruise mode control unit 36, and a cruise mode determination unit 37, similar to the cruise control unit 22 shown in FIG. EV priority control and cruise control may be performed in the same manner as in the above embodiment.
In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to a plug-in hybrid vehicle capable of switching between EV mode, series mode, and parallel mode. It can be widely applied to hybrid vehicles in which driving modes can be switched.

Various embodiments have been described above with reference to the drawings, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such examples. It is obvious that a person skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications or modifications within the scope described in the claims, and these also belong to the technical scope of the present invention. Understood. Moreover, each component in the above embodiments may be combined arbitrarily without departing from the gist of the invention.

This application is based on a Japanese patent application (Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-050169) filed on March 24, 2021, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

1 vehicle 2 front motor (motor)
3 engine 5 rear motor (motor)
18 hybrid control unit (running mode switching control unit, running control unit)
21 user interface 21a EV priority switch (motor priority control instruction unit)
22 Cruise control unit (adaptive cruise control device, automatic driving control unit)
23 steering switch (target vehicle speed setting unit)
25 travel control device 40 cruise control unit (cruise control device, automatic travel control unit)

Claims

Installed in a vehicle equipped with an engine and a motor as a driving source for the vehicle,
a driving mode switching control unit that performs switching control between a first driving mode in which the motor and the engine are operated and a second driving mode in which the engine is stopped and the motor is operated, based on the driving state of the vehicle; ,
a motor priority control instruction unit that instructs execution of motor priority control that increases the chances of executing the second travel mode;
an automatic travel control unit for automatically traveling the vehicle by setting a target vehicle speed of the vehicle;
A vehicle travel control device comprising:
A running of a vehicle, comprising: a running control unit that sets a maximum value of the target vehicle speed to a running upper limit vehicle speed in the second running mode in the automatic running when the motor priority control is instructed to be executed. Control device.
The travel control unit restricts the execution of the motor priority control when the target vehicle speed is set by the automatic travel control unit to a vehicle speed higher than the maximum travelable vehicle speed in the second travel mode and the vehicle is automatically traveling. The vehicle running control device according to claim 1, characterized by:
When the accelerator of the vehicle is operated while the motor priority control is instructed to be executed during automatic traveling in the second traveling mode by the automatic traveling control unit, the traveling control unit performs an accelerator operation. 3. A running control device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said first running mode and said second running mode are switched based on an amount.
When the accelerator of the vehicle is operated while the motor priority control is instructed to be executed during automatic traveling in the second traveling mode by the automatic traveling control unit, the traveling control unit reduces the accelerator operation amount. The second driving mode is switched to the first driving mode when the accelerator operation amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and the second driving mode is maintained when the accelerator operation amount is less than the predetermined value. 4. The vehicle running control device according to 3.
The travel control unit operates the motor and the engine when the accelerator is operated in a state in which the motor priority control is instructed to be executed during the automatic travel, and the vehicle speed reaches a travelable upper limit vehicle speed in the second travel mode. 5. The running control of the vehicle according to claim 4, wherein, when the accelerator operation is turned off after exceeding the maximum value of the target vehicle speed, the automatic running is resumed with the maximum value of the target vehicle speed as the upper limit vehicle speed that can be traveled. Device.
A target vehicle speed setting unit that sets the target vehicle speed,
6. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the automatic cruise control unit is a cruise control device that controls the operation of the motor and the engine so that the vehicle speed becomes the target vehicle speed. travel control device.
The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the automatic cruise control unit is an adaptive cruise control device that controls the operation of the motor and the engine so that the vehicle follows the preceding vehicle. travel control device.