JP2021004649A - Vehicle control device, vehicle and control method - Google Patents

Abstract

To perform control of clutch engagement in accordance with a request of a driver at the end of idle coasting.SOLUTION: A vehicle control device performing traveling control of a vehicle includes control means controlling idle coasting of the vehicle and detection means detecting an operation of the vehicle performed by a driver. When the operation is detected by the detection means during the idle coasting, the control means ends the idle coasting and changes a control content of clutch engagement at the end of the idle coasting in accordance with a content of the operation detected by the detection means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle control technique.

As one of the technologies for improving the fuel efficiency of a vehicle, there is known a technology called idle coasting in which the clutch is disengaged when the accelerator is off and the vehicle coasts in an idling state without operating the engine brake (for example, Patent Document 1). reference).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-164446

When the driver operates the vehicle during idle coasting, the idle coasting is terminated and the clutch is engaged. In this case, the driver's request for running the vehicle at the end of idle coasting differs depending on the content of the vehicle operation by the driver, so it is desirable to control the clutch engagement according to the request. ..

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to control clutch engagement in response to a driver's request at the end of idle coasting.

According to the present invention
A vehicle control device that controls the running of a vehicle.
A control means for controlling the idle coasting of the vehicle and
A detection means for detecting the operation of the vehicle by the driver, and
With
The control means terminates the idle coasting when the operation is detected by the detection means during the idle coasting, and the idle course according to the content of the operation detected by the detection means. A vehicle control device is provided that changes the control content of clutch engagement at the end of ting.

According to the present invention, it is possible to control the clutch engagement according to the driver's request at the end of idle coasting.

Block diagram showing the internal configuration of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle control device Diagram showing the control flow of the vehicle The figure for demonstrating the conventional control of clutch engagement when a brake operation is detected. The figure for demonstrating the control of the present invention of clutch engagement when a brake operation is detected. The figure for demonstrating the conventional control of clutch engagement when the accelerator operation is detected. The figure for demonstrating the control of the present invention of clutch engagement when the accelerator operation is detected. The figure which shows the relationship between the accelerator operation amount and the clutch engagement speed

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the invention. Two or more of the plurality of features described in the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. In addition, the same or similar configuration will be given the same reference number, and duplicate description will be omitted.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram (schematic diagram) showing an internal configuration of a vehicle 10 equipped with a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes an engine 1, a clutch 2, a transmission 3, a hydraulic circuit 4, a differential mechanism 5, left and right drive shafts 6L and 6R, and left and right drive wheels 7L and 7R. It includes an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 8.

As the engine 1, for example, in addition to an internal combustion engine, an electric motor or a hybrid engine in which these are combined is used, and the driving force from the engine 1 is a clutch 2, a transmission 3, a differential mechanism 5, and left and right drives. It is transmitted to the left and right drive wheels 7L and 7R via the shafts 6L and 6R.

The clutch 2 connects and disconnects the transmission path of the driving force from the engine 1 to the driving wheels 7L and 7R according to the oil pressure of the hydraulic oil supplied from the hydraulic circuit 4. Further, the transmission 3 adjusts the gear ratio according to the oil pressure of the hydraulic oil supplied from the hydraulic circuit 4. In the case of the present embodiment, the transmission 3 is a continuously variable transmission (CVT) whose gear ratio can be steplessly adjusted according to the oil pressure of the hydraulic oil supplied from the hydraulic circuit 4.

Under the control of the ECU 8, the hydraulic circuit 4 supplies a predetermined oil pressure of the hydraulic oil to the clutch 2 and the transmission 3 via the hydraulic oil. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the specific configuration of the hydraulic circuit 4 is, for example, a hydraulic pump that sucks hydraulic oil from an oil solenoid and pumps it downstream, and adjusts the pressure to a predetermined pressure based on a signal from the ECU 8. It may be composed of a regulator valve, a linear solenoid valve that supplies hydraulic pressure according to a signal from the ECU 8, an on / off solenoid valve that switches the supply destination of hydraulic oil from the linear solenoid valve, and the like.

The differential mechanism 5 distributes the driving force transmitted from the transmission 3 to the left and right drive wheels 7L and 7R. The drive shafts 6L and 6R transmit each driving force distributed by the differential mechanism 5 to the left and right drive wheels 7L and 7R, respectively. Further, the drive wheels 7L and 7R convert the driving force transmitted by the left and right drive shafts 6L and 6R into the propulsive force of the vehicle 10.

The ECU 8 (vehicle control device) controls the engine 1 and the hydraulic circuit 4 based on the outputs from various sensors provided in the vehicle 10. Examples of various sensors include a wheel speed difference sensor 9a that detects the speed difference (speed difference) between the left and right drive wheels 7L and 7R, a lateral G sensor 9b (acceleration sensor) that detects a force in the vehicle width direction, and a vehicle. A gyro sensor 9c that detects the rotational movement of 10, a GPS sensor 9d that detects the current position of the vehicle 10, a handle steering angle sensor 9e that detects the steering angle of the handle, and an accelerator pedal opening sensor that detects the opening of the accelerator pedal ( Examples include the AP opening sensor) 9f and the brake sensor 9g that detects the amount of depression of the brake pedal.

In the case of the present embodiment, the ECU 8 may include a control unit 8a for controlling idle coasting and a detection unit 8b for detecting an operation of the vehicle 10 by the driver with the end of idle coasting. Idle coasting is a control in which the vehicle 10 is coasted in an idling state without disengaging the clutch 2 and operating the engine brake, and the control unit 8a is an idle course based on the detection result of the detection unit 8b. Control the ting. For example, when the operation of the vehicle 10 by the driver is detected by the detection unit 8b during the idle coasting, the control unit 8a ends the idle coasting and engages the clutch. In the present embodiment, an example in which the accelerator operation and the brake operation are applied as the operation of the vehicle 10 accompanied by the end of idle coasting will be described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and other operations such as a handle operation may be applied. ..

Here, depending on the content (including the type of operation) of the operation of the vehicle 10 detected by the detection unit 8b during idle coasting, the driver's request regarding the running of the vehicle 10 when ending the idle coasting differs. .. Therefore, at the end of idle coasting, it is desirable to control the clutch engagement according to the driver's request. For example, when a brake operation is detected as an operation of the vehicle 10, it is assumed that the driver controls the behavior of the vehicle 10 by the brake operation. Therefore, in this case, it may be required to loosely engage the clutch at the end of idle coasting so that the change in the behavior of the vehicle 10 due to the clutch engagement is suppressed. On the other hand, when the accelerator operation is detected as the operation of the vehicle 10, it may be required to promptly engage the clutch at the end of idle coasting in order to enhance the responsiveness of the driving force to the accelerator operation. Therefore, the control unit 8a of the present embodiment changes the control content of clutch engagement at the end of idle coasting according to the content of the operation of the vehicle 10 detected by the detection unit 8b.

Next, the control flow of the vehicle 10 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a control flow of the vehicle 10, and each step of the control flow can be performed by the control unit 8a of the ECU 8.

In S11, the control unit 8a determines whether or not the accelerator is turned off (that is, whether or not the accelerator pedal is not depressed) based on the detection result of the AP opening degree sensor 9f. If the accelerator is not turned off, S11 is repeated. On the other hand, when the accelerator is turned off, the process proceeds to S12, and the control unit 8a disengages the clutch 2 and starts idle coasting.

In S13, the control unit 8a determines whether or not the operation of the vehicle 10 by the driver is detected by the detection unit 8b. In the case of the present embodiment, the ECU 8 determines whether or not the accelerator operation or the brake operation by the driver is detected by the detection unit 8b. The detection unit 8b can detect the accelerator operation based on the detection result of the AP opening degree sensor 9f, and can detect the brake operation based on the detection result of the brake sensor 9g. If the operation of the vehicle 10 is not detected, S13 is repeated to maintain idle coasting. On the other hand, when the operation of the vehicle 10 is detected, the process proceeds to S14.

In S14, the control unit 8a determines the control content of clutch engagement at the end of idle coasting based on the operation content of the vehicle 10 detected by the detection unit 8b. Further, in S15, the control unit 8a ends idle coasting and engages the clutch with the control content determined in S14. The clutch engagement control contents include the engagement speed S of the clutch 2, the presence / absence of torque limitation, the engine speed in blipping, the start timing of blipping, and the like. For example, the control unit 8a may make the engagement speed S of the clutch 2 when the detection unit 8b detects the brake operation slower than when the detection unit 8b detects the accelerator operation, or the detection unit 8b may operate the accelerator. Only when is detected, torque can be limited when the clutch is engaged.

Next, the content of clutch engagement control will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6. In the following description, it is assumed that the engagement speed S of the clutch 2 is preset to the initial value S ₀ .

3 to 4 are diagrams for explaining the content of clutch engagement control when a brake operation is detected by the detection unit 8b. FIG. 3 shows a conventional control (comparative example) in which the initial value S ₀ is used as it is as the engagement speed S of the clutch 2, and FIG. 4 shows the engagement speed S of the clutch 2 is changed according to the operation content of the vehicle 10. The control of the present invention is shown.

When the initial value S ₀ is applied as it is as the engagement speed S of the clutch 2 as in the conventional control shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle body G indicating the behavior change (for example, vibration of the vehicle body) of the vehicle 10 due to the clutch engagement is "G _0. ". As described above, when the brake operation is detected, it is preferable to loosely engage the clutch 2 so that the behavior change of the vehicle 10 due to the clutch engagement is suppressed. Accordingly, the control unit 8a of this embodiment, when the brake operation is detected by the detection unit 8b, as shown in FIG. 4, slowing the fastening speed S of the clutch 2 from the initial value S _0. As a result, the clutch 2 can be loosely engaged and the vehicle body G due to the clutch engagement can be reduced (that is, the vehicle body G <G ₀ ). Here, the engagement speed S of the clutch 2 applied in the present embodiment can be determined based on the result of a test run or the like so that the change in the behavior of the vehicle 10 due to the engagement of the clutch is equal to or less than the allowable value.

5 and 6 are diagrams for explaining the content of clutch engagement control when the accelerator operation is detected by the detection unit 8b. FIG. 5 shows a conventional control (comparative example) in which the initial value S ₀ is used as it is as the engagement speed S of the clutch 2, and FIG. 6 shows the engagement speed S of the clutch 2 is changed according to the operation content of the vehicle 10. The control of the present invention is shown.

When the initial value S ₀ is applied as it is as the engagement speed S of the clutch 2 as in the conventional control shown in FIG. 5, the response delay T is “T ₀ ” from the start of the accelerator operation to the start of the transmission of the driving force. ". As described above, when the accelerator operation is detected, the responsiveness of the driving force to the accelerator operation is prioritized over the suppression of the behavior change of the vehicle 10 due to the clutch engagement, so that it is preferable to engage the clutch 2 promptly. .. Accordingly, the control unit 8a of this embodiment, when the accelerator operation is detected by the detection unit 8b, as shown in FIG. 6, faster than the initial value S ₀ of the fastening speed S of the clutch 2. As a result, the clutch 2 can be quickly engaged and the responsiveness of the driving force to the accelerator operation can be enhanced (that is, the response delay T <T ₀ ). In the clutch engagement control (FIG. 4) when the brake operation is detected, the torque is not limited, but in the clutch engagement control (FIG. 6) when the accelerator operation is detected, the clutch engagement is performed. Torque limitation may be applied during the period.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the control content of clutch engagement at the end of idle coasting is changed according to the content of the operation of the vehicle 10 detected by the detection unit 8b. Thereby, it is possible to control the clutch engagement so as to satisfy the driver's request regarding the running of the vehicle 10 at the end of idle coasting, that is, to control the clutch engagement suitable for the driver's request.

<Second Embodiment>
It is estimated that the driver's demand for responsiveness of driving force is higher as the accelerator operation amount is larger. Therefore, the control unit 8a may change the control content of the clutch engagement at the end of idle coasting according to the accelerator operation amount. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 8a may increase the engagement speed of the clutch 2 at the end of idle coasting as the accelerator operation amount increases. As a result, the responsiveness of the driving force to the accelerator operation can be ensured so as to satisfy the driver's demand. Here, in the case of the present embodiment, the detection unit 8b may be configured to detect the accelerator operation amount by the driver based on the accelerator opening degree detected by the AP opening degree sensor 9f. Further, the graph shown in FIG. 7 can be generated by obtaining the engagement speed of the clutch 2 at which the responsiveness of the driving force is equal to or higher than the threshold value based on the result of a test run or the like.

<Other embodiments>
In the above embodiment, the transmission 3 is described by exemplifying a stepless transmission (CVT), but the present invention is not limited to this, and an automatic transmission (AT; Automatic Transmission) or a dual clutch transmission (DCT) is used. Other transmissions such as may be used. Even in this case, the control of the vehicle 10 (idle coasting control) according to the present invention can be applied.

<Summary of Embodiment>
1. 1. The vehicle control device of the above embodiment
A vehicle control device that controls the running of a vehicle (for example, 10).
A control means (for example, 8a) for controlling idle coasting of the vehicle and
A detection means (for example, 8b) for detecting the operation of the vehicle by the driver, and
With
The control means terminates the idle coasting when the operation is detected by the detection means during the idle coasting, and the idle course according to the content of the operation detected by the detection means. Change the control content of clutch engagement at the end of ting.
According to this embodiment, it is possible to control the clutch engagement so as to satisfy the driver's request regarding the running of the vehicle at the end of idle coasting, that is, to control the clutch engagement suitable for the driver's request.

2. 2. In the above embodiment
The control means changes the clutch engagement speed as a control content for engaging the clutch.
According to this embodiment, it is possible to suppress the change in the behavior of the vehicle due to the engagement of the clutch and to change the responsiveness of the driving force to the accelerator operation according to the driver's request.

3. 3. In the above embodiment
The control means slows down the clutch engagement speed when the brake operation is detected by the detection means as the operation, as compared with the case where the accelerator operation is detected by the detection means as the operation.
According to this embodiment, when the brake operation is detected, the clutch can be engaged loosely so that the change in the behavior of the vehicle due to the clutch engagement is reduced as compared with the case where the accelerator operation is detected. Become. On the other hand, when the accelerator operation is detected, the clutch can be engaged more quickly so that the responsiveness of the driving force is improved as compared with the case where the brake operation is detected.

4. In the above embodiment
The detection means detects the amount of operation of the vehicle by the driver, and
The control means changes the control content of the clutch engagement at the end of the idle coasting according to the operation amount detected by the detection means.
According to this embodiment, it is possible to control the clutch engagement so as to satisfy the driver's request, which is presumed to be higher as the amount of operation of the vehicle is larger.

5. In the above embodiment
The detection means detects the accelerator operation amount as the operation amount, and
The larger the accelerator operation amount detected by the detection means, the faster the control means engages the clutch at the end of the idle coasting.
According to this embodiment, the driver's demand for responsiveness of the driving force is estimated to be higher as the accelerator operating amount is larger, so that it is possible to control the clutch engagement so as to satisfy the demand. ..

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

1: Engine, 2: Clutch, 3: Transmission, 4: Hydraulic circuit, 5: Differential mechanism, 6L, 6R: Drive shaft, 7L, 7R: Drive wheel, 8: ECU, 9a-9g: Sensor, 10: vehicle

Claims (7)

A vehicle control device that controls the running of a vehicle.
A control means for controlling the idle coasting of the vehicle and
A detection means for detecting the operation of the vehicle by the driver, and
With
The control means terminates the idle coasting when the operation is detected by the detection means during the idle coasting, and the idle course according to the content of the operation detected by the detection means. A vehicle control device characterized in that the control content of clutch engagement at the end of ting is changed. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the control means changes the clutch engagement speed as a control content for engaging the clutch. The control means is characterized in that the engagement speed of the clutch when the brake operation is detected by the detection means as the operation is made slower than when the accelerator operation is detected by the detection means as the operation. The vehicle control device according to claim 2. The detection means detects the amount of operation of the vehicle by the driver, and
Any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control means changes the control content of the clutch engagement at the end of the idle coasting according to the operation amount detected by the detection means. The vehicle control device according to item 1. The detection means detects the accelerator operation amount as the operation amount, and the control means increases the clutch engagement speed at the end of the idle coasting as the accelerator operation amount detected by the detection means increases. The vehicle control device according to claim 4, wherein the vehicle control device is provided. A vehicle comprising the vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. It is a control method that controls the running of the vehicle.
When the operation of the vehicle by the driver is detected during the idle coasting of the vehicle, the idle coasting is terminated, and the clutch at the end of the idle coasting is terminated according to the content of the detected operation. A control method characterized in that the control content of fastening is changed.

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