IP Library Granted Patent US 8,538,620
Granted Patent B2
US 8,538,620 · App. 13/704,806 · Granted Sep 17, 2013

Creep cut-off control device for electric vehicle

Inventors: Yohei Nakamura (Sagamihara, JP); Isamu Kazama (Odawara, JP)
Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,538,620
App. No.
13/704,806
Granted
Sep 17, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicle speed VSP enters a creep-cutoff-prohibiting speed region lower than V 1 with a forward creep torque being outputted (t 1 ), and then this state continues for a time duration set corresponding to a timer value NTM 1 (t 2 ). At this time, a creep cutoff is prohibited by setting a creep-cutoff-prohibition flag NFLAG at “1”. A braking force becomes larger than or equal to a creep-cutoff-permitting braking-force value to satisfy a creep-cutoff permitting condition related to the braking force (t 3 ) while a creep-cutoff permitting condition related to the vehicle speed has been satisfied because of almost zero of the vehicle speed VSP. In response thereto, the creep-cutoff permitting flag FLAG is set at 1 at t 4 . However, the creep toque continues to be outputted also after t 4 without the creep cutoff, so that a torque reduction accompanied with strangeness feeling can be prevented.

Claims (17)

1. A creep cutoff control device for an electric vehicle,

wherein the electric vehicle is configured to run by transmitting power from an electric motor to a road wheel in accordance with a shift range selected by a shift manipulation which is done by a driver to produce a running mode of the vehicle,

wherein the electric vehicle is configured to creep at a very low speed by a creep torque derived from the electric motor,

wherein the electric vehicle is configured to execute a creep cutoff such that the creep torque of the electric motor is reduced when a creep-cutoff permitting condition is satisfied, the creep-cutoff permitting condition being that an absolute value of a vehicle speed is lower than a vehicle-stop determining speed value and that a braking force is larger than or equal to a set braking-force value,

the creep cutoff control device comprising:

a creep-cutoff-prohibiting speed-region judging section configured to judge whether or not the absolute value of the vehicle speed is lower than a creep-cutoff prohibiting speed value under a state where the creep torque is being outputted without executing the creep cutoff; and

a creep-cutoff prohibiting section configured to prohibit the creep cutoff regardless of the satisfaction of the creep-cutoff permitting condition, when the creep-cutoff-prohibiting speed-region judging section determines that the absolute value of the vehicle speed is within a creep-cutoff-prohibiting speed-region,

wherein the creep-cutoff-prohibiting speed-region judging section includes a creep-cutoff prohibiting timer configured to measure elapsed time for which the absolute value of the vehicle speed is lower than the creep-cutoff prohibiting speed value,

wherein the creep-cutoff prohibiting section is configured to prohibit the creep cutoff when the creep-cutoff prohibiting timer indicates a set time value.

2. The creep cutoff control device according to claim 1 , wherein the creep cutoff control device further comprises:

a creep-cutoff-prohibition releasing-speed-region judging section configured to judge whether or not the absolute value of the vehicle speed has become higher than or equal to a creep-cutoff-prohibition releasing speed value which is higher than the creep-cutoff prohibiting speed value, when the creep-cutoff prohibiting section is prohibiting the creep cutoff; and

a creep-cutoff-prohibition releasing section configured to allow the creep cutoff to be performed at the time of satisfaction of the creep-cutoff permitting condition by releasing the prohibition of the creep cutoff of the creep-cutoff prohibiting section, when the creep-cutoff-prohibition releasing-speed-region judging section determines that the absolute value of the vehicle speed has entered a creep-cutoff-prohibition releasing speed-region during the prohibition of the creep cutoff.

3. The creep cutoff control device according to claim 2 , wherein

the creep-cutoff-prohibition releasing-speed-region judging section includes a creep-cutoff-prohibition releasing timer configured to measure elapsed time for which the absolute value of the vehicle speed is higher than or equal to the creep-cutoff-prohibition releasing speed value, and

the creep-cutoff-prohibition releasing section is configured to release the prohibition of the creep cutoff when the creep-cutoff-prohibition releasing timer indicates a set time value.

4. The creep cutoff control device according to claim 1 , wherein

the creep-cutoff prohibiting speed value is higher than the vehicle-stop determining speed value.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 18, 2012
From: NAKAMURA, YOHEI; KAZAMA, ISAMU
To: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 029487/0285 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2010-150044 · Jun 30, 2010 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20130090799A1 · Apr 11, 2013