In-vehicle control device

Abstract

A vehicle-mounted control device is configured to be mounted on a vehicle provided with: an engine; a transmission configured to change the speed of the power of the engine and output the power to a drive shaft connected to the drive wheels; a motor configured to input / output power to / from the drive shaft; a power storage device configured to input / output power to / from the motor; and a steering device. The vehicle-mounted control device is provided with a processor configured so that, when a drive force increase request for making a drive force increase request to bring the vehicle into a predetermined target state during automatic driving control, the drive force increase request is greater than a drive force increase accompanying a downshift of the transmission. The driving force from the motor is preferentially increased without downshifting the transmission.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle-mounted control device. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a vehicle-mounted control device mounted on an automobile and configured to execute multiple driving controls including autonomous driving control and manual driving control. Background Art

[0002] As such a vehicle-mounted control device, a device has been proposed in which, when an increase in required driving force is predicted during the execution of autonomous driving control, the vehicle speed is maintained or decreased until the timing of the increase in required driving force, while the engine speed is increased during the standby period before the timing of the increase in required driving force, the engine torque is decreased according to the increase in the engine speed, and the gear position of the automatic transmission is downshifted (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2021-160537). In this vehicle-mounted control device, by the above control, when an increase in required driving force is predicted during autonomous driving, vibrations, noises, and shift shocks caused by downshifting are reduced. Summary of the Invention

[0003] However, in the above vehicle-mounted control device, sometimes, downshifting is performed even when an increase in required driving force caused by a slight slope or an increase in required driving force accompanying cornering is predicted. In such a case, shift shocks caused by unexpected downshifting or noises generated by an increase in engine speed are brought to the driver and passengers, deteriorating the driving performance.

[0004] A main object of the vehicle-mounted control device of the present disclosure is to improve the driving performance by suppressing downshifting of the transmission in response to a request for an increase in driving force during autonomous driving control.

[0005] Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The vehicle-mounted control device of the present disclosure adopts the following means to achieve the above main object.

[0007] A vehicle-mounted control device according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is configured to be mounted on a vehicle, the vehicle including: an engine; a transmission configured to shift the power of the engine and output it to a drive shaft connected to a drive wheel; an electric motor configured to input and output power to and from the drive shaft; a power storage device configured to input and output electric power to and from the electric motor; and a steering device. The vehicle-mounted control device is configured to execute multiple driving controls, the multiple driving controls including: autonomous driving control for controlling the engine, the transmission, the electric motor, and the steering device so that the vehicle travels by autonomous driving; and manual driving control for controlling the engine, the transmission, the electric motor, and the steering device so that the vehicle travels by manual driving. The vehicle-mounted control device includes a processor, wherein

[0008] The processor is configured to, when a driving force increase request is made in order to bring the vehicle to a specified target state during the automatic driving control, give priority to a driving force increase that increases the driving force from the electric motor without being accompanied by a downshift of the transmission, compared to a driving force increase that is accompanied by a downshift of the transmission.

[0009] As described above, the vehicle-mounted control device of the first aspect of the present disclosure is configured to be mounted on a vehicle, the vehicle comprising: an engine; a transmission configured to change the speed of the power of the engine and output it to a drive shaft connected to a drive wheel; a motor configured to input and output power to the drive shaft; a power storage device configured to input and output electric power to the motor; and a steering device, the vehicle-mounted control device is configured to execute a plurality of driving controls, the plurality of driving controls including: an automatic driving control that controls the engine, the transmission, the motor, and the steering device so that the vehicle travels by automatic driving; and a manual driving control that controls the engine, the transmission, the motor, and the steering device so that the vehicle travels by manual driving. The vehicle-mounted control device comprises a processor, the processor being configured to, when a driving force increase request is made to make the vehicle into a predetermined target state during the automatic driving control, give priority to a driving force increase that increases the driving force from the motor without downshifting the transmission, compared to a driving force increase that is accompanied by downshifting the transmission. When the driving force increase request is made in this way, the driving force increase from the electric motor without the transmission downshift is prioritized over the driving force increase with the transmission downshift, so the transmission downshift can be suppressed, and the speed change shock and noise caused by the sudden increase in the engine speed with the transmission downshift can be suppressed. As a result, the driving performance can be improved. Here, the predetermined target state includes the vehicle speed and acceleration set in each area on the driving path when the automatic driving is performed, the vehicle speed and acceleration set by the user, and the legal vehicle speed.

[0010] In the vehicle-mounted control device of the first aspect of the present disclosure, the processor may be configured to increase the driving force from the motor without downshifting the transmission when the predicted state predicted by the increase in driving force from the motor is within an allowable range from the prescribed target state at the time of the driving force increase request, and increase the driving force from the engine with downshifting the transmission when the predicted state is outside the allowable range. In this way, the vehicle can travel without downshifting the transmission when the predicted state is within the allowable range from the prescribed target state, and when the predicted state is outside the allowable range from the prescribed target state, the vehicle can be quickly driven to the prescribed target state although with downshifting the transmission.

[0011] In the in-vehicle control device according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, the processor may also be configured such that, when a driving force increase request is made, if the predicted state predicted by the driving force increase from the engine without gear shifting and the driving force increase from the electric motor is within the allowable range from the specified target state, the driving force increase from the engine without gear shifting and the driving force increase from the electric motor are performed. If the predicted state is outside the allowable range, the driving force increase from the engine is performed while downshifting the transmission. In this way, the vehicle can travel without downshifting the transmission when the predicted state is within the allowable range from the specified target state, and although downshifting the transmission is accompanied when the predicted state is outside the allowable range from the specified target state, the vehicle can quickly travel in the specified target state.

[0012] In the in-vehicle control device according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, the processor may also be configured to predict the predicted state within the allowable output power that can be output from the power storage device. In this case, the processor may also be configured to predict the predicted state based on the electric power required for the electric motor to increase the driving force within the allowable output power that can be output from the power storage device and the allowable duration for continuously outputting the electric power required for the electric motor from the power storage device.

[0013] In addition, the in-vehicle control device according to the second aspect of the present disclosure is configured to be mounted on a vehicle, the vehicle including: an engine; a transmission configured to shift the power of the engine and output it to a drive shaft connected to drive wheels; an electric motor configured to input and output power to the drive shaft; a power storage device configured to input and output power to the electric motor; and a steering device. The in-vehicle control device is configured to execute a plurality of driving controls, the plurality of driving controls including: an autonomous driving control for controlling the engine, the transmission, the electric motor, and the steering device so that the vehicle travels by autonomous driving; and a manual driving control for controlling the engine, the transmission, the electric motor, and the steering device so that the vehicle travels by manual driving. The in-vehicle control device includes a processor, wherein

[0014] the processor is configured such that, when a driving force increase request for making the vehicle into a specified target state is made during the autonomous driving control, the driving force increase by the electric motor is prioritized over the driving force increase by the engine.

[0015] As described above, the in-vehicle control device according to the second aspect of the present disclosure is configured to be mounted on a vehicle, the vehicle including: an engine; a transmission configured to shift the power of the engine and output it to a drive shaft connected to a drive wheel; an electric motor configured to input and output power to the drive shaft; a power storage device configured to input and output electric power to the electric motor; and a steering device. The in-vehicle control device is configured to execute a plurality of driving controls, the plurality of driving controls including: an autonomous driving control that controls the engine, the transmission, the electric motor, and the steering device so that the vehicle travels by autonomous driving; and a manual driving control that controls the engine, the transmission, the electric motor, and the steering device so that the vehicle travels by manual driving. The in-vehicle control device includes a processor configured to, when a driving force increase request for making the vehicle reach a specified target state is made during the autonomous driving control, give priority to the driving force increase by the electric motor over the driving force increase by the engine. In this way, when a driving force increase request is made, the driving force increase by the electric motor is given priority over the driving force increase by the engine, so that downshifting of the transmission can be suppressed, and the shift shock accompanying the downshifting of the transmission and the noise caused by a sharp increase in the engine speed can be suppressed. As a result, the driving performance can be improved. In addition, the specified target state is the same as described above.

[0016] In the in-vehicle control device according to the second aspect of the present disclosure, the processor may also be configured to, when the driving force increase request is made, give priority to the driving force increase from the electric motor without accompanying downshifting of the transmission over the driving force increase accompanying downshifting of the transmission compared to the manual driving control. In this way, the vehicle can travel smoothly in the specified target state compared to during the manual driving control. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Hereinafter, features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, in which the same reference numerals denote the same elements, and:

[0018] Figure 1 is a structural diagram showing an overview of the structure of a hybrid vehicle as an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 2 is a gearshift diagram showing an example of a gearshift line of an automatic transmission.

[0020] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing an example of processing when a driving force increase request is made by the main ECU.

[0021] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of processing when a driving force increase request is made in a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Next, a method (embodiment) for implementing the present disclosure will be described. Figure 1 FIG. is a structural schematic diagram showing an overview of a hybrid vehicle 20 as an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in the figure, the hybrid vehicle 20 of the embodiment includes an engine 22, an electric motor 26, a battery 29, an automatic transmission 30, a braking device 32, a steering device 34, and an electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as "main ECU") 40.

[0023] The engine 22 is configured as an internal combustion engine that outputs power using fuel such as gasoline or light oil from a fuel tank. The crankshaft 23 of the engine 22 is connected to the rotating shaft 31 (rotor) of the electric motor 26 via a clutch K0. The engine 22 is controlled for driving by an engine electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as "engine ECU") 24.

[0024] Although not shown, the engine ECU 24 includes a microcomputer having a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, a flash memory, input / output ports, and a communication port. In the engine ECU 24, signals from various sensors required for driving and controlling the engine 22 are input via the input port, such as signals from a crankshaft position sensor (not shown) that detects the rotational position of the crankshaft 23 of the engine 22, a coolant temperature sensor (not shown) that detects the temperature of the coolant water of the engine 22, and the like, such as the crank angle θcr and the coolant water temperature Tw. Various control signals for driving and controlling the engine 22 are output from the engine ECU 24 via the output port. The engine ECU 24 is connected to the main ECU 40 via the communication port. The engine ECU 24 calculates the rotational speed Ne of the engine 22 based on the crank angle θcr of the crankshaft 23 from the crankshaft position sensor.

[0025] The electric motor 26 is configured as a synchronous generator motor, and has a rotor with a permanent magnet embedded in the rotor core and a stator with three-phase coils wound around the stator core. The rotating shaft 31 of the rotor of the electric motor 26 is connected to the crankshaft 23 of the engine 22 via a clutch K0, and is also connected to the input shaft of the automatic transmission 30. By controlling the switching of a plurality of switching elements of the inverter 28 by an electric motor electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as "motor ECU") 27, the DC power from the battery 29 is converted into three-phase AC power and applied to the three-phase coils of the electric motor 26, thereby rotationally driving the electric motor 26.

[0026] Although not shown, the motor ECU 27 includes a microcomputer having a CPU, ROM, RAM, flash memory, input / output ports, and communication ports. The motor ECU 27 inputs signals from various sensors via the input port, such as the rotational position θm from a rotational position sensor (not shown) that detects the rotational position of the rotor (rotating shaft 31) of the motor 26, and the phase currents Iu, Iv, etc. from a current sensor that detects the phase currents of each phase of the motor 26. Control signals and the like are output from the motor ECU 27 to the inverter 28 via the output port. The motor ECU 27 is connected to the main ECU 40 via the communication port. The motor ECU 27 calculates the rotational speed Nm of the motor 26 based on the rotational position θm of the rotor (rotating shaft 31) of the motor 26 from the rotational position sensor.

[0027] The clutch K0 is configured as a hydraulically actuated friction clutch, for example, and is controlled by the main ECU 40 to connect and disconnect the crankshaft 23 of the engine 22 and the rotating shaft 31 of the motor 26.

[0028] The automatic transmission 30 has a torque converter and a stepped (e.g., 6-speed) automatic transmission. The torque converter is configured as a general fluid transmission device, and amplifies the torque of the power on the input shaft connected to the rotating shaft 31 of the motor 26 and transmits it to the input shaft of the automatic transmission, or transmits the power without amplifying the torque as it is. The automatic transmission forms forward gears from the first gear to the Nth gear and a reverse gear by engaging and disengaging a plurality of friction engagement elements, and transmits power between its input shaft and the drive shaft 36 as the output shaft. The hydraulic pressure of the working oil from a mechanical oil pump or an electric oil pump is regulated by a hydraulic control device (not shown) and supplied to the clutch K0 and the automatic transmission. The hydraulic control device has a valve body formed with a plurality of oil passages, a plurality of regulating valves, a plurality of linear solenoid valves, etc. The hydraulic control device is controlled by the main ECU 40. The main ECU 40 changes the gear position of the automatic transmission by applying the accelerator opening Acc and the vehicle speed V to Figure 2 the illustrated 6-speed shift map. In Figure 2 it, the solid line is the upshift line and the dashed line is the downshift line. Upshifting is performed when crossing the upshift line from the left side to the right side, and downshifting is performed when crossing the downshift line from the right side to the left side.

[0029] The braking device 32 is configured as a well-known hydraulically-driven braking device, and is configured to be able to apply the braking force caused by the braking pedal force generated by stepping on the brake pedal 58 and the braking force caused by hydraulic adjustment to the drive wheels 38a, 38b and the driven wheels 38c, 38d. The braking device 32 is driven and controlled by a braking electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as "braking ECU") 33. Although not shown, the braking ECU 33 includes a microcomputer having a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, a flash memory, an input / output port, and a communication port. The braking ECU 33 controls the braking force caused by the braking pedal force generated by the braking device 32 or the braking force caused by hydraulic adjustment. In addition, the braking ECU 33 communicates with the main ECU 40 via the communication port.

[0030] The steering device 34 mechanically connects a steering wheel (not shown) and the drive wheels 38a, 38b via a steering shaft, and includes a steering actuator. The steering device 34 steers the drive wheels 38a, 38b based on the driver's operation, and steers the drive wheels 38a, 38b by driving the actuator based on a steering signal from the main ECU 40.

[0031] The main ECU 40 includes a microcomputer having a CPU 41, a ROM 42, a RAM 43, a flash memory 44, an input / output port (not shown), and a communication port. Signals from various sensors are input to the main ECU 40 via the input port. As the signals input to the main ECU 40, for example, an ignition signal from the ignition switch 50, a vehicle speed V from the vehicle speed sensor 51, each wheel speed from the wheel speed sensor 52, an acceleration α from the acceleration sensor 53, a yaw rate Yr from the yaw rate sensor 54, a road surface gradient θr from the gradient sensor 55, an accelerator opening Acc from the accelerator pedal position sensor 57 that detects the stepping amount of the accelerator pedal 56, a brake pedal position BP from the brake pedal position sensor 59 that detects the stepping amount of the brake pedal 58, signals from sensors that detect various states of the clutch K0 and the hydraulic control device of the automatic transmission 30, signals from sensors that detect various states of the steering device 34, a battery voltage Vb from an unillustrated voltage sensor connected to the output terminal of the battery 29, and a battery current Ib from an unillustrated current sensor connected to the output terminal of the battery 29, etc.

[0032] Various control signals are output from the main ECU 40 via the output port. As the control signals output from the main ECU 40, there may be mentioned a control signal for the hydraulic control device, a control signal for the steering device 34, a display control signal for the display device 80, a communication control signal for the communication device 82, etc. The main ECU 40 calculates the state of charge SOC of the battery 29, the input / output limits Win, Wout, etc., based on the battery voltage Vb from the voltage sensor connected to the output terminal of the battery 29 and the battery current Ib from the current sensor connected to the output terminal of the battery 29. The state of charge SOC is the ratio of the remaining charge amount to the total capacity of the battery 29, the input limit Win is the maximum allowable power when charging the battery 29, and the output limit Wout is the maximum allowable power that can be output from the battery 29.

[0033] As described above, the main ECU 40 communicates with the engine ECU 24, the motor ECU 27, the brake ECU 33, etc. via the communication port. In addition, the main ECU 40 communicates with a shift electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as "shift ECU") 60, a surrounding recognition electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as "surrounding recognition ECU") 65, and a navigation device 70 via the communication port.

[0034] Although not shown, the shift ECU 60 includes a microcomputer having a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, a flash memory, an input / output port, and a communication port. A shift position signal from the shift position sensor 62 that detects the operation position of the shift lever 61 is input to the shift ECU 60 via the input port. As the shift position, there are a parking position (P range), a neutral position (N range), a drive position (D range), a reverse position (R range), etc. The shift ECU 60 is connected to the surrounding recognition ECU 65 other than the main ECU 40 via the communication port, and sets the shift position based on the shift position signal from the shift position sensor 62 and the control signal from the surrounding recognition ECU 65, or sends the set shift position to the main ECU 40.

[0035] Although not shown, the peripheral recognition ECU 65 includes a microcomputer having a CPU, ROM, RAM, flash memory, input / output ports, and communication ports. Various signals are input to the peripheral recognition ECU 65 via the input ports. As the signals input to the peripheral recognition ECU 65, for example, signals representing information about the host vehicle and its surroundings from the peripheral recognition device 66 (e.g., the inter-vehicle distances D1, D2 between the host vehicle and other vehicles ahead or behind, or the driving position of the host vehicle relative to the lane on the road surface, etc.), an autonomous driving mode signal from the autonomous driving switch 67, etc. can be cited. As the peripheral recognition device 66, for example, a camera, millimeter-wave radar, quasi-millimeter-wave radar, infrared lidar, and sonar, etc. can be cited. The autonomous driving switch 67 is a switch for switching between a full autonomous driving mode in which all driving operations are automatically performed, a semi-autonomous driving mode in which the driver performs some driving operations, and a manual driving mode in which the driver performs driving operations. As the semi-autonomous driving mode, for example, adaptive cruise control, etc. can be cited. In addition, auxiliary control for avoiding or reducing collisions is performed in any driving mode. As described above, the peripheral recognition ECU 65 communicates with the main ECU 40 and the shift ECU 60 via the communication port.

[0036] The navigation device 70 includes a main body 72 having a control unit built therein, a GPS antenna 74 for receiving information related to the current location of the host vehicle, and a display 76. The control unit of the main body 72 has a storage medium (e.g., hard disk, SSD, etc.) storing map information, etc., input / output ports, and communication ports. In the map information, service information (e.g., sightseeing information, parking lots, etc.), road information for each driving section (e.g., between traffic lights, between intersections, etc.) are stored as databases. The road information includes distance information, width information, number of lanes information, regional information (urban and suburban areas), category information (general roads and highways), slope information, legal speed, number of traffic lights, turning radius of each curve, etc. The display 76 is configured as a touch panel type display, and displays various information such as information related to the current location of the host vehicle and the planned driving route to the destination, and the user can input various instructions. When the destination is set by the user's operation on the display 76, the main body 72 of the navigation device 70 sets a planned driving route from the current location of the host vehicle to the destination based on the map information stored in the main body 72 and the current location and destination of the host vehicle from the GPS antenna 74, displays the set planned driving route on the display 76, and performs route guidance.

[0037] Next, the operation of the hybrid vehicle 20 configured as described above will be described, particularly the operation when a request for increasing the driving force is made during the execution of autonomous driving control. Figure 3 It is a flowchart showing an example of the process when a driving force increase request is executed by the main ECU 40.

[0038] When the process starts upon receipt of a driving force increase request, the main ECU 40 first determines whether it is during the execution of the autonomous driving control (step S100). When the main ECU 40 determines that the autonomous driving control is not being executed, since it is not the object of this process, the main ECU 40 performs normal gear shift selection control (step S170) and ends this process.

[0039] When the main ECU 40 determines in step S100 that the autonomous driving control is being executed, it determines whether a driving force increase request is in progress (step S110). The driving force increase request is made when the vehicle is traveling on a very small uphill or on a curve in the driving planned path, etc. When the main ECU 40 determines that a driving force increase request is not in progress, since it is not the object of this process, normal gear shift selection control is performed (step S170) and this process ends.

[0040] When the main ECU 40 determines in step S110 that a driving force increase request is in progress, it predicts the driving resistance (energy required for driving) and the required time for increasing the driving force based on the driving planned path and the map information (step S120). Since the map information includes the road surface gradient and the radius of the curve in each driving section on the driving path, etc., the driving resistance can be calculated based on these, the planned vehicle speed Vplan, and the information related to the hybrid vehicle 20. The planned vehicle speed Vplan is the target vehicle speed when traveling in each driving section of the driving planned path, and the vehicle speed set by the user for each driving section, the legal vehicle speed set for each driving section, etc. can be used. The required time refers to the time required to travel through the section where the driving force needs to be increased at the planned vehicle speed Vplan.

[0041] Next, the main ECU 40 predicts the assistable amount by the motor 26 based on the increase amount of the driving resistance (step S130). The increase amount of the driving resistance can be obtained as the difference in the driving resistance before and after the driving force increase request is made. The assistable amount can be represented by the output torque that can increase the torque required to output the increase amount of the driving resistance from the motor 26 within the output limit Wout, and the duration during which the output torque can be output from the motor 26 based on the state of charge SOC and the output limit Wout.

[0042] Next, the main ECU 40 calculates a predicted vehicle speed Vest when the driving force is increased by assisting with the motor 26 without downshifting the automatic transmission 30 based on the assistable amount of the motor 26 (step S140). That is, the main ECU 40 obtains a vehicle speed V (predicted vehicle speed Vest) assumed in the following situation: while maintaining the current operating state of the engine 22 and the gear position state of the automatic transmission 30, the motor 26 outputs an output torque that can be output for a limited duration within a required time range.

[0043] Next, the main ECU 40 determines whether the value obtained by subtracting the predicted vehicle speed Vest from the planned vehicle speed Vplan is less than a threshold value Vref (step S150). The threshold value Vref is pre-determined as the upper limit value of the range that allows the vehicle speed V to deviate from the planned vehicle speed Vplan, and values such as 3 km / h or 5 km / h can be used. When the main ECU 40 determines that the value obtained by subtracting the predicted vehicle speed Vest from the planned vehicle speed Vplan is less than the threshold value Vref, the main ECU 40 executes a downshift inhibition control that supplements the driving force increase request with the output from the motor 26 without downshifting the automatic transmission 30 (step S160), and ends this process. Thereby, the automatic transmission 30 does not downshift and autonomous driving continues, so that it is possible to suppress the shift shock caused by downshifting and the noise caused by a sharp increase in the rotational speed of the engine 22. On the other hand, when the main ECU 40 determines that the value obtained by subtracting the predicted vehicle speed Vest from the planned vehicle speed Vplan is equal to or greater than the threshold value Vref, the main ECU 40 performs normal gear selection control (step S170), and ends this process.

[0044] In the main ECU 40 of the hybrid vehicle 20 according to the embodiment, when a driving force increase request is made during the execution of the autonomous driving control, the assistable amount of the motor 26 is obtained, and when the predicted vehicle speed Vest obtained based on this assistable amount is within the allowable range (within the range less than the threshold value Vref) of the planned vehicle speed Vplan, a downshift inhibition control is executed that supplements the driving force increase request with the output from the motor 26 without downshifting the automatic transmission 30. That is, when a driving force increase request is made during the execution of the autonomous driving control, the main ECU 40 preferentially increases the driving force from the motor 26 without downshifting the automatic transmission 30 (preferentially increases the driving force from the motor 26) compared to the driving force increase accompanied by downshifting of the automatic transmission 30. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the shift shock caused by downshifting of the automatic transmission 30 and the noise caused by a sharp increase in the rotational speed of the engine 22, and it is possible to improve the driving performance.

[0045] In the hybrid vehicle 20 of the embodiment, when a driving force increase request is made during the execution of the autonomous driving control, and the predicted vehicle speed Vest based on the assistable amount of the electric motor 26 while maintaining the operating state of the current engine 22 and the gear state of the automatic transmission 30 is within the allowable range of the planned vehicle speed Vplan (within the range less than the threshold Vref), the main ECU 40 executes a downshift inhibition control that supplements the driving force increase request with the output from the electric motor 26 without downshifting the automatic transmission 30. However, the main ECU 40 may also increase the torque of the engine 22 while maintaining the gear state of the automatic transmission 30, and supplement the driving force increase request without downshifting the automatic transmission 30 by the assistance of the electric motor 26. An example of the processing at the time of the driving force increase request in this case is shown in Figure 4 is shown. Figure 4 The processing at the time of the driving force increase request is the same as that in Figure 3 except for the following aspects: the processing of step S135 is added; the calculation method of the processing of calculating the predicted vehicle speed Vest when increasing the driving force without downshifting the automatic transmission 30 in step S140 is different; and the downshift inhibition control of step S160 is different.

[0046] In Figure 4 the processing at the time of the driving force increase request, when predicting the assistable amount of the electric motor 26 in step S130, the main ECU 40 calculates the output torque increase amount for increasing the output torque from the engine 22 within the range of not downshifting (step S135). If using Figure 2For the variable speed line diagram, the increase in the output torque of the engine 22 is the increase in the output torque of the engine 22 within the range where the accelerator opening Acc and the vehicle speed V at the current time point allow the accelerator opening Acc to increase without crossing the downshift line from the right to the left (the torque increase of the engine 22 corresponding to the increase in the accelerator opening Acc). Next, the main ECU 40 calculates the predicted vehicle speed Vest when the driving force is increased by assisting with the motor 26 without downshifting the automatic transmission 30 and within the range of the increase in the output torque of the engine 22, based on the assistable amount of the motor 26 and the increase in the output torque of the engine 22 (step S140). The main ECU 40 determines whether the value obtained by subtracting the predicted vehicle speed Vest from the planned vehicle speed Vplan is less than the threshold value Vref (step S150). When it is determined that the value obtained by subtracting the predicted vehicle speed Vest from the planned vehicle speed Vplan is less than the threshold value Vref, downshift inhibition control is executed. The downshift inhibition control supplements the driving force increase request with the output from the motor 26 and the increase in the output torque of the engine 22 without downshifting the automatic transmission 30 (step S160), and this process ends. On the other hand, when it is determined that the value obtained by subtracting the predicted vehicle speed Vest from the planned vehicle speed Vplan is equal to or greater than the threshold value Vref, normal gear selection control is implemented (step S170), and this process ends.

[0047] Even when performing the Figure 4 processing for the driving force increase request of the exemplified modification, it is possible to suppress the shift shock caused by the downshift of the automatic transmission 30 and the noise caused by the sudden increase in the engine speed of the engine 22, and improve the driving performance.

[0048] In the hybrid vehicle 20 of the embodiment, when a driving force increase request is made during the execution of the autonomous driving control, when the predicted vehicle speed Vest based on the assistable amount of the motor 26 while maintaining the current operating state of the engine 22 and the gear state of the automatic transmission 30 is within the allowable range of the planned vehicle speed Vplan, the main ECU 40 executes downshift inhibition control. The downshift inhibition control supplements the driving force increase request with the output from the motor 26 without downshifting the automatic transmission 30. However, when a driving force increase request is made during the execution of the autonomous driving control, the main ECU 40 may also execute downshift inhibition control in the following situation: the predicted state of the vehicle speed, acceleration, etc. predicted using the assistable amount of the motor 26 while maintaining the current operating state of the engine 22 and the gear state of the automatic transmission 30 is within the allowable range of the target state as the planned target (the vehicle speed is within the threshold range or the acceleration is within the threshold range, etc.).

[0049] In the hybrid vehicle 20 according to the embodiment, when it is predicted that the vehicle speed Vest is within the allowable range of the planned vehicle speed Vplan during the execution of the autonomous driving control and a driving force increase request is made, the main ECU 40 executes a downshift inhibition control. The downshift inhibition control supplements the driving force increase request with the output from the motor 26 without performing a downshift of the automatic transmission 30. In this case, it is also possible that the driving force increase request is provided by the output from the motor 26 as compared with the case of the manual driving control.

[0050] In the hybrid vehicle 20 according to the embodiment, a stepped automatic transmission 30 is provided, but a continuously variable transmission may also be used as the automatic transmission 30.

[0051] In the hybrid vehicle 20 according to the embodiment, the motor 26 and the automatic transmission 30 are connected to the crankshaft 23 of the engine 22 via the clutch K0, but the motor 26 and the automatic transmission 30 may also be connected to the crankshaft 23 of the engine 22 without passing through the clutch K0. Further, it is also possible that in addition to the structure in which the motor 26 and the automatic transmission 30 are connected to the crankshaft 23 of the engine 22 via the clutch K0, a second motor is mounted on the axle connected to the wheels 38c and 38d. Further, the hybrid vehicle 20 may include in-wheel motors directly mounted on the drive wheels 38a and 38b instead of the motor 26. That is, the hybrid vehicle 20 may have any structure as long as it is a vehicle including an engine, a transmission that shifts the power of the engine and outputs it to the drive shaft connected to the drive wheels, a motor that can input and output power to the drive shaft, a power storage device that can input and output power to the motor, and a steering device.

[0052] Describe the correspondence between the main elements of the embodiment and the main elements of the present disclosure described in the section of the means for solving the problems. In the present embodiment, the engine 22 is an example of the "engine", the automatic transmission 30 is an example of the "transmission", the motor 26 is an example of the "motor", the battery 29 is an example of the "power storage device", the steering device 34 is an example of the "steering device", the hybrid vehicle 20 is an example of the "vehicle", and the main ECU 40, the engine ECU 24, the motor ECU 27, and the brake ECU 33 are examples of the "in-vehicle control device".

[0053] In addition, the correspondence between the main elements of the embodiment and the main elements of the invention described in the section of means for solving the problem is that the embodiment is an example of a way to specifically illustrate the invention described in the section of means for solving the problem, and thus does not limit the elements of the invention described in the section of means for solving the problem. That is to say, the interpretation of the invention described in the section of means for solving the problem should be based on the description in that section, and the embodiment is just a specific example of the invention described in the section of means for solving the problem.

[0054] As described above, the embodiments have been used to illustrate the ways to implement the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to such embodiments, and can of course be implemented in various ways without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0055] The present invention can be utilized in the manufacturing industry of automobiles and the like. The present invention can be applied to autonomous vehicles.

Claims

1. A vehicle-mounted control device, the vehicle-mounted control device being configured to be mounted on a vehicle, the vehicle comprising: an engine; a transmission configured to change the speed of the power of the engine and output it to a drive shaft connected to a drive wheel; an electric motor configured to input and output power to and from the drive shaft; and an electric storage device configured to input and output electric power to and from the electric motor; and a steering device, the vehicle-mounted control device is configured to execute a plurality of driving controls, the plurality of driving controls including: automatic driving control, controlling the engine, the transmission, the motor and the steering device so that the vehicle is driven by automatic driving; and manual driving control, controlling the engine, the transmission, the motor and the steering device so that the vehicle is driven by manual driving, characterized in that the vehicle-mounted control device has a processor, wherein, The processor is configured to, when a driving force increase request is made in order to bring the vehicle to a specified target state during the automatic driving control, give priority to a driving force increase that increases the driving force from the electric motor without being accompanied by a downshift of the transmission, compared to a driving force increase that is accompanied by a downshift of the transmission.

2. The vehicle-mounted control device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The processor is configured to increase the driving force from the motor without downshifting the transmission when a predicted state predicted by the increase in driving force from the motor is within an allowable range from the specified target state when the driving force increase request is made, and to increase the driving force from the engine with downshifting the transmission when the predicted state is outside the allowable range.

3. The vehicle-mounted control device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The processor is configured to, when the driving force increase request is made, when a predicted state predicted by the increase in driving force from the engine and the increase in driving force from the electric motor without changing gears is within an allowable range from the specified target state, increase in driving force from the engine and the increase in driving force from the electric motor without changing gears, and when the predicted state is outside the allowable range, increase in driving force from the engine accompanied by downshifting of the transmission.

4. The vehicle-mounted control device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The processor is configured to predict the predicted state within a range of allowable output power that can be output from the power storage device.

5. The vehicle-mounted control device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The processor is configured to predict the predicted state based on the motor required power that can increase the driving force from the motor within the range of the allowable output power that can be output from the power storage device and the allowable duration during which the motor required power can be continuously output from the power storage device.

6. A vehicle-mounted control device, the vehicle-mounted control device is configured to be mounted on a vehicle, the vehicle comprising: an engine; a transmission configured to change the speed of the power of the engine and output it to a drive shaft connected to a drive wheel; an electric motor configured to input and output power to the drive shaft; and an electric storage device configured to input and output electric power to the electric motor; and a steering device, the vehicle-mounted control device is configured to execute a plurality of driving controls, the plurality of driving controls including: automatic driving control, controlling the engine, the transmission, the motor and the steering device so that the vehicle is driven by automatic driving; and manual driving control, controlling the engine, the transmission, the motor and the steering device so that the vehicle is driven by manual driving, characterized in that the vehicle-mounted control device has a processor, wherein, The processor is configured to prioritize increase of the driving force by the electric motor over increase of the driving force by the engine when a drive force increase request is made to bring the vehicle into a predetermined target state during the automatic driving control.

7. The vehicle-mounted control device according to claim 1 or 6, characterized in that: The processor is configured to prioritize the increase in driving force from the electric motor without downshifting the transmission over the increase in driving force with downshifting the transmission in the manual driving control when the increase in driving force is requested.

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