VEHICLE ANOMALY ANALYSIS DEVICE

Abstract

Vehicle anomaly analyzer (300) for analyzing an anomaly that occurred during a shifting operation performed in an automatic transmission (20, 40) that forms part of a drive power transmission path between a drive power source (14) and drive wheels (28) of a vehicle (10), using a rotational speed (Nfx) that changes during the process of performing the shifting operation, wherein the vehicle anomaly analyzer (300) is configured to specify a cause of the anomaly in the shifting process by applying a predetermined anomaly cause specification model (310; 320), which indicates a relationship between a manner of temporal change of a ramp-up amount (ΔNf) and the cause of the anomaly in the shifting process, to the manner of temporal change of the ramp-up amount (ΔNf) when the anomaly occurs in the shifting process, wherein the ramp-up amount (ΔNf) is an amount of increase in rotational speed (Nfx) in the process of executing the shifting process relative to a reference rotational speed (Nref) based on a gear ratio (γt, γat) and an output rotational speed (No) of the automatic transmission (20, 40), characterized by the fact that the anomaly cause specification model (310; 320) is realized by supervised learning, which is a machine learning that uses as training data the way in which the ramp-up amount (ΔNf) changes over time when the anomaly occurs in the switching operation and the cause of the anomaly in the switching operation.

Description

AREA OF INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle anomaly analysis device with which an anomaly can be analyzed during a shifting operation performed in an automatic transmission. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] There is a known vehicle anomaly analysis device for analyzing anomalies that occur during a shift operation performed in an automatic transmission, which forms part of the power transmission path between a power source and the drive wheels of a vehicle. This analysis utilizes a change in rotational speed during the execution of the shift operation. A transmission fault detection device disclosed in JP 2000-240784A is an example of such a device. This published Japanese patent application discloses that an automatic transmission fault is detected based on a change in engine speed, wherein the change in engine speed is caused by a change in the transmission ratio into which engine power is input.

[0003] From DE 10 2017 221 250 A1, a control device for a hybrid vehicle is known which includes an anomaly detection section. The anomaly detection section detects an anomaly in the switching state of a transmission based on an anomaly in the engagement of a hydraulically actuated coupling device, triggered by an increase in the transmission's speed. Once the increase in speed is detected, actions are taken to identify the cause of the anomaly.

[0004] German patent DE 10 2012 106 706 A1 discloses a method for detecting an unusual hydraulic condition in a hybrid vehicle. When an unusual hydraulic condition is detected, a control solenoid valve is forcibly actuated several times to correct the unusual hydraulic condition. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] Incidentally, there is a case where it is difficult to specify the cause of an anomaly occurring during the shifting process in the vehicle's automatic transmission. The anomaly can be detected, for example, if the engine speed assumes an abnormal value during the shifting process; more precisely, if the rate of increase in engine speed during the shifting process assumes an abnormal value that deviates from the normal range. However, there are cases where the rate of increase in engine speed assumes an abnormal value that deviates from the normal range in essentially the same way, even if the causes of the respective anomalies are different.Therefore, the cause of the anomaly cannot necessarily be determined by merely seeing an indication that the ramp-up amount is taking on an abnormal value.

[0006] The present invention was made in light of the background described above. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle anomaly analysis device that can improve the accuracy in specifying the cause of an anomaly in a shifting operation performed in an automatic transmission.

[0007] The problem stated above is solved by the following aspects of the present invention.

[0008] According to one aspect of the invention, a vehicle anomaly analysis device is provided to analyze an anomaly that has occurred during a shifting operation performed in an automatic transmission that forms part of a drive force transmission path between a drive force source and the drive wheels of a vehicle, by using a rotational speed that is changed during a process of executing the shifting operation.The vehicle anomaly analysis device is configured to specify a cause of the anomaly in the shifting process by applying an anomaly cause specification model, which indicates a relationship between the manner of a temporal change of a ramp-up amount and the cause of the anomaly in the shifting process, to the manner of the temporal change of the ramp-up amount when the anomaly occurs in the shifting process, where the ramp-up amount is the amount of an increase in rotational speed during the process of executing the shifting process relative to a reference rotational speed based on a gear ratio and output speed of the automatic transmission.More precisely, the vehicle anomaly analysis device is configured to specify the cause of the anomaly in the shifting process in accordance with the anomaly cause specification model based on the way in which the ramp-up amount changes over time when the anomaly occurs in the shifting process.Furthermore, the vehicle anomaly analyzer can have a state determination part configured to determine whether the anomaly occurred during the shift operation performed in the vehicle's automatic transmission, and an anomaly cause specification part which, if the state determination part determines that the anomaly occurred during the shift operation performed in the vehicle's automatic transmission, is configured to obtain data that at least represents the manner of the temporal change in the ramp-up amount when the anomaly occurred in the shift operation, and to specify the cause of the anomaly in the shift operation by using the obtained data and the anomaly cause specification model.

[0009] According to the invention, in the vehicle anomaly analysis device, the anomaly cause specification model is implemented by supervised learning, which is a machine learning that uses as training data the manner of the temporal change of the ramp-up amount when the anomaly occurs in the switching process and the cause of the anomaly in the switching process.

[0010] According to a second aspect of the invention, in the vehicle anomaly analysis device according to the first or second aspect of the invention, the anomaly in the shifting process is a shifting malfunction of the automatic transmission, which includes a hydraulically actuated friction engagement device, wherein an operating state of the friction engagement device is to be switched during the execution of the shifting process.

[0011] According to a third aspect of the invention, in the vehicle anomaly analysis device according to the third aspect of the invention, the cause of the anomaly in the switching process is the intake of air by an oil pump, which is provided for an output of a working fluid that is used to switch the operating state of the friction engagement device.

[0012] According to a fourth aspect of the invention, in the vehicle anomaly analysis device according to the third or fourth aspect of the invention, the cause of the anomaly in the switching process is a malfunction of a control valve that is provided for regulating a hydraulic pressure of a working fluid that is used to switch the operating state of the friction engagement device.

[0013] According to a fifth aspect of the invention, in the vehicle anomaly analysis device according to one of the third to fifth aspects of the invention, the cause of the anomaly in the switching process is a malfunction of a drive unit configured to actuate a control valve provided for regulating a hydraulic pressure of a working fluid used to switch the operating state of the friction engagement device.

[0014] According to a sixth aspect of the invention, in the vehicle anomaly analysis device according to one of the first to sixth aspects of the invention, the anomaly cause specification model shows the relationship between the manner of the temporal change of the ramp-up amount and, as the cause of the anomaly in the shifting process, a cause that is predetermined on the basis of an operating state representation value that represents an operating state of the vehicle, wherein the cause of the anomaly in the shifting process is easier to specify by the operating state representation value than by the rotational speed.

[0015] According to a seventh aspect of the invention, in the vehicle anomaly analysis device according to the seventh aspect of the invention, the operating state representation value is a value of a hydraulic pressure of a working fluid, which is used to switch an operating state of a hydraulically actuated friction engagement device included in the automatic transmission during the execution of the shifting process.

[0016] According to a further, independent aspect of the invention, a vehicle anomaly analysis device is provided to analyze an anomaly that has occurred during a shifting operation performed in an automatic transmission that forms part of a drive force transmission path between a drive force source and the drive wheels of a vehicle, by using a rotational speed that is changed during a process of executing the shifting operation.The vehicle anomaly analysis device is configured to specify a cause of the anomaly in the shifting process by applying an anomaly cause specification model, which indicates a relationship between the manner of a temporal change of a ramp-up amount and the cause of the anomaly in the shifting process, to the manner of the temporal change of the ramp-up amount when the anomaly occurs in the shifting process, where the ramp-up amount is the amount of an increase in rotational speed during the process of executing the shifting process relative to a reference rotational speed based on a gear ratio and output speed of the automatic transmission.The anomaly cause specification model further indicates a relationship between the number of occurrences of the anomaly in the shifting process and the cause of the anomaly in the shifting process, where the cause of the anomaly in the shifting process is a reduction in the service life of the automatic transmission.

[0017] According to a ninth aspect of the invention, in the vehicle anomaly analysis device according to the ninth aspect of the invention, the anomaly cause specification model is realized by supervised learning, which is a machine learning that uses as training data the manner of the temporal change of the ramp-up amount when the anomaly occurs in the shifting process, the number of occurrences of the anomaly in the shifting process and the reduction in the service life of the automatic transmission.

[0018] In the vehicle anomaly analysis device according to the invention, the cause of the anomaly in the shifting process is determined or specified by applying the predetermined anomaly cause specification model, which indicates the relationship between the manner of the temporal change of the ramp-up amount and the cause of the anomaly in the shifting process, to the manner of the temporal change of the ramp-up amount when the anomaly occurs in the shifting process in such a way that it is possible to improve the accuracy in specifying the cause of the anomaly in the shifting process performed in the automatic transmission.

[0019] In the vehicle anomaly analysis device according to the invention, the anomaly cause specification model is realized by supervised learning, which is machine learning, wherein the teaching data are the manner of the temporal change of the ramp-up amount when the anomaly occurs in the switching process and the cause of the anomaly in the switching process such that it is possible to construct a learning model by which the cause of the anomaly in the switching process can be specified with improved accuracy.

[0020] In the vehicle anomaly analysis device according to the second aspect of the invention, the anomaly in the shifting process is the shifting malfunction of the automatic transmission, such that the cause of the shifting malfunction of the automatic transmission can be specified with improved accuracy by using the anomaly cause specification model.

[0021] In the vehicle anomaly analysis device according to the third aspect of the invention, the cause of the anomaly in the shifting process is the intake of air by the oil pump. Therefore, even in the event of an anomaly occurring in the shifting process that results in the acceleration of the rotational speed assuming an abnormal value, the cause of the anomaly can be specified with improved accuracy by using the anomaly cause specification model.

[0022] In the vehicle anomaly analysis device according to the fourth aspect of the invention, the cause of the anomaly in the shifting process is the malfunction of the control valve. Therefore, even in the event of an anomaly occurring in the shifting process that results in the acceleration of the rotational speed assuming an abnormal value, the cause of the anomaly can be specified with improved accuracy by using the anomaly cause specification model.

[0023] In the vehicle anomaly analysis device according to the fifth aspect of the invention, the cause of the anomaly in the shifting process is the malfunction of the drive unit configured to control the control valve. Therefore, even in the event of an anomaly occurring in the shifting process that results in the acceleration of the rotational speed assuming an abnormal value, the cause of the anomaly can be specified with improved accuracy by using the anomaly cause specification model.

[0024] In the vehicle anomaly analysis device according to the sixth aspect of the invention, the anomaly cause specification model indicates the relationship between the manner of the temporal change of the ramp-up amount and, as the cause of the anomaly in the shifting process, the cause which is predetermined on the basis of the operating state representation value, wherein the cause of the anomaly in the shifting process can be specified more easily by the operating state representation value than by the rotational speed. Therefore, the cause of the anomaly in the shifting process can be specified with improved accuracy in the anomaly cause specification model.

[0025] In the vehicle anomaly analysis device according to the seventh aspect of the invention, the operating state representation value is the value of the hydraulic pressure of the working fluid used to switch the operating state of a hydraulically actuated friction engagement device included in the automatic transmission during the execution of the shifting operation. Therefore, the cause of the anomaly in the shifting operation can be appropriately specified in the anomaly cause specification model.

[0026] In the vehicle anomaly analysis device according to a further independent aspect of the invention, the anomaly cause specification model further indicates the relationship between the number of occurrences of the anomaly during the shifting process and the reduction in the service life of the automatic transmission. Therefore, even if the cause of the anomaly during the shifting process lies in the reduction in the service life of the automatic transmission, the cause of the anomaly can be specified with improved accuracy by using the anomaly cause specification model.

[0027] In the vehicle anomaly analysis device according to the ninth aspect of the invention, the anomaly cause specification model is implemented through supervised learning, which is machine learning. The training data used includes the way in which the ramp-up amount changes over time when the anomaly occurs during the shifting process, the number of occurrences of the anomaly during the shifting process, and the reduction in the service life of the automatic transmission. Therefore, it is possible to construct a learning model with which the cause of the anomaly in the shifting process can be specified with improved accuracy. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. Figure 1 is a schematic representation of the construction of a vehicle to which the present invention is applied in order to explain essential parts of control functions and control systems provided for carrying out various control operations in the vehicle; Fig. 2 is a table that shows a relationship between each gear position of a mechanically operated stepped transmission component (as an example in Fig. 1 shown) and specifies a combination of engagement devices of the stepped gear part which are arranged in engaging states to determine the gear position in the stepped gear part; Fig. Figure 3 is a collinear diagram showing a relationship between rotational speeds of rotating elements of an electrically controlled continuously variable transmission part and the mechanically operated stepped transmission part; Fig. Figure 4 is a view to explain a hydraulic control unit and a hydraulic source configured to supply a working fluid to the hydraulic control unit; Fig. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a linear solenoid valve configured to regulate a hydraulic pressure corresponding to that of the hydraulic control unit of Fig. 4 provided, intervention devices are supplied, to explain; Fig. Figure 6 is a view that shows, as an example, a valve characteristic curve of the linear solenoid valve of Fig. 5 shows; Fig. Figure 7 is a view illustrating, by way of example, a control current applied to a solenoid valve which is in the process of an engagement of a friction engagement device in a switching operation carried out in a stepped gear unit; Fig. Figure 8 is a view showing, by way of example, a shift map used to control a gear change in the step-through transmission part, a drive power source shift map used to switch between hybrid operation and engine operation, and a relationship between the shift map and the drive power source shift map; Fig. Figure 9 is a timing diagram that explains a shifting malfunction of the step-through transmission section using examples; Fig. 10, Fig. 11, Fig. 12 to Fig. Figure 13 are views that exemplify a normal case and anomalous cases in an arrangement where an intervention pressure is directly controlled by the solenoid valve, with the views of Fig. 10 the normal case, the views of Fig. 11 the anomaly case with an air intake, the views of Fig. 12 the anomaly case with a temporary stuck and the views of Fig. 13. Show the anomaly case with a complete stuck position; Fig. 14 is a view that exemplifies an anomaly cause specification model; Fig. Figure 15 is a flowchart showing a major part of a control routine executed by a vehicle anomaly analyzer, more precisely, a control routine designed to specify the cause of an anomaly in the shifting operation performed in the step-through transmission section with improved accuracy; and Fig. 16 is a view that exemplifies an anomaly cause specification model in an embodiment of the present invention that differs from the one in Fig. The embodiment shown in Figure 14 is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EXECUTION FORMS

[0028] In the embodiment of the present invention, a transmission ratio in the vehicle transmission is defined as "rotational speed of a drive-side rotating element / rotational speed of a driven-side rotating element". A vehicle's speed could be lower if the transmission ratio is higher, and higher if the transmission ratio is lower. The highest transmission ratio can also be expressed as a lowest-speed transmission ratio.

[0029] The primary power source is an internal combustion engine, such as a gasoline or diesel engine, configured to generate power through the combustion of fuel. The vehicle may also have an electric motor as an additional power source, either alongside or instead of the internal combustion engine. The electric motor is generally considered a type of engine.

[0030] Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIRST VERSION

[0031] Fig. Figure 1 is a schematic representation of the construction of a drive force transmission device 12, which is provided in a vehicle 10 to which the present invention is applied in order to illustrate essential parts of control functions and control systems that are provided for carrying out various control operations in the vehicle 10. As shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle 10 has a drive power source / internal combustion engine 14 and a first and second rotating machine MG1, MG2. The drive power transmission device 12 has a non-rotating element in the form of a housing 16, which is attached to a body of the vehicle 10, an electrically operated continuously variable transmission section 18, and a mechanically operated stepped transmission section 20. The continuously variable transmission section 18 and the stepped transmission section 20 are located within the housing 16 and arranged in a row on a common axis. The continuously variable transmission section 18 is connected directly or indirectly, e.g., via a damper (not shown), to the internal combustion engine 14. The stepped transmission section 20 is connected to an output rotary element of the continuously variable transmission section 18.The drive force transmission device 12 further comprises a differential gear device 24, which is connected to an output shaft 22 that is a rotary output element of the stepped gear section 20, and a pair of axles 26 that is connected to the differential gear device 24. In the drive force transmission device 12, a drive force supplied by the internal combustion engine 14 or the second rotating machine MG2 is transmitted to the stepped gear section 20 and then from the stepped gear section 20 via the differential gear device 24, for example, to the drive wheels 28 of the vehicle 10. The drive force is synonymous with a drive torque or a drive power, unless otherwise distinguished.It should be noted that the drive force transmission device 12, including the continuously variable transmission part 18 and the stepped transmission part 20, is essentially symmetrical about its axis, which corresponds to the common axis described above, such that a lower half of the drive force transmission device 12 is in . Fig. 1 is not shown. The common axis described above corresponds to the axes of a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine 14 and a connecting shaft 34, which is described below.

[0032] The internal combustion engine 14 is a known internal combustion engine, such as a gasoline engine or a diesel engine, which serves as a power source capable of generating drive torque. The vehicle 10 is equipped with an engine control unit 50, which includes a throttle actuator, a fuel injection device, and an ignition device. Since the engine control unit 50 is controlled by an electronic control unit 90, which is described below, an engine torque Te, which is an output torque of the internal combustion engine 14, is controlled. In the present embodiment, the internal combustion engine 14 is connected to the continuously variable transmission unit 18 without an intervening fluid transmission device (such as a torque converter and a fluid coupling device).

[0033] Each of the first and second rotating machines MG1, MG2 is a rotating electric machine with a function as an electric motor and a function as a generator. This means that each of the first and second rotating machines MG1, MG2 is a so-called "motor generator". The first and second rotating machines MG1, MG2 are connected via an inverter 52 provided in the vehicle 10 to an electrical storage unit in the form of a battery 54, which is provided in the vehicle 10. The inverter 52 is controlled by the electronic control unit 90, whereby an MG1 torque Tg and an MG2 torque Tm are controlled as output torques of the respective first and second rotating machines MG1, MG2.The output torque of each of the first and second rotating machines MG1 and MG2 serves as a power torque when it acts as a positive torque for acceleration, rotating each of the first and second rotating machines MG1 and MG2 in a forward direction. The output torque of each of the first and second rotating machines MG1 and MG2 serves as a regenerative torque when it acts as a negative torque for deceleration, rotating each of the first and second rotating machines MG1 and MG2 in a forward direction. The battery 54 is the electrical storage unit to which and from which electrical energy is supplied to and from the first rotating machine MG1 and the second rotating machine MG2.

[0034] The continuously variable transmission section 18 is equipped with: the first rotating machine (first motor / generator) MG1 described above; a differential 32, which serves as a drive force distribution device to mechanically distribute the drive force of the internal combustion engine 14 to the first rotating machine MG1 and to an intermediate gear element 30, which is an output rotary element of the continuously variable transmission section 18; and a second rotating machine (second motor / generator) MG2, which is connected to the intermediate gear element 30 in a drive force transmission manner. The continuously variable transmission section 18 is an electrically controlled continuously variable transmission, wherein a compensating state of the differential 32 can be controlled by controlling an operating state of the first rotating machine MG1.The first rotating machine MG1 serves as a rotating differential machine capable of controlling an engine speed Ne, which is the speed of the internal combustion engine 14. The second rotating machine MG2 serves as a rotating vehicle drive machine, i.e., as a drive power source capable of generating a drive torque that propels the vehicle 10. The vehicle 10 is a hybrid vehicle equipped with the drive power sources in the form of the internal combustion engine 14 and the second rotating machine MG2. The drive force from each of the drive forces is to be transmitted to the drive wheels 28 via the drive power transmission device 12. It should be noted that the operation of the first rotating machine MG1 is controlled by controlling an operating state of the first rotating machine MG1.

[0035] The differential 32 is a single-pinion planetary gear unit comprising a sun gear S0, a carrier CA0, and a ring gear R0. The carrier CA0 is connected to the internal combustion engine 14 via the connecting shaft 34 in a power-transmitting manner, and the sun gear S0 is connected to the first rotating machine MG1 in a power-transmitting manner, while the ring gear R0 is connected to the second rotating machine MG2 in a power-transmitting manner. In the differential 32, the carrier CA0 serves as an input rotating element, the sun gear S0 as a responding rotating element, and the ring gear R0 as an output rotating element.

[0036] The stepped gear section 20 is a mechanically actuated transmission mechanism that forms part of a drive force transmission path between the intermediate gear element 30 and the drive wheels 28, i.e., part of a drive force transmission path between the continuously variable transmission section 18 and the drive wheels 28. The intermediate gear element 30 also serves as an input rotary element of the stepped gear section 20. The stepped gear section 20 is also considered a vehicle transmission that forms part of a drive force transmission path between the drive force source (second rotating machine MG2 or the internal combustion engine 14) and the drive wheels 28, since the second rotating machine MG2 is connected to the intermediate gear element 30 in such a way that the intermediate gear element 30 rotates together with the second rotating machine MG2, or since the internal combustion engine 14 is connected to an input rotary element of the continuously variable transmission section 18.The intermediate gear element 30 is a gear element through which the driving force of the drive power source is to be transmitted to the drive wheels 28. The stepped gear element 20 is a known automatic transmission of a planetary gear type, which is provided with a number of planetary gear devices in the form of a first planetary gear device 36 and a second planetary gear device 38 and a number of engagement devices including a clutch C1, a clutch C2, a brake B1 and a brake B2. In the following, the clutch C1, the clutch C2, the brake B1 and the brake B2 are referred to as engagement devices CB, unless otherwise specified.

[0037] Each of the engagement devices CB is a hydraulically actuated friction engagement device in the form of a multi-disc or single-disc clutch or brake, which is to be pressed by a hydraulic actuator, or a band brake, which is to be applied by a hydraulic actuator. A torque capacity of each of the engagement devices CB is to be provided by an engagement pressure Pcb in the form of a corresponding hydraulic pressure Pc1, Pc2, Pb1, Pb2 (see Fig. 4) as regulated pressures supplied by a hydraulic control unit (hydraulic control circuit) 56 provided in the vehicle 10, whereby an operating state of each of the engagement devices CB e.g. between engaging, slipping and released states.

[0038] In the stepped gear section 20, selected rotating elements of the first and second planetary gear units 36, 38 are connected to each other or to the intermediate gear unit 30, the housing 16, or the output shaft 22 either directly or indirectly (selectively) via the engagement devices CB or a freewheel clutch F1. The rotating elements of the first planetary gear unit 36 ​​are a sun gear S1, a carrier CA1, and a ring gear R1. The rotating elements of the second planetary gear unit 38 are a sun gear S2, a carrier CA2, and a ring gear R2.

[0039] The stepped transmission unit 20 is shifted into a selected gear position (speed position) from a number of automatic transmission (AT) positions by the engagement of selected engagement devices CB. Each of the AT gear positions has a different gear ratio (speed ratio) γat (= one AT input speed Ni / one output speed No). More precisely, the stepped transmission unit 20 is shifted up and down from one gear position to another by engaging selected engagement devices. The stepped transmission unit 20 is a stepped automatic transmission configured to engage one of a number of gear positions. In the following description of the present embodiment, the gear position produced in the stepped transmission unit 20 is referred to as the AT gear position.The AT input speed Ni is an input speed of the stepped gear section 20, which is a speed of the input rotating element of the stepped gear section 20, which is equal to a speed of the intermediate gear element 30, and which is equal to an MG2 speed Nm, which is a speed of the second rotating machine MG2. Thus, the AT input speed Ni can be represented by the MG2 speed Nm. The output speed No is a speed of the output shaft 22, which is an output speed of the stepped gear section 20, which is considered an output speed of a transmission device (combined transmission) 40 consisting of the continuously variable transmission section 18 and the stepped gear section 20. The transmission device 40 is a transmission that forms part of a drive power transmission path between the internal combustion engine 14 and the drive wheels 28.

[0040] As can be seen from a table in Fig. As can be seen from Figure 2, the stepped transmission section 20 is configured to produce a selected automatic transmission (AT) gear position from a number of positions in the form of four forward AT gear positions and one reverse AT gear position. The four forward AT gear positions consist of a first-speed AT gear position, a second-speed AT gear position, a third-speed AT gear position, and a fourth-speed AT gear position, which are listed in the table of Figure 2. Fig. 2 are represented by “1.”, “2.”, “3.”, and “4.”. The first speed-AT gear position is the gear position with the lowest speed and the highest gear ratio γat, while the fourth speed-AT gear position is the gear position with the highest speed and the lowest gear ratio γat. The gear ratio γat decreases in the direction from the first speed-AT gear position (gear position with the lowest speed) to the fourth speed-AT gear position (gear position with the highest speed). The reverse-AT gear position is shown in the table of Fig. 2 is represented by "Rev" and is determined, for example, by the actions of the clutch C1 and the brake B2. This means that if the vehicle is to travel in reverse, the first speed automatic transmission gear position is determined, for example, as described below. The table in Fig. Figure 2 shows a relationship between each of the AT gear positions of the stepped gear section 20 and the operating states of the respective engagement devices CB of the stepped gear section 20, i.e., a relationship between each of the AT gear positions and a combination of those of the engagement devices CB that must be brought into their engaged states to produce each of the AT gear positions. In the table of Fig. 2 indicates “O” the engaged state of the engagement devices CB, “Δ” the engaged state of the brake B2 during an actuation of an engine brake on the vehicle 10 or during a downshift of the step transmission part 20 in overrun mode, and the blank indicates the released state of the engagement devices CB.

[0041] The stepped transmission section 20 is configured to switch from one of the automatic transmission (AT) gear positions to another; more precisely, it selects one of the AT gear positions chosen by the electronic control unit 90, based, for example, on an acceleration process by a driver (operator) and the vehicle speed V. The stepped transmission section 20 is shifted up or down from one of the AT gear positions to another, for example, by a so-called "clutch-to-clutch" shifting process, which is effected by disengagement and engagement actions of selected two of the engagement devices CB; more precisely, by a disengagement action of one of the engagement devices CB and an engagement action of the other of the engagement devices CB.In the following description of the present embodiment, a downshift action from the second speed automatic transmission gear position to the first speed automatic transmission gear position is referred to as a downshift action from second to first. The other downshift and upshift actions are referred to in the same way.

[0042] The vehicle 10 also includes a mechanically operated oil pump (MOP) 57 and an electrically operated oil pump (EOP) 58. The MOP 57 is connected to the connecting shaft 34 and is designed to rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the internal combustion engine 14 to deliver a working fluid, oil, for use in the drive power transmission device 12. The EOP 58 is driven by an (electric) motor 59 provided in the vehicle 10 and serves exclusively to deliver the working fluid, oil, to the EOP 58. The working fluid, oil, delivered by the MOP 57 and the EOP 58 is used to switch the operating state of each of the engagement devices CB in the step-through transmission section 20.

[0043] Fig. Figure 3 is a collinear diagram (Kutzbach diagram) that represents a relative ratio of the rotational speeds of the rotating elements in the continuously variable transmission section 18 and in the stepped transmission section 20. Fig. 3 are three vertical lines Y1, Y2, Y3, corresponding to the three rotating elements of the differential 32, which form the continuously variable transmission part 18; a g-axis representing the rotational speed of the sun gear S0 corresponding to a second rotating element RE2; an e-axis representing the rotational speed of the carrier CA0 corresponding to a first rotating element RE1; and an m-axis representing the rotational speed of the ring gear R0 corresponding to a third rotating element RE3 (i.e., the input speed of the stepped transmission part 20), in order from left to right. Four vertical lines Y4, Y5, Y6, Y7 of the stepped transmission part 20 are axes representing, respectively, the rotational speed of the sun gear S2 corresponding to a fourth rotating element RE4; the rotational speed of the ring gear R1 and the carrier CA2, which are connected together and correspond to a fifth rotating element RE5 (i.e.,The rotational speed of the output shaft 22, the rotational speed of the carrier CA1 and the ring gear R2, which are connected and correspond to a sixth rotating element RE6, and the rotational speed of the sun gear S1, which corresponds to a seventh rotating element RE7, are determined in order from left to right. A distance between the vertical lines Y1, Y2, Y3 is determined according to a gear ratio ρ0 of the differential 32. A distance between the vertical lines Y4, Y5, Y6, Y7 is determined according to a gear ratio ρ1, ρ2 of the first and second planetary gear sets 36, 38.If an interval between the sun gear and the carrier is set to an interval that corresponds to the ratio between the vertical axes of the collinear diagram “1”, an interval corresponding to the transmission ratio ρ (= the number Zs of teeth of the sun gear / the number Zr of teeth of the ring gear) of the planetary gear device is set between the carrier and the ring gear.

[0044] In the representation according to the collinear diagram of Fig. 3 is in the differential 32 of the continuously variable transmission part 18 of the internal combustion engine 14 (see “ENG” in Fig. 3) connected to the first rotating element RE1, the first rotating machine MG1 (see “MG1” in Fig. 3) is connected to the second rotating element RE2, the second rotating machine MG2 (see “MG2” in Fig. 3) is connected to the third rotating element RE3, which is to be rotated integrally with the intermediate gear element 30, and therefore the rotation of the internal combustion engine 14 is transmitted via the intermediate gear element 30 to the step gear section 20. In the continuously variable transmission section 18, the relationship between the rotational speed of the sun gear S0 and the rotational speed of the ring gear R0 is shown by straight lines L0 and L0R, which intersect the vertical line Y2.

[0045] In the stepped gear section 20, the fourth rotary element RE4 is selectively connected to the intermediate gear element 30 via the clutch C1, the fifth rotary element RE5 is connected to the output shaft 22, the sixth rotary element RE6 is selectively connected to the intermediate gear element 30 via the clutch C2 and selectively connected to the housing 16 via the brake B2, and the seventh rotary element RE7 is selectively connected to the housing 16 via the brake B1. In the stepped gear section 20, the rotational speeds of "1st", "2nd", "3rd", "4th", and "Rev" of the output shaft 22 are indicated by corresponding straight lines L1, L2, L3, L4, and LR, which intersect the vertical line Y5 according to the engagement / disengagement control of the engagement devices CB.

[0046] The line L0 and the lines L1, L2, L3, L4, which are in Fig. Figure 3, represented by solid lines, indicates the relative velocities of the rotating elements during forward travel in a hybrid driving mode. This hybrid mode enables hybrid operation in which at least the internal combustion engine 14 is used as the drive power source for the vehicle 10. In this hybrid driving mode, when a reaction torque, i.e., a negative torque from the first rotating machine MG1, is applied in a positive rotation to the sun gear S0 with respect to the (internal combustion) engine torque Te, which is applied to the carrier CA0 in the differential 32, a direct engine transmission torque Td[=Te / (1+ρ0)=-(1 / ρ0)×Tg] appears in the ring gear R0 as a positive torque in a positive rotation.A combined torque from the motor direct transmission torque Td and the MG2 torque Tm is transmitted as the vehicle 10's forward drive torque, depending on the required drive force, via the stepped transmission section 20 to the drive wheels 28 in any automatic transmission (AT) gear position, which is formed from the first to fourth AT gear positions. In this case, the first rotating machine MG1 acts as an electric generator, producing a negative torque during positive rotation. The electrical power Wg generated by the first rotating machine MG1 is stored in the battery 54 or consumed by the second rotating machine MG2. The second rotating machine MG2 outputs the MG2 torque Tm by utilizing all or part of the generated electrical power Wg, or by using the electrical power from the battery 54 in addition to the generated electrical power Wg.

[0047] In the differential 32, during an engine drive mode in which the vehicle 10 is driven by a motive force generated by the second engine / generator MG2, which operates as a motive force source while the internal combustion engine 14 is stopped, the carrier CA0 is held stationary, while the MG2 torque Tm, which is a positive torque, is applied to the ring gear R0, causing the ring gear R0 to rotate in the positive direction. The state of the differential 32 in this engine drive mode is shown in the collinear diagram of Fig. Figure 3 is not shown. At this point, the first motor / generator MG1, which is connected to the sun gear S0, is in a load-free state and can rotate freely in the negative direction. More precisely, the internal combustion engine 14 is held in its idle state in the engine drive mode such that the rotational speed Ne of the internal combustion engine 14 (engine speed Ne) is maintained at zero, and the vehicle 10 is driven forward with the MG2 torque Tm (positive forward drive torque), which is transmitted as a forward drive torque to the drive wheels 28 via the stepped transmission section 20, which is in one of the first to fourth speed automatic gear positions. During forward travel in an engine drive mode, the MG2 torque Tm is a power-running torque, which is a positive torque when rotating in the positive direction.

[0048] The in Fig. The three straight lines L0R and LR, represented by dashed lines, indicate the relative velocities of the rotating elements during reverse travel in the engine driving mode. During reverse travel in this engine driving mode, the MG2 torque Tm is input as a negative torque with a negative direction of rotation into the ring gear R0, and the MG2 torque Tm is transmitted as the drive torque of the vehicle 10 in a reverse direction via the step-through transmission section 20, in which the first automatic transmission gear position is established, to the drive wheels 28. The vehicle 10 can perform reverse travel if the electronic control unit 90 causes the second rotating machine MG2 to output a reverse MG2 torque Tm with a positive / negative sign, which is opposite to a forward MG2 torque Tm during forward travel while in a forward low-side automatic transmission gear position, e.g.The first automatic transmission (AT) gear position is defined as one of the number of AT gear positions. During reverse travel in engine-drive mode, the MG2 torque Tm is a power-running torque, which is a negative torque when rotating in the opposite direction. In this case, the forward MG2 torque Tm is a power-running torque, which is a positive torque in the positive direction, and the reverse MG2 torque Tm is a power-running torque, which is a negative torque in the negative direction. In this way, the vehicle 10 performs reverse travel by reversing the positivity / negativity of the MG2 torque Tm with the forward AT gear position. Using the forward AT gear position means that the same AT gear position is used as for forward travel.Even in hybrid driving mode, reversing can be carried out as in engine driving mode, since the second rotating machine MG2 can be turned in the negative direction, as indicated by the straight line L0R.

[0049] In the drive power transmission device 12, the continuously variable transmission part 18 represents an electric transmission mechanism which includes the differential 32 with three rotating elements, wherein the three rotating elements consist of the first rotating element RE1 in the form of the carrier CA0, to which the internal combustion engine 14 is connected in a drive power transmission manner, the second rotating element RE2 in the form of the sun gear S0, to which the first rotating machine MG1 is connected in a drive power transmission manner, and the third rotating element RE3 in the form of the ring gear R0, to which the intermediate gear element 30 is connected, and wherein the differential state of the differential 32 is controlled by controlling the operating state of the first rotating machine MG1.From another perspective, the third rotating element RE3, to which the intermediate gear element 30 is connected, is the third rotating element RE3 to which the second rotating machine MG2 is connected in a power-transmitting manner. That is, in the power transmission device 12, the continuously variable transmission part 18 has the differential 32, to which the internal combustion engine 14 is connected in a power-transmitting manner, and the first rotating machine MG1, which is connected to the differential 32 in a power-transmitting manner, such that the differential state of the differential 32 is controlled by controlling the operating state of the first rotating machine MG1.The continuously variable transmission part 18 is operated as an electric continuously variable transmission, which is driven to change a transmission ratio γ0 (= Ne / Nm) which is a ratio of the motor speed Ne to the MG2 speed Nm, wherein the motor speed Ne is equal to the speed of the connecting shaft 34, which serves as an input rotary element of the continuously variable transmission part 18, while the MG2 speed Nm is equal to the speed of the intermediate gear element 30, which serves as an output rotary element of the continuously variable transmission part 18.

[0050] For example, if, in hybrid driving mode, the speed of the sun gear S0 is increased or decreased by controlling the speed of the first rotating machine MG1 relative to the speed of the ring gear R0, which is inhibited by the rotation of the drive gears 28, since one of the automatic transmission (AT) gear positions is set in the stepped transmission section 20, the speed of the carrier CA0, i.e., the engine speed Ne, is increased or decreased. Thus, the internal combustion engine 14 can be operated at an efficient operating point in hybrid mode. A continuously variable transmission (CVT) can therefore be formed by the interaction of the stepped transmission section 20, in which one of the AT gear positions is set, and the continuously variable transmission section 18, operating as a CVT, as the transmission device 40, in which the continuously variable transmission section 18 and the stepped transmission section 20 are arranged in series.

[0051] Since a shifting operation in the continuously variable transmission section 18 can be performed as in a stepped transmission, an alternative shifting operation as in a stepped transmission can be performed by using the stepped transmission section 20, in which one of the automatic transmission gear positions is defined, and the continuously variable transmission section 18, in which a shifting operation as in a stepped transmission is performed, as the entire transmission device 40. In other words, in the transmission device 40, the stepped transmission section 20 and the continuously variable transmission section 18 can be controlled such that a number of gear positions can be selectively established, which differ in the gear ratio γt (= Ne / No), which is characteristic of the ratio of the engine speed Ne to the output speed No.In the present embodiment, the gear position established in the transmission device 40 is referred to as an overall gear position (although it can also be referred to as a conceptual gear position). The transmission ratio γt is an overall transmission ratio of the transmission device 40, consisting of the continuously variable transmission part 18 and the stepped transmission part 20, which are arranged in series with each other. The overall transmission ratio γt is equal to the product of the transmission ratio γ0 of the continuously variable transmission part 18 and the transmission ratio γat of the stepped transmission part 20, namely t = γ0 × γat.

[0052] The overall gear position is assigned, for example, such that for each of the automatic transmission (AT) gear positions of the stepped transmission section 20, one or more types are defined by combining the AT gear positions of the stepped transmission section 20 with one or more types of the transmission ratio γ0 of the continuously variable transmission section 18. For example, the overall gear position is defined in advance such that the first to third overall gear positions are defined for the first speed AT gear position, the fourth to sixth overall gear positions are defined for the second speed AT gear position, the seventh to ninth overall gear positions are defined for the third speed AT gear position, and the tenth overall gear position is defined for the fourth speed AT gear position.In the transmission device 40, the continuously variable transmission section 18 is controlled such that the engine speed Ne is reached, thereby determining a desired gear ratio γt for the output speed No such that various gear positions are established, whereby a specific automatic transmission (AT) gear position is set in the stepped transmission section 20. Furthermore, in the transmission device 40, the continuously variable transmission section 18 is controlled by switching the AT gear position in the stepped transmission section 20, thereby switching the overall gear position.

[0053] Looking back on Fig. 1 The vehicle 10 is provided with the electronic control unit 90 as a control device, including the control unit constructed according to the present invention, which is configured to control, for example, the internal combustion engine 14, the continuously variable transmission part 18 and the stepped transmission part 20. Fig. Figure 1 is a view showing the input / output system of the electronic control unit 90 and is a functional block diagram to explain the main control functions and control components of the electronic control unit 90. For example, the electronic control unit 90 contains a so-called microcomputer with a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and an input / output interface. The CPU performs control operations of the vehicle 10 by processing various input signals according to control programs stored in the ROM, utilizing a temporary data storage function of the RAM. The electronic control unit 90 can consist of two or more control units, each dedicated to performing different control operations, such as engine control and hydraulic pressure control.

[0054] The electronic control unit 90 receives various input signals based on values ​​detected by corresponding sensors present in the vehicle 10. In particular, the electronic control unit 90 receives: an output signal from an engine speed sensor 60, indicating an engine speed Ne, which is a speed of the internal combustion engine 14; an output signal from an output speed sensor 62, indicating an output shaft speed No, which is a speed of the output shaft 22 and corresponds to the vehicle speed V of the vehicle 10; an output signal from an MG1 speed sensor 64, indicating an MG1 speed Ng, which is a speed of the first rotating machine MG1; an output signal from an MG2 speed sensor 66, indicating an MG2 speed Nm, which is a speed of the second rotating machine MG2 and corresponds to an AT input speed Ni; and an output signal from an accelerator pedal opening degree sensor 68, indicating an accelerator pedal opening degree θacc.which represents an amount of acceleration operation by the driver, an output signal of a throttle valve opening degree sensor 70 indicating a throttle valve opening degree θth, an output signal of a brake pedal sensor 71 indicating a brake-ON signal Bon, which represents a state of depressing a brake pedal by the driver to actuate wheel brakes, and also a brake actuation amount Bra, which represents an amount of depressing the brake pedal by the driver corresponding to a depressing force exerted on the brake pedal, an output signal of a steering sensor 72 indicating a steering angle θsw and a steering direction Dsw of a steering wheel provided in the vehicle 10, and also a steering-ON signal SWon, which represents a state in which the steering wheel is held by the driver, an output signal of a driver state sensor 73 indicating a driver state signal Drv,representing a state of the driver, an output signal from a G-sensor 74 indicating a longitudinal acceleration Gx and a lateral acceleration Gy of the vehicle 10, an output signal from a yaw rate sensor 76 indicating a yaw rate Ryaw, which is an angular velocity about a vertical axis of the vehicle 10, an output signal from a battery sensor 77 indicating a battery temperature THba, an electrical charging / discharging current Ibat, and a voltage Vbat of the battery 54, output signals from respective hydraulic pressure sensors (hydraulic pressure sensor set) 78 indicating intervention pressures Pcb, which are the hydraulic pressures of the working fluid OIL for switching the operating states of the respective intervention devices CB, an output signal from a fluid temperature sensor 79 indicating a working fluid temperature THoil, which is a temperature of the working fluid OIL, an output signal from a vehicle area information sensor 80,that indicates vehicle area information lard, an output signal from a vehicle location sensor 81 indicating location information Ivp, an output signal from a communication antenna 82 for an external network indicating a communication signal Scom, an output signal from a navigation system 83 indicating navigation information Inavi; output signals from driver assistance setting switches 84 indicating driver assistance setting signals Sset, which represent a setting made by the driver to an execution of a driver assistance control, such as automatic driving control and cruise control, and an output signal from a shift position sensor 85 indicating an operating position POSsh of a shift lever provided in the vehicle 10.

[0055] The intervention pressures Pcb are the hydraulic pressures Pc1, Pc2, Pb1, Pb2, which are the output pressures that are issued by the respective solenoid valves SL1-SL4 and supplied to the respective intervention devices CB (see Fig. 4) The hydraulic pressure sensors 78 contain hydraulic pressure sensors configured to detect the hydraulic pressures Pc1, Pc2, Pb1, Pb2 output by the respective solenoid valves SL1-SL4.

[0056] The amount of acceleration performed by the driver is, for example, the amount of actuation of an acceleration control element such as an accelerator pedal and corresponds to a required amount of power, which is a quantity of power from the vehicle 10 required by the driver. The throttle valve opening degree θth can be used as the required amount of power θacc in addition to or instead of the accelerator pedal opening degree θacc.

[0057] The driver condition sensor 73 includes a camera configured to photograph, for example, a facial expression and pupils of the driver's eyes, and / or a biometric information sensor configured to capture biometric information of the driver in order to detect or maintain, for example, the direction of his or her eyes and face, movements of his or her eyeballs and face, and the state of his or her heartbeat.

[0058] The vehicle area information sensor 80, for example, includes a lidar (light detection and ranging), a radar (radio detection and ranging), and / or an onboard camera to directly obtain information about a road on which the vehicle 10 is traveling, as well as information about an object or objects located around the vehicle 10. The lidar consists, for example, of several lidar units configured to detect objects located at the respective front, side, and rear of the vehicle 10, or of a single lidar unit configured to detect objects located anywhere around the vehicle 10. The lidar is configured to output object information as the vehicle area information sensor, that is, information relating to the detected object or objects. The radar consists, for example, of...The vehicle 10 consists of a number of radar units configured to detect objects located at the front, near the front, and near the rear, and to output object information as the vehicle area information (VAI). This object information relates to the detected object(s). The object information output by the lidar and radar as VAI includes the distance and direction of each detected object relative to the vehicle 10. The onboard camera, for example, is a monocular or stereo camera configured to capture images of the front and rear of the vehicle 10 and outputs the captured image information as the VAI.The captured image information, which is output by the on-board camera as the vehicle area information, contains information regarding lanes of a roadway, the signs and parking spaces present on the roadway, and at least one other vehicle (that is other than vehicle 10), pedestrians and / or obstacles on the roadway.

[0059] The vehicle location sensor 81 contains a GPS antenna. The location information Ivp output by the vehicle location sensor 81 contains location information of the vehicle itself, indicating the vehicle's location 10 on the Earth's surface or on a map, and based, for example, on GPS signals (orbital signals) transmitted by GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites.

[0060] The Navigation System 83 is a well-known navigation system with a display and a speaker. It is configured to determine the location of the vehicle 10 based on pre-stored map data derived from the location information Ivp and to display the vehicle 10's location on the map shown on the display. The Navigation System 83 receives an entered destination point, calculates a route from a starting point to a destination point, and informs the driver of the route, for example, via the display and the speaker, as instructions. The navigation information Inavi includes map information such as road information and facility information, which is based on the map data pre-stored in the Navigation System 83. The road information includes information on road types (such as city streets, suburban streets, mountain roads, and highways).Motorways), road junctions and mergers, road gradients, and speed limits. The facility information includes details about the types, locations, and names of places such as supermarkets, shops, restaurants, parking lots, parks, vehicle repair locations, the vehicle owner's residence, and service areas located along the motorway. Rest areas are locations situated along the motorway that offer facilities for parking, eating, and refueling.

[0061] The driver assistance setting switches 84 include an automatic selector switch for executing automatic driving control, a cruise control switch for executing cruise control, a switch for setting the vehicle's speed in a cruise control configuration, a switch for setting a distance to another vehicle ahead of the vehicle 10 in a cruise control configuration, and a switch for executing lane keeping control to keep the vehicle 10 within a selected lane.

[0062] The Scom communication signal includes road traffic information that is sent to and received by a central unit, which is an external device such as a road traffic information communication system, and / or inter-vehicle communication information that is sent directly to and received by at least one other vehicle located near vehicle 10, without going through the central unit. The road traffic information includes details about traffic jams, accidents, roadworks, required travel times, and parking spaces on roads. The inter-vehicle communication information includes vehicle information, journey information, and traffic environment information. The vehicle information includes details characteristic of a vehicle type of the at least one other vehicle, such as passenger car, truck, and two-wheeled vehicle.The driving information includes details relating to at least one other vehicle, such as vehicle speed (V), location, brake pedal activation, flashing of turn signals, and flashing of hazard warning lights. The traffic environment information includes details regarding traffic jams and roadworks.

[0063] The electronic control unit 90 generates various output signals for the different devices provided in the vehicle 10, such as an engine control command signal Se, which is to be supplied to the engine control device 50 for controlling the internal combustion engine 14; lathe control command signals Smg, which are to be supplied to the inverter 52 for controlling the first and second rotating machines MG1, MG2; a hydraulic control command signal Sat, which is to be supplied to the hydraulic control unit 56 for controlling the operating states of the intervention devices CB; an EOP control command signal Seop, which is to be supplied to the motor 59 for controlling the operation of the EOP 58; the communication signal Scom, which is to be supplied to the communication antenna 82 of the external network; a brake control command signal Sbra, which is supplied to a wheel brake device 86 to control a braking torque generated by the wheel brake device 86; and a steering control command signal Sste.which is to be supplied to a steering device 87 in order to control the steering of the wheels (especially the front wheels) of the vehicle 10, and an information message control command signal Sinf, which is to be supplied to an information notification device 88 in order to warn the driver and to provide him with information.

[0064] The hydraulic control command signal Sat also serves as hydraulic control command signals to control switching operations of the staged transmission section 20, whereby the hydraulic control command signals are used, for example, to actuate the solenoid valves SL1-SL4 (see Fig. 4) are provided, which are configured to regulate the respective hydraulic pressures Pc1, Pc2, Pb1, Pb2, which are to be supplied to the hydraulic actuators of the respective intervention devices CB. The electronic control unit 90 contains a drive unit (control circuit) 89, which is configured to actuate valves such as the solenoid valves SL1-SL4. The electronic control unit 90 is configured to set hydraulic pressure setpoints corresponding to the respective hydraulic pressures Pc1, Pc2, Pb1, Pb2, and to supply control currents or drive voltages corresponding to the respective hydraulic pressure setpoints via the drive unit 89 to the hydraulic control unit 56.

[0065] The wheel brake assembly 86 is a braking assembly with wheel brakes, each configured to apply a braking torque to a corresponding wheel, including the drive wheels 28 and the driven wheels (not shown). The wheel brake assembly 86 supplies hydraulic brake pressure to a wheel cylinder provided in each of the wheel brakes, for example, in response to the driver pressing down on the brake pedal. The wheel brake assembly 86 normally includes a master cylinder configured to generate a master cylinder hydraulic pressure equal to the brake actuation quantity Bra, and this generated master cylinder hydraulic pressure is supplied to the wheel cylinder as brake hydraulic pressure.On the other hand, in the wheel brake device 86, for example during the execution of an ABS control, a skid protection control, a vehicle speed control or an automatic drive control, the brake hydraulic pressure required for the execution of such a control is supplied to the wheel cylinder so that it can generate the required braking torque.

[0066] The steering device 87 is configured to apply a support torque to a steering system of the vehicle 10 in accordance with, for example, the vehicle speed V, the steering angle θsw, the steering direction Dsw, and the yaw rate Ryaw. For example, during an execution of the automatic driving control, the steering device 87 applies a torque to steer the front wheels towards the steering system of the vehicle 10.

[0067] The information and notification device 88 is configured to provide the driver with a warning or notification, for example, in the event of a failure or deterioration of the functionality of some components involved in the operation of the vehicle 10. The information and notification device 88 consists, for example, of a display device such as a monitor, a screen, and an alarm lamp, and / or an audible output device such as a loudspeaker and a buzzer. The display device is configured to provide the driver with a visual warning or notification. The audible output device is configured to provide the driver with an audible warning or notification.

[0068] Fig. Figure 4 is a view to explain the hydraulic control unit 56 and a hydraulic source configured to supply the working fluid oil to the hydraulic control unit 56. As shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 4, the MOP 57 and the EOP 58 are arranged parallel to each other in a hydraulic circuit in which the working fluid, oil, is circulated. The MOP 57 and EOP 58 are configured to supply the working fluid, oil, which serves as the output hydraulic pressure for switching an operating state of each of the engagement devices CB and as a lubricating fluid for lubricating various parts of the drive power transmission device 12. The MOP 57 and EOP 58 pump the working fluid, which is returned to an oil sump 100 located in a lower part of the housing 16, up through a strainer 102, which serves as an inlet opening, and supply the working fluid, oil, to corresponding fluid delivery channels 104 and 106. The fluid delivery channels 104 and 106 are connected to a fluid channel of the hydraulic control unit 56, e.g., B. with a line pressure fluid channel 108, through which a line pressure PL is generated.The fluid delivery channel 104, to which the working fluid oil is to be supplied from the MOP 57, is connected to the line pressure fluid channel 108 by an MOP check valve 110, which is provided in the hydraulic control unit 56. The fluid delivery channel 106, to which the working fluid oil is to be supplied from the EOP 58, is connected to the line pressure fluid channel 108 via an EOP check valve 112, which is provided in the hydraulic control unit 56. The MOP 57 generates hydraulic working pressure by rotating in conjunction with the rotation of the internal combustion engine 14. The EOP 58 generates hydraulic working pressure by rotating in conjunction with the engine 59 and is capable of generating hydraulic working pressure regardless of whether the internal combustion engine 14 is rotating or not. The EOP 58 is operated to generate hydraulic working pressure, e.g., B. when the vehicle is in engine driving mode 10.

[0069] In addition to the line pressure fluid channel 108, the MOP check valve 110, the EOP check valve 112 and the solenoid valves SL1-SL4 described above, the hydraulic control unit 56 has a control valve 114, a switching valve 116, a fluid supply channel 118, a fluid discharge channel 120 and solenoid valves SLT, S1, S2.

[0070] The control valve 114 regulates the line pressure PL, i.e., the working fluid OL supplied by at least one of the MOP 57 and EOP 58. The solenoid valve SLT, which is, for example, a linear solenoid valve, is controlled by the electronic control unit 90 such that it supplies the control valve 114 with a pilot pressure Pslt, which depends, for example, on the input torque applied to the step-through gear section 20, whereby the line pressure PL is controlled to a pressure value that also depends, for example, on the input torque applied to the step-through gear section 20. The solenoid valve SLT is configured to receive an output pressure in the form of a modulator pressure PM with a specific pressure value, to which, for example, the line pressure PL is regulated as an output pressure by a modulator valve (not shown).

[0071] The switching valve 116 is configured to establish one of the fluid passages selected based on the hydraulic pressures supplied by the solenoid valves S1 and S2. Each of the solenoid valves S1 and S2 is, for example, an ON-OFF solenoid valve and is controlled by the electronic control unit 90 such that hydraulic pressure is supplied to the switching valve 116. If hydraulic pressure is supplied by solenoid valve S2 without hydraulic pressure being supplied by solenoid valve S1, the switching valve 116 establishes a fluid passage that connects the line pressure fluid passage 108 and the fluid supply channel 118.If hydraulic pressures are supplied by both solenoid valve S1 and solenoid valve S2, or by neither solenoid valve S1 nor solenoid valve S2, or if hydraulic pressure is supplied by solenoid valve S1 without hydraulic pressure being supplied by solenoid valve S2, the switching valve 116 establishes a fluid passage connecting fluid discharge channel 120 and fluid supply channel 118, while blocking the fluid passage between line pressure fluid passage 108 and fluid supply channel 118. Fluid supply channel 118 is a fluid passage through which the hydraulic pressure supplied to each of the solenoid valves SL2 and SL3 is introduced. Fluid discharge channel 120 is an atmospheric opening channel through which the working fluid (oil) is discharged from the hydraulic control unit 56 to an external location, i.e., through which the working fluid (oil) is returned to the oil sump 100.If the operating position POSsh is a D position, in which a forward driving position of the transmission device 40 is selected, enabling, for example, forward travel of the vehicle 10, the electronic control unit 90 sends the hydraulic control command signal Sat to the hydraulic control unit 56. This causes solenoid valve S2 to release hydraulic pressure and solenoid valve S1 to withhold hydraulic pressure. If the operating position POSsh is an R position, in which a reverse driving position of the transmission device 40 is selected, enabling, for example, reverse travel of the vehicle 10, the electronic control unit 90 sends the hydraulic control command signal Sat to the hydraulic control unit 56. This causes solenoid valves S1 and S2 to release hydraulic pressure.

[0072] Each of the solenoid valves SL1-SL4 is, for example, a linear solenoid valve controlled by the electronic control unit 90 such that it outputs a corresponding hydraulic pressure Pc1, Pc2, Pb1, Pb2 to a corresponding engagement device CB. The solenoid valves SL1-SL4 are control valves configured to regulate the engagement pressures Pcb of the respective engagement devices CB. Solenoid valve SL1 receives the line pressure PL as its output pressure and regulates the hydraulic pressure Pc1 of C1, which is supplied to the hydraulic actuator of the clutch C1. Solenoid valve SL2 receives the line pressure PL as its output pressure via the switching valve 116 and regulates the hydraulic pressure Pc2 of C2, which is supplied to the hydraulic actuator of the clutch C2. The solenoid valve SL3 receives the line pressure PL as output pressure via the switching valve 116 and regulates the B1 hydraulic pressure Pb1, which is supplied to the hydraulic actuator of the brake B1.The solenoid valve SL4 receives the line pressure PL as output pressure and regulates the hydraulic pressure Pb2, which is supplied to the hydraulic actuator of the brake B2.

[0073] Fig. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view to illustrate the construction of each of the solenoid valves SL1-SL4. Fig. Figure 5 shows, as an example, the solenoid valve SL1 as one of the solenoid valves SL1-SL4, which are essentially identical in construction. The solenoid valve SL1 contains a solenoid coil 122, which is configured such that, upon excitation, it converts electrical energy into a driving force, and a control unit 124, which is configured such that, upon activation by the solenoid coil 122, it regulates the line pressure PL in such a way that the C1 hydraulic pressure Pc1 is generated.The magnetic coil 122 comprises a cylindrical-tubular winding core 126, a coil 128 formed by a conductor cable wound around a circumference of the winding core 126, a core 130 designed to be axially movable within the winding core 126, a piston 132 attached to one of the axially opposite end sections of the core 130, which is located away from the regulator part 124, a housing 134 in which the winding core 126, the coil 128, the core 130 and the piston 132 are housed, and a cover 136 fitted into an opening of the housing 134. The regulator part 124 includes a sleeve 138 fitted into the housing 134, a slide valve element 140 which is provided to be axially movable within the sleeve 138, and a spring 142 which constantly pushes or biases the slide valve element 140 towards the solenoid coil 122.The slide valve element 140 is in contact at one of the axially opposite end sections, located on one side of the solenoid coil 122, with the other of the axially opposite end sections of the core 130 described above, i.e., with one of the axially opposite end sections of the core 130 described above, located on one side of the control part 124. In the solenoid valve SL1 constructed as described above, in which the control current is applied to the coil 128, the piston 132 is moved by a distance that depends on the magnitude of the applied electric current in the axial direction of the piston 132, the core 130, and the slide valve element 140, which are coaxial to each other, and the core 130 and the slide valve element 140 are moved together with the piston 132 in the axial direction.The axial movement of the slide valve element 140 adjusts the flow rate of the working fluid OL introduced through an inlet port 144 and the flow rate of the working fluid OL discharged through a drain port 146 such that the line pressure PL introduced through the inlet port 144 is regulated according to the valve characteristic of the linear solenoid valve SL1, as shown in . Fig. Figure 6 shows an example of a predetermined ratio between the control current and an output pressure corresponding to the C1 hydraulic pressure Pc1, to which the line pressure PL is regulated. The C1 hydraulic pressure Pc1, as the output pressure, is discharged via an outlet port 148.

[0074] Fig. Figure 7 is a view illustrating, by way of example, the control current in accordance with the hydraulic pressure setpoint supplied to the solenoid valve SL, which is configured to control the hydraulic pressure of an engagement-side friction engagement device as one of the engagement devices CB, which is to engage during a switching operation performed in the staged transmission section 20 when the engagement-side friction engagement device is activated. Fig. Figure 7 indicates a time t1a, the point at which the hydraulic control command signal Sat is output to the engagement-side friction engagement device during the shifting operation performed in the staged gear section 20. During a rapid actuation period from the start of the hydraulic control command signal Sat output until time t2a, the control current is drastically increased. Then, during a standby period with constant pressure until time t3, the control current is essentially maintained at a constant value, causing the engagement pressure Pcb of the engagement-side friction engagement device to become a constant standby pressure, bringing the engagement-side friction device into a pre-engaging state, which is a state just before engagement. Then, during a sampling period until synchronization detection, i.e.,Until it is determined that the MG2 speed Nm or the motor speed Ne is synchronized with a speed dependent on a gear ratio determined after completion of a shift operation performed in the step-through transmission section 20, the control current is controlled such that it is gradually increased, thus slowly increasing the engagement pressure Pcb of the engagement-side friction engagement device (see time t3a to time t4a). Once synchronization has been determined, the control current is increased to a maximum value (see time t4a).

[0075] With reference to Fig. 1. The vehicle 10 also has a transceiver 150, a first gateway control unit 152, a second gateway control unit 154 and a connector 156.

[0076] The transceiver 150 is a device configured for communication with a server 200 as an external device located outside of vehicle 10. The server 200 is a system located on a network outside of vehicle 10 and configured to receive, process, analyze, store, and deliver various types of information, such as vehicle status information and vehicle phenomenon information. The server 200 sends and receives this information to and from the at least one other vehicle described above, as well as to and from vehicle 10. However, the transceiver 150 may also have the capability to communicate directly with the at least one other vehicle located near vehicle 10 without using the server 200. The vehicle status information includes, for example,This represents an operating or driving condition related to the driving of the vehicle 10, which is detected by the various sensors or similar devices. This driving condition is represented, for example, by the accelerator pedal opening degree θacc and the vehicle's speed V. The vehicle phenomenon information represents, for example, phenomena caused within the vehicle 10. These phenomena include, for example, acoustic pressure, i.e., noise or sound inside the vehicle 10, which is detected by a microphone (not shown), and vibration felt by the driver and passengers in the vehicle 10, which is detected by the G-sensor 74. It should be noted that the transceiver 150 can communicate with the server 200 via the communication antenna 82 of the external network using radio or wireless communication.

[0077] Both the first and second gateway control units 152 and 154 have essentially the same hardware architecture as the electronic control unit 90 and consist, for example, of a relay device designed to rewrite programs and / or data stored in a rewritable ROM contained within the electronic control unit 90. The first gateway control unit 152 is connected to the transceiver 150 and configured to rewrite the programs stored in the ROM, for example, via wireless communication between the transceiver 150 and the server 200. The server 200 serves as a software distribution center configured to distribute programs for rewriting.The second gateway control unit 154 can be mechanically connected via connector 156 to an external rewriting device 210 as an external device that is located outside the vehicle 10 and is configured to rewrite the programs stored in the ROM that are stored in the electronic control unit 90, e.g. via the external rewriting device 210.

[0078] To perform various control operations in the vehicle 10, the electronic control unit 90 includes an AT shift control device or part in the form of an AT shift control unit 92, a hybrid control device or part in the form of a hybrid control unit 94 and a drive control device or part in the form of a drive control unit 96.

[0079] The AT shift control unit 92 is configured to determine a shift operation of the step-through transmission unit 20, for example by using an AT gear position shift map, as shown in Fig. Figure 8 shows a relationship determined experimentally or by a suitable design theory, and outputs the hydraulic control command signal Sat, which is supplied to the hydraulic control unit 56 to execute the shifting operation in the stepped transmission section 20 as required. The AT gear position shift map is a predetermined relationship between two variables in the form of the vehicle speed V and the required drive force Frdem, where the relationship is used, for example, to determine a shifting operation of the stepped transmission section 20 and is represented by shift lines in two-dimensional coordinates, in which the vehicle speed V and the required drive force Frdem are taken along two axes.It should be noted that one of the two variables can be the output speed No instead of the vehicle speed V, and that the other of the two variables can be the required drive torque Trdem, the accelerator pedal opening degree θacc, or the throttle valve opening degree θth instead of the required drive force Frdem. The shift lines in the automatic transmission gear position shift map consist of upshift lines (in . Fig. 8 (shown by solid lines) to determine an upshift effect of the stepped transmission part 20 and downshift lines (in Fig. 8 (shown by dashed lines) to determine a downshifting effect of the stepped gear section 20.

[0080] The hybrid control unit 94 has a function that serves as an engine control device or component to control the operation of the internal combustion engine 14, and a function that serves as a control device or component for a rotating machine to control the operation of the first rotating machine MG1 and the second rotating machine MG2 via the inverter 52, and performs hybrid drive control, e.g., by utilizing the internal combustion engine 14, the first rotating machine MG1, and the second rotating machine MG2 through these control functions. The hybrid control unit 94 calculates a drive demand amount in the form of the required drive force Frdem to be applied to the drive wheels 28 by applying the accelerator pedal opening degree θacc and the vehicle speed V, e.g., to a drive demand amount characteristic map, which is a predefined relationship.The required drive torque Trdem [Nm] applied to the drive wheels 28, a required drive power Prdem [W] applied to the drive wheels 28, a required AT output torque applied to the output shaft 22, etc., can be used as a drive requirement amount in addition to the required drive force Frdem [N].

[0081] The hybrid control unit 94 outputs the engine control command signal Se to control the internal combustion engine 14, and the rotary machine control command signals Smg to control the first and second rotary machines MG1 and MG2, respectively. This is achieved by considering a maximum charging amount Win of the electrical power that can be charged into the battery 54 and a maximum discharging amount Wout of the electrical power that can be discharged from the battery 54, such that the required drive power Prdem is obtained based on the required drive torque Trdem and the vehicle speed V. The engine control command signal Se is, for example, a setpoint of engine power Pe, which is the power of the internal combustion engine 14 delivering the engine torque Te at the current engine speed Ne. The rotary machine control command signal Smg is, for example,a setpoint of the generated electrical power Wg of the first rotating machine MG1, which outputs the MG1 torque Tg as a reaction torque of the motor torque Te at the MG1 speed Ng, which is the MG1 speed Ng at the time of an output of the command signal Smg, and is a setpoint of an consumed electrical power Wm of the second rotating machine MG2, which outputs the MG2 torque Tm at the MG2 speed Nm, which corresponds to the MG2 speed Nm at the time of an output of the control signal Smg.

[0082] The maximum charge capacity Win of battery 54 is the maximum amount of electrical power that can be charged into battery 54, while the maximum discharge capacity Wout of battery 54 is the maximum amount of electrical power that can be discharged from battery 54. That is, the maximum charge and discharge capacities Win and Wout of battery 54 define a range of electrical power Pbat of battery 54 that can be utilized. The maximum charge and discharge capacities Win and Wout are calculated by the electronic control unit 90, for example, based on a battery temperature THbat and a state of charge (SOC) value [%] of battery 54. The state of charge (SOC) value of battery 54 is a value that indicates the state of charge of battery 54, i.e., the amount of electrical power stored in battery 54, and is calculated by the electronic control unit 90, for example, based on the electrical charge / discharge current Ibat and the voltage Vbat of battery 54.

[0083] For example, if the transmission device 40 as a whole is operated as a continuously variable transmission (CVT), with the CVT section 18 operating as a CVT, the hybrid control unit 94 controls the internal combustion engine 14 and regulates the electrical power Wg generated by the first rotating machine MG1 such that the engine speed Ne and the engine torque Te are achieved, at which the engine power Pe, which achieves the required drive power Predem, is determined, taking into account an engine-optimal fuel consumption point, etc., and thereby the continuously variable shift control of the CVT section 18 is available to change the transmission ratio γ0 of the CVT section 18. As a result of this control, in the case of operation of the transmission device 40 as a CVT, the transmission ratio γt of the transmission device 40 is controlled.

[0084] For example, if the transmission device 40 is operated as a whole as a stepped transmission, with the continuously variable transmission part 18 operating as in a stepped transmission, the hybrid control unit 94 uses a predetermined relationship, such as a total gear position diagram, to determine a shift action from the transmission device 40 and provides the shift control of the continuously variable transmission part 18 to selectively determine the number of total gear positions in coordination with the shift control of the automatic transmission gear position of the stepped transmission part 20 by the automatic transmission shift control unit 92. The number of total gear positions can be determined by controlling the engine speed Ne by the first rotating machine MG1 in accordance with the vehicle speed V to maintain the respective gear ratios γt.The gear ratio γt of each of the overall gear positions need not necessarily be a constant value over the entire range of vehicle speed V and can be varied within a predetermined range or limited by an upper limit, a lower limit, etc., of the rotational speed of each rotating element or component. As described above, the hybrid control unit 94 can provide the shift control, in which the engine speed Ne is changed as in a stepped shift. A stepped overall shift control, which causes the transmission device 40 as a whole to perform a shift operation as in a stepped transmission, can only be provided as a priority over the continuously variable shift control for the operation of the transmission device 40 as a continuously variable transmission if, for example, the driver selects a driving mode in which the emphasis is on fuel economy, such as a sport driving mode, etc., or if the required drive torque Trdem is relatively large, the stepwise overall switching control can, in principle, be provided unless a predetermined restriction is provided.

[0085] Depending on the driving conditions, the hybrid control unit 94 selects either the engine driving mode or the hybrid driving mode as the driving mode so that the vehicle 10 operates in one of the selected operating modes. For example, the hybrid control unit 94 selects the engine driving mode if the required drive power Prdem is in an engine driving range that is less than a predetermined threshold, and selects the hybrid driving mode if the required drive power Prdem is in a hybrid driving range that is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold. Fig. 8 The single-point catenary line A is a boundary line for switching the drive power source for the propulsion of the vehicle 10 between at least the internal combustion engine 14 and only the second rotating machine MG2. This means that the single-point catenary line A in Fig. 8 is a boundary line between the hybrid driving range and the engine driving range for switching between the hybrid driving range and the engine driving range. A predefined relationship with the boundary line, as defined by the one-point catenary A of Fig. Figure 8 is an example of a drive force source circuit diagram defined by the two-dimensional coordinates of variables in the form of the vehicle speed V and the required drive force Frdem. It should be noted that in Fig. 8 the drive force source circuit diagram is shown together with the circuit diagram of the AT gear position to simplify the description.

[0086] The hybrid control unit 94 sets the engine driving mode when the required drive power Prdem is within the engine driving range, and sets the hybrid driving mode when the required drive power Prdem is within the hybrid driving range. However, even if the required drive power Prdem is within the engine driving range, the hybrid control unit 94 sets the hybrid driving mode if the state of charge (SOC) of the battery 54 is less than a predetermined engine start threshold. The engine driving mode is a driving condition in which the vehicle 10 is started by the drive torque generated by the second rotating machine MG2, with the internal combustion engine 14 stopped. The hybrid driving mode is a driving condition in which the vehicle 10 is started by the drive torque generated by the second rotating machine MG2, with the internal combustion engine 14 being operated.The engine start threshold is a predetermined threshold to determine that the state of charge (SOC) reaches a level at which the internal combustion engine 14 must be started in order to charge the battery 54.

[0087] When the hybrid driving mode is established after the combustion engine 14 has stopped, the hybrid control unit 94 executes a control action to start the combustion engine 14. To start the combustion engine 14, the hybrid control unit 94 increases the engine speed Ne by means of the first rotating machine MG1 and starts the combustion engine 14 by ignition when the engine speed Ne reaches at least a certain speed value that is an ignition-capable speed. That is, the hybrid control unit 94 starts the combustion engine 14 by starting the combustion engine 14 using the first rotating machine MG1.

[0088] The driving control unit 96 is capable of executing two driving control modes for the vehicle 10: a selected manual driving control mode for driving the vehicle 10 in accordance with driving operations performed by the driver, and a driver assistance control mode for driving the vehicle 10 independently of the driver's driving operations. Manual driving control is used to control the vehicle 10 through manual actions, i.e., through driving operations performed manually by the driver. Manual driving control is a driving method in which the vehicle 10 is driven by the driver's actions, such as acceleration, braking, and steering. Driver assistance control is used to induce the vehicle 10 to drive, for example, with a driver assistance system that automatically or autonomously supports the driving operations.The driving assistant is a driving method to cause the vehicle 10 to drive, for example, by autonomously accelerating, decelerating, and braking the vehicle 10 through controls executed by the electronic control unit 90 based on signals and information supplied by the various sensors, without being dependent on the driver's driving actions, i.e., without being dependent on the driver's intentions. The driving assistant control is, for example, autonomous driving control in which the vehicle 10 accelerates, decelerates, brakes, and steers according to a target driving state, which is determined autonomously, for example, based on map information and the destination point entered by the driver. It should be noted that the driving assistant control can be interpreted broadly, such that it also includes cruise control, in which some of the driving operations, such as...The steering is performed by the driver, while other driving operations, such as accelerating, decelerating and braking, are performed autonomously.

[0089] If a driver assistance mode is not selected with the autonomous driving selector switch and the cruise control switch of the driver assistance setting switch 84 is in the OFF position, the drive control unit 96 establishes a manual driving mode to perform manual driving control. The drive control unit 96 performs manual driving control by issuing commands to control the step-through transmission unit 20, the internal combustion engine 14, and the first and second rotating machines MG1 and MG2, with the commands being fed to the automatic transmission shift control unit 92 and the hybrid control unit 94.

[0090] When an autonomous driving mode is selected, with the autonomous driving selector switch of the driver assistance setting switch 84 being set to ON by the driver, the driving control unit 96 establishes the autonomous driving mode in order to execute autonomous driving control. In particular, the driving control unit 96 autonomously sets a target driving state, which depends, for example, on the destination point entered by the driver, the vehicle's own location information based on the location information Ivp, the map information based on the navigation information Inavi, and various information regarding the road and based on the vehicle area information lard.

[0091] The driving control unit 96 executes the autonomous driving control for autonomous acceleration, deceleration, and steering of the vehicle 10 based on the set target driving condition. For this purpose, the driving control unit 96 issues commands to control the step-through transmission unit 20, the internal combustion engine 14, and the rotating machine MG1, MG2, and these commands are fed to the automatic transmission shift control unit 92 and the hybrid control unit 94. Furthermore, in this case, the driving control unit 96 outputs the brake control command signal Sbra to achieve the required braking torque and the steering control command signal Sste to control the steering of the front wheels, with the output brake control command signal Sbra and the steering control command signal Sste being fed to the wheel brake device 86 and the steering device 87, respectively.

[0092] Incidentally, in vehicle 10 there is a possibility that an anomaly may occur during the shifting process performed in the stepped transmission unit 20. The anomaly in the shifting process performed in the stepped transmission unit 20 is, for example, a shifting malfunction of the stepped transmission unit 20.

[0093] Fig. Figure 9 is a timing diagram to illustrate a shifting malfunction of the stepped transmission part 20. Fig. 9 corresponds to a period from time t1b to time t3b of a process of the shifting operation carried out in the stepped transmission unit 20, during which a 2→3 upshift action of the stepped transmission unit 20 is performed. During the shifting operation carried out in the stepped transmission unit 20, a learning control process is executed such that the ramp-up (blow-up) of a rotational speed Nfx of a rotating element converges. That is, during the shifting operation from clutch to clutch of the stepped transmission unit 20, the learning control process is executed such that the ramp-up amount ΔNf of the rotational speed Nfx converges within a predetermined ramp-up amount range RngNf and the hydraulic pressure setpoint is corrected. The rotational speed Nfx is a rotational speed that is to be changed in the shifting operation carried out in the stepped transmission unit 20 and is, for example, the MG2 rotational speed Nm.The ramp-up described above is a phenomenon in which the rotational speed Nfx increases relative to a reference speed Nref, which is based on the gear ratio γat and the output speed No of the stepped gear unit 20, during the shifting process performed in the stepped gear unit 20. The ramp-up amount ΔNf is the magnitude of the increase in the rotational speed Nfx when the ramp-up described above occurs. If the rotational speed Nfx is the MG2 speed Nm, the ramp-up amount ΔNfm of the MG2 speed Nm is the magnitude of the increase in the MG2 speed Nm relative to a reference speed Nrefm (=γat×No). The specified ramp-up amount range RngNf is a normal range for the ramp-up amount ΔNf, which is defined as a small ramp-up amount range in which, for example, a shock or similar event during the shifting process performed in the stepped gear unit 20 is suppressed.When the transmission device (combined transmission) 40 is operated as a whole as a multi-stage transmission, as described above, a shifting operation is carried out in conjunction with the shifting operation performed in the multi-stage transmission section 20 such that a selected gear position is established in the transmission device 40. It is therefore possible for the acceleration to occur even at the engine speed Ne, which is an input speed of the transmission device 40. In this case, the speed Nfx is, for example, the engine speed Ne, which is to be changed during the shifting operation performed in the multi-stage transmission section 20. If the speed Nfx is the engine speed Ne, an acceleration amount ΔNfe of the engine speed Ne is an increase in the engine speed Ne relative to a reference speed Nrefe (=γ0×γat×No=γt×No).

[0094] Specifically, if the ramp-up amount ΔNf during the ramp-up of the engine speed Ne or the MG2 speed Nm (see near time t2b) is greater than the specified ramp-up amount range RngNf, the initial pressure value of the C2 hydraulic pressure supplied to the friction-side engagement device is increased during the next execution of the 2→3 upshift. Conversely, if the ramp-up amount ΔNf is less than the specified ramp-up amount range RngNf, the initial pressure value of the C2 hydraulic pressure is decreased during the next execution of the 2→3 upshift. The initial pressure value is, for example, the hydraulic pressure setpoint during the rapid actuation period (see the period from time t1a to time t2a in [reference]). Fig. 7) or the hydraulic pressure setpoint in the standby phase with the constant pressure (see period from time t2a to time t3a in Fig. 7) If the ramp-up amount ΔNf of the motor speed Ne or the MG2 speed Nm converges within the specified ramp-up amount range RngNf by correcting the hydraulic pressure setpoint, the learning control process is complete.

[0095] After completion of the learning control process described above, if a ramp-up anomaly occurs, where the ramp-up amount ΔNf is not less than a ramp-up anomaly determination value ΔNffx, it is determined that the shifting malfunction of the stepped gear section 20 has occurred. The ramp-up anomaly determination value ΔNffx is, for example, a predetermined threshold value that is greater than the predetermined ramp-up range RngNf and is determined to establish that a high degree of ramp-up has occurred, causing the shifting malfunction of the stepped gear section 20. Furthermore, after completion of the learning control process described above, if a tie-up occurs, where the ramp-up amount ΔNf is not greater than a tie-up determination value ΔNftu, it is also determined that the shifting malfunction of the stepped gear section 20 has occurred.The stall determination value ΔNftu is, for example, a predefined threshold value that is smaller than the predefined ramp-up range RngNf and is determined to identify when a stall has occurred that causes the ramp-up value ΔNf to be zero or extremely small. It should be noted that in the learning control process described above, the hydraulic pressure setpoint can be corrected such that a ramp-up time, instead of the ramp-up value ΔNf, is maintained within a predefined time period. The ramp-up time is the period during which the ramp-up continues at rotational speed Nfx when a ramp-up occurs.

[0096] There is a case in which a shift shock is generated when the ramp-up anomaly or hesitation occurs. After completion of the learning control process performed during the shift operation for the step-through transmission part 20, if a shift shock is generated that causes the longitudinal acceleration Gx to be no lower than a predetermined acceleration value, it is determined that the shifting malfunction of the step-through transmission part 20 has occurred. The predetermined acceleration value is, for example, a predetermined threshold value determined to detect when the longitudinal acceleration Gx has increased to a high acceleration value, causing the shifting malfunction of the step-through transmission part 20.

[0097] A vehicle anomaly analyzer 300 (see Fig. 1), which is an external device separate from the vehicle 10, is configured such that, if an anomaly occurs during the shifting operation performed in the step-through transmission part 20, it analyzes the anomaly using the rotational speed Nfx and, in particular, determines or specifies the cause of the anomaly. It can be assumed that the vehicle anomaly analyzer 300 works together with the electronic control unit 90 of the vehicle 10 or with the server 200 and the electronic control unit 90 of the vehicle 10 to form a vehicle anomaly analyzer for analyzing the anomaly that occurred during the shifting operation performed in the step-through transmission part 20.

[0098] As described above, after the learning control process performed in the shifting operation of the stepped transmission part 20 is completed, it is possible to detect an occurrence of the shifting malfunction of the stepped transmission part 20 by observing an indication that the acceleration amount ΔNf of the rotational speed Nfx has deviated from the predetermined acceleration amount range RngNf and has not become less than the acceleration anomaly determination value ΔNffx or greater than the hesitation determination value ΔNftu. However, the cause of the anomaly is not necessarily easy to specify if one only observes an indication that the acceleration amount ΔNf is assuming an abnormal value.

[0099] Fig. 10, Fig. 11, Fig. 12 and Fig. Figure 13 shows an exemplary representation of a normal case and anomalous cases in an arrangement where the hydraulic pressures Pc1, Pc2, Pb1, Pb2 are directly controlled by the respective solenoid valves SL1, SL2, SL3, SL4. In each of the lower views... Fig. 10, Fig. 11, Fig. 12 and Fig. Figure 13 illustrates an example of how the acceleration factor ΔNfe of the motor speed Ne can be changed over time during the upshifting action 2→3 performed in the stepped transmission section 20. The views of Fig. 10 show the normal case, the views of Fig. 11 the anomalous case of air being drawn in by the oil pump, the views of Fig. 12 the anomaly case of a temporary sticking of the solenoid valve SL2 and the views of Fig. 13. The anomaly case involving a complete seizure of solenoid valve SL2. The air intake by the oil pump described above is a phenomenon in which the oil pump draws in air while drawing in the working fluid OIL from the oil pan 100. The temporary or complete seizure of solenoid valve SL described above is a phenomenon in which a valve piston is stuck and does not move within the solenoid valve SL, e.g., due to the ingress of foreign matter. The malfunction of one of the solenoid valves SL1-SL4 due to air intake by MOP 57 and / or EOP 58 or the seizure of the corresponding solenoid valve is the cause of the shifting malfunction of the step-through transmission section 20. Since there is only an indication that the ramp-up amount ΔNfe has decreased to an abnormal value, it is difficult to specify the cause of the shifting malfunction of the step-through transmission section 20.However, the cause of the shifting malfunction of the step gear part 20 can be easily specified by looking at the way in which the ramp-up amount ΔNfe changes over time, as shown in the . Fig. 10, Fig. 11, Fig. 12 and Fig. 13 shown.

[0100] Referring to Fig. 1. The vehicle anomaly analyzer 300 includes an anomaly cause specification model 310, which is designed to demonstrate a relationship between the manner of the change over time of the acceleration amount ΔNf of the rotational speed Nfx and the cause of the anomaly in the shifting process of the stepped transmission part 20. The vehicle anomaly analyzer 300 determines or specifies the cause of the anomaly in the shifting process of the stepped transmission part 20 by applying the anomaly cause specification model 310 to the manner of the change over time of the acceleration amount ΔNf when the anomaly occurs in the shifting process of the stepped transmission part 20. The vehicle anomaly analyzer 300 is connected, for example, via wireless communication to the server 200 and / or the vehicle 10. The vehicle anomaly analyzer 300 receives the manner of the temporal change of the ramp-up amount ΔNf from the server 200 and / or the vehicle 10.Vehicle 10 stores the manner of the temporal change of the ramp-up amount ΔNf and transmits this characteristic to Server 200 and / or Vehicle Anomaly Analysis Device 300 as needed. Server 200 stores this characteristic of the temporal change of the ramp-up amount ΔNf as Big Data. The anomaly cause specification model 310 is implemented, for example, by using at least one prototype vehicle 400 (see ). Fig. 1) i.e., the vehicle 10 in a prototype stage, is determined or prepared. The anomaly cause specification model 310 is determined or implemented, for example, by supervised learning, which is a machine learning process, using as training data the manner of the temporal change of the ramp-up amount ΔNf during the occurrence of the anomaly in the shifting process of the step-through transmission part 20 and the cause of the anomaly in the shifting process of the step-through transmission part 20. Each of the at least one prototype vehicle 400 has substantially the same design as the vehicle 10, which is a production vehicle.

[0101] An example process for constructing the anomaly cause specification model 310 is described.

[0102] The manner in which the acceleration amount ΔNf of the rotational speed Nfx changes over time does not directly reflect the intake of air through the MOP 57 and / or the EOP 58, the malfunction of the solenoid valves SL1-SL4, and the like. Therefore, a certain amount of time and a certain number of personnel are required to construct the anomaly cause specification model 310 if the anomaly cause specification model 310 is to be constructed by specifying the cause of the anomaly in the shifting process of the step-through transmission section 20 from the manner in which the acceleration amount ΔNf of the rotational speed Nfx changes over time.

[0103] The anomaly cause specification model 310 shows the relationship between the manner of the change over time of the ramp-up amount ΔNf of the rotational speed Nfx and, as the cause of the anomaly in the shifting operation of the step-through transmission part 20, a cause that is predetermined on the basis of an operating state representation value that represents an operating state of the vehicle 10, wherein the cause of the anomaly in the shifting operation of the step-through transmission part 20 can be specified more easily by the operating state representation value than by the rotational speed Nfx (in particular the manner of the change over time of the ramp-up amount ΔNf of the rotational speed Nfx).

[0104] Referring to Fig. 10, Fig. 11, Fig. 12 and Fig. Figure 13 shows, in addition to the way in which the ramp-up amount ΔNfe of the motor speed Ne changes over time, an example of the way in which an actual pressure value changes over time (see “ACTUAL HYDRAULIC PRESSURE” in Fig. 10, Fig. 11, Fig. 12 and Fig. 13) of the C2 hydraulic pressure Pc2 in the process of the 2→3 upshift action of the step transmission part 20. In Fig. 11 “BOOST GENERATION” points to a phenomenon caused by air entering the SL2 solenoid valve through air intake via the MOP 57 and / or EOP 58. As shown in Fig. 10, Fig. 11, Fig. 12 and Fig. As can be seen in Figure 13, the cause of the shifting malfunction of the step gear part 20 can be more easily determined or specified by using the actual pressure value of the C2 hydraulic pressure Pc2 than by using the ramp-up amount ΔNfe of the engine speed Ne.

[0105] The intervention pressures Pcb, which are the output pressures of the respective solenoid valves SL1-SL4, reflect the malfunction of the solenoid valves SL1-SL4 and similar issues more accurately than the way in which the acceleration rate ΔNf of the rotational speed Nfx changes over time. Therefore, the cause of the anomaly in the switching process of the stepped gear unit 20 can be more easily specified using the intervention pressures Pcb than using the way in which the acceleration rate ΔNf of the rotational speed Nfx changes over time. The operating state representation value described above is each a value of the intervention pressure Pcb. The cause of the switching malfunction of the stepped gear unit 20 could also be an anomaly in the drive unit 89, such as a short circuit in the drive unit 89.Since the operating state of each of the solenoid valves SL1-SL4 can be easily known by seeing a corresponding intervention pressure Pcb, the cause of the switching malfunction of the step gear part 20, which includes the anomaly of the drive unit 89, can be easily specified by seeing the value of each of the intervention pressures Pcb as the operating state representation value described above.

[0106] There is a case in which the hydraulic pressure sensors 78 are not installed in the vehicle 10, for example, for cost reasons. Even in such a case, the anomaly cause specification model 310 can be appropriately constructed by sensing the intervention pressures Pcb by hydraulic pressure sensors (hydraulic pressure sensor set) 402, which are installed in each of the at least one prototype vehicles 400 and which correspond to the hydraulic pressure sensors 78. This method for constructing the anomaly cause specification model 310 is useful in the case in which the hydraulic pressure sensors 78 are not installed in the vehicle 10.For the sake of simplicity, sensors installed in each of the at least one prototype vehicle 400, which are equivalent to the various sensors installed in the vehicle 10 and do not correspond to the hydraulic pressure sensors 78, are referred to as "other sensors 404" to distinguish them from the hydraulic pressure sensors 402.

[0107] Vehicle 10 is equipped with several types of sensors, such as the engine speed sensor 60, the output speed sensor 62, the MG2 speed sensor 66, the accelerator pedal opening degree sensor 68, and the G-sensor 74, although these are only a limited number of sensor types. Supervised learning, also known as machine learning, is performed, whereby data from the acquired values ​​of the other sensors 404 (corresponding to the various sensors installed in vehicle 10) are input when an anomaly occurs in the shifting process of the step-through transmission part 20, and the cause of the anomaly in the shifting process is output.

[0108] With reference to Fig. The vehicle anomaly analyzer 300 comprises a microcomputer with a CPU, ROM, RAM, and an input / output interface. The CPU performs various control operations by processing different input signals according to control programs stored in the ROM, utilizing a temporary data storage function of the RAM. The vehicle anomaly analyzer 300 includes a computation unit 302 and a display unit 304. The computation unit 302 is an artificial intelligence with a database unit 306 configured to store data and an inference unit 308 configured to draw conclusions from the stored data. The anomaly cause specification model 310 is implemented through supervised learning performed by the computation unit 302.The display unit 304 is an output device such as a display, a printer and the like, which is configured to display, for example, a result of the calculation or processing carried out by the computation unit 302.

[0109] Fig. Figure 14 is a view that shows, as an example, the anomaly cause specification model 310. This is in Fig. The anomaly cause specification model 310 shown in Figure 14 is a neutral network based on the types of values ​​acquired by the sensors present in the vehicle. The anomaly cause specification model 310 is a model that can be formed by simulating a group of nerve cells from a living organism, by software using a computer program, or by hardware consisting of a combination of electronic elements. The anomaly cause specification model 310 is a multilayered structure consisting of an input layer made up of i neurons (P11-P1), an intermediate layer made up of j neurons (Pj2) (P12-Pj2), and an output layer made up of k neurons (Pk3) (P13-Pk3). The intermediate layer can be a multilayered structure.For the transmission of states of the nerve cell elements from the input layer to the output layer, the anomaly cause specification model 310 is provided with transmission elements Dij to a coupling of the i pieces of the nerve cell elements Pi1 and the j pieces of the nerve cell elements Pj2 by coupling coefficients, i.e. weighted values ​​Wij, and with transmission elements Dik to a coupling of the j pieces of the nerve cell elements Pj2 and the k pieces of the nerve cell elements Pk3 by weighted values ​​Wik.

[0110] The anomaly cause specification model 310 is an anomaly analysis system in which the weighted values ​​Wij, Wjk are subjected to machine learning by a predetermined algorithm. In the supervised learning for the anomaly cause specification model 310, training data, i.e., training signals obtained from the at least one prototype vehicle 400, are used. The data of the detected values ​​from the other sensors 404 during the occurrence of the anomaly in the shifting process of the step-through transmission part 20 in each of the at least one prototype vehicle 400 are provided as the training signal for the input layer (see “X11-Xi1” in Fig. 14) Meanwhile, the causes of the anomaly in the shifting process of the step-transmission part 20, which are determined on the basis of the recorded values ​​of the hydraulic pressure sensors 402 in each of the at least one prototype vehicle 400, are supplied as the teaching signals to the output layer (see “Y13-Yk3” in Fig. 14). In the, in Fig. 10, Fig. 11, Fig. 12 and Fig. In the 13 examples shown, for instance, there is a strong correlation between each of the ways in which the acceleration amount ΔNfe of the motor speed Ne changes over time during the shifting process performed in the step-through transmission part 20 and a corresponding cause of the anomaly in the shifting process of the step-through transmission part 20, such that large weighted values ​​Wij, Wjk are given for such a correlation. When analyzing with artificial intelligence, at least the correlation must be known. With regard to the data of the detected values ​​from the other sensors 404, the cause of the anomaly can be easily specified by using the detected values ​​that change over time, rather than using data at a specific point in time, as exemplified in Fig. 10, Fig. 11, Fig. 12 and Fig. Figure 13 illustrates this. The detected values ​​of the other sensors 404, which change over time, are provided to the input layer as training signals. As described above, the anomaly cause specification model 310 is a learning model that indicates relationships between detected values ​​of the other sensors 404 when anomalies occur in the at least one prototype vehicle 400 and causes of the anomalies, which are specified based on detected values ​​of the hydraulic pressure sensors 402 in the at least one prototype vehicle 400, wherein the relationships are defined by the use of the at least one prototype vehicle 400.

[0111] The vehicle anomaly analyzer 300 includes a condition determination means or part in the form of a condition determination part 312 and an anomaly cause specification means or part in the form of an anomaly cause specification part 314 for performing a control function to improve accuracy in specifying the cause of the anomaly in the shifting process of the step transmission part 20.

[0112] The condition detection unit 312 is configured to determine whether an anomaly has occurred in the shifting process of the step-through transmission unit 20 of each of the vehicles 10 in a market or field. The condition detection unit 312 performs this determination depending on whether the electronic control unit 90 of each of the vehicles 10 detects whether the anomaly has occurred in the shifting process of the step-through transmission unit 20 of each of the vehicles 10. The electronic control unit 90 is configured to determine whether the anomaly has occurred in the shifting process of the step-through transmission unit 20, depending on the values ​​acquired by the various sensors, other than the hydraulic pressure sensors 78, which represent the operating state of each of the vehicles 10.Alternatively, the condition determination part 312 can perform the above determination depending on the recorded values ​​of the various other sensors besides the hydraulic pressure sensors 78 provided in each of the vehicles 10, the recorded values ​​being obtained from the server 200.Specifically described: If the anomaly occurring in the shifting process of the step-through transmission unit 20 of each of the vehicles 10 is a shifting malfunction of the step-through transmission unit 20, it is determined whether the shifting malfunction of the step-through transmission unit 20 has occurred, depending on whether the ramp-up amount ΔNf of the rotational speed Nfx in the shifting process after completion of the learning control process performed in the shifting process of the step-through transmission unit 20 has not become smaller than the ramp-up anomaly determination value ΔNffx and / or depending on whether the ramp-up amount ΔNf of the rotational speed Nfx in the shifting process after completion of the learning control process performed in the shifting process of the step-through transmission unit 20 has not become larger than the hesitation determination value ΔNftu.Alternatively, it is determined whether the shifting malfunction of the step-through transmission part 20 has occurred, depending on whether the shift shock, which causes the longitudinal acceleration Gx to be no lower than the predetermined acceleration value described above, was generated during the shifting process after completion of the learning control operation performed in the shifting operation of the step-through transmission part 20. In this way, the vehicle anomaly analyzer 300 determines, based on the acquired values ​​of the various sensors (excluding the hydraulic pressure sensors 78) provided in each of the vehicles 10, whether the anomaly occurred in the shifting operation of the step-through transmission part 20 of each of the vehicles 10.

[0113] The anomaly cause specification part 314 is configured such that, if the state determination part 312 determines that the anomaly occurred in the shifting process of the step-through transmission part 20 in at least one of the vehicles 10, it receives the big data of at least one of the vehicles 10 via a specific network when the anomaly occurs in the shifting process. The big data of at least one of the vehicles 10 that is received from at least one of the vehicles 10 includes, for example, big data transmitted directly from at least one of the vehicles 10 and / or big data transmitted indirectly from at least one of the vehicles 10 via server 200. The indirectly transmitted big data of at least one of the vehicles 10 includes, for example,to big data of at least one of the vehicles 10, which is transmitted only via the server 200, or big data of at least one of the vehicles 10, which is transmitted from the at least one of the vehicles 10 to the server 200 and stored in the server 200. As described above, the data of the acquired values ​​of the other sensors 404, which change over time, are provided as blanking signals for the input layer of the anomaly cause specification model 310, and the big data of at least one of the vehicles 10 are data that represent the way in which each of the acquired values ​​of the various other sensors, other than the hydraulic pressure sensors 78, changes over time, with the data being stored in each of the at least one of the vehicles 10.Therefore, the manner of the temporal change of each of the recorded values ​​of the various sensors, other than the hydraulic pressure sensors 78, is used to specify the cause of the anomaly in the switching process.

[0114] The anomaly cause specification part 314 is configured to analyze the cause of the anomaly that occurred in the shifting process of the step-through transmission part 20 of each of the at least one vehicle 10, using the big data obtained from the at least one of the vehicles 10 and the anomaly cause specification model 310. That is, the anomaly cause specification part 314 inputs the big data obtained from the at least one of the vehicles 10 into the anomaly cause specification model 310 and analyzes the cause of the anomaly in the shifting process of the step-through transmission part 20.

[0115] Furthermore, the anomaly cause specification part 314 determines whether the cause of the anomaly could be specified in the shifting operation of the step-through transmission part 20. If it was determined that the cause of the anomaly could be specified in the shifting operation, the anomaly cause specification part 314 indicates the specified cause of the anomaly in the display part 304 or similar. Ideally, the specified cause of the anomaly in the shifting operation is limited to a single cause. However, in a case where there are several possible candidates for the cause of the anomaly, the candidates are arranged in order of probability for each candidate, which is obtained through an analysis of the anomaly.If it is determined that the cause of the anomaly in the switching operation cannot be specified, the anomaly cause specification part 314 in the display part 304 or similar indicates that the cause of the anomaly is unknown or unspecified.

[0116] Fig. Figure 15 is a flowchart showing a main part of a control routine executed by the vehicle anomaly analyzer 300, namely a control routine executed to specify the cause of the anomaly in the shifting operation performed in the step-through transmission section 20, with improved accuracy in specifying the cause of the anomaly. This control routine is executed repeatedly, for example.

[0117] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 15, the control routine is initiated with a step S10, which corresponds to a function of the state determination part 312. This step determines whether the anomaly in the shifting process of the stepped transmission part 20 has occurred in at least one of the vehicles 10 in a market or field. If a negative finding is made in step S10, one cycle of execution of the control routine is completed. If a positive finding is made in step S10, a step S20 is implemented according to a function of the anomaly cause specification part 314 to obtain the big data from the at least one of the vehicles 10 via the network when the anomaly occurs in the shifting process.Step S20 is followed by step S30, corresponding to a function of the anomaly cause specification part 314. This step is implemented to input the received big data from at least one of the vehicles 10 into the anomaly cause specification model 310, which serves as the anomaly analysis system. The anomaly cause is then analyzed within the anomaly cause specification model 310 to determine the cause of the anomaly in the switching operation. Step S30 is followed by step S40, corresponding to a function of the anomaly cause specification part 314. This step is implemented to determine whether the cause of the anomaly in the switching operation has been specified. If step S40 confirms that the cause has been specified, step S50, corresponding to a function of the anomaly cause specification part 314, is implemented to indicate the specified cause of the anomaly in the switching operation.If a negative finding is made in step S40, the control flow proceeds to step S60 according to a function of the anomaly cause specification part 314, which is implemented to indicate that the cause of the anomaly is not specified.

[0118] As described above, in the present embodiment the cause of the anomaly in the switching process of the stepped gear part 20 is determined or specified by applying the predetermined anomaly cause specification model 310, which specifies the relationship between the manner of the temporal change of the ramp-up amount ΔNf of the rotational speed Nfx and the cause of the anomaly in the switching process of the stepped gear part 20, to the manner of the temporal change of the ramp-up amount ΔNf of the rotational speed Nfx when the anomaly occurs in the switching process of the stepped gear part 20 in such a way that it is possible to improve the accuracy in specifying the cause of the anomaly in the switching process of the stepped gear part 20.

[0119] In the present embodiment, the anomaly cause specification model 310 is realized through supervised learning, which is machine learning that uses as training data the manner of the temporal change of the ramp-up amount ΔNf of the rotational speed Nfx during the occurrence of the anomaly in the switching operation of the step gear part 20 and the cause of the anomaly in the switching operation of the step gear part 20 such that it is possible to construct a learning model with which the cause of the anomaly in the switching operation of the step gear part 20 can be specified with improved accuracy.

[0120] In the present embodiment, the anomaly in the switching process of the step gear part 20 is the switching malfunction of the step gear part 20, such that the cause of the switching malfunction of the step gear part 20 can be specified with improved accuracy with the aid of the anomaly cause specification model 310.

[0121] In the present embodiment, the cause of the anomaly in the switching control of the stepped gear section 20 is the intake of air through the MOP 57 and / or the EOP 58, the malfunction of the solenoid valves SL1-SL4, and / or the malfunction of the drive unit 89. Therefore, even if an anomaly occurs in the switching process of the stepped gear section 20, causing the acceleration amount ΔNf of the rotational speed Nfx to assume an abnormal value, the cause of the anomaly can be specified with improved accuracy by using the anomaly cause specification model 310.

[0122] In the present embodiment, the anomaly cause specification model 310 shows the relationship between the manner of the temporal change of the ramp-up amount ΔNf of the rotational speed Nfx and, as the cause of the anomaly in the switching operation of the stepped gear section 20, the cause that is predetermined based on the operating state representation value, whereby the cause of the anomaly in the switching operation of the stepped gear section 20 can be specified more easily by the operating state representation value than by the rotational speed Nfx. Therefore, the cause of the anomaly in the switching operation of the stepped gear section 20 can be specified with improved accuracy in the anomaly cause specification model 310.

[0123] In the present representation, the operating state representation value described above is the value of the intervention pressure Pcb such that the cause of the anomaly in the switching process of the step gear part 20 can be specified accordingly in the anomaly cause specification model 310.

[0124] A further embodiment of this invention is described. The same reference numerals as in the first embodiment described above are used in the following second embodiment to identify the functionally corresponding elements, and descriptions of these elements are not provided. SECOND VERSION

[0125] In the first embodiment described above, the intake of air through the MOP 57 or the EOP 58, the malfunction of the solenoid valves SL1-SL4, and the anomaly of the drive unit 89 have been described as examples of causes for the anomaly in the switching process of the stepped gear section 20. In the following description of this second embodiment, a reduction in the service life of the stepped gear section 20 is described as the cause of the anomaly in the switching process of the stepped gear section 20. The reduction in the service life of the stepped gear section 20 is, for example, due to a reduction in the service life of the friction elements of the engagement devices CB and temporary malfunctions of the engagement devices CB, e.g., due to increased temperatures of the friction elements of the engagement devices CB. The reduction in the service life of the stepped gear section 20 correlates to a high degree with, for example,with the number of occurrences of the anomaly in the switching process of the step transmission part 20, which is determined by the state determination part 312.

[0126] In this second embodiment, the vehicle anomaly analysis device 300 includes an anomaly cause specification model 320, which is in Fig. Figure 16 shows, in addition to or instead of the anomaly cause specification model 310 described above. The anomaly cause specification model 320 further indicates a relationship between the number of occurrences of the anomaly in the switching operation of the step-through gear unit 20 and the cause of the anomaly in the switching operation of the step-through gear unit 20. The anomaly cause specification model 320 is determined or realized, for example, by supervised learning, which is machine learning that uses as training data the manner of the change over time of the ramp-up amount ΔNf during the occurrence of the anomaly in the switching operation of the step-through gear unit 20, the number of occurrences of the anomaly in the switching control of the step-through gear unit 20, and the reduction in the service life of the step-through gear unit 20. The reduction in the service life of the step-through gear unit 20 is determined, for example, byrepresented by a degree or size of damage to the friction element of each of the engagement devices CB. In principle, the overrun amount ΔNf increases with increasing damage, and overrun occurs with increasing frequency as the damage increases.

[0127] The in Fig. The anomaly cause specification model 320 shown in Figure 16 is a neural network similar to the anomaly cause specification model 310 described above. The anomaly cause specification model 320 is a multilayered structure consisting of an input layer comprising f pieces of nerve cell elements Pf1 (P11-Pf1), an intermediate layer comprising g pieces of nerve cell elements Pg2 (P12-Pg2), and an output layer comprising h pieces of nerve cell elements Ph3 (P13-Ph3). Furthermore, the anomaly cause specification model 320 is equipped with transfer elements Dfg for coupling the f pieces of nerve cell elements Pf1 and the g pieces of nerve cell elements Pg2 by weighted values ​​Wfg, and with transfer elements Dgh for coupling the g pieces of nerve cell elements Pg2 and the h pieces of nerve cell elements Ph3 by weighted values ​​Wgh.

[0128] The anomaly cause specification model 320 is an anomaly analysis system in which the weighted values ​​Wfg, Wgh are subjected to machine learning by a predetermined algorithm. In the supervised learning for the anomaly cause specification model 310, training data, i.e., training signals, acquired in the at least one prototype vehicle 400 are used. The data of the acquired values ​​from the other sensors 404 during an occurrence of the anomaly in the shifting process of the step-through transmission part 20 in each of the at least one prototype vehicle 400, as well as the number of occurrences of the anomaly in the shifting process of the step-through transmission part 20 in each of the at least one prototype vehicle 400, are supplied as the training signal to the input layer (see “X11-Xf1” in Fig. 16) Meanwhile, the causes of the anomaly in the shifting process of the step-transmission part 20, which are determined on the basis of the recorded values ​​of the hydraulic pressure sensors 402 in each of the at least one prototype vehicle 400, are provided as the teaching signals to the output layer (see “Z13-Zh3” in Fig. 16) There is a strong correlation between each of the ways in which the ramp-up amount ΔNfe of the motor speed Ne changes over time during the shifting process carried out in the step-through gear part 20 and a corresponding degree of reduction in the service life of the step-through gear part 20, and also a strong correlation between each of the number of occurrences of the anomaly in the shifting process of the step-through gear part 20 and a corresponding degree of reduction in the service life of the step-through gear part 20, such that these correlations are given large weighted values ​​Wij, Wjk.

[0129] As described above, it is possible in the present second embodiment, as in the first embodiment described above, to improve the accuracy in specifying the cause of the anomaly in the switching process of the step gear part 20.

[0130] In this second embodiment, the anomaly cause specification model 320 further indicates the relationship between the number of occurrences of the anomaly in the switching operation of the step gear part 20 and the reduction in the service life of the step gear part 20. Therefore, even if the cause of the anomaly in the switching operation of the step gear part 20 is the reduction in the service life of the step gear part 20, the cause of the anomaly can be specified with improved accuracy by using the anomaly cause specification model 320.

[0131] In the present second embodiment, the anomaly cause specification model 320 is implemented through supervised learning, which is machine learning, where the training data includes the manner of the change in the ramp-up amount ΔNf of the rotational speed Nfx during the occurrence of the anomaly in the switching operation of the stepped gear part 20, the number of occurrences of the anomaly in the switching operation of the stepped gear part 20, and the reduction in the service life of the stepped gear part 20. Therefore, it is possible to build a learning model with which the cause of the anomaly in the switching operation of the stepped gear part 20 can be specified with improved accuracy.

[0132] Although the preferred embodiments of this invention have been described in detail with reference to the drawings, it can be assumed that the invention can also be implemented in other ways.

[0133] For example, in the embodiments described above, the vehicle anomaly analyzer 300 is an external device located next to the vehicle 10. However, this is not strictly necessary. For instance, part or all of the function for specifying the cause of the anomaly in the shifting process of the stepped transmission part 20, which in the embodiments described above is provided in the vehicle anomaly analyzer 300, can be provided in the server 200 or in the vehicle 10 (in particular in the electronic control unit 90). Furthermore, the information regarding the cause of the anomaly in the shifting process of the stepped transmission part 20 can be displayed or shown on a monitor or similar device located outside the vehicle anomaly analyzer 300, or on a monitor or similar device of a personal computer connected to the server 200 via a specific network.Furthermore, the content of the cause of the anomaly can be displayed or shown in the information notification device 88 or the like provided in the vehicle 10. It should be noted that the vehicle anomaly analyzer 300 is used, for example, when the vehicle 10 is taken to a maintenance workshop, or is used by a manufacturer of the vehicle 10.

[0134] In the embodiments described above, the anomaly cause specification models 310 and 320 are implemented as artificial intelligence in the computation section 302. However, this is not strictly necessary. For example, each of the anomaly cause specification models 310 and 320 can be implemented by a computer or similar device that is not based on a neural network.

[0135] In the embodiments described above, the vehicle 10, including the transmission device 40, was described as an example of a vehicle in which the anomaly in the shifting process of the stepped transmission part 20 could occur. However, the present invention is not only applicable to the vehicle 10, but also to any other vehicle in which an anomaly in a shifting process of an automatic transmission installed in the vehicle could occur.

[0136] It can be assumed that the embodiments described above are given only for illustrative purposes and that the present invention can be carried out with various modifications and improvements that may be discovered by a person skilled in the art in this field. REFERENCE MARK LIST 10 vehicles 14 Motor (power source) 20 mechanically operated stepped transmission section (automatic transmission) 28 drive wheels 40 Transmission device (automatic transmission) 57 MOP (oil pump) 58 EOP (oil pump) 89 Drive unit 300 vehicle anomaly analyzer 310 Anomaly Cause Specification Model 320 Anomaly Cause Specification Model CB engagement devices (friction engagement devices) MG2 second rotating machine (power source) SL1-SL4 Solenoid valves (control valves)

Claims

[1] Vehicle anomaly analyzer (300) for analyzing an anomaly that occurred during a shifting operation performed in an automatic transmission (20, 40) that forms part of a drive power transmission path between a drive power source (14) and drive wheels (28) of a vehicle (10), using a rotational speed (Nfx) that changes during a process of performing the shifting operation, wherein the vehicle anomaly analyzer (300) is configured to specify a cause of the anomaly in the shifting process by applying a predetermined anomaly cause specification model (310; 320), which indicates a relationship between a manner of temporal change of a ramp-up amount (ΔNf) and the cause of the anomaly in the shifting process, to the manner of temporal change of the ramp-up amount (ΔNf) when the anomaly occurs in the shifting process, wherein the ramp-up amount (ΔNf) is an amount of increase in rotational speed (Nfx) in the process of executing the shifting process relative to a reference rotational speed (Nref) based on a gear ratio (γt, γat) and an output rotational speed (No) of the automatic transmission (20, 40), characterized by , that the anomaly cause specification model (310; 320) is realized by supervised learning, which is a machine learning that uses as training data the way in which the ramp-up amount (ΔNf) changes over time when the anomaly occurs in the switching operation and the cause of the anomaly in the switching operation. [2] Vehicle anomaly analysis device (300) according to claim 1, wherein the anomaly in the shifting process is a shifting malfunction of the automatic transmission (20, 40) which has a hydraulically actuated friction engagement device (CB), and wherein an operating state of the friction engagement device (CB) is to be switched during the execution of the switching process. [3] Vehicle anomaly analyzer (300) according to claim 2, wherein the cause of the anomaly in the switching process is the intake of air by an oil pump (57, 58) which is provided for the output of a working fluid which is used to switch the operating state of the friction engagement device (CB). [4] Vehicle anomaly analyzer (300) according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the cause of the anomaly in the switching process is a malfunction of a control valve (SL1-SL4) provided to regulate a hydraulic pressure of a working fluid used to switch the operating state of the friction engagement device (CB). [5] Vehicle anomaly analyzer (300) according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the cause of the anomaly in the switching process is a malfunction of a drive unit (89) configured to drive a control valve (SL1-SL4) designed to regulate a hydraulic pressure of a working fluid used to switch the operating state of the friction engagement device (CB). [6] Vehicle anomaly analysis device (300) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the anomaly cause specification model (310; 320) specifies the relationship between the manner of the temporal change of the ramp-up amount (ΔNf) and, as the cause of the anomaly in the switching process, a cause that is predetermined on the basis of an operating state representation value that represents an operating state of the vehicle (10), and where the cause of the anomaly in the switching process is easier to specify using the operating state representation value than using the rotational speed (Nfx). [7] Vehicle anomaly analyzer (300) according to claim 6, wherein the operating state display value is a value (Pc2) of a hydraulic pressure of a working fluid that is used to switch an operating state of a hydraulically actuated friction engagement device (CB) contained in the automatic transmission (20, 40) during the execution of the shifting operation. [8] Vehicle anomaly analyzer (300) for analyzing an anomaly that occurred during a shifting operation performed in an automatic transmission (20, 40) that forms part of a drive power transmission path between a drive power source (14) and drive wheels (28) of a vehicle (10), using a rotational speed (Nfx) that changes during a process of performing the shifting operation, wherein the vehicle anomaly analyzer (300) is configured to specify a cause of the anomaly in the shifting process by applying a predetermined anomaly cause specification model (310; 320), which indicates a relationship between a manner of temporal change of a ramp-up amount (ΔNf) and the cause of the anomaly in the shifting process, to the manner of temporal change of the ramp-up amount (ΔNf) when the anomaly occurs in the shifting process, wherein the ramp-up amount (ΔNf) is an amount of increase in rotational speed (Nfx) in the process of executing the shifting process relative to a reference rotational speed (Nref) based on a gear ratio (γt, γat) and an output rotational speed (No) of the automatic transmission (20, 40), characterized by , that the anomaly cause specification model (320) further indicates a relationship between a number of occurrences of the anomaly in the switching operation and the cause of the anomaly in the switching operation, and the cause of the anomaly in the shifting process is a reduction in the service life of the automatic transmission (20, 40). [9] Vehicle anomaly analysis device (300) according to claim 8, wherein the anomaly cause specification model (320) is implemented by supervised learning, which is machine learning, using as training data the manner of the temporal change of the ramp-up amount (ΔNf) when the anomaly occurs in the shifting process, the number of occurrences of the anomaly in the shifting process and the reduction in the service life of the automatic transmission (20, 40). [10] Vehicle anomaly analysis device (300) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising: a state determination part (312) configured to determine whether the anomaly occurred during the shifting operation performed in the automatic transmission (20, 40) of the vehicle (10); and an anomaly cause specification part (314) configured such that, when the state determination part (312) determines that the anomaly occurred during the shift operation performed in the automatic transmission (20, 40) of the vehicle (10), it determines data that represent at least the manner of the temporal change of the ramp-up amount (ΔNf) when the anomaly occurs in the shift operation, and specifies the cause of the anomaly in the shift operation by using the determined data and the anomaly cause specification model (310; 320).

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