ELECTRIC VEHICLE AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME

Abstract

A vehicle and a method for controlling the same, wherein in an electric vehicle and a method for controlling the same, the electric vehicle may comprise: a drive electric motor (1, 2) which generates power required to drive a vehicle, a first limited-slip differential (50) which limits a differential action by a first differential device (30) mounted on a first drive shaft (10), a second limited-slip differential (60) which limits the differential action by a second differential device (40) mounted on a second drive shaft (20), and a control device (90) which controls a control sensitivity of the drive electric motor (1, 2) and control amounts of the first limited-slip differential (50) and the second limited-slip differential (60) according to a traveling mode of the vehicle.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE / INVENTION Field of the present disclosure / invention

[0001] The present disclosure / invention relates to an electric vehicle and a method of controlling the same, and more particularly to an electric vehicle and a method of controlling the same which can easily escape from an uneven (e.g., a rough / coarse) road by limited-slip differentials provided respectively on a front drive shaft and a rear drive shaft. Description of related technology

[0002] A limited-slip differential (e.g., a limited-slip differential) (LSD) synchronizes a left wheel and a right wheel to limit differential action caused by a differential device.

[0003] In the related art, the LSD is generally installed only on a main drive shaft (e.g., a rear drive shaft of a rear-wheel drive vehicle).

[0004] If the LSD is installed only on the main drive shaft, a vehicle can easily escape from an uneven (e.g., rough) road in a situation where the vehicle is driven on a flat, straight road. However, there is a problem in that the vehicle's differential limiting performance may not be sufficiently demonstrated on certain terrain (e.g., a bumpy road or a road with a large difference in the friction coefficient of diagonal wheels).

[0005] Furthermore, in the case of an electric vehicle, because a rate of increase of an output speed of a driving electric motor is very fast when the driving electric motor uses a maximum output on the rough road, the vehicle may still be disadvantageous in escaping the rough road.

[0006] The information contained in this Background of the present disclosure / invention is intended only to facilitate understanding of the general background of the present disclosure / invention and should not be construed as an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that this information constitutes prior art already known to a person skilled in the art. EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Various aspects of the present disclosure / invention are directed to providing an electric vehicle configured for easy escape (e.g., getting away) from an uneven (e.g., a rough / coarse) road, and a method for controlling the same.

[0008] An exemplary embodiment of an electric vehicle of the present disclosure / invention may include: a drive electric motor that generates the power required to drive a vehicle, a first limited-slip differential (e.g., a first locking differential) that limits differential action through a first differential device mounted on a first drive shaft, a second limited-slip differential (e.g., a second locking differential) that limits differential action through a second differential device mounted on a second drive shaft, and a controller that is operative (e.g., effective, e.g.,operative) is connected to the drive electric motor, the first limited-slip differential, and the second limited-slip differential, and is configured to control a control sensitivity of the drive electric motor and control amounts of the first limited-slip differential and the second limited-slip differential according to a driving mode of the vehicle.

[0009] In some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure / invention, the driving mode may include a normal driving mode, a snowy road driving mode, a sand road (e.g., sandy road) driving mode, a muddy road driving mode, and an uneven (e.g., rough / coarse) road driving mode.

[0010] In some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure / invention, when the driving mode is the rough road driving mode, the controller may reduce the control sensitivity of the drive electric motor.

[0011] In some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure / invention, the control sensitivity may mean an output change amount of the drive electric motor according to a change in an opening degree of an accelerator pedal.

[0012] In some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure / invention, the controller may set the control sensitivity in the rough road driving mode to be smaller than a control sensitivity in the muddy road driving mode, a control sensitivity in the normal driving mode, and a control sensitivity in the snowy road driving mode.

[0013] In some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure / invention, when the traveling mode is the rough road traveling mode, the controller may set the control amounts of the first limited slip differential and the second limited slip differential to be the maximum.

[0014] In some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure / invention, the control amounts of the first limited slip differential and the second limited slip differential may represent clutch torques.

[0015] In some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure / invention, the controller may set the control sensitivity in the rough road driving mode to be greater than the control sensitivity in the muddy road driving mode, the control sensitivity in the normal driving mode, and the control sensitivity in the snowy road driving mode.

[0016] In some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure / invention, when the driving mode is the rough road driving mode, the controller may turn off a vehicle dynamics (ESC) device (e.g., an ESP device).

[0017] Another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure / invention provides a method for controlling an electric vehicle, which may include: determining, by a controller, a driving mode of a vehicle, and reducing, by the controller, a control sensitivity of a drive electric motor and setting clutch torques of a first limited-slip differential and a second limited-slip differential to the maximum torque when the driving mode of the vehicle is a rough-road driving mode.

[0018] In some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure / invention, the driving mode may include a normal driving mode, a snowy road driving mode, a sandy road driving mode, a muddy road driving mode, and an uneven (e.g., rough / coarse) road driving mode.

[0019] In some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure / invention, the control sensitivity may include an output change amount of the drive electric motor according to a change in an opening degree of an accelerator pedal.

[0020] In some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure / invention, the control sensitivity in the rough road driving mode may be set to be smaller than a control sensitivity in the muddy road driving mode, a control sensitivity in the normal driving mode, and a control sensitivity in the snowy road driving mode.

[0021] In some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure / invention, the control sensitivity in the rough road driving mode may be set to be greater than the control sensitivity in the muddy road driving mode, the control sensitivity in the normal driving mode, and the control sensitivity in the snowy road driving mode.

[0022] In some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure / invention, when the driving mode is the rough road driving mode, a vehicle dynamics control (ESC) device (e.g., an ESP device) may be turned off.

[0023] According to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure / invention, when a traveling mode of a vehicle is a traveling mode for uneven (e.g., rough / coarse) roads, a torque of a driving electric motor is gradually increased, and clutch torques of the first and second LSDs are set to a maximum torque so that the vehicle can quickly escape (or get away from) an uneven road.

[0024] Furthermore, an effect that can be achieved or predicted by the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure / invention is directly or implicitly included in the detailed description of the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure / invention. That is, various effects predicted according to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure / invention will be included in the detailed description described below.

[0025] The methods and apparatus of the present disclosure / invention have additional features and advantages which will be apparent from or set forth in greater detail in the accompanying drawings incorporated herein and the following Detailed Description, which together serve to explain certain principles of the present disclosure / invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a configuration of an electric vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure / invention. Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the electric vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure / invention. Fig. 3 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a configuration of a differential device and a limited-slip differential according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure / invention. Fig. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling an electric vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure / invention. Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating a control method depending on a driving mode according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure / invention. Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a display unit of the electric vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure / invention. Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 are diagrams describing an effect of the electric vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure / invention. Fig. 9 is a diagram describing a computing device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure / invention.

[0026] It should be understood that the accompanying drawings are not necessarily to scale and present a somewhat simplified representation of various features illustrating the basic principles of the present disclosure / invention. The specific design features of the present disclosure / invention as contained herein, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, positions, and shapes, will be determined in part by the particular intended application and environment of use.

[0027] In the figures, reference numerals refer to the same or equivalent parts of the present disclosure / invention throughout the several figures of the drawing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the present disclosure / invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below. Although the present disclosure / invention will be described in connection with exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure / invention, it should be understood that the present description is not intended to limit the present disclosure / invention to these exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure / invention. On the other hand, the present disclosure / invention is intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure / invention, but also various alternatives, modifications, alterations, and other embodiments that may be included within the scope of the present disclosure / invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0029] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing certain exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure / invention only and are not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure / invention. The singular forms used herein also include plural forms unless the context expressly indicates otherwise. When the terms "comprise" and / or "comprising" are used in this specification, the terms "comprise" and / or "comprising" are intended to denote the presence of the noted features, integers, steps, acts, ingredients, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more additional features, integers, steps, acts, ingredients, and components, and / or groups thereof. As used herein, the terms "and / or" include any or all combinations of the elements assigned and listed.

[0030] Furthermore, it should be understood that one or more or at least one of the following methods or aspects thereof may be performed by at least one controller. The term "controller" may refer to a hardware device having a memory and a processor. The memory is configured to store program instructions, and the processor is specifically programmed to execute the program instructions to perform one or more operations described in more detail below. As disclosed herein, the controller may be configured to control units, modules, parts, devices, or operations that are similar. Further, as will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, it should be understood that the following methods are performed by means of an apparatus comprising the controller along with one or more other components.

[0031] Furthermore, the controller of the present disclosure / invention may be implemented as a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium containing executable program instructions executed by the processor. Examples of computer-readable storage media include, but are not limited to, ROM, RAM, compact disk (CD) ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disks, flash drives, smart cards, and optical data storage devices. The computer-readable storage media are also distributed over a computer network, and program instructions may be stored and executed using a distribution scheme such as a telematics server or a controller area network (CAN).

[0032] The present disclosure / invention is described in detail so that it can be easily implemented by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure / invention pertains. However, the present disclosure / invention may be embodied in various different forms and is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described herein.

[0033] A part irrelevant to the description will be omitted in order to clearly describe the present disclosure / invention, and the same elements will be denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the description.

[0034] Furthermore, since the size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings are arbitrarily shown for convenience of explanation, the present disclosure / invention is not particularly limited to the shown size and thickness of each component, and the thickness is enlarged and shown to clearly express various parts and ranges.

[0035] Suffixes “-module” and / or “-unit” for components used in the following description are provided or mixed only in consideration of ease of preparation of the present disclosure / invention and have no particular meanings or roles of their own.

[0036] Furthermore, in describing a disclosed exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure / invention, a detailed description of related known technologies is omitted if it is determined that the detailed description makes the gist of the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure / invention unclear.

[0037] Furthermore, the accompanying drawings are provided to assist in an easier understanding of the exemplary embodiments disclosed in the present specification, and the technical idea disclosed in the present specification is not limited by the accompanying drawings, and it is recognized that the present disclosure / invention has all modifications, alterations, and substitutes included in the technical scope of the present disclosure / invention.

[0038] Terms that have a common number, such as first and second, are used to describe different components, but the components are not restricted by the terms.

[0039] In the description below, the expression described by the singular may be interpreted as singular or plural unless an explicit expression such as "a" or "only" is used.

[0040] The terms are used only to distinguish one component from another component.

[0041] In the flowchart described with reference to the drawings, the order of operations may be changed, multiple operations may be combined, or any operation may be divided, and a certain operation may not be performed.

[0042] Hereinafter, an electric vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure / invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0043] Fig. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a configuration of an electric vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure / invention. Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the electric vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure / invention.

[0044] As in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the electric vehicle according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure / invention may include a drive electric motor, a first limited slip differential (LSD) 50 provided on a first drive shaft 10, a second limited slip differential (LSD) 60 provided on a second drive shaft 20, and a controller 90 that controls a control sensitivity of the drive electric motor and control amounts of the first LSD 50 and the second LSD 60 according to a traveling mode of a vehicle.

[0045] The drive electric motor may be configured to generate power required to drive the electric vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure / invention. The drive electric motor may be an electric motor that generates power using electrical energy. The drive electric motor may include a first drive electric motor 1 and a second drive electric motor 2.

[0046] Power generated by the first drive electric motor 1 can be transmitted to a left wheel and a right wheel of the first drive shaft 10 (e.g., a rear drive shaft or a main drive shaft) through a first deceleration device 3 and the first differential device 30. Furthermore, power generated by the second drive electric motor 2 can be transmitted to a left wheel and a right wheel of the second drive shaft 20 (e.g., a front drive shaft or an auxiliary drive shaft) through a second deceleration device 4 and the second differential device 40.

[0047] The first LSD 50 may be provided on the first drive shaft 10 (e.g., the rear drive shaft) and may limit a differential action of the first differential device 30 provided on the first drive shaft 10.

[0048] The first differential device 30 can allow the left and right wheels provided on the first drive shaft 10 to rotate at different speeds. The first differential device 30 generates a difference in rotational speed between an inside wheel and an outside wheel when the vehicle turns.

[0049] The first LSD 50 can limit the differential action of the left wheel and the right wheel generated by the first differential device 30. That is, the first LSD 50 can synchronize the left wheel and the right wheel of the first drive shaft 10, thereby limiting the speed difference between the left wheel and the right wheel. The first LSD 50 can be an electric limited-slip differential (e.g., an electric limited-slip differential) (eLSD).

[0050] The second LSD 60 may be provided on the second drive shaft 20 (e.g., the front drive shaft) and may limit the differential action by the second differential device 40 provided on the second drive shaft 20.

[0051] The second differential device 40 can allow the left and right wheels provided on the second drive shaft to rotate at different speeds. The second differential device 40 creates a difference in rotational speed between the inside wheel and the outside wheel when the vehicle turns.

[0052] The second LSD 60 can limit the differential action of the left wheel and the right wheel generated by the second differential device 40. That is, the second LSD 60 can synchronize the left wheel and the right wheel of the second drive shaft 20, thereby limiting the speed difference between the left wheel and the right wheel. The second LSD 60 can be an electric limited-slip differential (e.g., an electric limited-slip differential) (eLSD).

[0053] The first LSD 50 and the second LSD 60 can synchronize the left wheel and the right wheel through a clutch 70 when the speed difference is generated between the left wheel and the right wheel.

[0054] The clutch 70 may include a clutch disc 71 and a friction disc 73. The clutch disc 71 may be connected to side gears (e.g., bevel gears) 33 of the first and second differential devices 30, 40, and the friction disc 73 of the clutch 70 may be connected to a differential case 31. Accordingly, when the first and second LSDs 50 and 60 are actuated, the left and right wheels can be synchronized by torques applied to the clutch disc 71 and the friction disc 73 of the clutch 70.

[0055] When maximum torque is applied to the clutches 70 of the first and second LSDs 50 and 60, the left and right wheels are fully synchronized, and the left and right wheels rotate at the same speed. In this case, the first and second differential devices 30, 40 operate as a lock-up differential.

[0056] When no torque is applied to the clutches 70 of the first and second LSDs 50 and 60, the left and right wheels are not synchronized, and the left and right wheels rotate at different speeds according to a driving situation. In this case, the first and second differential devices 40 are operated as an open differential.

[0057] The controller 90 may be configured to control a control sensitivity of the drive electric motor and control amounts of the first LSD 50 and the second LSD 60 according to the driving mode of the vehicle. The controller 90 may include a first controller 90 that controls the drive electric motor and a second controller 90 that controls the first and second LSDs 50 and 60. The first controller 90 and the second controller 90 may be integrated into a single controller 90 or split as needed. In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure / invention, the first controller 90 and the second controller 90 are described as being integrated.

[0058] For the present purpose, the controller 90 may be implemented as one or more processors operating by a predetermined program, and a memory of the controller 90 stores program instructions programmed to perform each step of the method for controlling the electric vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure / invention by one or more processors.

[0059] The vehicle's driving mode may include a normal driving model (e.g., a normal driving mode), a snowy road driving mode, a sandy road driving mode, a muddy road driving mode, and an uneven (e.g., rough / coarse) road driving mode.

[0060] Snowy road driving mode may mean a driving mode that prevents the vehicle from skidding on a slippery road, such as a snowy road.

[0061] The driving mode for sand roads can mean a driving mode in which the vehicle escapes the sand road.

[0062] Muddy road driving mode may refer to a driving mode in which the vehicle escapes from a muddy road.

[0063] The rough road traveling mode may mean a traveling mode in which the vehicle escapes (e.g., gets away from) a rough road. In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure / invention, a road on which the vehicle is traveling is an uphill road (e.g., an uphill road), and the rough road may mean a road (hereinafter referred to as "a diagonally offset friction slope") in which a friction coefficient of a road surface on which the left front wheel (or the right front wheel) rests and a friction coefficient of a road surface on which the right rear wheel (or the left rear wheel) rests are different. Alternatively, in the case of the rough road, the road on which the vehicle is traveling is the uphill road, and the road surface is rutted.

[0064] The normal driving mode may mean a driving mode of the vehicle other than a special driving mode such as the driving mode for snowy roads, the driving mode for sandy roads, the driving mode for muddy roads and the driving mode for rough roads.

[0065] The driving mode of the vehicle can be selected by an input from the driver. That is, the driver can select the driving mode via an input unit 8 provided in the vehicle.

[0066] The control sensitivity of the drive electric motor may mean an output change amount (or a torque change amount) of the drive electric motor according to a change in an opening degree (e.g., a depressed degree) of an accelerator pedal 5, and the control amounts of the first and second LSDs 50 and 60 may mean clutch torques of the first and second LSDs 50 and 60.

[0067] When the vehicle's driving mode is the rough road driving mode, the controller 90 may reduce the control sensitivity of the drive electric motor and control the clutch torques of the first and second LSDs 50 and 60 to achieve maximum torque.

[0068] As the control sensitivity of the drive electric motor decreases, the output change amount of the drive electric motor can be reduced according to the change in the opening degree of the accelerator pedal. In this case, an output change amount (or a torque change amount) of the drive electric motor can be reduced with respect to the same change in the opening degree of the accelerator pedal 5.

[0069] As the control sensitivity of the drive electric motor increases, the amount of output change of the drive electric motor may increase according to the change in the opening degree (e.g., the depressed degree) of the accelerator pedal. In this case, the amount of output change (or the amount of torque change) of the drive electric motor may increase with respect to the same change in the opening degree of the accelerator pedal.

[0070] When the maximum torque is applied as the clutch torque of the first and second LSDs 50 and 60, the left wheel and the right wheel of the first drive shaft 10 can be fully synchronized, and the left wheel and the right wheel of the second drive shaft 20 can be fully synchronized.

[0071] The vehicle according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure / invention may further include a display unit 9 that displays operating states of the first LSD 50 and the second LSD 60. The display unit 9 may be implemented by a center console or cluster provided in the vehicle.

[0072] The operating states of the first LSD 50 and the second LSD 60 are displayed by the display unit 9 so that the driver can easily grasp current driving information intuitively.

[0073] The electric vehicle according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure / invention may include an electronic stability control (ESC) device (e.g., an ESP device) 6. The ESC device 6 can ensure driving stability of the vehicle by automatically controlling each wheel of the vehicle independently and without separate braking by the driver in conjunction with an anti-lock braking system (ABS) and a traction control system (TCS) as a system for stably controlling an overall driving posture of the vehicle.

[0074] Hereinafter, the method for controlling the electric vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0075] Fig. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling an electric vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure / invention.

[0076] Referring to Fig. 4, a driver can select a driving mode of a vehicle via an input unit 8 (S10).

[0077] A controller 90 may be configured to determine the driving mode of the vehicle through a driver input (S20) and determine a control sensitivity of a drive electric motor and clutch torques of the first and second LSDs 50 and 60 according to the driving mode of the vehicle.

[0078] When the driving mode of the vehicle is a rough road driving mode, the controller 90 may reduce the control sensitivity of the drive electric motor and set the control amounts of the first and second LSDs 50 and 60 (the clutch torques of the first and second LSDs 50 and 60) to a maximum torque (S30).

[0079] At this time, the control sensitivity of the drive electric motor may mean an output change amount of the drive electric motor (or a torque change amount of the drive electric motor) according to a change of an opening degree (e.g., a depressed degree) of an accelerator pedal.

[0080] As the control sensitivity decreases, the output of the drive electric motor may decrease even though the change in the accelerator opening degree remains the same. That is, even though the driver slowly (e.g., quickly) steps on the accelerator pedal, the output of the drive electric motor may increase slowly.

[0081] In contrast, as the control sensitivity increases, the output power of the drive electric motor may increase even though the change in the accelerator pedal opening degree remains the same. That is, even though the driver slowly steps on the accelerator pedal, the output power of the drive electric motor may increase rapidly.

[0082] When the driving mode of the vehicle is the rough road driving mode, the controller 90 may set the control sensitivity to the rough road driving mode to be smaller than control sensitivities in other driving modes.

[0083] That is, the control sensitivity in rough road driving mode can be set to be lower than the control sensitivity in muddy road driving mode, the control sensitivity in snowy road driving mode, and the control sensitivity in normal driving mode. As a result, the change in the output power of the drive electric motor is reduced, even though the change in the opening degree (e.g., the depressed degree) of the accelerator pedal remains the same.

[0084] Further, when the driving mode of the vehicle is the rough road driving mode, the controller 90 may set the control amounts of the first and second LSDs 50 and 60 to the maximum.

[0085] At this time, the control amounts of the first and second LSDs 50 and 60 may mean clutch torques of the first and second LSDs 50 and 60, and the clutch torques of the first and second LSDs 50 and 60 may be set to the maximum torque.

[0086] When the clutch torques of the first and second LSDs 50 and 60 are set to the maximum torque, a left wheel and a right wheel of the first drive shaft 10 can be fully synchronized, and the left wheel and the right wheel of the second drive shaft 20 can be fully synchronized.

[0087] Accordingly, in the rough road driving mode, the torque of the drive electric motor can increase slowly, and the clutch torques of the first and second LSDs 50 and 60 can be set to the maximum torque. As a result, a wheel of the vehicle can be prevented from spinning without traction / friction, or yawing of the vehicle due to a rapid increase in torque of the drive electric motor can be prevented, and as a result, the vehicle can quickly move away from the rough road.

[0088] Meanwhile, the controller 90 may turn off a vehicle dynamics (ESC) device (eg, an ESP device) 6 when the driving mode of the vehicle is the rough road driving mode (S40).

[0089] In the rough road mode, the ESC device 6 is turned off to control the output power (e.g., the output power of the drive electric motor and / or the clutch torques of the first and second LSDs 50 and 60) of the vehicle according to the input to be predicted (e.g., the opening degree (e.g., the depressed degree) of the accelerator pedal and / or the handling of a steering wheel) of the driver.

[0090] Referring to Fig. 5, the control sensitivities in rough road driving mode and sand road driving mode may be the smallest, the control sensitivity in muddy road driving mode may be relatively large, the control sensitivity in normal driving mode may be relatively large / larger (e.g., larger than for muddy roads), and the control sensitivity in snowy road driving mode may be set to be the largest.

[0091] Further, the ESC device 6 may be turned off in the rough road driving mode, the ESC device 6 may be selectively turned on in the normal driving mode, and the ESC device 6 may be continuously turned on in the sand road driving mode and the muddy road driving mode.

[0092] Furthermore, the LSD of the first drive shaft 10 (or the main drive shaft) can be selectively operated in normal driving mode.

[0093] Any one of the LSD of the first drive shaft 10 (or main drive shaft) and the LSD of the second drive shaft 20 (or auxiliary drive shaft) can be selectively operated in the snowy road driving mode and the muddy road driving mode.

[0094] Furthermore, the LSD of the first drive shaft 10 (or main drive shaft) and the LSD of the second drive shaft 20 (or auxiliary drive shaft) can be continuously operated in the sand road driving mode and the rough road driving mode.

[0095] Accordingly, in the rough road driving mode, the output power (or torque) of the drive electric motor may be slowly increased by decreasing the control sensitivity of the drive electric motor, and the clutch torques of the first and second LSDs 50 and 60 may be set to the maximum torque to allow the vehicle to quickly move away from the rough road (e.g., get away from it).

[0096] Fig. Figure 7 is a graph showing the escape time (e.g., time to get away) on a diagonal offset friction slope having an inclination angle of 20%. Fig. 8 a table showing escape times (e.g. getting away times) on diagonally offset friction slopes having different inclination angles.

[0097] Referring to Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 that an escape performance (e.g., getaway performance) when escaping (e.g., escaping / getting away) from the rough road in an AWD-2e electric vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure / invention is improved by a maximum of 22.3% compared to the rear-wheel drive (RWD) vehicle without LSD, the four-wheel drive (AWD) vehicle without LSD, the rear-wheel drive (RWD-e) vehicle with LSD only on the main drive shaft, and the four-wheel drive (AWD-e) vehicle with LSD only on the main drive shaft.

[0098] It can further be seen that the escape time on the diagonal offset friction slope is improved by a maximum of 22.3% for the AWD-2e electric vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure / invention compared to a rear-wheel drive (RWD) vehicle without LSD, a four-wheel drive (AWD) vehicle without LSD, a rear-wheel drive (RWD-e) vehicle with the LSD on the main driveshaft only, and a four-wheel drive (AWD-e) vehicle with the LSD on the main driveshaft only.

[0099] Referring back to Fig. 5, the control device 90 may display the driving state of the vehicle according to the driving mode of the vehicle via the display unit 9 (S50). The driving state of the vehicle may include operating states of the first and second LSDs 50 and 60, as well as slip states of the left wheel and the right wheel of each wheel (e.g., each drive shaft) (first drive shaft 10, and left wheel and right wheel of the second drive shaft 20) (see Fig. 6A and Fig. 6B).

[0100] Accordingly, the driving state of the vehicle is / is displayed via the display unit 9 according to the driving mode of the vehicle, so that the driver can intuitively confirm that the vehicle is in the rough road driving state.

[0101] When the vehicle's travel mode is a travel mode other than the rough road travel mode, the controller 90 may be configured to control the drive electric motor and the first and second LSDs 50 and 60 according to the respective travel mode (S60). Since the operations of the drive electric motor and the first and second LSDs 50 and 60 in the travel mode other than the rough road travel mode are already known, a detailed description will be omitted.

[0102] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure / invention, when a traveling mode of a vehicle is a rough road traveling mode, a torque of a drive electric motor increases slowly, and clutch torques of the first and second LSDs 50 and 60 are set to a maximum torque, so that the rough road escape performance can be enhanced.

[0103] Furthermore, in the rough road driving mode, the ESC device 6 is turned off to predict the output power of the vehicle according to the driver's input.

[0104] Furthermore, the driving state of the vehicle is displayed via the display unit 9 so that the driver can intuitively determine the driving state of the vehicle.

[0105] Fig. 9 is a diagram describing a computing device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure / invention.

[0106] Referring to Fig. 9, the method for controlling the electric vehicle according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure / invention may be implemented by using the computing device 100.

[0107] Computing device 100 may include at least a processor 110, a memory 130, a user interface input device 140, a user interface output device 150, and a storage device 160, which communicate with each other (e.g., fluidically) via a bus 120. Computing device 100 may also include a network interface 170 electrically connected to a network 190. Network interface 170 may send or receive a signal to or from another device via network 190.

[0108] The processor 110 may be implemented as various types, including a microcontroller (MCU), an application processor (AP), a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), and a neural processor (NPU), and may be any semiconductor device that executes an instruction stored in the memory 130 or the storage device 160. The processor 110 may be configured to perform the functions and methods related to Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3, Fig. 4, Fig. 5, Fig. 6, Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 to execute.

[0109] Memory 130 and storage device 160 may be various types of volatile or non-volatile storage media. For example, memory may include read-only memory (ROM) 131 and random access memory (RAM) 132. In the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure / invention, memory 130 may be located internally or externally of processor 110 and connected to processor 110 by various known means.

[0110] In some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure / invention, at least some components or functions of the electric vehicle and the method for controlling the same according to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure / invention may be implemented as a program or software executed by the computing device 100, or the program or software may be stored in a computer-readable medium.

[0111] In some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure / invention, at least some components or functions of the method for controlling the electric vehicle according to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure / invention may be implemented using hardware or circuitry of the computing device 100 or as separate hardware or circuitry that may be electrically connected to the computing device 100.

[0112] In various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure / invention, each operation described above may be performed by a controller, and the controller may be configured by multiple controllers or an integrated single controller.

[0113] In various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure / invention, the memory and the processor may be provided as one chip or as separate chips.

[0114] In various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure / invention, the scope of the present disclosure / invention includes software or machine-executable instructions (e.g., an operating system, an application, firmware, a program, etc.) for permitting operations according to the methods of various embodiments to be executed on a device or a computer, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having such software or instructions stored thereon and executable on the device or the computer.

[0115] In various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure / invention, the controller may be implemented in hardware or software form, or may be implemented in a combination of hardware and software.

[0116] Furthermore, the terms such as “unit”, “module”, etc., contained in the description mean units for processing at least one function or operation, which may be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination thereof.

[0117] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure / invention, the vehicle may be referred to as being based on a concept that includes various means of transportation. In some cases, the vehicle may be interpreted as being based on a concept that includes not only various land transportation means such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses traveling on roads, but also various means of transportation such as airplanes, drones, ships, etc.

[0118] For ease of explanation and for precise definition in the appended claims, the terms "upper," "lower," "inner," "outer," "top," "bottom," "upward," "downward," "front," "rear," "backward," "inside," "outside," "inward," "outward," "inside," "outside," "forward," and "backward" are used to describe features of the exemplary embodiments with reference to the positions of those features illustrated in the figures. It is further understood that the term "connect" or its derivatives refer to both direct and indirect connection.

[0119] The term "and / or" may include a combination of multiple elements listed relative to it, or any one of multiple elements listed relative to it. For example, "A and / or B" includes all three cases such as "A," "B," and "A and B."

[0120] In exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure / invention, "at least one of A and B" may refer to "at least one of A or B" or to "at least one of combinations of at least one of A and B." Further, "one or more of A and B" may refer to "one or more of A or B" or "one or more combinations of one or more of A and B."

[0121] In this specification, unless otherwise specified, a singular form includes a plural form unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0122] In the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure / invention, it is understood that a term such as "comprise", "include", or "have" is intended to indicate that the features, numbers, steps, acts, elements, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification are present, and does not exclude the possibility that one or more additional features, numbers, steps, acts, elements, parts, or combinations thereof are added or present.

[0123] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure / invention, components may be combined with each other to be implemented as one, or some components may be omitted.

[0124] Hereinafter, the fact that pieces of hardware are operatively coupled may include the fact that a direct and / or indirect connection is established between the pieces of hardware via cable and / or wirelessly.

[0125] The foregoing descriptions of specific exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure / invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present disclosure / invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain certain principles of the invention and their practical application in order to enable others skilled in the art to make and use various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure / invention, as well as various alternatives and modifications thereof. It is intended that the scope of the present disclosure / invention be defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

[1] Vehicle which has: a drive electric motor (1, 2) which generates a power required to drive a vehicle, a first limited-slip differential (50) which limits a differential action by a first differential device (30) mounted on a first drive shaft (10), a second limited-slip differential (60) which limits the differential action through a second differential device (40) mounted on a second drive shaft (20), and a control device (90) operatively connected to the drive electric motor (1, 2), the first limited-slip differential (50) and the second first limited-slip differential (60) and configured to control a control sensitivity of the drive electric motor (1, 2) and control amounts of the first limited-slip differential (50) and the second limited-slip differential (60) according to a driving mode of the vehicle. [2] The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the driving mode includes a normal driving mode, a snowy road driving mode, a sandy road driving mode, a muddy road driving mode, and a rough road driving mode. [3] The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein in response to the traveling mode being the rough road traveling mode, the control device (90) is further configured to reduce the control sensitivity of the drive electric motor (1, 2). [4] A vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control sensitivity means an output change amount of the drive electric motor (1, 2) according to a change in an opening degree of an accelerator pedal. [5] The vehicle of claim 2 or claim 3 or 4 when combined with claim 2, wherein the controller (90) is further configured to set the control sensitivity in the rough road driving mode to be smaller than the control sensitivity in the muddy road driving mode, the control sensitivity in the normal driving mode, and the control sensitivity in the snowy road driving mode. [6] The vehicle according to claim 2 or any one of claims 3 to 5 when combined with claim 2, wherein the control means (90) is further configured, in response to the traveling mode being the rough road traveling mode, to set the control amounts of the first limited slip differential (50) and the second limited slip differential (60) to be maximum. [7] A vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the control amounts of the first limited slip differential (50) and the second limited slip differential (60) represent clutch torques. [8] The vehicle of claim 2 or any one of claims 3 to 7 when combined with claim 2, wherein the controller (90) is further configured to set the control sensitivity in the rough road driving mode to be greater than the control sensitivity in the muddy road driving mode, the control sensitivity in the normal driving mode, and the control sensitivity in the snowy road driving mode. [9] The vehicle of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the controller (90) is further configured to turn off a vehicle dynamics (ESC) device (6) in response to the driving mode being the rough road driving mode. [10] A vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising a display unit (9) which displays operating states of the first limited-slip differential (50) and the second limited-slip differential (60). [11] A method for controlling a vehicle, the method comprising: Determining, by means of a control device (90), a driving mode of the vehicle (S20), and Controlling, by means of the control device (90), a control sensitivity of a drive electric motor (1, 2) and control amounts of a first limited-slip differential (50) and a second limited-slip differential (60) according to the driving mode of the vehicle. [12] The method of claim 11, wherein the driving mode includes a normal driving mode, a snowy road driving mode, a sandy road driving mode, a muddy road driving mode, and a rough road driving mode. [13] The method of claim 12, further comprising: Reducing, by means of the control device (90), the control sensitivity of the drive electric motor (1, 2) which is operatively connected to the control device (90), and setting clutch torques of the first limited-slip differential (50) and the second limited-slip differential (60) which are operatively connected to the control device (90) to a maximum torque in response to the driving mode of the vehicle being the rough-road driving mode (S30). [14] A method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the control sensitivity means an output change amount of the drive electric motor (1, 2) according to a change in an opening degree of an accelerator pedal. [15] A method according to claim 12 or any one of claims 13 to 14 when combined with claim 12, wherein the control sensitivity in the rough road driving mode is set to be smaller than the control sensitivity in the muddy road driving mode, the control sensitivity in the normal driving mode and the control sensitivity in the snowy road driving mode. [16] A method according to claim 12 or any one of claims 13 to 15 when combined with claim 12, wherein the control sensitivity in the rough road driving mode is set to be greater than the control sensitivity in the muddy road driving mode, the control sensitivity in the normal driving mode and the control sensitivity in the snowy road driving mode. [17] A method according to claim 12 or any one of claims 13 to 16 when in combination with claim 12, wherein in response to the driving mode being the rough road driving mode, a vehicle dynamics (ESC) device (6) is switched off.

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