Drive force control method of vehicle and drive force control device

Abstract

To provide a drive force control method of a vehicle and a drive force control device of the vehicle in which the drive force is controlled according to a skill of a driver.SOLUTION: A drive force control method of a vehicle generating drive force according to accelerator operation amount detects the accelerator operation amount of the vehicle, and calibrates, when the vehicle is in a specified traveling state and when fluctuation range and fluctuation period of the accelerator operation amount exceed threshold values, the drive force.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a driving force control method and a driving force control device for a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] A driving force control device that controls the driving force of a vehicle according to a driver's operation is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the driving force control device described in Patent Document 1, a control mode for setting the driving force is set. However, since the driving force is set regardless of the driver's skill, the driving force cannot be controlled according to the driver's skill. Therefore, for example, when the driver's skill is not high and the accelerator operation is repeated more than necessary, the fluctuation of the driving force becomes too large.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a driving force control method and a driving force control device for a vehicle that can control the driving force according to the driver's skill.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a driving force control method for a vehicle that generates a driving force according to an accelerator operation amount, wherein the accelerator operation amount of the vehicle is detected, and when the fluctuation width and the fluctuation period of the accelerator operation amount exceed a threshold value when the vehicle is in a predetermined running state, the driving force is corrected.

[0007] According to the above aspect, when the vehicle is in a predetermined driving state and the fluctuation range and fluctuation period of the accelerator operation amount exceed the threshold value, the driving force is corrected, so that the driving force can be controlled according to the driver's skill.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Hereinafter, the driver's driving force request operation by the driving force request operation means such as an accelerator pedal is referred to as an "accelerator operation", and the operation amount thereof is referred to as an "accelerator operation amount". In addition, in the second and subsequent embodiments, components that are the same as those of the embodiments already described are given the same numbers as those components or their illustration is omitted, and the descriptions thereof are simplified or omitted.

[0010] [First Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle 10. The vehicle 10 includes an electronic key 1, a driver information storage device 2, a drive source 3, wheels 4, an inter-vehicle distance sensor 5, and a driving force control device 6. The vehicle 10 is capable of communicating with a server 8 via a network.

[0011] The electronic key 1 is a non-contact type key necessary to start using the vehicle 10. The electronic key 1 includes a memory that stores ID information indicating that it is the electronic key 1 of the vehicle 10, and a transmission / reception antenna, and is capable of transmitting and receiving information between the memory and the driving force control device 6.

[0012] The driver information storage device 2 stores driver information of the vehicle 10. The driver information storage device 2 includes an arithmetic unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), a storage unit such as a ROM and a RAM, and a display, and is capable of selecting, viewing, writing, updating, etc. of driver information. Examples of the driver information storage device 2 include devices that provide services such as navigation, Internet connection, and multimedia. In this embodiment, it is a navigation device. Note that the driver information includes ID information of the electronic key 1, information about the driver such as the driver's name and nickname, etc. Note that the driver information is also stored in the server 8.

[0013] The drive source 3 includes an electric motor 31 and an inverter 32. The drive source 3 applies a driving force from the electric motor 31 to the wheels 4 by driving the electric motor 31 via the inverter 32. That is, the vehicle 10 is an electric vehicle having the electric motor 31 as the drive source.

[0014] The inter-vehicle distance sensor 5 is mounted on the vehicle 10 and detects the inter-vehicle distance from the vehicle traveling ahead. In the case of this embodiment, the inter-vehicle distance sensor 5 includes a camera 51 and a radar 52, and the radar 52 detects the inter-vehicle distance from the vehicle traveling ahead recognized by the camera 51. As the radar 52, a laser radar, a millimeter-wave radar, a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging), or the like can be used.

[0015] The driving force control device 6 includes the inter-vehicle distance sensor 5, an accelerator position sensor 61 as a sensor that detects the accelerator operation amount of the vehicle 10, a vehicle speed sensor 62 that detects the speed of the vehicle 10 (hereinafter referred to as the vehicle speed), and a controller 7.

[0016] The accelerator position sensor 61 is configured by, for example, a pedal stroke sensor, and detects the operation amount of the accelerator pedal 63 as the driving force request operation means (hereinafter referred to as the accelerator operation amount).

[0017] The vehicle speed sensor 62 is configured by, for example, a rotational speed sensor of the wheels 4 and detects the vehicle speed.

[0018] The controller 7 controls the driving force generated by the drive source 3 based on the vehicle speed, the accelerator operation amount, and the like. The controller 7 is realized by, for example, a microcomputer including an arithmetic unit such as a CPU or a GPU, a storage unit such as a ROM and a RAM, and an input / output unit such as an input / output interface. The electronic key 1, the driver information storage device 2, the drive source 3, the inter-vehicle distance sensor 5, and the server 8 are electrically or communicably connected to the controller 7.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of the controller 7. As shown in FIG. 2, the controller 7 includes a storage unit 71, an accelerator operation state quantity calculation unit 72, a correction necessity determination unit 73, a response request determination unit 74, an accelerator operation amount calculation unit 75 for driving force setting, and a driving force setting unit 76.

[0020] The storage unit 71 stores a computer program for operating the controller 7, various maps used for control, and various threshold values. As a map stored in the storage unit 71, for example, there is a map defining the relationship between the accelerator operation amount, vehicle speed, and driving force.

[0021] The accelerator operation state quantity calculation unit 72 calculates various state quantities related to the accelerator operation state based on the accelerator operation amount acquired from the accelerator position sensor 61. In the case of this embodiment, the accelerator operation state quantity calculation unit 72 calculates, as state quantities related to the accelerator operation state, the variation width AA and variation period AT (see FIG. 4) of the accelerator operation amount during a predetermined time PT, and the time average value TA (see FIG. 6) of the accelerator operation amount.

[0022] The correction necessity determination unit 73 determines whether or not to correct the driving force based on the vehicle speed acquired from the vehicle speed sensor 62, and the variation width AA and variation period AT of the accelerator operation amount. When the variation width AA and variation period AT of the accelerator operation amount exceed the threshold value when the vehicle 10 is in a predetermined driving state, the correction necessity determination unit 73 determines that it is necessary to correct the driving force set according to the accelerator operation amount.

[0023] The response request determination unit 74 determines whether or not the driver requests a response of the driving force to the accelerator operation. In the case of this embodiment, the response request determination unit 74 determines the presence or absence of a response request based on the difference ΔAP between the acquired actual accelerator operation amount and the time average value TA of the accelerator operation amount.

[0024] The accelerator operation amount calculation unit 75 for driving force setting calculates an accelerator operation amount (hereinafter referred to as the accelerator operation amount for driving force setting) used for driving force setting in the driving force setting unit 76 based on the acquired accelerator operation amount, the determination result of the correction necessity determination unit 73, and the determination result of the response request determination unit 74. At this time, the accelerator operation amount calculation unit 75 for driving force setting corrects the accelerator operation amount according to the determination result of the response request determination unit 74, and sets the corrected accelerator operation amount as the accelerator operation amount for driving force setting. The correction of the accelerator operation amount can be achieved by applying a filter such as a first-order lag filter to the accelerator operation amount, obtaining the corrected accelerator operation amount corresponding to the actual accelerator operation amount from a map of the corrected accelerator operation amount having a first-order lag characteristic compared to the actual accelerator operation amount, or restricting the increase or decrease amount of the accelerator operation amount, that is, the change amount of the accelerator operation amount.

[0025] The driving force setting unit 76 sets the driving force based on the accelerator operation amount for driving force setting calculated by the accelerator operation amount calculation unit 75 for driving force setting and the vehicle speed, and outputs a command such that the set driving force is output to the drive source 3.

[0026] Figure 3 is a flowchart of the control executed by the controller 7. The control routine shown in the flowchart is pre-programmed, and this program is installed in the controller 7. The controller 7 repeatedly executes the following control routine, for example, at an operation cycle of about 10 milliseconds, in accordance with the program.

[0027] In step S1 of Figure 3, the controller 7 acquires the detection value from the accelerator position sensor 61, that is, the accelerator operation amount.

[0028] In the subsequent step S2, the accelerator operation state quantity calculation unit 72 calculates the fluctuation width AA and the fluctuation period AT of the accelerator operation amount during the predetermined time PT, and the time average value TA of the accelerator operation amount, based on the acquired accelerator operation amount.

[0029] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the transition of the accelerator operation amount and the vehicle speed. The data of a stable driver is indicated by a broken line, and the data of an unstable driver is indicated by a solid line. As shown in FIG. 4, when the accelerator operation amount changes from an increase to a decrease, the accelerator operation state quantity calculation unit 72 calculates the length of time from when the accelerator operation amount changes from a decrease to an increase until it changes to a decrease again after changing to an increase as the variation period AT of the accelerator operation amount. When the accelerator operation amount changes from a decrease to an increase, the accelerator operation state quantity calculation unit 72 calculates the length of time from when the accelerator operation amount changes from an increase to a decrease until it changes to an increase again after changing to a decrease as the variation period AT of the accelerator operation amount. Further, the accelerator operation state quantity calculation unit 72 calculates the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the accelerator operation amount within the variation period AT as the variation width AA of the accelerator operation amount.

[0030] Returning to FIG. 3, in step S3, as shown in FIG. 4, the correction necessity determination unit 73 determines whether or not the state in which the variation amount of the vehicle speed is within the threshold value ST continues for a predetermined time. If the state in which the variation amount of the vehicle speed is within the threshold value ST continues for the predetermined time PT, the correction necessity determination unit 73 determines that the vehicle 10 is in a predetermined driving state. In step S3 of FIG. 3, if it is determined that the state in which the variation amount of the vehicle speed is within the threshold value ST continues for the predetermined time PT, the process proceeds to step S4, and otherwise, the process proceeds to step S7.

[0031] In step S4, the correction necessity determination unit 73 determines whether or not the variation width AA and the variation period AT of the accelerator operation amount during the predetermined time PT exceed their respective threshold values. If the correction necessity determination unit 73 determines in step S4 that the variation width AA and the variation period AT of the accelerator operation amount exceed the threshold values, the correction necessity flag is set in step S5, and otherwise, the correction necessity flag is reset in step S6. Thereafter, the controller 7 performs driving force control in step S7.

[0032] Next, with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 5, the driving force control will be described. In step S71 of FIG. 5, the controller 7 first determines whether or not the correction required flag is set. If it is determined in step S71 that the correction required flag is not set, the accelerator operation amount calculation unit 75 for drive force setting sets the actual accelerator operation amount as the accelerator operation amount for drive force setting in step S72. In this case, in the subsequent step S78, the drive force is set based on the actual accelerator operation amount and the vehicle speed, and no correction of the drive force is performed.

[0033] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S71 that the correction required flag is set, in the subsequent steps S73 and S74, as shown in FIG. 6, the response request determination unit 74 refers to the difference ΔAP between the accelerator operation amount and the time average value TA of the accelerator operation amount, and determines the presence or absence of a response request based on this difference ΔAP. First, in step S73 of FIG. 5, the response request determination unit 74 determines whether or not the difference ΔAP from the time average value TA of the accelerator operation amount exceeds the first threshold value AT1. If it is determined in step S73 that the difference ΔAP from the time average value TA of the accelerator operation amount exceeds the first threshold value AT1, the accelerator operation amount calculation unit 75 for drive force setting performs a first correction with a small degree of decrease in responsiveness to the accelerator operation amount in step S75, and sets the accelerator operation amount after the first correction as the accelerator operation amount for drive force setting. In this case, in the subsequent step S78, the drive force is set based on the accelerator operation amount after the first correction and the vehicle speed, and the drive force is corrected.

[0034] On the other hand, when it is determined in step S73 that the difference ΔAP between the accelerator operation amount and the time-average value TA of the accelerator operation amount does not exceed the first threshold value AT1, the response request determination unit 74 determines in step S74 whether the difference ΔAP from the time-average value TA of the accelerator operation amount exceeds a second threshold value AT2 that is smaller than the first threshold value AT1. When it is determined in step S74 that the difference ΔAP from the time-average value TA of the accelerator operation amount exceeds the second threshold value AT2, the accelerator operation amount calculation unit 75 for driving force setting performs a second correction in step S76, where the degree of decrease in responsiveness to the accelerator operation amount is greater than the first correction, and sets the accelerator operation amount after the second correction as the accelerator operation amount for driving force setting. In the subsequent step S78, the driving force is set based on the accelerator operation amount after the second correction and the vehicle speed, and the driving force is corrected. Note that for the second correction, if a filter is applied or an accelerator operation amount map is used, a filter or an accelerator operation amount map having a larger time constant than the first correction may be used, or if the change amount of the accelerator operation amount is restricted, the restriction may be made with a change amount smaller than the first correction.

[0035] And when it is determined in step S74 that the difference ΔAP between the accelerator operation amount and the time-average value TA of the accelerator operation amount does not exceed the second threshold value AT2, the accelerator operation amount calculation unit 75 for driving force setting performs a third correction in step S77, where the degree of decrease in responsiveness to the accelerator operation amount is greater than the second correction, and sets the accelerator operation amount after the third correction as the accelerator operation amount for driving force setting. In the subsequent step S78, the driving force is set based on the accelerator operation amount after the third correction and the vehicle speed, and the driving force is corrected. Note that for the third correction, if a filter is applied or an accelerator operation amount map is used, a filter or an accelerator operation amount map having a larger time constant than the second correction may be used, or if the change amount of the accelerator operation amount is restricted, the restriction may be made with a change amount smaller than the second correction.

[0036] For example, as shown in FIG. 7, when an accelerator operation is performed such that the transition of the accelerator operation amount becomes the operation line AL1, since the difference ΔAP between the accelerator operation amount and the time average value TA of the accelerator operation amount exceeds the first threshold value AT1, it is determined that there is a response request. Therefore, the accelerator operation amount calculation unit 75 for drive force setting performs a first correction with a small degree of decrease in responsiveness to the accelerator operation amount. Similarly, when an accelerator operation is performed such that the accelerator operation amount becomes the operation line AL2, although the difference ΔAP from the time average value TA of the accelerator operation amount is below the first threshold value AT1, it exceeds the second threshold value AT2, so it is determined that there is a response request, and a second correction with a degree of decrease in responsiveness to the accelerator operation amount not as large as the third correction is performed. On the other hand, when an accelerator operation is performed such that the accelerator operation amount becomes the operation line AL3, since the difference ΔAP from the time average value TA of the accelerator operation amount is below the second threshold value AT2, it is determined that there is no response request, and a third correction with a large degree of decrease in responsiveness to the accelerator operation amount is performed.

[0037] Here, for the response request, the smaller the threshold value for the difference ΔAP between the accelerator operation amount and the time average value TA of the accelerator operation amount, the more quickly the determination can be made. However, if the threshold value is too small, the risk of misjudgment due to a trade-off with signal noise or the like increases. Therefore, in this embodiment, a plurality of threshold values AT1 and AT2 corresponding to the change rate of the accelerator operation amount are set, and the presence or absence of a response request is determined step by step, thereby achieving a balance between the speed of determination and misjudgment. That is, as shown in FIG. 7, when the accelerator operation amount starts to increase with respect to the time average value TA of the accelerator operation, after the first time T1 has elapsed, the determination of the response request is made at the first threshold value AT1, and after the second time T2 longer than the first time T1 has elapsed, at the second threshold value AT2 smaller than the first threshold value AT1. The first time T1 and the second time T2 are, for example, the length of one calculation cycle and four calculation cycles of the controller 7. If the calculation cycle is 10 ms, they are 10 ms and 40 ms, respectively. Note that regardless of the presence or absence of a response request, if it is determined to be a correction request, the corrected accelerator operation amount is used as the accelerator operation amount for drive force setting, and the drive force is corrected.

[0038] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the difference between the accelerator operations by a stable driver and an unstable driver. When the vehicle is traveling at a generally constant vehicle speed, that is, when the amount of variation in the vehicle speed is within the threshold ST and this state continues, as shown in FIG. 8, in the case of a stable driver, the variation in the accelerator operation amount is small. On the other hand, in the case of an unstable driver, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 8, the variation in the accelerator operation amount is large, and the vehicle 10 cannot be smoothly driven. Therefore, the controller 7 detects such an accelerator operation that an unstable driver tends to perform by the processes of steps S3 to S6 in FIG. 3, and corrects the accelerator operation amount as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 8 by the processes of steps S73 to S77 in FIG. 5. Thereby, the driving force is corrected, and even an unstable driver can drive the vehicle 10 smoothly.

[0039] According to the above-described embodiment, when the variation width AA and the variation period AT of the accelerator operation amount exceed the threshold values when the vehicle 10 is in a predetermined traveling state, the driving force is corrected, so that the driving force can be controlled according to the driver's skill.

[0040] In addition, since the degree of correction of the accelerator operation amount is changed according to the magnitude of the difference ΔAP from the time average value TA of the accelerator operation amount, the driving force can be more appropriately controlled according to the driver's skill.

[0041] [Second Embodiment] FIG. 9 is a control block diagram of the controller 7A of the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, when determining whether or not the vehicle 10 is in a predetermined traveling state in determining whether or not driving force correction is necessary, the controller 7A considers the inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle in addition to the amount of variation in the vehicle speed.

[0042] In the controller 7A, the correction necessity determination unit 73 determines whether or not driving force correction is necessary based on the inter-vehicle distance acquired from the inter-vehicle distance sensor 5, the vehicle speed acquired from the vehicle speed sensor 62, and the variation width AA and the variation period AT of the accelerator operation amount.

[0043] In a situation where there is a sufficient distance between vehicles and the driver's mental load is low, it is difficult to consider factors that cause fluctuations in the accelerator operation amount other than the driver's skill. On the contrary, in a situation where the distance between vehicles is congested and the driver's mental load is high, fluctuations in the accelerator operation amount are likely to occur due to psychological factors other than driving skill. That is, when the distance between vehicles is congested, regardless of driving skill, it may be necessary to repeat the accelerator operation, and fluctuations in the accelerator operation amount are likely to occur. If the accelerator operation amount is corrected and the driving force is corrected in such a case, the response of the driving force to the accelerator operation may be reduced more than necessary. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle is also considered in determining whether correction is necessary.

[0044] FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the control executed by the controller 7A. In FIG. 10, since the processing other than step S3A is the same as that in the first embodiment, the processing of step S3A will be described. When it is determined in step S3 that the state where the amount of change in the vehicle speed is within the threshold ST has continued for a predetermined time PT, the correction necessity determination unit 73 further determines in the subsequent step S3A whether the state where the distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle exceeds the threshold has continued for a predetermined time PT, thereby determining whether the vehicle 10 is in a predetermined driving state. In step S3A, if it is determined that the state where the distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle exceeds the threshold has continued for a predetermined time PT, the process proceeds to step S4; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S7.

[0045] According to the above embodiment, since the distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle is also considered in determining whether correction is necessary, it is possible to prevent the driving force from being corrected due to fluctuations in the accelerator operation amount caused by psychological factors other than driving skill.

[0046] [Third Embodiment] FIG. 11 is a control block diagram of the controller 7B of the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, the controller 7B corrects the driving force when it is stored in association with the electronic key 1 that the correction of the driving force is necessary.

[0047] The controller 7B includes a driver information processing unit 77. The driver information processing unit 77 processes driver information associated with the electronic key 1. The driver information includes ID information of the electronic key 1, information such as whether drive force correction is required, and the like.

[0048] FIG. 12 is a flowchart of the control executed by the controller 7B. In FIG. 12, since the processes of steps S1 to S7 are the same as those in the first embodiment, the other processes will be described. In step S1A of FIG. 12, after the driver information processing unit 77 collates the ID information acquired from the electronic key 1 to identify that the electronic key 1 belongs to the vehicle 10, it acquires the driver information corresponding to the ID information from the server 8 and determines whether it is associated with the electronic key 1 that correction is required. In step S1A, if it is determined that correction is required is associated with the electronic key 1, the process proceeds to step S1B where the driver information processing unit 77 sets a correction required flag, and if not, the process proceeds to step S1.

[0049] After the processes of steps S1 to S7 are executed, in the subsequent step S8, the driver information processing unit 77 determines whether the use of the vehicle 10 has ended. In step S8, if it is determined that the use of the vehicle 10 has ended, the process proceeds to step S9, and if not, the process proceeds to step S1.

[0050] In step S9, the driver information processing unit 77 determines whether the correction required flag is set. In step S9, if it is determined that the correction required flag is set, the driver information processing unit 77, in step S10, associates and stores that correction is required with the electronic key 1. That is, the driver information processing unit 77 accesses the server 8 and stores that correction is required in the driver information corresponding to the ID information of the electronic key 1. On the other hand, in step S9, if it is determined that the correction required flag is not set, the driver information processing unit 77, in step S11, associates that correction is not required with the driver information and stores it in the server 8.

[0051] According to the embodiment as described above, since the correction necessary information is stored in association with the electronic key 1, it is possible to determine whether the driving force needs to be corrected only by holding the electronic key 1.

[0052] [Fourth Embodiment] FIG. 13 is a control block diagram of the controller 7C of the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, the controller 7C corrects the driving force when it is associated that the driving force needs to be corrected with the driver information selected from the driver information stored in the driver information storage device 2.

[0053] In the controller 7C, the driver information processing unit 77 processes the driver information stored in the driver information storage device 2. Note that the driver information includes information such as the driver's name, nickname, and whether the driving force needs to be corrected.

[0054] FIG. 14 is a flowchart of the control executed by the controller 7C. In FIG. 14, since the processes of steps S1 to S7 are the same as those in the first embodiment, the other processes will be described. In step S1C of FIG. 14, after the driver information processing unit 77 acquires the driver information selected by the driver from the driver information storage device 2 in the driver information storage device 2, it determines whether it is associated in the driver information that correction is necessary. In step S1C, if it is determined that it is associated in the driver information that correction is necessary, the process proceeds to step S1D and the driver information processing unit 77 sets the correction necessary flag, and if not, the process proceeds to step S1.

[0055] The processes of steps S1 to S8 are executed. In subsequent step S9, when it is determined that the correction required flag is set, the driver information processing unit 77 stores, in step S12, that correction is required in association with the driver information. That is, the driver information processing unit 77 accesses the driver information storage device 2 and stores that correction is required in association with the driver information. On the other hand, in step S9, when it is determined that the correction required flag is not set, the driver information processing unit 77 stores, in step S13, that correction is not required in association with the driver information in the driver information storage device 2.

[0056] According to the above embodiments, since the information on whether correction is required is stored in association with the driver information, it is possible to determine whether correction of the driving force is required only by selecting a driver in the driver information storage device 2.

[0057] As described above, the best configuration, method, etc. for implementing the present invention are disclosed in the above description, but the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, the present invention has been mainly illustrated and described with respect to specific embodiments, but without departing from the scope of the technical idea and object of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make various modifications to the above-described embodiments in terms of shape, material, quantity, and other detailed configurations. In addition, the descriptions limiting the shape, material, etc. disclosed above are illustrative descriptions for facilitating the understanding of the present invention and do not limit the present invention. Therefore, descriptions using the names of members with some or all of the limitations on those shapes, materials, etc. removed are included in the present invention.

[0058] The driver information storage device 2 may be any device that can store driver information. For example, it may be an in-vehicle infotainment device capable of multimedia playback such as music and video, and Internet connection.

[0059] The drive source 3 may include an internal combustion engine, drive a generator with the internal combustion engine to supply power to the electric motor 31, and drive the wheels 4 with the electric motor 31, or may drive the wheels 4 with both the electric motor 31 and the internal combustion engine. That is, the vehicle 10 may be a so-called series hybrid vehicle or a parallel hybrid vehicle.

[0060] The inter-vehicle distance sensor 5 may include only one of the camera 51 and the radar 52. For example, it may include a plurality of cameras 51 and not include the radar 52, or may include a plurality of radars 52 and not include the camera 51.

[0061] The driving force control device 6 was configured such that the driving force request operation means was the accelerator pedal 63 and the sensor for detecting the accelerator operation amount was the accelerator position sensor 61, but it may be configured otherwise. For example, the driving force request operation means may be configured by an operation lever, an operation dial, etc., and the accelerator operation amount may be detected by a sensor such as a stroke sensor or a potentiometer that detects the operation amounts of these. The vehicle speed sensor 62 is not particularly limited and may be, for example, a ground speed sensor.

[0062] The controllers 7, 7A, 7B, 7C may correct the driving force by a method other than that of the embodiment. For example, without calculating the accelerator operation amount for driving force setting, after setting the driving force based on the actual accelerator operation amount and the vehicle speed in the driving force setting unit 76, the driving force itself may be corrected. That is, the driving force setting unit 76 may correct the driving force, for example, by applying a filter such as a first-order lag filter to the driving force set based on the actual accelerator operation amount and the vehicle speed, or by limiting the change amount of the driving force.

[0063] In controllers 7, 7A, 7B, and 7C, instead of determining a response request after the elapse of the first time T1 and the second time T2 since the accelerator operation amount starts to increase with respect to the time average value TA of the accelerator operation, the response request determination unit 74 may determine the response request in consideration of the change rate of the difference ΔAP between the accelerator operation amount and the time average value TA of the accelerator operation amount, or the change rate of the accelerator operation amount. That is, when the difference ΔAP between the accelerator operation amount and the time average value TA of the accelerator operation amount exceeds the first threshold value AT1 and the change rate of the difference ΔAP or the change rate of the accelerator operation amount exceeds the first change rate threshold value, the response request determination unit 74 sets the accelerator operation amount after the first correction as the accelerator operation amount for drive force setting. When the difference ΔAP exceeds the second threshold value AT2 and the change rate of the difference ΔAP or the change rate of the accelerator operation amount exceeds the second change rate threshold value that is smaller than the first change rate threshold value, the response request determination unit 74 sets the accelerator operation amount after the second correction as the accelerator operation amount for drive force setting. In other cases, the response request determination unit 74 may set the accelerator operation amount after the third correction as the accelerator operation amount for drive force setting.

[0064] In controllers 7, 7A, 7B, and 7C, the accelerator operation amount calculation unit 75 for drive force setting may correct the accelerator operation amount and the drive force itself both when the actual accelerator operation amount acquired from the accelerator position sensor 61 increases and when it decreases, or may correct the accelerator operation amount and the drive force itself only when the actual accelerator operation amount increases.

[0065] In controllers 7B and 7C, the correction necessity determination unit 73 may determine the necessity of correcting the drive force in consideration of the inter-vehicle distance acquired from the inter-vehicle distance sensor 5, as in the case of controller 7A.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0066] 1... Electronic key, 2... Driver information storage device, 3... Drive source, 4... Wheels, 5... Inter-vehicle distance sensor, 6... Drive force control device, 7, 7A, 7B, 7C... Controllers, 10... Vehicle, 61... Accelerator position sensor (sensor), AA... Variation width, AT... Variation period.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the driving force of a vehicle that generates a driving force according to an accelerator operation amount, comprising: detecting the accelerator operation amount of the vehicle; a driving force control method for correcting the driving force when the variation width and variation period of the accelerator operation amount exceed a threshold value when the vehicle is in a predetermined driving state.

2. In the driving force control method according to Claim 1, a driving force control method for determining that the vehicle is in a predetermined driving state when a state where the variation amount of the vehicle speed is within a threshold value continues for a predetermined time.

3. In the driving force control method according to Claim 2, a driving force control method for further determining that the vehicle is in a predetermined driving state when a state where the inter-vehicle distance from a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the vehicle exceeds a threshold value continues for a predetermined time.

4. In the driving force control method according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, a driving force control method for correcting the driving force when it is associated that the correction of the driving force is necessary for the electronic key of the vehicle.

5. In the driving force control method according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, a driving force control method for correcting the driving force when it is associated that the correction of the driving force is necessary for the driver information selected from the driver information stored in the driver information storage device.

6. A driving force control device for a vehicle that generates a driving force according to an accelerator operation amount, comprising: a sensor for detecting the accelerator operation amount of the vehicle; a controller for correcting the driving force when the variation width and variation period of the accelerator operation amount exceed a threshold value when the vehicle is in a predetermined driving state.

Images