Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and program

By monitoring and calculating the output upper limit of different types of batteries in electric vehicles in real time, and using intelligent control units to jointly control the power input of the motor, the problem of mismatch in electric vehicles' battery output is solved, and the power performance and battery life are improved.

JP7657082B2Active Publication Date: 2025-04-04HONDA MOTOR CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2021045740
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2021-03-19
Publication Date
2025-04-04
Estimated Expiration
2041-03-19

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

In electric vehicles, it is difficult for the prior art to accurately determine the upper limit of battery output, resulting in the battery output mismatch when the electric vehicle accelerates and drives on the ramp, affecting power performance and battery life.

Method used

By monitoring the status of high-capacity low-power batteries and high-power low-capacity batteries in real time, calculate the output upper limit of each battery, and adjust the power input of the motor through the coordinated control of the intelligent control unit (VCU) and the motor control unit (PDU) to ensure that the motor obtains appropriate power support under different load conditions.

Benefits of technology

It realizes the precise matching of battery output of electric vehicles under different driving conditions, improves power performance and battery service life, and reduces the risk of over-release and over-charge of batteries.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Patent Text Reader

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a program capable of optimizing a timing to add a power of one battery to a power of the other battery, in an electric vehicle mounting two kinds of batteries.SOLUTION: A vehicle control device comprises: a first acquisition unit that acquires a state of a first battery and a state of a second battery; a second acquisition unit that acquires at least a first actual output power of the first battery; and an output power control unit that calculates a first output upper limit value on the basis of the state of the first battery, calculates a second output upper limit value on the basis of the state of the second battery, and controls power conversion by a power conversion unit on the basis of the calculated output upper limit values, a request power from a vehicle, which is to be output to a motor, and the first actual output power. The output power control unit decides an output instruction content repeatedly directing power conversion so that a power obtained by correcting a this-time request power is output on the basis of a difference between a previous request power and the first actual output power.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3
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Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, there has been progress in the development of electric vehicles that run at least by an electric motor driven by power supplied from a battery (secondary battery), such as hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). In these electric vehicles, the driving of the electric motor is controlled based on the amount of power stored in the battery. Furthermore, in recent electric vehicle systems, for example, a combination of two different types of batteries, such as a low-output but high-capacity battery (hereinafter referred to as a "capacity-type battery") and a low-capacity but high-output battery (hereinafter referred to as an "output-type battery"), has also been put to practical use (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] In an electric vehicle system combining two types of batteries, power is supplied from the capacity type battery during normal driving when the driving force required for the electric motor is small, for example, when climbing flat ground or a gentle slope, and when the driving force required for the electric motor is large, for example, when climbing a steep slope or accelerating, power from the output type battery is supplied in addition to the power from the capacity type battery. In an electric vehicle system, power is output to the electric motor as requested by the electric vehicle in response to driving operations by the user (driver) of the electric vehicle. Here, when power from the output type battery is added to power from the capacity type battery in an electric vehicle system combining two types of batteries, it is possible to output power from the output type battery at a timing when the power output to the electric motor in response to a request from the electric vehicle exceeds the upper output power value of the capacity type battery. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-099244 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The demand for electric power from an electric vehicle depends on the driving operation by the driver. Conventionally, in an electric vehicle system, the amount of electric power required from the electric vehicle is estimated. In this case, the amount of electric power required from the electric vehicle varies depending on the accuracy of the estimation. Therefore, the timing at which the amount of electric power required exceeds the upper limit of the output power of the capacitance-type battery also varies depending on the accuracy of the estimation. In other words, an error may occur between the actual timing at which the output upper limit of the capacitance-type battery is exceeded and the estimated timing.

[0006] If the amount of power required by the electric vehicle is estimated too high, the timing at which the output upper limit of the capacity battery will be exceeded will be estimated too early, and power will be output from the output battery before the power actually output by the capacity battery exceeds the output upper limit. In this case, the power output performance of the capacity battery cannot be maximized, and the total amount of power output to the electric motor in the electric vehicle will be reduced. This can be a factor in reducing the acceleration performance of the electric vehicle. Conversely, if the amount of power required by the electric vehicle is estimated too low, the timing at which the output upper limit of the capacity battery will be exceeded will be estimated too late, and power will be output from the output battery after the capacity battery actually outputs power exceeding the output upper limit. In this case, the capacity battery will be in an over-discharged state, which can be a factor in accelerating the deterioration of the capacity battery.

[0007] Furthermore, even if a command is given to add power from the output type battery, the power is not necessarily output from the output type battery immediately and added to the power from the capacity type battery. In other words, there may be a delay before the power is actually output from the output type battery. In this case, too, the capacity type battery may enter an over-discharge state during the delay in the output of power from the output type battery, accelerating the deterioration of the capacity type battery.

[0008] As described above, in conventional technologies, in an electric vehicle that combines two types of batteries, it was sometimes not possible to optimally time the addition of power output from one battery to the power output from the other battery.

[0009] The present invention has been made based on the recognition of the above problems, and one of its objectives is to provide a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a program that can optimize the timing of adding power output from one battery to power output from the other battery in an electric vehicle that combines two types of batteries. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] A vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a program according to the present invention employ the following configuration. (1): A vehicle control device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a first acquisition unit that acquires a state of a first battery and a state of a second battery, a second acquisition unit that acquires at least first actual output power information representing information of a first actual output power that is an actual output power actually output by the first battery, a first output upper limit value that is an output upper limit value of the first battery based on the state of the first battery, a second output upper limit value that is an output upper limit value of the second battery based on the state of the second battery, and a first acquisition unit that acquires information representing information of a first actual output power that is an actual output power actually output by the first battery, a first acquisition unit that acquires information representing information of a first actual output power that is an actual output power actually output by the first battery, a second acquisition unit that acquires information representing information of a first actual output power information that is an actual output power actually output by the first battery, a first acquisition unit that acquires information representing information of a first actual output power information ... and an output power control unit that controls the conversion of power by a power conversion unit that converts the power output by the first battery, or the power output by the first battery and the second battery, to power to be output to the motor based on an actual output power, wherein the output power control unit, when determining output instruction content for repeatedly instructing power conversion in the power conversion unit, determines a second required power by correcting the current required power based on the difference between a first required power, which is the previous required power, and the first actual output power output in accordance with the first required power, and determines the output instruction content so that the second required power is output from the first battery.

[0011] (2): In the above aspect (1), the output power control unit determines the output instruction content so that additional power is output from the second battery at the timing when the second required power reaches a first threshold value that is equal to or lower than the first output upper limit value.

[0012] (3): In the above aspect (2), the first battery is a battery with a high capacity and low output, and the second battery is a battery with a lower capacity and higher output than the first battery.

[0013] (4): In the above aspect (2) or (3), the second acquisition unit further acquires second actual output power information representing information on a second actual output power, which is the actual output power actually output by the second battery, and the output power control unit determines the output instruction content so that, when the second required power reaches the first threshold and the second required power is lower than the first output upper limit, the difference in power between the second required power and the first threshold is output from the second battery, and determines the output instruction content so that, after the difference in power between the second required power and the first threshold matches the second actual output power represented by the second actual output power information, the difference in power between the second required power and the first output upper limit is output from the second battery.

[0014] (5): In any one of the above aspects (2) to (4), the output power control unit stops the supply of power to equipment consuming power other than the motor at a timing when the second required power reaches a second threshold value that is lower than a maximum power value obtained by combining the first output upper limit value and the second output upper limit value.

[0015] (6): In the above aspect (5), the vehicle control device further includes a third acquisition unit that acquires power consumption other than that consumed by the motor, and the second threshold value is a value obtained by subtracting the power consumption other than that consumed by the motor from the maximum power value.

[0016] (7): In the above aspect (6), the output power control unit controls the conversion of power output from the second battery in the power conversion unit so that the second required power becomes at least the second threshold value when a predetermined time has elapsed since the power supply to the device was stopped, and restores the power supply to the device.

[0017] (8): A vehicle control method according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a computer acquiring a state of a first battery and a state of a second battery, acquiring first actual output power information representing at least information on a first actual output power which is an actual output power actually output by the first battery, calculating a first output upper limit value which is an output upper limit value of the first battery based on the state of the first battery, calculating a second output upper limit value which is an output upper limit value of the second battery based on the state of the second battery, and calculating the calculated first output upper limit value and the second output upper limit value, a requested power to be output to a motor that outputs power for traveling, which is requested by another control device of the vehicle, and the first actual output power information. This is a vehicle control method, which controls power conversion by a power conversion unit that converts the power output by the first battery, or the power output by the first battery and the second battery, into power to be output to the motor based on the first actual output power represented by information, and when determining output instruction content for repeatedly instructing power conversion in the power conversion unit, determines a second required power by correcting the current required power based on the difference between a first required power, which is the previous required power, and the first actual output power output according to the first required power, and determines the output instruction content so that the second required power is output from the first battery.

[0018] (9) A program according to one aspect of the present invention causes a computer to acquire a state of a first battery and a state of a second battery, acquire first actual output power information representing at least information on a first actual output power that is an actual output power actually output by the first battery, calculate a first output upper limit value that is an output upper limit value of the first battery based on the state of the first battery, calculate a second output upper limit value that is an output upper limit value of the second battery based on the state of the second battery, and calculate the calculated first output upper limit value and the second output upper limit value, a requested power to be output to a motor that outputs power for traveling, which is requested by another control device of the vehicle, and the first actual output power information representing information on a first actual output power that is an actual output power actually output by the first battery, calculate a first output upper limit value that is an output upper limit value of the first battery based on the state of the first battery, and calculate a second output upper limit value that is an output upper limit value of the second battery based on the state of the second battery. and when determining output instruction content for repeatedly instructing power conversion in the power conversion unit, the program causes a second required power to be calculated by correcting the current required power based on a difference between a first required power, which is the previous required power, and the first actual output power output in accordance with the first required power, and causes the program to determine the output instruction content so that the second required power is output from the first battery. Effect of the Invention

[0019] According to the above aspects (1) to (9), in an electric vehicle in which two types of batteries are combined, it is possible to optimize the timing for adding power output from one battery to power output from the other battery. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a vehicle according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] 5 is a diagram showing an example of a change in electric power supplied to a traction motor under control of a control device provided in a vehicle according to an embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a control device provided in a vehicle according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of processes executed when controlling electric power output to a driving motor in a control device provided in a vehicle according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a program according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0022] [Vehicle configuration] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle according to an embodiment. The vehicle 1 is an electric vehicle (EV) (hereinafter, simply referred to as "vehicle") that runs by an electric motor driven by power supplied from a battery (secondary battery) for running. The vehicle 1 is an electric vehicle of a multi-battery system equipped with two different types of batteries, a capacity-type battery that is low-output but high-capacity and an output-type battery that is low-capacity but high-output, and runs by driving an electric motor with power supplied from either one of the batteries or a combination of power supplied from both batteries. The vehicle to which the present invention is applied may be, for example, not only a four-wheeled vehicle, but also a saddle-type two-wheeled vehicle, a three-wheeled vehicle (including a vehicle with one front wheel and two rear wheels as well as a vehicle with two front wheels and one rear wheel), and even an assisted bicycle, or any other vehicle that runs by an electric motor driven by power supplied from a battery for running. The vehicle 1 may be, for example, a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) that runs by further combining power supplied by the operation of an internal combustion engine that uses fuel as an energy source, such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine.

[0023] The vehicle 1 includes, for example, a traction motor 10, drive wheels 12, a braking device 14, a reduction gear 16, a PDU (Power Drive Unit) 20, a power sensor 22, a capacity type battery 30, a battery sensor 32, a power sensor 34, a VCU (Voltage Control Unit) 40, a power sensor 42, an output type battery 50, a battery sensor 52, a driving operator 70, a vehicle sensor 80, a wheel speed sensor 82, accessories 90, and a control device 100.

[0024] The running motor 10 is a rotating electric machine for running the vehicle 1. The running motor 10 is, for example, a three-phase AC motor. A rotor of the running motor 10 is connected to a reduction gear 16. The running motor 10 is driven (rotated) by power supplied from a capacity-type battery 30, or by power supplied from the capacity-type battery 30 plus power supplied from an output-type battery 50 via a VCU 40. The running motor 10 transmits its own rotational power to the reduction gear 16. The running motor 10 may generate power by operating as a regenerative brake using kinetic energy when the vehicle 1 decelerates. The running motor 10 is an example of a "motor" in the claims.

[0025] The brake device 14 arranged on the drive wheel 12 includes, for example, a brake caliper, a cylinder that transmits hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper, and an electric motor that generates hydraulic pressure in the cylinder. The brake device 14 may include, as a backup, a mechanism that transmits hydraulic pressure generated by the operation of a brake pedal (not shown) by a user (driver) of the vehicle 1 to the cylinder via a master cylinder. The brake device 14 is not limited to the configuration described above, and may be an electronically controlled hydraulic brake device that transmits hydraulic pressure from a master cylinder to the cylinder.

[0026] The reducer 16 is, for example, a differential gear. The reducer 16 transmits the driving force of the shaft to which the traveling motor 10 is connected, that is, the rotational power of the traveling motor 10, to the axle to which the drive wheels 12 are connected. The reducer 16 may include, for example, a speed change mechanism, a so-called transmission mechanism, in which a plurality of gears and shafts are combined and the rotational speed of the traveling motor 10 is changed according to a speed change ratio (gear ratio) and transmitted to the axle. The reducer 16 may include, for example, a clutch mechanism that directly couples or separates the rotational power of the traveling motor 10 to the axle.

[0027] The PDU 20 is, for example, an AC-DC converter. The PDU 20 converts DC power supplied from the capacity battery 30, or DC power supplied from the output type battery 50 via the VCU 40 in addition to the supply from the capacity battery 30, into AC power for driving the traveling motor 10 and outputs the power to the traveling motor 10. The PDU 20 converts AC power generated by the traveling motor 10 operating as a regenerative brake into DC power and outputs the DC power to the capacity battery 30 or the VCU 40 (i.e., the output type battery 50). The PDU 20 may step up or step down the voltage according to the output destination of the power before outputting it. The PDU 20 is an example of a "power conversion unit" in the claims.

[0028] A power sensor 22 is attached to the power wiring of the PDU 20 on the side of the traction motor 10. The power sensor 22 includes measuring instruments such as a power meter, a voltmeter, and an ammeter, and measures the power that the PDU 20 actually outputs to the traction motor 10 (hereinafter referred to as "PDU actual output power") based on the measured values ​​of these measuring instruments. The power sensor 22 outputs information on the measured PDU actual output power of the PDU 20 (hereinafter referred to as "PDU actual output power information") to the control device 100. The PDU actual output power is an example of a "first actual output power" in the claims, and the PDU actual output power information is an example of the "first actual output power information" in the claims.

[0029] The VCU 40 is, for example, a DC-DC converter. The VCU 40 boosts the power supplied (discharged) from the output-type battery 50 to a voltage similar to the voltage at which the capacity-type battery 30 supplies power to the PDU 20, and outputs the boosted voltage to the PDU 20. The VCU 40 reduces the voltage of the power generated by the traction motor 10 operating as a regenerative brake and outputted from the PDU 20, and outputs the power to the output-type battery 50 for storage (charging). The VCU 40 is also an example of a "power conversion unit" in the claims.

[0030] A power sensor 42 is attached to the power wiring on the PDU 20 side of the VCU 40. The configuration of the power sensor 22 is the same as that of the power sensor 22. The power sensor 22 measures the power from the output-type battery 50 that the VCU 40 is actually outputting to the PDU 20 (hereinafter referred to as "VCU actual output power") based on the measurement value of a measuring instrument. The power sensor 42 outputs information on the measured VCU actual output power of the VCU 40 (hereinafter referred to as "VCU actual output power information") to the control device 100. The VCU actual output power is an example of a "second actual output power" in the claims, and the VCU actual output power information is an example of a "second actual output power information" in the claims.

[0031] The capacity type battery 30 and the output type battery 50 are batteries that include a secondary battery, such as a lithium ion battery, that can be repeatedly charged and discharged, as a power storage unit. Each of the capacity type battery 30 and the output type battery 50 may be configured to be easily detachable from the vehicle 1, such as a cassette-type battery pack, or may be configured to be installed and not easily detachable from the vehicle 1. For example, the capacity type battery 30 is configured to be installed, and the output type battery 50 is configured to be detachable. The secondary battery included in each of the capacity type battery 30 and the output type battery 50 is, for example, a lithium ion battery. The secondary battery included in each of the capacity type battery 30 and the output type battery 50 may be, for example, a lead storage battery, a nickel-metal hydride battery, a sodium ion battery, a capacitor such as an electric double layer capacitor, or a composite battery that combines a secondary battery and a capacitor, but the secondary battery may have any configuration. Each of the capacity type battery 30 and the output type battery 50 stores (charges) power introduced from an external charger (not shown) of the vehicle 1, and discharges the stored power to run the vehicle 1. Each of the capacity type battery 30 and the output type battery 50 stores (charges) power supplied via the PDU 20 or the VCU 40 and generated by the traction motor 10 operating as a regenerative brake, and discharges the stored power to run (e.g., accelerate) the vehicle 1. The capacity type battery 30 is an example of a "first battery" in the claims, and the output type battery 50 is an example of a "second battery" in the claims.

[0032] A battery sensor 32 is connected to the capacity type battery 30. The battery sensor 32 detects physical quantities such as the voltage, current, and temperature of the capacity type battery 30. The battery sensor 32 includes, for example, a voltage sensor, a current sensor, and a temperature sensor. The battery sensor 32 detects the voltage of the capacity type battery 30 using a voltage sensor, detects the current of the capacity type battery 30 using a current sensor, and detects the temperature of the capacity type battery 30 using a temperature sensor. The battery sensor 32 outputs information such as the detected voltage value, current value, temperature, etc. of the capacity type battery 30 (hereinafter referred to as "capacity type battery information") to the control device 100.

[0033] A power sensor 34 is attached to the power wiring on the PDU 20 side of the capacitive battery 30. The configuration of the power sensor 34 is the same as that of the power sensor 22 and the power sensor 42. The power sensor 34 measures the power actually output by the capacitive battery 30 to the PDU 20 (hereinafter referred to as "capacitive actual output power") based on the measurement value of a measuring instrument. The measuring instrument equipped in the power sensor 34 may be a voltage sensor or a current sensor equipped in the battery sensor 32. The power sensor 34 outputs information on the measured capacitive actual output power of the capacitive battery 30 (hereinafter referred to as "capacitive actual output power information") to the control device 100. When only the power output by the capacitive battery 30 is supplied to the traveling motor 10, the capacitive actual output power is also an example of the "first actual output power" in the claims, and the capacitive actual output power information is also an example of the "first actual output power information" in the claims.

[0034] A battery sensor 52 is connected to the output type battery 50. The battery sensor 52 detects physical quantities such as the voltage, current, and temperature of the output type battery 50. The configuration of the battery sensor 52 is similar to that of the battery sensor 32. The battery sensor 52 outputs information on the detected voltage value, current value, temperature, and the like of the output type battery 50 (hereinafter referred to as "output type battery information") to the control device 100.

[0035] The driving operators 70 include, for example, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, a shift lever, a steering wheel, an irregular steering wheel, a joystick, and other operators. The driving operators 70 are equipped with sensors that detect the presence or absence of an operation of each operator by the user (driver) of the vehicle 1, or the amount of operation. The driving operators 70 output the detection results of the sensors to the control device 100. For example, an accelerator opening sensor is attached to the accelerator pedal, which detects the amount of operation of the accelerator pedal by the driver, and outputs the detected amount of operation as the accelerator opening to the control device 100. For example, a brake depression sensor is attached to the brake pedal, which detects the amount of operation of the brake pedal by the driver, and outputs the detected amount of operation as the brake depression to the control device 100. The accelerator opening is information that the driver uses to instruct (request) the control device 100 to supply power from the capacity type battery 30 or the output type battery 50 to the driving motor 10 while the vehicle 1 is traveling. In other words, the accelerator opening is information that indicates the amount of electric power requested by the driver to be supplied to the traction motor 10. The accelerator opening sensor is an example of the "other control device" in the claims.

[0036] The vehicle sensor 80 detects the running state of the vehicle 1. The vehicle sensor 80 includes, for example, a wheel speed sensor 82 that detects the wheel speed of each driving wheel 12 of the vehicle 1, such as the rotation speed (number of rotations) of each driving wheel 12. The wheel speed sensor 82 is attached, for example, to a portion of an axle to which each driving wheel 12 is connected, and detects the wheel speed of each driving wheel 12 by detecting the number of rotations of the axle. The wheel speed sensor 82 outputs information indicating the detected wheel speed of each driving wheel 12 (hereinafter referred to as "wheel speed information") to the control device 100. The vehicle sensor 80 may include, for example, a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the vehicle 1 and an acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration of the vehicle 1. The vehicle speed sensor may include, for example, a speed calculator, and may derive (detect) the speed (vehicle speed) of the vehicle 1 by integrating the wheel speeds detected by the wheel speed sensors 82 attached to each driving wheel 12 of the vehicle 1. The vehicle sensor 80 may include, for example, a yaw rate sensor that detects the angular velocity of the vehicle 1 around a vertical axis, a direction sensor that detects the orientation of the vehicle 1, etc. The vehicle sensor 80 outputs information indicating the detected traveling state of the vehicle 1 (hereinafter referred to as "traveling state information") to the control device 100. The traveling state information may include wheel speed information.

[0037] The auxiliary device 90 is an in-vehicle device provided in the vehicle 1, such as an air conditioner (a so-called air conditioner) or an accessory socket for power supply (a so-called cigarette lighter socket). The auxiliary device 90 may be, for example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) terminal or a commercial power outlet for operating household electrical appliances or a personal computer. The auxiliary device 90 is not a device directly related to the running of the vehicle 1, but operates by consuming power supplied from the output-type battery 50 via the capacity-type battery 30 or the VCU 40, that is, it is a device that consumes power other than the driving motor 10. The auxiliary device 90 may include a device that operates by power output from a battery (not shown), such as a lead storage battery (hereinafter referred to as a "lead battery"), mounted on the vehicle 1 separately from the capacity-type battery 30 or the output-type battery 50.

[0038] The control device 100 controls the operation and behavior of the PDU 20 and the VCU 40 in response to the detection results output by the respective sensors included in the driving operation device 70, i.e., the operation of the respective operation devices by the user (driver) of the vehicle 1. For example, the control device 100 controls the operation and behavior of the PDU 20 and the VCU 40 in response to the accelerator opening detected by an accelerator opening sensor. At this time, the control device 100 controls the operation and behavior of the PDU 20 and the VCU 40 in consideration of, for example, the speed change ratio (gear ratio) of the transmission mechanism that it controls and the vehicle speed included in the driving state information output by the vehicle sensor 80. In this way, the control device 100 controls the amount of power supplied to the driving motor 10, i.e., the driving force of the driving motor 10.

[0039] The control device 100 may be configured with separate control devices, such as a motor control unit, a PDU control unit, a battery control unit, and a VCU control unit. The control device 100 may be replaced with control devices, such as a motor ECU (Electronic Control Unit), a PDU-ECU, a battery ECU, and a VCU-ECU.

[0040] The control device 100 and the motor control unit, PDU control unit, battery control unit, and VCU control unit constituting the control device 100 are each realized by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or may be realized by cooperation between software and hardware. Some or all of the functions of these components may be realized by a dedicated LSI. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (storage device having a non-transient storage medium) such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a flash memory provided in the vehicle 1, or may be stored in a removable storage medium (non-transient storage medium) such as a DVD or a CD-ROM, and the storage medium may be installed in the HDD or flash memory provided in the vehicle 1 by mounting the storage medium in a drive device provided in the vehicle 1.

[0041] When the vehicle 1 runs, the control device 100 controls discharging of power from the capacity battery 30, charging of power to the capacity battery 30, discharging of power from the output type battery 50, and charging of power to the output type battery 50. During normal running of the vehicle 1, the control device 100 causes the PDU 20 to output power from the capacity battery 30. As a result, the vehicle 1 runs by the rotational power of the traveling motor 10 driven by the power supplied (discharged) from the capacity battery 30. Furthermore, when a large driving force of the traveling motor 10 is required for the vehicle 1 to run, for example, when climbing a steep slope or accelerating, if the supply of power exceeding the upper limit value (hereinafter referred to as the "output upper limit value") that the capacity battery 30 can output is required, the control device 100 causes the VCU 40 to output power from the output type battery 50 to the PDU 20. In other words, the control device 100 causes the power output from the output type battery 50 to be added to the power output from the capacity battery 30. As a result, the vehicle 1 travels by the rotational power of the driving motor 10 driven by the combined power of the power supplied (discharged) from the capacity type battery 30 and the power supplied (discharged) from the output type battery 50. The output upper limit value of the capacity type battery 30 can be calculated based on the capacity type battery information output by the battery sensor 32. More specifically, for example, a state of charge (SOC) indicating the state of charge of the capacity type battery 30 can be calculated based on the voltage value and current value included in the capacity type battery information, and the current output upper limit value of the capacity type battery 30 can be calculated based on the calculated SOC and the temperature information included in the capacity type battery information. The output upper limit value of the output type battery 50 can also be calculated in a similar manner. In the following description, the output upper limit value of the capacity type battery 30 is referred to as a "capacity type output upper limit value", and the output upper limit value of the output type battery 50 is referred to as an "output type output upper limit value". The capacity type output upper limit value is an example of a "first output upper limit value" in the claims, and the output type output upper limit value is an example of a "second output upper limit value" in the claims.

[0042] The control device 100 may control discharging of power from each battery and charging of power to the batteries based on the driving mode of the vehicle 1. In this case, the driving mode of the vehicle 1 may be automatically switched by the control device 100 based on the accelerator opening degree and brake depression amount output by the driving operation device 70 and driving state information output by the vehicle sensor 80, or may be manually and intentionally switched by the driver using, for example, a driving mode changeover switch (not shown) provided on the driving operation device 70. When the driver manually switches the driving mode, the driving mode changeover switch (not shown) outputs information on the driving mode set (specified) by the driver (hereinafter referred to as "driving mode information") to the control device 100.

[0043] In this way, the control device 100 controls the operation and behavior of the PDU 20 and the VCU 40 in response to the driver's operation of the driving operation device 70, and causes the capacity type battery 30 and the output type battery 50 to output power to drive the driving motor 10. The control device 100 is an example of a "vehicle control device" in the claims.

[0044] [Control of power supply to the driving motor] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the change in power supplied to the traction motor 10 under the control of the control device 100 included in the vehicle 1 according to the embodiment. In Fig. 2, an example of the change in power [kW] supplied to the traction motor 10 is shown on the upper side, and an example of the change in power [kW] output by each battery is shown on the lower side, and the relationship between the change in each power [kW] that changes over time [seconds] under the control of the control device 100 is associated.

[0045] The control device 100 outputs a power control signal to the PDU 20 and the VCU 40 to control the supply of power from the capacity type battery 30 and the output type battery 50 to the driving motor 10 in response to the driver's request indicated by the accelerator opening. The power control signal is a signal for instructing the PDU 20 and the VCU 40 to convert power. The control device 100 performs P (Proportional), I (Integral), and D (Differential) control based on, for example, the current wheel speed of the driving wheels 12 indicated by the wheel speed information output by the wheel speed sensor 82 and the current speed (vehicle speed) of the vehicle 1 indicated by the running state information output by the vehicle sensor 80, and determines the operation and parameters of electric circuits such as switching elements provided in the PDU 20 and the VCU 40 to output the instructed power from each battery. The control device 100 generates a power control signal indicating the determined operation and parameter of the electric circuit, and outputs it to the PDU 20 and the VCU 40. The power control signal is an example of the "output instruction content" in the claims.

[0046] Meanwhile, the electric power output from the capacity type battery 30 and the output type battery 50 passes through various electric circuits, including the electric circuits of the PDU 20 and the VCU 40, before being supplied to the driving motor 10. Furthermore, when the vehicle 1 is traveling, the gear ratio (gear ratio) of the transmission mechanism including the speed reducer 16 also changes. That is, in the vehicle 1, the efficiency of the electric circuits through which the electric power passes and the efficiency of the gears relate to the electric power supplied to the driving motor 10, that is, the traveling of the vehicle 1. For this reason, even when the control device 100 in the vehicle 1 generates a power control signal for controlling the electric power to the electric power requested by the driver represented by the accelerator opening (hereinafter referred to as "requested electric power") and outputs the signal to the PDU 20 or the VCU 40, the electric power supplied to the driving motor 10 is not necessarily the same as the requested electric power (reflecting the requested electric power). Therefore, the control device 100 corrects the next requested power based on the difference between the PDU actual output power (which may be capacitive actual output power) actually output to the traction motor 10 and the requested power at that time, generates a power control signal for controlling the corrected requested power to be supplied to the traction motor 10, and outputs the corrected requested power to the PDU 20 and the VCU 40. In other words, when generating a power control signal representing the current requested power (hereinafter referred to as "corrected requested power"), the control device 100 performs feedback control based on the previous requested power represented by the previously output power control signal (hereinafter referred to as "output requested power") and the PDU actual output power output according to the output requested power, in addition to PID control. The output requested power is an example of a "first requested power" in the claims, and the corrected requested power is an example of a "second requested power" in the claims.

[0047] The upper part of Fig. 2 shows an example of a case where the corrected required power Pr is feedback-controlled so as to approach the PDU actual output power Pa. The lower part of Fig. 2 shows an example of a case where the output power PE output from the capacitance-type battery 30 in response to the power control signal changes up to the capacitance-type output upper limit value Max-E of the capacitance-type battery 30.

[0048] Furthermore, the control device 100 adds the power output from the output type battery 50 to the power output from the capacity type battery 30 at the timing when the power output from the capacity type battery 30 exceeds the capacity type output upper limit value. At this time, for example, when the output type battery 50 is not outputting power, even if the VCU 40 immediately starts operating in response to the power control signal, the power from the output type battery 50 is not necessarily output from the VCU 40 to the power wiring on the PDU 20 side. That is, in the VCU 40, since the power output from the output type battery 50 passes through various electric circuits in the VCU 40, there is a delay before the power corresponding to the power control signal is output from the VCU 40. Therefore, the control device 100 generates a power control signal that causes the output type battery 50 to output power at the timing when the corrected required power reaches the first threshold value, taking into consideration the delay in the power output in the VCU 40, and outputs the power control signal to the VCU 40. The first threshold value is set to a low power value equal to or lower than the capacity type output upper limit value Max-E based on the delay time until the power of the output type battery 50 is output from the VCU 40. At this time, when the corrected required power reaches the first threshold and is lower than the capacitive output upper limit, the control device 100 determines the operation and parameters of the electric circuit included in the VCU 40 so that the power of the difference between the corrected required power and the first threshold is output from the VCU 40, generates a power control signal representing the determined operation and parameters of the electric circuit, and outputs it to the VCU 40. After that, from the timing when the corrected required power matches the VCU actual output power (which may be power obtained by subtracting the capacitive output power from the PDU actual output power), the control device 100 determines the operation and parameters of the electric circuit included in the VCU 40 so that the power of the difference between the corrected required power and the capacitive output upper limit is output from the VCU 40, generates a power control signal representing the determined operation and parameters of the electric circuit, and outputs it to the VCU 40.

[0049] The upper side of FIG. 2 shows an example in which the power [kW] at timing Tb, which is earlier than timing T at which the corrected required power Pr exceeds (matches) the capacitance-type output upper limit value Max-E by a delay time Dv of the VCU 40, is set as the first threshold value Th1. The lower side of FIG. 2 shows an example in which the control device 100 outputs a power control signal Sc-V to the VCU 40 at timing Tb. As a result, as shown in the lower side of FIG. 2, the power from the output type battery 50 is output from the VCU 40 as output power PP with a delay of the delay time Dv from the power control signal Sc-V. Furthermore, the lower side of FIG. 2 shows an example in which the control device 100 changes the power control signal Sc-V output to the VCU 40 at timing T. The lower side of FIG. 2 shows an example in which the output power PP output in response to the power control signal Sc-V changes to the output type output upper limit value Max-P of the output type battery 50.

[0050] Incidentally, when the vehicle 1 is traveling, for example, the output power PE output from the capacity type battery 30 is consumed by the auxiliary device 90 for purposes other than traveling of the vehicle 1. In this case, the power that can be supplied to the traveling motor 10 for traveling of the vehicle 1 is not the maximum power value of the vehicle 1, which is the sum of the output upper limits of the capacity type battery 30 and the output type battery 50. In other words, the output upper limit value that can be supplied to the traveling motor 10 according to the corrected required power (hereinafter referred to as the "requested output upper limit value") is lower than the maximum power value by the amount of power consumed by the auxiliary device 90 for purposes other than traveling of the vehicle 1 (hereinafter referred to as the "non-traveling power consumption"). In this case, for example, the acceleration performance of the vehicle 1 is reduced. Therefore, when a larger driving force is required for the traveling motor 10 while the vehicle 1 is traveling, the control device 100 temporarily stops the power supplied to the auxiliary device 90 and supplies more power to the traveling motor 10. More specifically, the control device 100 temporarily stops the power supplied to the auxiliary device 90 at the timing when the corrected required power reaches the second threshold value, so that power up to the maximum power value can be supplied to the driving motor 10. The control device 100 may temporarily reduce the power supplied to the auxiliary device 90. In this case, the control device 100 may stop the power supplied to some of the auxiliary devices 90 (e.g., an air conditioner), or may reduce the overall power supplied to the auxiliary devices 90. For example, when the auxiliary device 90 operates with power output by a power converter that converts power from a power line, the control device 100 may temporarily stop the power supplied to this power converter. The second threshold value is set to a power value obtained by subtracting the non-driving power consumption of the auxiliary device 90 from the maximum power value of the vehicle 1. The non-driving power consumption may be obtained, for example, by calculating the sum of the rated power values ​​of each device of the auxiliary equipment 90 operated by the control device 100, or may be obtained from the measurement value of a power sensor (not shown) (e.g., a measuring instrument such as a power meter, voltmeter, or ammeter) attached to the power wiring on the PDU 20 side of the auxiliary equipment 90.If a power sensor (not shown) is attached to the auxiliary equipment 90, this power sensor (not shown) outputs information on the actual power consumption measured by the auxiliary equipment 90 to the control device 100 as information on power consumption when not driving (hereinafter referred to as "power consumption information when not driving").

[0051] When the driving mode of the vehicle 1 is, for example, a performance-priority driving mode that prioritizes the acceleration performance of the vehicle 1, the control device 100 may temporarily stop the power supplied to the auxiliary device 90 and supply more power to the driving motor 10. This allows the driver to feel (actually experience) the difference between the driving performance of the vehicle 1 in the normal driving mode and the driving performance in the performance-priority driving mode. The performance-priority driving mode is, for example, a driving mode called a sports mode.

[0052] When the auxiliary equipment 90 includes devices that operate on power output from a lead battery (not shown), the control device 100 does not have to stop or reduce the supply of power to these devices. However, for example, when the lead battery is charged with power output from the capacity type battery 30 or the output type battery 50, if the required output upper limit value is lowered by the operation of devices that operate on power from a lead battery (not shown), the control device 100 may stop or reduce the supply of power to these devices.

[0053] The upper part of FIG. 2 shows an example of a case where the power [kW] obtained by subtracting the non-driving power consumption Pe consumed by the auxiliary 90 from the required output upper limit value Max-R in the vehicle 1 is set as the second threshold value Th2. The upper part of FIG. 2 shows an example of a case where the control device 100 stops the power supplied to the auxiliary 90 at the timing Ts when the corrected required power Pr exceeds the second threshold value Th2, and resumes (restores) the supply of power to the auxiliary 90 at the timing Tr when the stop period Ps has elapsed. As a result, as shown in the upper part of FIG. 2, the non-driving power consumption Pe starts to decrease from the timing Ts, for example, becomes 0 [kW] at the timing Tse, starts to increase from the timing Tr when the stop period Ps has elapsed, and returns to the original power [kW] of the non-driving power consumption Pe at the timing Tre, for example. The stop period Ps is a time during which the driver does not feel inconvenienced even if the auxiliary 90 is stopped (for example, the driver does not feel uncomfortable even if the air conditioner is stopped). The stop period Ps is, for example, 10 seconds.

[0054] FIG. 2 shows a case where the control device 100 resumes the supply of power to the auxiliary device 90 at timing Tr after the stop period Ps has elapsed. In other words, the case shows a case where the period during which the operation of the auxiliary device 90 is stopped or restricted is a period between timing Ts and timing Tre. However, the control device 100 may control the power supplied to the auxiliary device 90 so that the period during which the operation of the auxiliary device 90 is stopped or restricted is the stop period Ps. In this case, the control device 100 may control the resumption of the supply of power to the auxiliary device 90, for example, by a time required from the resumption of the supply of power to the auxiliary device 90 until the operation of the auxiliary device 90 is restored (the period between timing Tr and timing Tre in the upper part of FIG. 2). The timing for resuming the supply of power to the auxiliary device 90 (resuming the operation of the auxiliary device 90) is not limited to the timing after the predetermined stop period has elapsed. For example, the control device 100 may resume the supply of power to the auxiliary device 90 at a timing when the corrected required power falls below the second threshold value. For example, the control device 100 may resume the supply of power to the auxiliary device 90 at the timing when the driving mode of the vehicle 1 is switched (is switched) from the performance-priority driving mode to a driving mode other than the performance-priority driving mode, such as a normal driving mode. For example, the control device 100 may resume the supply of power to the auxiliary device 90 at the timing when the voltage output by a lead battery (not shown) falls below a predetermined value (for example, 11 [V]).

[0055] In this way, the control device 100 performs feedback control based on the output required power and the PDU actual output power output according to the output required power in addition to the PID control, thereby causing the capacity type battery 30 and the output type battery 50 to supply power that more accurately reflects the corrected required power to the traveling motor 10. As a result, the control device 100 can accurately grasp a more suitable timing for adding the power output from the output type battery 50 to the power output from the capacity type battery 30 (more specifically, the timing at which the power output from the capacity type battery 30 according to the corrected required power exceeds the capacity type output upper limit value), and control the output type battery 50 to output power to the VCU 40. Furthermore, the control device 100 can temporarily stop the power supplied to the auxiliary device 90 at a more suitable timing (more specifically, the timing at which the power exceeds the second threshold value), thereby causing the traveling motor 10 to supply power up to the required output upper limit value so that the power according to the corrected required power is not lowered by the amount of power consumed while not traveling.

[0056] [Control device configuration] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the control device 100 provided in the vehicle 1 according to the embodiment. The control device 100 includes, for example, a battery state acquisition unit 120, an actual power acquisition unit 140, an auxiliary power acquisition unit 160, and an output power control unit 180. Fig. 3 shows components of the control device 100 related to the control of the power supplied to the traction motor 10.

[0057] The battery state acquiring unit 120 acquires each of the capacitance type battery information output by the battery sensor 32 and the output type battery information output by the battery sensor 52. The battery state acquiring unit 120 outputs each of the acquired capacitance type battery information and output type battery information to the output power control unit 180. The battery state acquiring unit 120 is an example of a "first acquiring unit" in the claims.

[0058] The actual power acquiring unit 140 acquires each of the PDU actual output power information output by the power sensor 22, the capacitive type actual output power information output by the power sensor 34, and the VCU actual output power information output by the power sensor 42. The actual power acquiring unit 140 outputs each of the acquired PDU actual output power information, capacitive type actual output power information, and VCU actual output power information to the output power control unit 180. The actual power acquiring unit 140 is an example of a "second acquiring unit" in the claims.

[0059] The auxiliary power acquisition unit 160 acquires the power consumed by the auxiliary 90 (power consumption when not driving). If a power sensor (not shown) is attached to the auxiliary 90, the auxiliary power acquisition unit 160 acquires power consumption information when not driving output by the power sensor (not shown). The auxiliary power acquisition unit 160 outputs, for example, information on whether the auxiliary 90 is on or off, information indicating the current usage status of the auxiliary 90, and the acquired information on power consumption when not driving to the output power control unit 180. The auxiliary power acquisition unit 160 is an example of a "third acquisition unit" in the claims.

[0060] The output power control unit 180 controls the power output (supplied) from the PDU 20 to the driving motor 10 based on information on the gear ratio of the transmission mechanism, information on the accelerator opening, information on the vehicle speed, etc. At this time, the output power control unit 180 calculates the current SOC of each battery based on the capacity type battery information and the output type battery information output by the battery state acquisition unit 120, and further calculates the output upper limit value of each battery. More specifically, the output power control unit 180 calculates the current SOC (capacity type battery SOC) of the capacity type battery 30 based on the voltage value and current value included in the capacity type battery information, and calculates the capacity type output upper limit value of the capacity type battery 30 based on the calculated capacity type battery SOC and the temperature information included in the capacity type battery information. Furthermore, the output power control unit 180 calculates the current SOC (output type battery SOC) of the output type battery 50 based on the voltage value and current value included in the output type battery information, and calculates the output type output upper limit value of the output type battery 50 based on the calculated output type battery SOC and the temperature information included in the output type battery information. The output power control unit 180 may further calculate the capacitance type output upper limit value and the output type output upper limit value using the internal resistance value of the corresponding battery included in each battery information. The capacitance type battery SOC and the output type battery SOC may be calculated by the battery state acquisition unit 120 and output to the output power control unit 180 by including them in the capacitance type battery information or the output type battery information. After that, the output power control unit 180 determines the power output by the capacitance type battery 30 or the power output by the capacitance type battery 30 and the output type battery 50 to be converted and output (supplied) from the PDU 20 to the traveling motor 10 based on the calculated capacitance type output upper limit value and the output type output upper limit value and the required power represented by the accelerator opening.

[0061] The output power control unit 180 corrects the power determined this time based on the difference between the PDU actual output power represented by the PDU actual output power information output by the actual power acquisition unit 140 and the corrected requested power at that time (i.e., the output requested power determined according to the requested power represented by the previous accelerator opening and then corrected and output), and sets the corrected requested power. More specifically, when the PDU actual output power output according to the output requested power is lower than the output requested power, the output power control unit 180 corrects the power determined this time to be higher, and when the PDU actual output power output according to the output requested power is higher than the output requested power, the output power control unit 180 corrects the power determined this time to be lower, and sets the corrected requested power. At this time, the correction amount by which the output power control unit 180 corrects the power determined this time by increasing or decreasing it is not particularly limited. For example, the correction amount may be 1 / 2 the amount of power of the difference between the PDU actual output power and the output requested power, may be a predetermined amount of power, or may be an amount of power based on other concepts.

[0062] The output power control unit 180 determines whether the corrected requested power is equal to or greater than the first threshold. If the corrected requested power is not equal to or greater than the first threshold (is less than the first threshold), the output power control unit 180 generates a power control signal for causing the capacitance type battery 30 to output the corrected requested power, and outputs the generated power control signal to the PDU 20. In this case, the output power control unit 180 may generate a power control signal for preventing the output type battery 50 from outputting power, and output the generated power control signal to the VCU 40. On the other hand, if the corrected requested power is equal to or greater than the first threshold, the output power control unit 180 generates a power control signal for causing the capacitance type battery 30 to output the corrected requested power up to the capacitance type output upper limit value, and further causes the output type battery 50 to output the corrected requested power exceeding the first threshold. At this time, when the corrected required power is lower than the capacitive output upper limit value, the output power control unit 180 causes the output type battery 50 to output power obtained by subtracting the first threshold value from the corrected required power, and when the corrected required power matches the VCU actual output power, generates a power control signal for causing the output type battery 50 to output power obtained by subtracting the capacitive output upper limit value from the corrected required power. The output power control unit 180 outputs the generated power control signal to the PDU 20 and the VCU 40.

[0063] Furthermore, the output power control unit 180 judges whether the corrected required power is equal to or greater than the second threshold. If the corrected required power is not equal to or greater than the second threshold, the output power control unit 180 does not perform additional control. Here, for example, in a case where the output power control unit 180 controls the capacitance type battery 30, the VCU 40, and the output type battery 50 to supply power to the auxiliary 90, "not performing additional control" means continuing this control. On the other hand, if the corrected required power is equal to or greater than the second threshold, the output power control unit 180 stops or limits the operation of the auxiliary 90. At this time, the output power control unit 180 stops or limits the operation of the auxiliary 90, taking into consideration the driving mode of the vehicle 1 and the voltage value of the lead battery (not shown). When stopping the operation of the auxiliary 90, the output power control unit 180 generates a power control signal in which the power to be supplied to the auxiliary 90 is set to zero, and outputs the power control signal to, for example, the VCU 40 or the auxiliary 90. When limiting the operation of the auxiliary device 90, the output power control unit 180 calculates the power that can be supplied to the auxiliary device 90 (hereinafter referred to as "auxiliary supply power"), generates a power control signal indicating the calculated auxiliary supply power, and outputs the signal to, for example, the VCU 40 or the auxiliary device 90. The auxiliary supply power is, for example, a predetermined power, or a power obtained by subtracting a second threshold value from the corrected requested power (hereinafter referred to as "limited power"), from the non-driving power consumption. After stopping or limiting the operation of the auxiliary device 90, the output power control unit 180, for example, starts the operation of a timer (not shown) and waits for the stop period to elapse. Then, when the stop period has elapsed, the output power control unit 180 generates a power control signal to resume the supply of power to the auxiliary device 90, and outputs the signal to, for example, the VCU 40 or the auxiliary device 90. The power control signal for resuming the supply of power to the auxiliary 90 may, for example, represent the power consumed outside of driving before the operation is stopped or restricted as the auxiliary supply power, or may represent the power consumed outside of driving after the operation is stopped or restricted plus the restricted power. As a result, the corrected required power for the vehicle 1 to travel is at least the power obtained by subtracting the power consumed outside of driving from the maximum power value, that is, the second threshold value. For this reason, the output power control unit 180 generates a power control signal representing at least this corrected required power, and outputs it to the PDU 20 and the VCU 40.

[0064] [Control device processing] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a process flow executed when the control device 100 included in the vehicle 1 according to the embodiment controls the power output to the driving motor 10. The process of this flowchart is executed repeatedly while the vehicle 1 is traveling. In the following description, it is assumed that at least the previously output requested power is stored in a storage device (not shown) included in the control device 100, such as a register, a static random access memory (SRAM), or a dynamic random access memory (DRAM).

[0065] When the accelerator opening is input from the driving operator 70, the control device 100 generates a power control signal according to the required power represented by the input accelerator opening, and starts processing to output the power control signal to the PDU 20, the VCU 40, and the auxiliary equipment 90. When the processing to generate the power control signal is started, the battery state acquisition unit 120 acquires the capacitance type battery information output by the battery sensor 32 and outputs it to the output power control unit 180. As a result, the output power control unit 180 calculates the capacitance type output upper limit value. Furthermore, the battery state acquisition unit 120 acquires the output type battery information output by the battery sensor 52 and outputs it to the output power control unit 180. As a result, the output power control unit 180 calculates the output type output upper limit value. Then, the output power control unit 180 determines the power to be output (supplied) by the traveling motor 10 based on the calculated capacitance type output upper limit value and output type output upper limit value and the required power represented by the input accelerator opening.

[0066] Thereafter, output power control unit 180 acquires the output requested power stored in a storage device (not shown) (step S100).

[0067] The actual power acquiring unit 140 acquires PDU actual output power information (which may be capacitive actual output power information) (step S102). The actual power acquiring unit 140 outputs the acquired PDU actual output power information (capacitive actual output power information) to the output power control unit 180.

[0068] The output power control unit 180 corrects the power to be output by the driving motor 10 determined this time based on the acquired output required power and the PDU actual output power (capacitive actual output power) output by the actual power acquisition unit 140, and determines (provisionally determines) the corrected required power (step S104).

[0069] The output power control unit 180 determines whether the corrected requested power is equal to or greater than the first threshold (step S106). If it is determined in step S106 that the corrected requested power is not equal to or greater than the first threshold, the output power control unit 180 sets the command power that commands the power to be output from the output type battery 50 to zero (step S108). In other words, the output power control unit 180 does not cause the output type battery 50 to output power. Then, the output power control unit 180 advances the process to step S118.

[0070] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S106 that the corrected required power is equal to or greater than the first threshold, the output power control unit 180 calculates the power (output power) to be output from the output type battery 50 (step S110). In step S110, the output power control unit 180 calculates the power obtained by subtracting the first threshold from the corrected required power as the output power of the output type battery 50.

[0071] The actual power acquiring unit 140 acquires VCU actual output power information (step S112). The actual power acquiring unit 140 outputs the acquired VCU actual output power information to the output power control unit 180.

[0072] The output power control unit 180 determines whether or not the calculated output power of the output type battery 50 matches the VCU actual output power output by the actual power acquisition unit 140 (step S114). If it is determined in step S114 that the output power of the output type battery 50 does not match the VCU actual output power, the output power control unit 180 advances the process to step S118.

[0073] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S114 that the output power of the output type battery 50 matches the VCU actual output power, the output power control unit 180 calculates the command power of the output type battery 50 (step S116). In step S116, the output power control unit 180 calculates the command power of the output type battery 50 by subtracting the capacitive actual output power from the corrected required power.

[0074] The output power control unit 180 calculates the maximum power value in the vehicle 1 based on the capacitance type output upper limit value and the output type output upper limit value (step S118). In step S118, the output power control unit 180 calculates the maximum power value by adding the capacitance type output upper limit value and the output type output upper limit value. At this time, the output power control unit 180 may have the battery state acquisition unit 120 acquire the capacitance type battery information and the output type battery information again, and calculate the capacitance type output upper limit value and the output type output upper limit value again, before calculating the maximum power value.

[0075] The auxiliary power acquisition unit 160 acquires the power consumption other than when driving (step S120). The auxiliary power acquisition unit 160 outputs to the output power control unit 180 the power consumption information other than when driving that indicates the acquired power consumption other than when driving.

[0076] Output power control unit 180 sets a second threshold value based on the calculated maximum power value and the non-driving power consumption output by auxiliary power acquisition unit 160 (step S122). In step S122, output power control unit 180 sets a power value obtained by subtracting the non-driving power consumption from the maximum power value as the second threshold value.

[0077] The output power control unit 180 determines whether the corrected required power is equal to or greater than the second threshold (step S124). If it is determined in step S124 that the corrected required power is not equal to or greater than the second threshold, the output power control unit 180 determines not to stop or limit the operation of the auxiliary 90. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S124 that the corrected required power is equal to or greater than the second threshold, the output power control unit 180 determines whether the traveling mode of the vehicle 1 is a performance-priority traveling mode (step S126). If it is determined in step S126 that the traveling mode of the vehicle 1 is not a performance-priority traveling mode, the output power control unit 180 determines not to stop or limit the operation of the auxiliary 90. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S126 that the traveling mode of the vehicle 1 is a performance-priority traveling mode, the output power control unit 180 determines whether the voltage value of a lead battery (not shown) has fallen below a predetermined value (for example, 11 [V]) (step S128). If it is determined in step S128 that the voltage value of the lead battery (not shown) is not below a predetermined value, output power control unit 180 decides not to stop or limit the operation of auxiliary equipment 90. If it is determined in any of the processes of steps S124, S126, and S128 that the operation of auxiliary equipment 90 is not to be stopped or limited, output power control unit 180 does not change the auxiliary supply power that instructs the power to be supplied to auxiliary equipment 90, that is, it keeps the current non-driving power consumption (step S130). Then, output power control unit 180 ends this process.

[0078] On the other hand, when it is determined in step S128 that the voltage value of the lead battery (not shown) is below the predetermined value, the output power control unit 180 decides to stop or limit the operation of the auxiliary 90. Then, the output power control unit 180 calculates the auxiliary supply power (step S132). In step S132, the output power control unit 180 calculates the auxiliary supply power by subtracting the limit power from the non-driving power consumption. Then, the output power control unit 180 generates a power control signal for causing the capacitance-type battery 30 to output the corrected requested power up to the capacitance-type output upper limit value, and for causing the output-type battery 50 to output the command power calculated in step S116, and outputs the generated power control signal to the PDU 20 and the VCU 40. Furthermore, the output power control unit 180 generates a power control signal representing the auxiliary supply power calculated in step S132, and outputs the generated power control signal to the auxiliary 90 (which may include the PDU 20 and the VCU 40).

[0079] The output power control unit 180 starts the operation of a timer (not shown) (step S134).

[0080] The output power control unit 180 checks whether the time during which a timer (not shown) is operating has passed a predetermined time (step S200). If it is determined in step S200 that the predetermined time has not passed, the output power control unit 180 advances the process to step S130. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S200 that the predetermined time has passed, the output power control unit 180 decides to resume (restore) the operation of the auxiliary 90. Then, the output power control unit 180 calculates the auxiliary supply power for restoring the operation of the auxiliary 90 (step S202). In step S202, the output power control unit 180 calculates the auxiliary supply power by adding the limited power to the non-driving power consumption. Then, the output power control unit 180 generates a power control signal representing the auxiliary supply power calculated in step S202, and outputs the power control signal to the auxiliary 90 (which may include the capacity type battery 30 and the VCU 40). Furthermore, the output power control unit 180 generates a power control signal for causing the capacitance-type battery 30 to output power up to the capacitance-type output upper limit value and for causing the output-type battery 50 to output power up to the second threshold value, and outputs the power control signal to the PDU 20 and the VCU 40.

[0081] According to the above process flow, the control device 100 corrects the required power represented by the input accelerator opening degree by performing feedback control. As a result, the control device 100 more accurately grasps the timing to add the power output from the output type battery 50 to the power output from the capacity type battery 30. In other words, the control device 100 more accurately grasps the timing to reach the capacity type output upper limit value that maximizes the power output performance of the capacity type battery 30. Then, the control device 100 generates a power control signal representing the corrected corrected required power at an appropriate timing and outputs it to the PDU 20 and the VCU 40 to supply power to the traveling motor 10. Furthermore, the control device 100 more accurately grasps the timing when the corrected required power enters the range of power used by the auxiliary device 90. In other words, the control device 100 more accurately grasps the appropriate timing to temporarily stop or limit the power supplied to the auxiliary device 90 and control the traveling motor 10 to supply power up to the maximum power value. Then, the control device 100 generates a power control signal to stop or limit the power being supplied to the auxiliary device 90 at the determined suitable timing, and outputs the signal to the auxiliary device 90 (which may include the PDU 20 and the VCU 40) to supply power to the driving motor 10. As a result, the vehicle 1 equipped with the control device 100 can drive by maximizing the power output performance of the capacity type battery 30 and the output type battery 50.

[0082] As described above, in the vehicle 1 of the embodiment, the control device 100 causes each battery to output electric power at an appropriate timing in controlling the supply of electric power to the driving motor 10. As a result, the vehicle 1 of the embodiment can reduce factors that accelerate the deterioration of each mounted battery, such as causing the battery to enter an over-discharge state, and can run while maximizing the electric power output performance of each battery.

[0083] According to the vehicle 1 of the embodiment described above, there is provided a battery state acquisition unit 120 which acquires the state of the capacity type battery 30 and the state of the output type battery 50, an actual power acquisition unit 140 which acquires at least capacitive type actual output power information which represents information on capacitive type actual output power which is the actual output power actually output by the capacity type battery 30, and an actual power acquisition unit 140 which calculates a capacitive type output upper limit value which is the output upper limit value of the capacity type battery 30 based on the state of the capacity type battery 30, calculates an output type output upper limit value which is the output upper limit value of the output type battery 50 based on the state of the output type battery 50, and calculates the power output by the capacity type battery 30 or the capacity type output upper limit value based on the calculated capacitive type output upper limit value and output type output upper limit value, the requested power to be output to the driving motor 10 which outputs power for driving, which is requested by other control devices of the vehicle (the driving operator 70 and the accelerator opening sensor), and the capacitive type actual output power represented by the capacitive type actual output power information. and an output power control unit 180 that controls the conversion of power by the power conversion unit (PDU 20 and VCU 40) that converts the power output by the capacitance type battery 30 and the output type battery 50 into power to be output to the driving motor 10. When determining the output instruction content (power control signal) for instructing the power conversion in the repeating power conversion unit, the output power control unit 180 obtains a second required power (corrected required power) by correcting the current required power based on the difference between the first required power (output required power) that is the previous required power and the capacitive actual output power output according to the first required power, and determines the output instruction content so that the second required power is output from the capacitance type battery 30. In the vehicle 1 that combines two types of batteries, the timing of adding the power output from the output type battery 50 to the power output from the capacitance type battery 30 can be optimized. As a result, in the vehicle 1 of the embodiment, the factors that deteriorate the battery can be reduced and the vehicle can be driven while maximizing the output performance of the power in the battery, thereby improving the marketability of the vehicle 1.

[0084] The above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows. A hardware processor; A storage device storing a program, The hardware processor reads and executes the program stored in the storage device, Obtaining a state of a first battery and a state of a second battery; acquiring first actual output power information representing information on a first actual output power, which is an actual output power actually output by at least the first battery; calculating a first output upper limit value that is an output upper limit value of the first battery based on a state of the first battery, and calculating a second output upper limit value that is an output upper limit value of the second battery based on a state of the second battery, and controlling power conversion by a power conversion unit that converts the power output by the first battery, or the power output by the first battery and the second battery, into power to be output to the motor, based on the calculated first output upper limit value and the second output upper limit value, a requested power to be output to a motor that outputs power for traveling, which is requested by another control device of the vehicle, and the first actual output power represented by the first actual output power information; when determining an output instruction content for repeatedly instructing the power conversion in the power conversion unit, a second required power obtained by correcting the current required power is obtained based on a difference between a first required power, which is the previous required power, and the first actual output power output according to the first required power, and the output instruction content is determined such that the second required power is output from the first battery. The vehicle control device is configured as follows.

[0085] The above describes the form for carrying out the present invention using an embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and various modifications and substitutions can be made within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 1. Vehicle 10. Driving motor 12 Drive wheel 14 Brake device 16...Reducer 20···PDU 22. Power sensor 30... Capacity Battery 32 Battery sensor 34...Power sensor 40···VCU 42 Power sensor 50··· output battery 52 Battery sensor 70 Driving controls 80 Vehicle sensor 82...Wheel speed sensor 90...Auxiliary equipment 100... Control device 120 Battery status acquisition unit 140 Actual power acquisition unit 160 Auxiliary power acquisition section 180 Output power control section

Claims

1. a first acquisition unit that acquires a state of the first battery and a state of the second battery; A second acquisition unit that acquires first actual output power information representing information of a first actual output power, which is an actual output power actually output by the first battery; an output power control unit that calculates a first output upper limit value that is an output upper limit value of the first battery based on a state of the first battery, calculates a second output upper limit value that is an output upper limit value of the second battery based on a state of the second battery, and controls power conversion by a power conversion unit that converts the power output by the first battery, or the power output by the first battery and the second battery, into power to be output to the motor, based on the calculated first output upper limit value and the second output upper limit value, a requested power to be output to a motor that outputs power for traveling, which is requested by another control device of the vehicle, and the first actual output power represented by the first actual output power information; Equipped with the output power control unit, when determining output instruction content for repeatedly instructing power conversion in the power conversion unit, determines a second required power obtained by correcting the current required power based on a difference between a first required power, which is the previous required power, and the first actual output power output according to the first required power, and determines the output instruction content such that the second required power is output from the first battery; the output power control unit determines the content of the output instruction such that power from the second battery is additionally output at a timing when the second required power reaches a first threshold value that is equal to or lower than the first output upper limit value; the output power control unit stops power supply to a device consuming power other than the motor at a timing when the second required power reaches a second threshold value that is lower than a maximum power value obtained by combining the first output upper limit value and the second output upper limit value. Vehicle control device.

2. the first battery is a high-capacity, low-output battery; The second battery is a battery having a lower capacity and a higher output than the first battery. The vehicle control device according to claim 1.

3. The second acquisition unit further acquires second actual output power information representing information of a second actual output power, which is an actual output power actually output by the second battery; When the second required power reaches the first threshold, the output power control unit determining a content of the output instruction such that, when the second required power is lower than the first output upper limit value, a difference in power between the second required power and the first threshold value is output from the second battery; determining the content of the output instruction such that, after a difference in power between the second required power and the first threshold value and the second actual output power represented by the second actual output power information match, a difference in power between the second required power and the first output upper limit value is output from the second battery; The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A third acquisition unit that acquires non-driving power consumption, which is power consumed other than by the motor, The second threshold value is a value obtained by subtracting the non-driving power consumption from the maximum power value. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. the output power control unit controls the conversion of the power output from the second battery in the power conversion unit so that the second required power becomes at least the second threshold value when a predetermined time has elapsed since the power supply to the device was stopped, and restores the power supply to the device. The vehicle control device according to claim 4.

6. The computer Obtaining a state of a first battery and a state of a second battery; acquiring first actual output power information representing information on a first actual output power, which is at least an actual output power actually output by the first battery; calculating a first output upper limit value that is an output upper limit value of the first battery based on a state of the first battery, calculating a second output upper limit value that is an output upper limit value of the second battery based on a state of the second battery, and controlling power conversion by a power conversion unit that converts the power output by the first battery, or the power output by the first battery and the second battery, into power to be output to the motor, based on the calculated first output upper limit value and the second output upper limit value, a requested power to be output to a motor that outputs power for traveling, which is requested by another control device of the vehicle, and the first actual output power represented by the first actual output power information; when determining an output instruction content for repeatedly instructing the power conversion in the power conversion unit, a second required power is obtained by correcting the current required power based on a difference between a first required power, which is the previous required power, and the first actual output power output according to the first required power, and the output instruction content is determined such that the second required power is output from the first battery; determining the output instruction content such that power is additionally output from the second battery at a timing when the second required power reaches a first threshold value that is equal to or lower than the first output upper limit value; stopping power supply to a device consuming power other than the motor at a timing when the second required power reaches a second threshold value that is lower than a maximum power value obtained by combining the first output upper limit value and the second output upper limit value; A vehicle control method.

7. On the computer, acquiring a state of a first battery and a state of a second battery; acquiring first actual output power information representing information on a first actual output power, which is at least an actual output power actually output by the first battery; calculate a first output upper limit value that is an output upper limit value of the first battery based on a state of the first battery, calculate a second output upper limit value that is an output upper limit value of the second battery based on a state of the second battery, and control power conversion by a power conversion unit that converts the power output by the first battery, or the power output by the first battery and the second battery, into power to be output to the motor, based on the calculated first output upper limit value and the second output upper limit value, a requested power to be output to a motor that outputs power for traveling, which is requested by another control device of the vehicle, and the first actual output power represented by the first actual output power information; when determining an output instruction content for repeatedly instructing the power conversion in the power conversion unit, a second required power obtained by correcting the current required power is obtained based on a difference between a first required power, which is the previous required power, and the first actual output power output according to the first required power, and the output instruction content is determined such that the second required power is output from the first battery; determining the content of the output instruction such that power is additionally output from the second battery at a timing when the second required power reaches a first threshold value that is equal to or lower than the first output upper limit value; stopping power supply to a device consuming power other than the motor at a timing when the second required power reaches a second threshold value that is lower than a maximum power value obtained by combining the first output upper limit value and the second output upper limit value; program.

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