Vehicle control device

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control device capable of reducing engagement shock during load operation.SOLUTION: A vehicle control device 15 is a vehicle control device applied to a vehicle including a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine 11 and an automatic transmission 13 having at least an N range and a D range. The vehicle control device executes stop processing for stopping fuel supply to a part of cylinders of the multi-cylinder internal combustion engine 11, shift stage setting processing for setting a shift stage of an automatic transmission 13 based on vehicle speed, and shift stage change processing for engaging with a shift stage higher than the shift stage when switching from the N range to the D range during execution of the stop processing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control device.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle control device that performs fuel cut on at least one cylinder of a multi-cylinder engine during load operation.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When a user drives a vehicle, improvement in drivability and riding comfort is always required, and vibration countermeasures during load operation, for example, when stepping on the accelerator to accelerate on an uphill road, are important.

[0005] In addition, vibrations generated during load operation may be due to sudden changes in driving force such as rotational speed and torque. As a countermeasure, there is a proposal to adopt a vehicle configuration that can ensure sufficient driving force. However, this not only increases the production cost of the vehicle but also increases the energy required for vehicle operation, that is, the running cost. Therefore, the above proposal is not an appropriate solution from a commercial or environmental perspective.

[0006] Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle control device that executes a stop process of stopping fuel supply (fuel cut) to at least one cylinder and supplying fuel to cylinders other than the cylinder during load operation of a multi-cylinder engine, and a compensation process for compensating for the driving force insufficient due to the stop process.

[0007] However, in a vehicle equipped with an automatic transmission, when compensation processing is executed to reduce the rotational speed fluctuations generated by the stop processing, torque fluctuations may occur on the input shaft of the automatic transmission.

[0008] At this time, even if one of the engagement elements such as a clutch is shifted to the state of the target gear position, when switching from the N range to the D range (forward range), the engagement hydraulic pressure assumed due to torque fluctuations may differ from the actual engagement hydraulic pressure on the transmission side, resulting in the possibility of an engagement shock.

[0009] The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a vehicle control device that reduces engagement shock during load operation.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0010] The vehicle control device according to the present invention is a vehicle control device applied to a vehicle equipped with a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine and an automatic transmission having at least an N range and a D range, and includes a stop process for stopping the fuel supply of some cylinders of the multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, a gear position setting process for setting the gear position of the automatic transmission based on the vehicle speed, and a gear position change process for engaging a gear position higher than the gear position when switching from the N range to the D range during the execution of the stop process.

Effects of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle control device that reduces engagement shock during load operation.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a vehicle to which a vehicle control device according to this embodiment is applied. A vehicle 10 according to this embodiment includes a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine 11 having a plurality of cylinders, a clutch 12, an automatic transmission 13 having at least an N range and a D range, drive wheels 14, and a vehicle control device 15. The multi-cylinder internal combustion engine 11 is connected to the automatic transmission 13 via the clutch 12.

[0014] The vehicle control device 15 according to this embodiment includes means for executing a stop process (that is, performing fuel cut) for stopping the fuel supply of some cylinders of the multi-cylinder internal combustion engine 11, and means for controlling the engagement of the clutch 12. It also includes means for monitoring the gear operation input by the user to the automatic transmission 13. Further, it includes means for executing a gear stage setting process for setting the gear stage of the automatic transmission based on the vehicle speed, and means for executing a gear stage change process for engaging a gear stage higher than the gear stage when switching from the N range to the D range during the execution of the stop process.

[0015] FIG. 2 shows the processes executed by the vehicle control device 15 according to this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a time chart showing the control state of the vehicle control device 15 according to this embodiment. Hereinafter, the control performed by the vehicle control device 15 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0016] First, in the multi-cylinder internal combustion engine 11, it is determined whether fuel cut is being performed on at least one cylinder (S10). Hereinafter, fuel cut to at least one cylinder is referred to as "one-cylinder F / C".

[0017] When the single-cylinder F / C is not implemented, the process ends and the process is restarted from the beginning. When the single-cylinder F / C is implemented, it monitors whether the process status is 0 or other than 0 (S20). The process status indicates the state of the vehicle by the process performed by the vehicle control device 15 based on the user's operation during the load operation. That the process status is 0 indicates no process. The case where the process status is other than 0 will be described later.

[0018] In S20, when the process status is 0, the vehicle control device 15 monitors the gear operation input by the user (S21). If the shift from the N range to the D range is not made, the process ends as no operation and the process is restarted from the beginning. When the shift from the N range to the D range is made, the vehicle control device 15 sets the process status to 1 as the high gear stage engaged state (S22).

[0019] In S20, when the process status is other than 0, the vehicle control device 15 monitors the gear operation input by the user (S30). If it is in the N range, the process status is initialized, that is, set to 0 (S31), the process ends, and the process is restarted from the beginning.

[0020] If it is in the D range, the vehicle control device 15 monitors whether the process status indicates 1 which is the high gear stage engaged state or 2 which is the target gear stage engaged state (S40).

[0021] In S40, when the process status is 2, the vehicle control device 15 performs the engagement process of the target gear stage (S41) and monitors the engaged state (S42). If it is in the engagement, in order to proceed with the engagement, the process ends and the process is restarted from the beginning. When the engagement is completed, the vehicle control device 15 initializes the process status, that is, sets it to 0 (S43), the process ends, and the process is restarted from the beginning.

[0022] In S40, when the process status is 1, the vehicle control device 15 monitors the target gear stage (S50). At this time, if the target gear stage is 4th speed or higher, it proceeds to step S80.

[0023] When the target gear position is less than 4 speeds, the vehicle control device 15 performs engagement processing to a gear position higher than the target gear position (S60), and monitors the engaged state (S70). When it is engaged, in order to proceed with the engagement, the process is terminated and the process is restarted from the beginning. When the engagement is completed, the process proceeds to step S80.

[0024] Here, regarding the engagement process to a gear position higher than the target gear position in S60, for example, when the target gear position in the D range is the 1st speed, after engaging the 3rd speed, it may be possible to engage the 1st speed. Similarly, when the target gear position in the D range is the 2nd speed, for example, after engaging the 4th speed, engage the 2nd speed, and when the target gear position is the 3rd speed, for example, after engaging the 4th speed, engage the 3rd speed. That is, the vehicle control device 15 according to the present embodiment performs control to issue a shift instruction to the automatic transmission 13 with the gear position instructed by the user as the top priority.

[0025] When it becomes the state of engaging the target gear position, the vehicle control device 15 sets the processing status to 2 indicating the state of engaging the target gear position (S80), and ends the process.

[0026] Next, using the time chart shown in FIG. 3, the control executed by the vehicle control device 15 according to the present embodiment and the state of the vehicle will be described. The first row of FIG. 3 represents the implementation / non-implementation of the 1-cylinder F / C.

[0027] The second row of FIG. 3 represents the range state. The range state referred to here changes when the user instructs the vehicle of the operating state, regardless of the gear position. Therefore, it can be paraphrased that the N range is a state where the vehicle is stopped or traveling at a constant speed, and the D range is a state where the vehicle is accelerating.

[0028] The third row of FIG. 3 represents the processing status. The fourth and fifth rows of FIG. 3 represent the operating status of the high gear engagement and the target gear engagement, respectively. As described above, the processing status indicates the state of the vehicle by the processing performed by the vehicle control device 15 based on the user's operation during the load operation, and represents the unprocessed state as 0, the high gear engagement state as 1, and the target gear engagement state as 2. Also, when the high gear engagement and the target gear engagement are completed, the processing status is initialized and represented as 0.

[0029] By controlling in this way, it is possible to reduce the shock due to engagement even in the state where fuel cut is performed during the load operation. That is, it is possible to suppress fuel consumption while maintaining drivability and riding comfort.

[0030] Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be appropriately modified without departing from the gist.

Explanation of Signs

[0031] 10 Vehicle 11 Multi-cylinder internal combustion engine 12 Clutch 13 Automatic transmission 14 Driving wheel 15 Vehicle control device

Claims

Claim 1 In a vehicle control device applied to a vehicle including a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine and an automatic transmission having at least an N range and a D range, a stop process of stopping fuel supply to some cylinders of the multi-cylinder internal combustion engine during a load operation; a gear stage setting process of setting a gear stage of the automatic transmission based on a vehicle speed; a gear stage change process of engaging a gear stage higher than the gear stage when switching from the N range to the D range during execution of the stop process; and when the gear stage in the D range is the first gear, engage the third gear and then engage the first gear, when the gear stage is the second gear, engage the fourth gear and then engage the second gear, when the gear stage is the third gear, engage the fourth gear and then engage the third gear, a vehicle control device.

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