EV Pseudo-Shifter Torque Control for Manual Shift Feel
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Electric vehicles (EVs) lack the driving sensation of manual transmission (MT) vehicles due to differences in torque characteristics, leading to discomfort for drivers accustomed to MT vehicles, as existing pseudo-shifting techniques do not allow voluntary timing of torque fluctuation control by the driver.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a pseudo-shifter and pseudo-clutch pedal in EVs, along with a controller that simulates the torque characteristics of MT vehicles by processing inputs from the accelerator pedal, pseudo-clutch pedal, and pseudo-shifter, and generating shift reaction forces to mimic the operation feel of an MT vehicle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If torque fluctuation control is performed automatically based on vehicle speed and accelerator opening, then the discomfort from pseudo-shifting is reduced, but the driver cannot voluntarily control the timing of torque fluctuation to match their own shifting rhythm
Solution Approach 1:
A pseudo-shifter operation detection unit is introduced as an intermediary device that detects when the driver operates the pseudo-shifter, and this detection triggers the torque fluctuation control. This allows the driver to voluntarily initiate shifting at their preferred timing while still achieving the torque characteristics of an MT vehicle, resolving the contradiction between voluntary control and automatic control.
2Ease of operation
If a pseudo-shifter is added to provide mechanical shifting operation feeling, then the driving sensation of MT vehicles is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of creating a complex mechanical pseudo-shifter system, the patent substitutes a simple operation detection mechanism that senses driver input on the pseudo-shifter. The complex torque fluctuation control is then achieved through electronic control of the motor torque, replacing what would otherwise require complex mechanical systems while maintaining the MT-like driving sensation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the MT vehicle shifting experience by detecting pseudo-shifter operations and generating corresponding torque fluctuations through control algorithms. This copying approach allows the driver to experience MT vehicle characteristics without requiring actual mechanical transmission components, thereby reducing device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
The controller of the electric vehicle is configured to control the torque of the electric motor using the MT vehicle model based on the operation amount of the accelerator pedal, the operation amount of the pseudo-clutch pedal, and the shift position of the pseudo-shifter. The electric vehicle also includes a shift reaction force generator that generates a shift reaction force in response to the operation of the pseudo-shifter using by the operating of the reaction force actuator. The controller is configured to store the shift reaction force characteristic simulating the characteristic of the shift reaction force according to the operation of the shifter. Then, the controller is configured to control the shift reaction force output by the shift reaction force generator according to the operation of the pseudo-shifter using the stored shift reaction force characteristic.