Vehicle Control Device Adaptive Torque Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional vehicle control apparatuses uniformly reduce engine torque when the accelerator and brake pedals are depressed simultaneously, leading to hesitation and deteriorated drivability, as they rely on expensive brake depression sensors to estimate the driver's intention, making them inaccessible for all vehicles.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle control apparatus that detects the drive state and sets determination threshold values based on the correlation between driving and braking force requests, using sensors like accelerator and brake detection units to determine the driver's braking intention without directly measuring pedal operation amounts, allowing for selective reduction control to improve drivability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Power

If uniform torque reduction control is executed when accelerator and brake pedals are depressed simultaneously, then engine output is reduced, but drivability deteriorates due to hesitation and unfavorable phenomena

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveengine outputVSAvoiddrivability
Core Design Contradiction:
PowerVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making the torque reduction control adaptive rather than uniform. The control system dynamically adjusts whether to reduce torque based on real-time detection of driver intention through multiple sensors (accelerator pedal position, brake pedal position, vehicle speed, engine load). This dynamic adaptation allows the system to reduce torque only when braking intention is detected, avoiding hesitation and maintaining smooth vehicle operation, thereby resolving the contradiction between power reduction and drivability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Measurement precision

If brake depression sensors are used to estimate driver's braking intention, then accurate intention detection is achieved, but system cost increases making it inaccessible for all vehicles

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebraking intention detection accuracyVSAvoidsystem cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies copying by creating a virtual model of brake pedal depression status using existing sensor data rather than directly measuring it. The control system calculates braking intention by processing signals from the accelerator pedal position sensor, brake pedal position sensor, vehicle speed sensor, and engine load sensor. This computational approach copies the information that would be provided by expensive direct brake sensors, achieving accurate intention detection while maintaining system affordability and accessibility for all vehicles.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP2557302B1Vehicle control device
Publication Date: 2016.09.07 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK
  • EP2557302B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2557302B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2557302B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A vehicle control apparatus which can prevent drivability from being deteriorated. An ECU (100) is operative to set a reduction speed threshold value to determine a driver's braking intention on the basis of the correlation in the depression amount of an accelerator pedal (212), the depression amount of a brake pedal (213), and a travel state of a vehicle 10 caused by the depression amounts of the accelerator pedal (212) and the brake pedal (213). The ECU (100) is further operative to change the reduction speed threshold value (Step 15) on the basis of the detected drive state to compare the travel state calculated on the basis of the detected drive state with the changed reduction speed threshold value to determine the driver's braking intention, thereby making it possible to determine the driver's braking intention without detecting the operation amount of a driver and to accurately estimate the driver's braking intention. This makes it possible to change the reduction control between executed and not executed, and to improve the drivability.