Characterized By Control Of Gearing (e.g., Control Of Transmission Ratio) (epo) Patents (Class 903/945)
  • Patent number: 7384371
    Abstract: A drive unit for a motor vehicle having a hybrid drive, includes an internal-combustion engine, an electrical rotating machine with a pertaining energy accumulator, a transmission unit, and a control unit. The transmission unit includes at least one starting gear position which can be operated only and exclusively when defined conditions exist during a starting operation from the stationary position of the vehicle. For this purpose, the control unit is constructed such that, as a function of the charge condition of the energy accumulator, the starting operation takes place in a standard gear position of the first ratio, or the starting operation takes place in the starting gear position with a ratio of the transmission unit different from the first ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Johannes Liebl, Michael Bertram
  • Publication number: 20080132379
    Abstract: A control method for a vehicular drive apparatus that includes a driving power source that includes an engine and a motor, and a shift portion provided in a power transmission path from the driving power source to a drive wheel, includes staring the engine by executing an engine speed control that increases an engine speed to a predetermined engine speed or higher, and executing an engine torque generation control that generates engine torque by supplying fuel and igniting the fuel at the predetermined engine speed or higher. In the case where the controller determines that the period during which the shift of the shift portion is performed overlaps the period during which the engine is started, the engine is started by executing the engine speed control during the shift of the shift portion, and executing the engine torque generation control after the shift of the shift portion is completed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2007
    Publication date: June 5, 2008
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tooru Matsubara, Yuji Iwase, Hiroyuki Shibata, Atsushi Tabata
  • Publication number: 20080041647
    Abstract: A power train prevents the decrease in the power efficiency accompanied by the converting process between the kinetic energy and the electrical energy due to the large energy flow through the electrical path when the motor generator serves as a transmission and thus prevents the increase in the capacity of the motor generator and the bad fuel economy. The power train for a hybrid electric vehicle includes an engine, first and second motor generator, a battery, a plurality of planetary gear sets, and a plurality of breaks. The plurality of planetary gear sets convert the driving forces output from the engine, and the first and second motor generators to have an appropriate gear ratio according to a driving state and output the converted driving forces to a driving shaft. The plurality of breaks are provided in the plurality of planetary gear sets and control the output revolution on the basis of the gear ratio determined according to a driving state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2006
    Publication date: February 21, 2008
    Inventor: Yong-Gi Kim
  • Publication number: 20080000746
    Abstract: A vehicular parallel hybrid drivetrain contains a combustion engine, electric motor and drive output and a method of operating the drivetrain. A respective shift element device (6, 7) with continuously variable transmission capacity is provided, between the combustion engine and the electric motor and between the electric motor and the drive. The shift element device (6), between the combustion engine and electric motor, comprises a speed-dependent hydraulic coupling element and a frictional shift element in a parallel power branch. The shift element device (6) has continuously adjustable transmission capacity and is bridged, via the hydraulic coupling element. The hydraulic coupling element actively couples with the electric motor, via a free-wheel overrunning connection (8). This coupling disengages when the speed of the coupling element side of the coupling element is lower than the speed of the electric motor in the area of the free-wheel overrunning connection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2007
    Publication date: January 3, 2008
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Peter Schiele, Georg Gierer, Christian Popp
  • Patent number: 7314426
    Abstract: A controller (20), when switching from a travel mode in which a vehicle travels with an engine clutch (EC) disengaged to a travel mode in which the vehicle travels with the engine clutch (EC) engaged, performs a preparatory speed change to reduce a rotation speed differential in the engine clutch (EC), engages the engine clutch (EC) when the rotation speed differential in the engine clutch (EC) is reduced, and then performs a completion speed change until a speed ratio required in the post-switching travel mode is obtained. The upper limit value of a shifting speed during at least one of the preparatory speed change and the completion speed change is set to a different value to the upper limit value of the shifting speed when a speed change is performed during traveling in the same travel mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomoya Imazu
  • Patent number: 7243011
    Abstract: A launch system for a hybrid vehicle includes a pump, an electronic throttle, a sensor, and a hybrid control module. The pump is driven by an internal combustion engine and provides pressurized fluid to a transmission. The electronic throttle selectively adjusts airflow to the internal combustion engine and current to an electric motor. The sensor detects when a brake pedal has been released. The hybrid control module increases pressure of the pressurized fluid and limits torque transfer from at least one of the internal combustion engine and the electric motor when the sensor detects that the brake pedal has been released until a predetermined condition has been met. The hybrid control module increases pressure of the pressurized fluid with the pump by increasing the revolutions of the internal combustion engine and limits torque to the transmission by retarding the responsiveness of the electronic throttle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2007
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: John J. Koenig, Sarah C. Drews, Marci L. McGuire
  • Patent number: 7223201
    Abstract: A method for controlling engagement and release of friction clutches in a multiple-ratio transmission for a hybrid electric vehicle powertrain uses electric motor torque to augment engine torque as a power-on downshift is commanded. Near the end of a downshift event, total powertrain torque is modulated or reduced to reduce torque disturbances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Dan Colvin, Walt Ortmann, Michael Encelewski
  • Patent number: 7219757
    Abstract: In mode transfer control apparatus and method for a hybrid vehicle, in a state in which the vehicle is in at least one of a start state and a travel state and in one steady-state mode of a continuously variable transmission gear ratio mode and a fixed transmission gear ratio mode, a mode transfer to the other steady-state mode of the continuously variable transmission gear ratio mode and the fixed transmission gear ratio mode is inhibited in a case where a driving point of the vehicle determined according to a detection value of a vehicle speed and a calculation value of a target driving force is present within an overlap area on a steady-state mode area map in which both of a continuously variable transmission gear ratio mode and a fixed transmission gear ratio mode are selectable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2007
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasushi Tomita, Kiyoshi Akiyama, Tomoya Imazu
  • Patent number: 7191859
    Abstract: A driving apparatus comprises an electric generator driven by an engine and a motor for driving driving-wheels by using electric power from the electric generator, wherein an engine-side input axle is linked to a crankshaft and an motor-side input axle is linked to a motor rotor and these input axles are linked to an output axle for transmitting power to the driving-wheels. In an engine-power transfer channel constituted by the engine-side input axle 18 and the output axle, there is provided a transmission for changing a revolution speed of the engine-power transfer channel to a plurality shift ranges. When a vehicle is engine-driven, the revolution speed of the engine-power transfer channel is changed, thereby allowing a drive force of the vehicle to be changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takenori Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 7174980
    Abstract: A method of controlling the operating response of a hybrid drive of a vehicle is described, the hybrid drive having an internal combustion engine and at least one electric motor as the drive motors, and the drive shafts of the drive motors being mechanically linkable to a drive train of the vehicle. A drag torque characteristic curve for the hybrid drive is established by targeted activation of the at least one electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Dieter Hoetzer, Juergen Loeffler
  • Patent number: 7096099
    Abstract: A controller for a hybrid vehicle in which the torque is output from an engine and/or an electric motor and is transmitted to drive wheels through a fluid torque converter and a transmission. The controller includes a motor output torque limiter to restrict the output torque from the electric motor such that the torque increased by the fluid torque converter does not exceed permissible torque which is acceptable for the transmission to receive when the electric motor in addition to the engine is driven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Assignee: Suzuki Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiki Itoh, Tatsuji Mori, Norihiro Noda