Control device and control method for vehicle drive mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10364742-B2
Application number	US-201816161635-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 16, 2018
Priority date	Mar 5, 2015
Publication date	Jul 30, 2019
Grant date	Jul 30, 2019

Abstract

The present invention relates to a control device and to a control method for a vehicle drive mechanism including a moving body having a movability range regulated by two stoppers, and a sensor which senses a position of the moving body. The control device of the present invention learns an output of the sensor corresponding to a contact state of a high-rigidity stopper, and limits, to a lower level, an operation variable of the actuator for moving the moving body toward a low-rigidity stopper along with an increase in an amount of change in the output of the sensor from the contact state of the high-rigidity stopper. Then, the control device learns the output of the sensor corresponding to the contact state of the low-rigidity stopper, and controls the actuator based on the output of the sensor learned at both the stopper positions.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control device for a vehicle drive mechanism including a moving body which is movably supported, two stoppers, each of which defines an end of a movability range of the moving body, an actuator which drives the moving body in a moving direction, and a sensor which senses a position of the moving body, the control device comprising:
a learning unit that learns an output of the sensor corresponding to a contact state of each of the two stoppers,
wherein the learning unit executes learning for a first stopper of the two stoppers prior to learning for a second stopper of the two stoppers, the first stopper having a higher rigidity than the second stopper,
wherein, while the moving body is brought into contact with the first stopper, an operation variable of the actuator is limited so as not to exceed a first upper limit value,
wherein, while the moving body is brought into contact with the second stopper, the operation variable is limited so as not to exceed a second upper limit value, which is lower than the first upper limit value, and
wherein, while the moving body rebounds off the second stopper and moves toward the first stopper, the operation variable is limited so as not to exceed a third upper limit value, which is lower than the first upper limit value and greater than the second upper limit value.

2. The control device for a vehicle drive mechanism according to claim 1 ,
wherein the learning unit increases the third upper limit value along with an increase in speed in which the moving body moves toward the first stopper after rebounding off the second stopper.

3. The control device for a vehicle drive mechanism according to claim 1 ,
wherein the actuator is a motor, and
wherein, based on change in rotational direction of the motor, the learning unit detects that the moving body rebounds off the second stopper.

4. The control device for a vehicle drive mechanism according to claim 1 ,
wherein the actuator is a motor, and
wherein the learning unit limits at least one of a current and an applied voltage of the motor.

5. A control method for a vehicle drive mechanism including a moving body which is movably supported, two stoppers, each of which defines an end of a movability range of the moving body, an actuator which drives the moving body in a moving direction, and a sensor which senses a position of the moving body, the control method comprising:
bringing the moving body into contact with a first stopper of the two stoppers while limiting an operation variable of the actuator so as not to exceed a first upper limit value, the first stopper having a higher rigidity than a second stopper of the two stoppers;
learning an output of the sensor obtained in a state in which the moving body is in contact with the first stopper;
moving the moving body toward the second stopper from the state in which the moving body is in contact with the first stopper so as to bring the moving body into contact with the second stopper while limiting the operation variable so as not to exceed a second upper limit value, which is lower than the first upper limit value;
limiting the operation variable so as not to exceed a third upper limit value, which is lower than the first upper limit value and greater than the second upper limit value, while the moving body rebounds off the second stopper and moves toward the first stopper;
learning an output of the sensor obtained in a state in which the moving body is in contact with the second stopper; and
controlling the actuator based on the learned outputs of the sensor.

Assignees

• Hitachi Automotive Systems Ltd

Inventors

• Okamoto Naoki
• Shinozaki Yuya

Classifications

• F02D2700/03

  Controlling by changing the compression ratio · CPC title

• F02D2250/16

  End position calibration, i.e. calculation or measurement of actuator end positions, e.g. for throttle or its driving actuator · CPC title

• F02D41/2474

  Characteristics of sensors · CPC title

• F02D15/02

  by alteration or displacement of piston stroke · CPC title

• F02B75/045 Primary

  by means of a variable connecting rod length · CPC title