Control system for four-wheel drive vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016229405-A1
Application number	US-201415023203-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 12, 2014
Priority date	Sep 19, 2013
Publication date	Aug 11, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A rotation state of each rotating element of a four-wheel drive vehicle and an operating state of each engagement element of a disconnect mechanism, corresponding to an operating state of the disconnect mechanism, are displayed on or near a vehicle model image on a vehicle display. Thus, it is possible to inform a driver of the operating state of the disconnect mechanism at any time. Thus, the driver is able to recognize the operating state of the disconnect mechanism at any time, so the driver is able to carry out driving based on the operating state.

First claim

19 . A four-wheel drive vehicle, comprising:
an engine; an in-vehicle display; drive wheels to which power is transmitted from the engine while the vehicle travels in a two-wheel drive mode and a four-wheel drive mode; auxiliary drive wheels to which power is not transmitted from the engine while the vehicle travels in the two wheel drive mode and power is transmitted from the engine while the vehicle travels in the four-wheel drive mode; a rotating element configured to transmit power from the engine to the auxiliary drive wheels in the four-wheel drive mode; a disconnect mechanism provided in a power transmission path between the engine and the auxiliary drive wheels, the disconnect mechanism including a first clutch and a second clutch, the first clutch of the disconnect mechanism being configured to transmit or interrupt transmission of power from the engine to the rotating element, the second clutch of the disconnect mechanism being configured to transmit or interrupt transmission of power from the auxiliary drive wheels to the rotating element; and an electronic control unit configured to: control the disconnect mechanism such that power is transmitted from the engine to the rotating element and is transmitted from the auxiliary drive wheels to the rotating element during the four-wheel drive mode; control the disconnect mechanism such that transmission of power from the engine to the rotating element is interrupted and transmission of power from the auxiliary drive wheels to the rotating element is interrupted during the two wheel driving mode; and control the in-vehicle display so as to display an operating state whether the disconnect mechanism interrupts transmission of power from the engine and the auxiliary drive wheels to the rotating element or not at one of the following display positions,
(i) a display position on a vehicle model image of an in-vehicle display, and
(ii) a display position near the vehicle model image of the in-vehicle display.

20 . The four-wheel drive vehicle according to claim 19 , wherein
the electronic control unit is configured to control the in-vehicle display so as to display the operating state of the disconnect mechanism by one of text and a mark.

21 . The four-wheel drive vehicle according to claim 19 , wherein
the vehicle model image includes an image showing the rotating element, and the electronic control unit is configured to control the in-vehicle display so as to display the rotating element in one of the following display modes in a disconnect mode where transmission of power from the engine and the auxiliary drive wheels to the rotating element is interrupted, (a) the image showing the rotating element is not displayed, (b) the image showing the rotating element is displayed by a lighter color than that of images showing other rotation elements, and (c) the image showing the rotating element in the disconnect mode is displayed by a color different from that of the image showing the rotating element in a state other than the disconnect mode.

22 . The four-wheel drive vehicle according to claim 19 , wherein
the vehicle model image includes an image showing the first clutch and the second clutch of the disconnect mechanism, and the electronic control unit is configured to control the in-vehicle display so as to display one of an engaged state and a released state of the first clutch and the second clutch.

23 . The four-wheel drive vehicle according to claim 19 , wherein
the electronic control unit is configured to control the in-vehicle display so as to display a disconnect mode where transmission of power from the engine and the auxiliary drive wheels to the rotating element is interrupted, a non-disconnect mode, and a transitional mode at the time of shifting from one of the disconnect mode and the non-disconnect mode to the other one of the disconnect mode and the non-disconnect mode.

24 . The four-wheel drive vehicle according to claim 19 , wherein
the electronic control unit is configured to control the in-vehicle display so as to display a rotation state of the rotating element by one of text and a mark, and the electronic control unit is configured to control the in-vehicle display so as to display a state where transmission of power to the rotating element is interrupted from the engine and the auxiliary drive wheels, by one of the text and the mark in a disconnect mode where transmission of power from the engine and the auxiliary drive wheels to the rotating element is interrupted.

25 . The four-wheel drive vehicle according to claim 20 , wherein
the electronic control unit is configured to control the in-vehicle display so as to display a rotation state of the rotating element, in addition to the operation state whether the disconnect mechanism interrupts transmission of power from the engine and the auxiliary drive wheels to the rotating element or not, by the size of an arrow placed at one of a position on the rotating element and a position near the rotating element, and the electronic control unit is configured to control the in-vehicle display so as to display the arrow, corresponding to the rotating element of which rotation is stopped, in substantially zero length in a disconnect mode where transmission of power from the engine and the auxiliary drive wheels to the rotating element is interrupted.

26 . The four-wheel drive vehicle according to claim 19 , wherein
the electronic control unit is configured to control the in-vehicle display so as to change a display of the rotating element, to which transmission of power from the engine and the auxiliary drive wheels is interrupted, from continuous line to dashed line in a disconnect mode where transmission of power from the engine and the auxiliary drive wheels to the rotating element is interrupted.

27 . The four-wheel drive vehicle according to claim 19 , wherein
the electronic control unit is configured to control the in-vehicle display so as to change a display of the rotating element, to which transmission of power from the engine and the auxiliary drive wheels is interrupted, into one of the following modes when the electronic control unit shifts into a disconnect mode where transmission of power from the engine and the auxiliary drive wheels to the rotating element is interrupted, (1) the display of the rotating element is changed from a lit state of both a frame of the rotating element and an area of the rotating element, surrounded by the frame, into a lit state of only the frame of the rotating element, and (2) the display of the rotating element is changed from a lit state of both the frame of the rotating element and the area of the rotating element, surrounded by the frame, to a lit state of only the frame of the rotating element in dashed-line form.

28 . The four-wheel drive vehicle according to claim 19 , wherein
the electronic control unit is configured to control the in-vehicle display so as to display a driving force of each wheel at one of the display positions, and the electronic control unit is configured to control the in-vehicle display so as to display the driving force of each of the auxiliary drive wheels as one of zero and substantially zero in a disconnect mode where transmission of power from the engine and the auxiliary drive wheels to the rotating element is interrupted.

29 . The four-wheel drive vehicle according to claim 28 , further comprising:
a right and left driving force distribution control device provided in association with at least one of a pair of front wheels or a pair of rear wheels, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to control the in-vehicle display so as to display the drivin

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shimizu Satoshi
• Obayashi Yoshiro
• Horie Ryota
• Mizoguchi Norihiro
• Mukougawa Shintarou
• Iwatsuki Kunihiro

Classifications

• B60K35/28

  characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver · CPC title

• B60K35/22

  Display screens · CPC title

• B60K35/81

  for controlling displays · CPC title

• B60W2710/10

  Change speed gearings · CPC title

• B60W30/18 Primary

  Propelling the vehicle · CPC title