Denso Corporation

Nippondenso Co., Ltd.

Mamoru Mabuchi

Toshiki Matsumoto

Mamoru Sawada

Tsutomu Tashiro

Masakazu Tanaka

Motoaki Kataoka

Hiroshi Mori

Takehito Fujii

Hiroyuki Usami

Makoto Saito

Kinji Hodaira

Mitsuharu Higashitani

Motoyoshi Hatta

Tatsuo Sakai

Masanori Sugiura

Takashi Satoh

Takahiko Yamamoto

Mutsuaki Gotoh

Yoshifumi Kato

Hiroaki Ono

Hiromichi Tanaka

A vehicle control apparatus computes a fuel consumption decrease or a fuel consumption increase for each of a plurality of travel modes. The vehicle control apparatus includes a control section that calculates an engine efficiency of an engine and an MG-INV efficiency which is a combined efficiency of a motor generator and an inverter. The engine efficiency is calculated based on an engine power and an ideal fuel consumption line. The MG-INV efficiency is calculated based on an MG power. As such, based on the engine efficiency and the MG-INV efficiency, the control section computes the per-unit-electric-power fuel consumption decrease or the per-unit-electric-power fuel consumption increase.

Vehicle control apparatus

A vehicle control apparatus uses a travel mode selection unit to select between an EV travel mode, an engine travel mode, and an engine generation mode depending on comparisons between an engine generated power cost, an EV effect, and a surplus electric energy. In such manner, according to a travel condition of a vehicle, an appropriate travel mode is selected for an improvement of fuel consumption efficiency. The vehicle control apparatus also computes a fuel consumption decrease or a fuel consumption increase for each of a plurality of travel modes based on an engine efficiency and an MG-INV efficiency. In such manner, fuel consumption increase/decrease for every travel mode may be computed.

An object of the present invention is to execute an optimum control of vibrations due to a driver's operation of an accelerator pedal, steering wheel and brake pedal. The operation instructions are inputted into a vibration calculating means (kinetic model) comprising a vehicle body model, suspension model and tire model. Conventional kinetic model controlled the suspension in order to suppress the vehicle body vibration. However, in the kinetic model of the present invention, the tire vibration due to a change in the engine output is first absorbed by the suspension, whereby a residual vibration which was not be absorbed yet by the suspension is transferred to the vehicle body. The operation inputs are compensated by the three feed-back loops between the outputs of the above-mentioned three portions and input of the tire portion, giving the highest priority on the vehicle body model.

Vibration control apparatus for automotive vehicle

A vehicle integration control system includes a manager controller and a driving system controller. The manager controller sets a target generation driving force guide value for a driving force outputted from a driving system of a vehicle. The driving system controller controls the driving force on the basis of the target generation driving force guide value. The manager controller includes a driver request value setter and a driving force corrector. The driver request value setter sets a driver request generation driving force value corresponding to the driving force outputted from the driving system on the basis of a driver's input. The driving force corrector corrects the driver request generation driving force value on the basis of a predetermined program to restrain vibration generated in the vehicle when the driving force outputted from the driving system.

Vehicle integration control system and program

While a driving torque TD outputted to a driving shaft via an AT from an engine is detected, a road-surface transmitting torque Td_tire is detected based on rotation speeds Vwdr, Vwdl of vehicle driving wheels, a vehicle body speed Vd, and driving torques Tdr, Tdl, all of which are previously detected. The driving torque TD and the road-surface transmitting torque Td_tire are then compared to each other. When TD&#x3e;Td_tire, the driving torque from an engine is controlled so as to decrease a value of (TD&#x2212;Td_tire). The vibrations of individual vehicle parts are thereby decreased.

Vehicle behavior estimating device and vehicle behavior controlling device

In a state where a driver sees a region near a vehicle, a finally-requested output-shaft torque is set so that a response is hastened in a deceleration and slowed in an acceleration. Thereby, a vehicle takes a forward descending position in which the front end of the vehicle is descending, which gives a driver a sense of deceleration or a sense of turning. Further, this position causes a front wheel load acting on the ground to increase and a rear wheel load acting on the ground to decrease, in comparison to a normal position. This thereby makes it easier for the vehicle to decelerate when practically decelerating or turning, and further enables turning to slightly over-steer. A resultant vehicular kinetic characteristic becomes comparable with a sense that is expected by the driver.

Vehicular kinetic control system

In a driving condition control system, a sensing unit is configured to sense a first physical quantity indicative of a rotation of the first rotatable axle assembly and a second physical quantity indicative of a rotation of the second rotatable axle assembly. A correcting unit is configured to correct the torque according to the sensed first and second physical quantities of the rotations of the first and second rotational axle assemblies. This allows the torque to be precisely obtained.

Driving condition control method and system

In a driving condition control system, a sensing unit senses a first physical quantity indicative of a rotation of the first rotatable axle assembly and a second physical quantity indicative of a rotation of the second rotatable axle assembly. A determining unit compares the first and second physical quantities of the rotations of the first and second rotational axle assemblies and determines whether a driving condition of the vehicle is unstable according to the compared result. As a result, the unstable condition of the vehicle can be rapidly detected without detecting a yaw moment of the vehicle.

In a power steering apparatus employing an EPS (electrical power steering) motor coupled to a steering mechanism, when vibration of the steering mechanism is produced by twisting of tire rubber due to changes in steering angle, resultant pulsation of the drive current of the EPS motor are suppressed by adding to the drive current a current that is of equal frequency and opposite phase to the pulsation. Vibration of the EPS motor shaft, and resultant vibration of the steering wheel and vehicle body, are thereby effectively suppressed.

Vehicle power steering apparatus capable of suppressing vibration of EPS motor during changes in steering angle

A control system for vehicle power train components has an engine ECU, an AT ECU and a manager ECU. The manager ECU outputs command signals such as a target engine torque and a target AT range for the engine ECU and the AT ECU. The manager ECU retrieves data for completing a map for determining availability of the target engine torque from the engine ECU. The manager ECU checks the availability of a computed value of the target engine torque, and if it is necessary, the manager ECU replaces the target engine torque with an available value. The engine ECU executes an engine control process on the basis of the target engine torque of which availability has thus been ensured by the manager ECU. It is therefore possible to operate the vehicle power train components in a more appropriate manner.

Control system for vehicle

An apparatus for controlling an internal combustion engine calculates a target indicated torque and determines operating degree for engine control actuators such as an air system, a fuel system and an ignition system. The target indicated torque for an idling condition of the engine is calculated based on a constant target indicated power, e.g. the constant target indicated power has a value that corresponds to or slightly overcomes internal and external loss when the engine is in the idling. Although an idling speed control with a feedback control method is inhibited during a transient condition of the engine, the constant target indicated power provides a self-stabilizing to maintain the engine speed constant. As a result, the apparatus maintain the engine speed constant during the idling even external disturbance is applied to the engine.

Apparatus and method for controlling internal combustion engine

The present invention intends to suppress torque variation caused by the change of control parameters (e.g., throttle opening degree, EGR amount, etc.) to be adjusted to maintain stable combustion conditions before and after the switching of combustion mode. To this end, in a homogeneous combustion mode, the indicated torque request is corrected based on a torque efficiency (both air-fuel ratio efficiency and ignition timing efficiency), thereby correcting a target air amount in accordance with the corrected indicated torque request. Furthermore, in a stratified combustion mode, the indicated torque request is corrected based on a torque efficiency (only air-fuel ratio efficiency), thereby correcting a target fuel amount in accordance with the corrected indicated torque request. Furthermore, in the homogeneous combustion mode, it is possible to suppress the torque variation by performing ignition timing correction in addition to the target air amount correction.

Control apparatus for a cylinder injection type internal combustion engine capable of suppressing undesirable torque shock

An exhaust gas purifying apparatus with a failure diagnosis function is provided. A failure diagnosis device determines that the apparats is failed when the temperature rising speed of an adsorbing device is equal to a set value or less during a gas adsorption process and if the temperature rising speed is equal to an upper limit or more or to a lower limit or less during a gas desorption process. Further, a failure diagnosis device similarly monitors the flow passing through the adsorbing device. A failure diagnosis device determines that the apparatus is failed if the concentration of discharge gas is equal to a set value or more in a discharge passage. And further, a failure diagnosis device measures the concentration of discharge gas flowing through a return passage to accumulate the amount of discharge gas in order to determine that the apparatus is failed if the accumulated value is equal to a set value or less. Exhaust gas sensors are installed in the return passage and the upstream side of the adsorbing device, respectively, and the period of time te from the activation of the return passage until the outputs from the exhaust gas sensors match or a correlation coefficient for these outputs is measured to diagnose failures in the apparatus.

Exhaust gas purifying apparatus

A change-over valve unit has a change-over valve for switching a bypass passage and an exhausting passage disposed in parallel therewith. An adsorbent is disposed in the bypass passage to adsorb exhaust components. An actuator of the change-over valve is isolated from an adsorption cylinder by a pedestal. Furthermore, rotary shafts of the control mechanism of the change-over valve are positioned within the bypass passage of the adsorber when the change-over valve is positioned to open the main exhaust passage. Thus, the heat of the exhaust gas flowing through the main exhaust passage is not transmitted to the rotary shafts.

Change-over valve unit for switching exhaust gas passages and exhaust

To be able to efficiently and rapidly reduce noxious exhaust gas components after starting of an engine without impeding activation of a catalyst device, and moreover to be able to perform rapid separation of noxious exhaust gas components, an adsorption device 5 for adsorbing noxious exhaust gas components is provided downstream of a catalyst device constituting a main mode of operation of exhaust-gas purification, a honeycomb body carrying adsorbent is disposed within the adsorption device, a bypass passage is formed to one side of the honeycomb body, and a switching valve is provided upstream of those components. After engine starting, the switching valve opens, exhaust gas flows in the passage on the honeycomb body side, and HC is adsorbed by the adsorbent. Meanwhile, when exhaust-gas temperature rises and a condition wherein HC separates from the adsorbent is reached, the switching valve is closed, adsorption components which have become high in temperature due to exhaust gas heat separate from an passage between the downstream of this switching valve and the honeycomb body, and are refluxed via reflux passages and to an upstream side of the foregoing catalyst device.

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Kariya, Japan

Mamoru Mabuchi