Nissan Motor Company Limited

Yasuki Ishikawa

Hiroshi Endo

Masazumi Sone

Iwao Imai

Yasuhiro Shiraishi

Takeshi Fujishiro

Akira Higashimata

Yoshiki Yasuno

Hiroyuki Sato

Takaaki Eguchi

Akio Kawai

Hiroshi Takahashi

Hitoshi Kubota

Jun Kubo

Hidetoshi Nojiri

Yasuhiko Kitajima

Norio Fujiki

Yoshinori Yamamura

Morihiko Shimamura

Kazuma Okura

Hidehiko Sugita

Hideki Kawashima

Yoshio Tobisawa

Toshirou Matsuda

Kazuyoshi Fukawa

Tadaaki Iiyama

Wataru Takanami

A generated power control system in which the magnetic field of a generator is controlled based on a target generated power so as to perform the appropriate generation control. Preferably, the generated power control system is used in a hybrid vehicle having a generator configured to be driven by an internal combustion engine that drives a first wheel and an AC motor that drives a second wheel not driven by the internal combustion engine with an inverter arranged to supply generated power from the generator to the AC motor. Basically, the generated power control basically calculates an AC motor power requirement of the AC motor and a target generated power to be generated by the generator based on the AC motor power requirement, and then controls the generated power generated by the generator by controlling a magnetic field of the generator based on the target generated power calculated.

Generated power control system

A control device of a motor-driven 4WD vehicle includes: a 42V alternatordriven by an engineto generate 3-phase AC electricity of 42 volts; a rectifying circuitwhich rectifies the 3-phase AC electricity generated by the 42V alternatorand which supplies DC electricity after rectification to a motor Mwhich drives rear wheels; an inverterwhich lowers the electricity generated by the 42V alternatorinto 14 volts and which converts the lowered AC electricity into DC electricity; and a 14V battery Ewhich is supplied with the electricity obtained by the inverterand which is charged. With this configuration, a generator can function as both a motor generator for charging the 14V battery Eand a motor generator for generating driving electricity of the motor M, and the configuration of the device can be simplified.

Control device and control method of motor-driven 4WD vehicle

A control device controlling a motor-driven four wheel drive vehicle, where either of front wheels and rear wheels are driven by an engine and the others are driven by an AC motor, is provided with an electric power generator driven by an engine to generate first three-phase AC power, a rectifier rectifying the first three-phase AC power, generated by the electric power generator, to second DC power and supplying the second DC power to a neutral point of the AC motor; and a first step-up and step-down inverter stepping up and converting the second DC power, supplied through the neutral point, to third three-phase AC power. The AC motor is rotationally driven by application of the third three-phase AC power from the first step-up and step-down inverter.

Control device for motor-driven 4WD vehicle and related method

A control device for a motor-driven 4WD (four-wheel-drive) vehicle includes a 42v alternator (motor-generator) driven by an engine to generate three-phase AC power with 42 volts, a step-up and step-down inverter rectifying and stepping down three-phase AC power, generated by the 42v alternator, to DC power with 14 volts, and a 14V battery supplied with and charged with DC power with 14 volts outputted from the step-up and step-down inverter. A diode bridge circuit rectifies AC power with 42 volts, generated by the 42V alternator, to DC power by which a motor is rotationally driven to render the vehicle operative in 4WD drive mode.

Control device for motor-driven 4WD vehicle and related control method

A control system for controlling a vehicle which has an engine for driving front wheels thereof and a motor for driving rear wheels thereof. The control system includes: a motor generator which is driven by the engine and generates three-phase alternating-current power at first voltage; an inverter which converts the three-phase alternating-current power to direct-current power at second voltage lower than the first voltage; a battery to be charged with the direct-current power supplied from the inverter; and a capacitor device connected to the inverter. The motor of the vehicle is supplied with third power at third voltage converted from the first alternating-current power.

Control system and control method for motor powered four wheel drive vehicle

A control system for controlling a vehicle which has an engine for driving at least one of wheels thereof and a motor for driving at least one of the rest of the wheels thereof. The control system includes: a motor generator configured to be driven by the engine for generating first alternating-current power at a first voltage; an inverter which converts the first alternating-current power to second power at a second voltage lower than the first voltage or to third direct-current power at a third voltage; and a battery to be charged with the second power supplied from the inverter. The motor is supplied with the third direct-current power at the third voltage obtained from the first alternating-current power.

Control system and controlling method for motor drive four wheel drive vehicle

A PWM generation block implements two-phase/three phase conversion of torque current and exciting current and, on the basis of the converted three-phase torque and exciting currents and a three-phase current for driving and controlling the drive motor, outputs a PWM signal. A torque current estimator receives the same three-phase current as that of the three-phase current input to the PWM generation block, and implement three-phase/two-phase conversion of a three-phase current, by using a phase angle output from the microcomputer to calculate and output estimation values of the torque and exciting currents. A first comparator compares the absolute value of amplitude and the phase angle of the motor primary current and the motor primary frequency which are respectively output from the microcomputer with those which are respectively output from a fail-safe control block. The first comparator outputs a fail-safe signal when it detects differences between the compared values. A second comparator compares the estimation values of the torque and exciting currents which are output from the torque estimator with the torque and exciting currents which are output from the fail-safe control block, respectively. The second comparator outputs a fail-safe signal when it detects differences between the signals compared thereby.

Fail-safe control apparatus for electric vehicle driving motor

A system and method for controlling an induction motor which basically achieve reductions in a steady state loss and in a transient loss of the induction motor such as a stepwise input of a torque instruction value T.sub.e *. Basically, a steady-state loss minimization magnetic flux calculating section calculates a secondary (rotor) magnetic flux .phi..sub.r * which minimizes the steady-state loss of the induction motor in response to a torque instruction value. A target magnetic flux .phi..sub.r and a differentiation of the target magnetic flux d.phi..sub.r /dt are thereafter calculated using a low pass filter transfer function such as .phi..sub.r =.phi..sub.r * 1/(1+.tau..sub..phi..S)(, wherein .tau..sub..phi. denotes a time constant, and S denotes a Laplace operator). A target torque T.sub.m is calculates using a predetermined transfer function in response to the torque instruction value such as T.sub.m =T.sub.e *.1/(1+.tau..sub.T.S)(, wherein .tau..sub.T is a time constant for the target torque). At the steady state, the slip frequency .omega..sub.se is set to a loss minimization slip frequency .omega..sub.se-opt and, at the transient state, a magnetic flux response gives an optimum value corresponding to a torque response described above. The induction motor is used to drive an electric motor-driven vehicle.

System and method for controlling induction motor applicable to electric

An apparatus for use with a vehicle dynamic characteristic control system employing a vehicle speed sensor, a steering handle position sensor and a steering handle neutral position sensor to control the dynamic characteristics of an automotive vehicle. The vehicle speed sensor is sensitive to vehicle speed for producing a vehicle speed signal indicative of a sensed vehicle speed. The steering handle position sensor is sensitive to steering handle position for producing a steering handle position signal indicative of a sensed steering handle position. The steering handle neutral position sensor is sensitive to steering handle position for producing a steering handle neutral position signal having a first level when the sensed steering handle position is in a predetermined neutral range and a second level when the sensed steering handle position is out of the predetermined neutral range. A steering handle neutral position is estimated based upon the steering handle position signal and the steering handle neutral position signal. A steering angle, which corresponds to an absolute value of a difference of the sensed steering handle position from the estimated steering handle neutral position, is calculated. A failure signal is produced to indicate that at least one of the steering handle position sensor and the steering handle neutral position sensor is subject to failure when the calculated steering angle is equal to or greater than a predetermined value and when the vehicle speed is held above a predetermined value normal for vehicle running in an urban area for a predetermined interval of about 60 seconds.

Steering handle position sensor checking apparatus

An apparatus for use with a vehicle dynamic characteristic control system employing a steering handle position sensor and a steering handle neutral position sensor to control the dynamic characteristics of an automotive vehicle. The steering handle position sensor is sensitive to steering handle position for producing a steering handle position signal indicative of a sensed steering handle position. The steering handle neutral position sensor is sensitive to steering handle position for producing a steering handle neutral position signal having a first level when the sensed steering handle position is in a predetermined neutral range and a second level when the sensed steering handle position is out of the predetermined neutral range. A first signal is produced when the steering handle position signal indicates the sensed steering handle position being out of a predetermined range including the neutral range. A second signal is produced when the steering wheel neutral position signal is at the first level. A failure signal is produced to indicate that the steering handle position sensor is subject to failure in the presence of both of the first and second signals.

A system for detecting failure in a system controlling an inductance load is provided. This system comprises a controller for providing a driving signal to the inductance load to control it, a dither signal generator for adding a dither signal to the driving signal to be provided to the inductance load, a first monitor for monitoring the dither signal included in the driving signal provided by the controller to detect failure in the controller by detecting an absence of the dither signal therein, and a second monitor for monitoring variation in level of the driving signal from the controller to deactivate failure detecting operation of the first monitor in response to variation above a preselected level to prevent the system from mistakenly interpeting transient level fluctuations as a system failure.

Apparatus for detecting failure occurring in control system for driving

A vehicle dynamic characteristic control apparatus for use with a motor vehicle having a controllable dynamic characteristic. The apparatus includes an actuator for controlling the dynamic characteristic of the motor vehicle, and a control unit for calculating a value for a setting of the actuator based on vehicle running conditions and converting the calculated value into a setting of the actuator. The control unit produces a start command when it receives an abnormal signal which does not occur during normal vehicle driving. An electric signal is produced to operate the actuator in a self-checking mode in the presence of the start command. The self-checking operation is terminated when a time has elapsed after the start command is produced. This is effective to avoid troubles which will occur if the self-checking operation continues for a long time.

Vehicle dynamic characteristic control apparatus

An anti-skid brake control system which employs a process of projection of vehicle speed representative dats based on selected higher one of data derived based on an integrated value which is derived by integrating vehicle body acceleration indicative data by time and data derived on the basis of wheel speed. In the present invention, vehicle speed representing data is periodically or cyclically reset and updated by the vehicle speed as an initial value of the vehicle speed representative data with that derived on the basis of the wheel speed. By selectively using the higher one of the vehicle speed representative data and periodically or cyclically updating the initial value of the vehicle speed representative data, a precision level of the vehicle speed representative level can be maintained high enough to precisely derive a wheel slippage for performing precise anti-skid control.

Control system for controlling wheel slippage with projection of vehicle

A vehicle dynamic characteristic control apparatus for use with a motor vehicle having controllable dynamic characteristics. The apparatus comprises a first sensor sensitive to steering handle position for producing an electric signal indicative of a sensed steering handle position, and a second sensor sensitive to steering handle position for producing a steering handle neutral position signal having a first level when the sensed steering handle position is in a predetermined range and a second level when the sensed steering handle position is out of the predetermined range. A control unit is coupled to the first and second sensors. The control unit checks the steering handle neutral position signal. An estimation start command signal is produced when the steering handle neutral position signal is normal. The control unit estimates a steering handle neutral position in response to the estimation start command and controls the dynamic characteristics of the automotive vehicle based on the estimated steering handle neutral position.

A steering handle neutral position estimating apparatus for use with a motor vehicle having a steering handle operable to provide a driver's vehicle steering demand. The apparatus comprises a first sensor sensitive to steering handle position for producing an electric signal indicative of a sensed steering wheel position, and a second sensor sensitive to steering handle position for producing a steering handle neutral position signal having a first level when the sensed steering handle position is in a predetermined range and a second level when the sensed steering handle position is out of the predetermined range. The first and second sensors are coupled to an estimating unit which produces an estimation command signal when conditions determined for parameters that are sensed when the vehicle is operating are fulfilled. In the presence of the estimation command signal, a steering handle neutral position value is estimated when the steering handle neutral position signal is at its first level. The estimation unit detects an error introduced into the estimated steering handle neutral position value to produce an error signal. The conditions are rendeted more severe each time the conditions are fulfilled in the absence of the error signal. The conditions are initialized in the presence of the error signal.

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Tokyo, Japan

Yasuki Ishikawa