Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Yuuki Makino

Koichi Okuda

Atsushi Tabata

Masafumi Yamamoto

Yoshito Sekiguchi

Tooru Matsubara

Kota Fujii

Koji Takaira

Hiromasa Tatsushiro

Yasutaka Tsuchida

Akinori Homan

Kunihiko Usui

Akira Ijichi

Yosuke Akiyama

Keisuke Omuro

Toshiaki Tamachi

Akinori Takahashi

A platooning system executes automatic follow-up running in line with a predetermined intervehicle distance between adjacent vehicles from a leading vehicle, the platoon participating vehicles each comprising a driving force source, an automatic transmission capable of shifting to a plurality of gear stages each having a different gear ratio, and an in-vehicle control device automatically controlling output of the driving force source and the gear stages of the automatic transmission, the platooning system comprising a platoon control device connected via wireless communication to the platoon participating vehicles, for managing at least shifting of the automatic transmission, the platoon control device executing platoon shift control that shifts the automatic transmission via the in-vehicle control device in order from vehicles on tail side among the platoon participating vehicles in case of satisfying shift conditions previously defined to allow the driving force source to work in a proper working range.

Platooning system

A vehicle control device connecting platoon participating vehicles to one another via radio communication, to control platooning of the platoon participating vehicles, the platoon participating vehicle includes a leading vehicle and following vehicles that perform automatic follow-up running in line with a predetermined intervehicle distance from the leading vehicle, During execution of the platooning, the vehicle control device acquires, for each of the platoon participating vehicles, information of an estimated value of retardation based on a driven torque generated when coasting solely in its current vehicle state, the vehicle control device controls the driven torque of each of the platoon participating vehicles so that the platoon participating vehicles align in ascending order of the estimated value of retardation increasing rearward in sequence from the leading vehicle.

Vehicle control device

A sound-source search system for searching a sound source that causes a noise propagated inside or outside a cabin of a vehicle. The system includes: a sound-source search device for acquiring sound data by collecting and measuring a sound; an informing device for informing a sound measuring position in which the sound-source search device should be installed for collecting and measuring the sound; and a control device for acquiring a driving information related to a driving state of the vehicle upon generation of the noise. The control device extracts a sound-source candidate that is a candidate of the sound source causing the noise, based on the acquired driving information, and to cause the informing device to inform the sound measuring position that is set based on a predetermined relationship between the sound-source candidate and the sound measuring position. Also disclosed is a sound-source search method using the sound-source search device.

Sound-source search system and sound-source search method

A vehicle driving apparatus includes: an engine; a first rotary electric machine; first and second output shafts; a power distribution device for distributing a power between the first and second output shafts; and a control device for controlling an electric-power generation torque of a second rotary electric machine such that a power distribution ratio between the first and second output shafts becomes a target distribution ratio, and controlling a total torque of the engine and the first rotary electric machine such that a requested drive torque is obtained. The control device executes an electric-power consuming control to supply at least a part of a generated electric power generated by the second rotary electric machine, to the first rotary electric machine without via a power storage device, and to drive the first rotary electric machine, such that an operation state of the engine is brought close to a fuel-economy optimum state.

Driving apparatus for vehicle

A sound-source-candidate extraction system for extracting a candidate of a sound source that causes a noise propagated inside or outside a cabin of a vehicle. The sound-source-candidate extraction system includes: (a) an imaging device configured to acquire data of an image inside or outside the cabin of the vehicle; and (b) an extracting device configured to extract the candidate of the sound source, depending on a difference between first and second image data acquired by the imaging device, wherein the first image data is the data of the image before generation of the noise, and the second image data is the data of the image upon or after the generation of the noise. Also disclosed is a sound-source search method using the sound-source-candidate extraction system.

Sound-source-candidate extraction system and sound-source search method

A vehicle control device performs learning to correct a parameter used in a control program for controlling a vehicle. The vehicle control device stores learning data obtained by the learning in a storage unit. The vehicle control device determines whether or not a part controlled by the parameter has been replaced, and resets the learning data stored in the storage unit when it is determined that the part has been replaced. The vehicle control device determines that the part has been replaced based on an adjustment that is performed upon replacement of the part. The vehicle control device quickly mitigates degradation of the controllability of the vehicle after replacement of the part.

A vehicle control device for controlling platooning of platoon participating vehicles by connecting the platoon participating vehicles to one another via radio communication, the platoon participating vehicles include a lead vehicle and follow-up vehicles that perform automatic follow-up running in line at a predetermined intervehicle distance from the lead vehicle, the device comprises a control portion that, during execution of the platooning, sets a permissible output range of a drive amount with a current gear ratio of an automatic transmission remaining kept, as a change characteristic of the drive amount in each of the platoon participating vehicles so that change of the drive amount in response to change of a drive demand amount lies within a predetermined range, the automatic transmission being included in each of the platoon participating vehicles to transmit power of a power source to driving wheels.

Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and program for causing computer to implement vehicle control function

A four-wheel drive vehicle includes: a drive-power distribution device for distributing a drive power from an engine to main and auxiliary drive wheels with a drive-power distribution ratio between the main drive wheels and auxiliary drive wheels; and a control apparatus for controlling an electric motor such that the drive-power distribution ratio becomes a target distribution ratio value, by setting an electric-current command value for driving an electric motor. The control apparatus is configured, in a drive-power transmitted state in which the drive power is transmitted to the drive-power distribution device, to execute a command-value reduction control operation for causing the electric motor to be driven with the electric-current command value being set to a value smaller than in a drive-power non-transmitted state in which the drive power is not being transmitted to the drive-power distribution device.

Four-wheel drive vehicle

A vehicle control apparatus includes: a follow-up-running control portion configured to execute a follow-up running control for causing a vehicle to run following a preceding vehicle with a target inter-vehicle distance; and a shift control portion configured to change a gear ratio of an automatic transmission in accordance with a predetermined shifting condition. The shift control portion is configured to set a high fluid-temperature determination value, based on information relating to the preceding vehicle that affects an air flow rate. When a fluid temperature of the automatic transmission is not lower than the high fluid-temperature determination value, the shift control portion is configured to change the shifting condition such that a higher-speed gear position making the gear ratio lower is more frequently established in the automatic transmission than when the fluid temperature of the automatic transmission is lower than the high fluid-temperature determination value.

Control apparatus for vehicle

A control apparatus for a vehicle provided with a power source and a fluid transmission device that includes a lockup clutch. The control apparatus includes: (a) a follow-up-running control portion for controlling a follow-up running in which the vehicle automatically runs following a preceding vehicle with a predetermined inter-vehicle distance to the preceding vehicle; and (b) a lockup-clutch control portion for controlling the lockup clutch such that an operation state of the lockup clutch is placed in one of a released state, a slipping state or an engaged state. The lockup-clutch control portion is configured, during the follow-up running, to execute a fluid-temperature increase suppressing control for controlling the operation state of the lockup clutch in a manner that suppresses increase of a temperature of a working fluid which circulates in the fluid transmission device and which is used to switch the operation state of the lockup clutch.

A vehicle control apparatus including: a storage portion configured to store therein a vehicle control software for controlling a vehicle; a receiving portion configured to receive an update software from an external server; and an updating portion configured to update the vehicle control software stored in the storage portion, to the update software received by the receiving portion. The updating portion is configured to determine whether the vehicle is in a long-time requiring state that requires a long time for making a repair of the vehicle which is needed in case update of the vehicle control software is not successfully completed. The updating portion is configured to execute the update of the vehicle control software when determining that the vehicle is not in the long-time requiring state, and is configured to withhold the update of the vehicle control software when determining that the vehicle is in the long-time requiring state.

Vehicle control apparatus

A vehicle control apparatus including: a storage portion configured to store therein a vehicle control software for controlling a vehicle; an updating portion configured to update the vehicle control software stored in the storage portion, to an update software, and an operation check portion configured, when the update software is stored in the storage portion, to make an operation check as to whether the vehicle operates normally or not, by executing processing of the update software on condition that the vehicle is in a vehicle stopped state in which the vehicle is suppressed from being moved in forward and reverse directions. When it is checked by the operation check portion that the vehicle operates normally with the processing of the update software, the updating portion is configured to update the vehicle control software to the update software.

A vehicle control apparatus for controlling a vehicle through a control program using at least one parameter. The at least one parameter is corrected by respective at least one correction value that is obtained after start of execution of a learning operation. The vehicle control apparatus includes: a learning-data storage portion configured to store, as learning data, the at least one correction value obtained after the start of the execution of the learning operation; and a learning-data rewrite portion configured, when the control program is updated, to execute a rewriting operation for rewriting the at least one correction value as the learning data from a pre-update correction value to a post-update correction value, such that the post-update correction value has the same sign as the pre-update correction value, and an absolute value of the post-update correction value is smaller than an absolute value of the pre-update correction value.

In a hybrid vehicle including an engine, a first motor, a differential unit, a second motor, a driving force split device, and a controller, the controller is configured to control the engine, the first motor, and the second motor such that the hybrid vehicle travels with the engine rotating within a range of an allowable maximum rotational speed for control or less. In this case, the controller is configured to set the allowable maximum rotational speed such that the allowable maximum rotational speed is higher when a main-side ratio is lower than when the main-side ratio is higher. The main-side ratio is a ratio of a driving force that is transmitted to main drive wheels to the total driving force that is transmitted from a drive shaft to the main drive wheels and sub drive wheels via the driving force split device.

Hybrid vehicle and method for controlling hybrid vehicle

When braking of the electric vehicle is performed, the braking is controlled based on a target braking split ratio which is a target value of the ratio of the braking force that is applied to the rear wheels to a total braking force that is applied to the front and rear wheels. In this case, an initial value of the target braking split ratio is set to a value within an allowable range about a transmission split ratio when braking of the electric vehicle is started while the electric vehicle is being braked by the motor, the transmission split ratio being the ratio of a braking force that is transmitted from a drive shaft to the rear wheels via a driving force split device to a total braking force that is transmitted from the drive shaft to the front and rear wheels via the driving force split device.

Growing community of inventors

Aichi-gun, Japan

Yuuki Makino