Electric Motorcycle, Vehicle Controller and Vehicle Control Method

Abstract

An electric motorcycle includes a driving command detecting device, a state value detecting device, an electric motor driving a drive wheel, a control unit for executing a non-normal mode causing output of the electric motor in a non-normal mode to differ from the output of the electric motor in a normal mode, the control unit configured to shift the electric motorcycle from one of the normal or non-normal modes to the other normal or non-normal mode, when the state value satisfies a predetermined shift condition, in one of the normal and non-normal modes, and a cornering determiner unit for determining cornering status, wherein the control unit causes a change in the output of the electric motor to be less, when the electric motorcycle is cornering and the shift condition is satisfied than when the cornering determiner unit determines the electric motorcycle is not cornering and the shift condition is satisfied.

1 . An electric motorcycle comprising:
 a driving command detecting device for detecting a driving command input by a driver;   a state value detecting device for detecting a state value different from the driving command;   an electric motor for generating driving power transmitted to a drive wheel;   a control unit capable of executing a normal mode for controlling an output of the electric motor in response to the driving command detected by the driving command detecting device and a non-normal mode for causing the output of the electric motor in the non-normal mode to be different from the output of the electric motor in the normal mode, the control unit being configured to shift the electric motorcycle from one of the normal mode and the non-normal mode to the other of the normal mode and the non-normal mode, when the state value detected by the state value detecting device satisfies a predetermined shift condition, in the one of the normal mode and the non-normal mode; and   a cornering determiner unit for determining whether or not the electric motorcycle is cornering;   wherein the control unit causes a change in the output of the electric motor to be less, when the cornering determiner unit determines that the electric motorcycle is cornering and the shift condition is satisfied than when the cornering determiner unit determines that the electric motorcycle is not cornering and the shift condition is satisfied.   
     
     
         2 . The electric motorcycle according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the control unit inhibits the electric motorcycle from shifting from the one of the normal mode and the non-normal mode to the other of the normal mode and the non-normal mode, when the cornering determiner unit determines that the electric motorcycle is cornering and the shift condition is satisfied.   
     
     
         3 . The electric motorcycle according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the control unit controls the output of the electric motor such that at least one of a change amount of the output of the electric motor and a change rate of the output of the electric motor which occurs with time in a case where the electric motorcycle shifts from the one of the normal mode and the non-normal mode to the other of the normal mode and the non-normal mode, is made less, when the cornering determiner unit determines that the electric motorcycle is cornering and the shift condition is satisfied than when the cornering determiner unit determines that the electric motorcycle is not cornering and the shift condition is satisfied.   
     
     
         4 . The electric motorcycle according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a battery for supplying electric power to the electric motor; and   an inverter interposed between the electric motor and the battery;   wherein the state value detecting device detects as the state value a state of at least one of driving system electric devices including the electric motor, the battery and the inverter;   wherein the shift condition includes a non-normal mode shift condition for shifting the electric motorcycle from the normal mode to the non-normal mode, in which the state value is a predetermined non-normal value, and a normal mode shift condition for shifting the electric motorcycle from the non-normal mode to the normal mode, in which the state value is a predetermined normal value; and   wherein the control unit causes the output of the electric motorcycle in the non-normal mode to be less than the output of the electric motorcycle in the normal mode.   
     
     
         5 . The electric motorcycle according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a battery for supplying electric power to the electric motor; and   an inverter interposed between the electric motor and the battery;   wherein the state value detecting device includes at least one of a temperature sensor for detecting as the state value a temperature of at least one of the battery, the inverter and the electric motor, a battery sensor for detecting a discharge ability of the battery as the state value, a rotational speed sensor for detecting a rotational speed of the electric motor as the state value, a vehicle speed sensor for detecting a vehicle speed as the state value, and an abnormality detecting device for detecting as the state value an abnormality of a sensor for detecting input information used to control the electric motor;   wherein the shift condition includes an output limiting mode shift condition which is at least one of a condition in which the temperature detected by the temperature sensor exceeds a predetermined allowable value, a condition in which the discharge ability detected by the battery sensor is less than a predetermined allowable value, a condition in which the rotational speed detected by the rotational speed sensor is equal to or greater than a predetermined upper limit rotational speed, a condition in which the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor is equal to or greater than a predetermined upper limit speed, and a condition in which the abnormality is detected by the abnormality detecting device;   wherein the non-normal mode includes an output limiting mode for causing the output of the electric motor in the output limiting mode to be less than the output of the electric motor in the normal mode; and   wherein the control unit shifts the electric motorcycle to the output limiting mode when the output limiting mode shift condition is satisfied, in the normal mode.   
     
     
         6 . The electric motorcycle according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the control unit controls the output of the electric motor such that a target value of the output of the electric motor gets gradually closer to a target value after the mode shift, when the cornering determiner unit determines that cornering has finished with the shift condition satisfied, from a state in which a change in the output of the electric motor is suppressed since the cornering determiner unit determines that the electric motorcycle is cornering and the shift condition is satisfied.   
     
     
         7 . The electric motorcycle according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the shift condition includes a predetermined output rapid-increase mode shift condition;   wherein the non-normal mode includes an output rapid-increase mode for causing the output of the electric motor in the output rapid-increase mode to be greater than the output of the electric motor in the normal mode for a specified time, when an increase rate of an accelerator displacement amount detected by the driving command detecting device is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold; and   wherein the control unit shifts the electric motorcycle to the output rapid-increase mode, when the output rapid-increase mode shift condition is satisfied in the normal mode.   
     
     
         8 . The electric motorcycle according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a cornering state determiner unit for determining whether or not a driving state is a final phase of cornering;   wherein when the cornering state determiner unit determines that the driving state is the final phase of the cornering, in a state in which the cornering determiner unit determines that the electric motorcycle is cornering and the output rapid-increase mode shift condition is satisfied, the control unit does not suppress a change in the output of the electric motor.   
     
     
         9 . The electric motorcycle according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a notification device for performing notification to the driver;   wherein the control unit causes the notification device to notify the driver that a change in the output of the electric motor is suppressed, when the cornering determiner unit determines that the electric motorcycle is cornering and the shift condition is satisfied.   
     
     
         10 . The electric motorcycle according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the control unit varies a degree to which the change in the output of the electric motor is suppressed, according to a driving state during the cornering.   
     
     
         11 . A vehicle controller comprising:
 a driving command reception section for receiving a driving command input by a driver;   a state value reception section for receiving a state value different from the driving command;   a normal mode executing section for controlling an output of a driving source in response to the driving command;   a non-normal mode executing section for causing the output of the driving source in a non-normal mode to be different from the output of the driving source in a normal mode;   a mode shift control section for shifting a vehicle from one of the normal mode and the non-normal mode to the other of the normal mode and the non-normal mode, when the state value received by the state value reception section satisfies a predetermined shift condition, in the one of the normal mode and the non-normal mode; and   a cornering determiner section for determining whether or not the vehicle is cornering;   wherein the mode shift control section causes a change in the output of the driving source to be less, when the cornering determiner section determines that the vehicle is cornering and the shift condition is satisfied than when the cornering determiner section determines that the vehicle is not cornering and the shift condition is satisfied.   
     
     
         12 . A vehicle control method comprising the steps of:
 receiving a driving command input by a driver;   receiving a state value different from the driving command;   controlling an output of a driving source in response to the driving command in a normal mode;   causing the output of the driving source in a non-normal mode to be different from the output of the driving source in the normal mode;   shifting a vehicle from one of the normal mode and the non-normal mode to the other of the normal mode and the non-normal mode, when the state value satisfies a predetermined shift condition, in the one of the normal mode and the non-normal mode; and determining whether or not the vehicle is cornering;   wherein in the step of shifting the vehicle from one of the normal mode and the non-normal mode to the other of the normal mode and the non-normal mode, a change in the output of the driving source is caused to be less, when it is determined that the vehicle is cornering and the shift condition is satisfied than when it is determined that the vehicle is not cornering and the shift condition is satisfied.