Hybrid vehicle control device

• US 10,099,695 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2014
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Sawada, Takanobu, Mihara, Kiyotaka, Tani, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Mott, Genna M
• Application Number:
  US15/501,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20170240174A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,498 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2006/4825 Electric machine connected or connectable to gearbox input shaft
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/166 Navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 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 Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/547 the transmission being a stepped gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/00 Conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function for propulsion of purely electrically-propelled vehicles with power supplied within the vehicle B60L50/00 - B60L58/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/12 using control strategies taking into account route information estimation or calculation of non-directly measurable driving parameters B60W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/15 Control strategies specially adapted for achieving a particular effect
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/215 Selection or confirmation of options
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/00 Input parameters relating to exterior conditions, not covered by groups B60W2552/00, B60W2554/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/06 Combustion engines, Gas turbines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/08 Electric propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/182 Selecting between different operative modes, e.g. comfort and performance modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/085 : Changing the parameters of the control units, e.g. changing limit values, working points by control input
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/12 : Limiting control by the driver depending on vehicle state, e.g. interlocking means for the control input for preventing unsafe operation
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 : Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/92 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2300/182 : Selecting between different operative modes, e.g. comfort and performance modes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 : Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3691 : Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 : Engine management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 : Data processing systems or methods, management, administration
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/93 : Conjoint control of different elements

Abstract

A hybrid vehicle control device is provided that is capable of controlling a drive source according to a travel plan. The hybrid vehicle control device is configured to be mounted in a hybrid vehicle including a drive source having an engine and a motor/generator, and a navigation system that acquires travel environment information of a planned travel route. The control device is configured such that, upon selection of a “travel plan mode”, which controls the drive source according to a travel plan set for low fuel travel based on travel environment information acquired from the navigation system in the absence of the selection of an “eco-mode”, which controls the drive source to prioritize fuel efficiency over power performance, the selection of the “travel plan mode” is linked with a setting operation for the “eco-mode”.

Claims

1. A hybrid vehicle control device configured to be mounted in a hybrid vehicle having a drive source that includes an engine and a motor, and a navigation system that acquires travel environment information on a planned travel route, and comprising:

a drive source controller that carries out control of the drive source in accordance with a driving mode of the hybrid vehicle, the drive source controller being configured to selectively control the drive source to operate in one of an EV mode and an HEV mode as travel modes, wherein

the hybrid vehicle comprises, as the driving modes,

a travel plan mode that sets a travel plan to control the travel mode of the drive source for low fuel consumption travel based on the travel environment information and an assumed requested drive force of a driver, and

an eco-mode that controls the drive source to prioritize fuel efficiency over power performance by decreasing a target drive force with respect to an accelerator operation amount,

each of the travel plan mode and the eco-mode being manually selectable, and

the drive source controller is configured to determine whether the planned travel route has been set by the navigation system and whether the travel plan mode has been selected in a state in which the eco-mode is not selected, and to automatically set the eco-mode in parallel with the travel plan mode when the drive source controller determines that the planned travel route has been set by the navigation system and that the travel plan mode has been selected in a state in which the eco-mode is not selected, the travel plan being set after the eco-mode is automatically set.

2. The hybrid vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein

the drive source controller includes driver characteristic information in the travel environment information that is used when setting the travel plan.

3. The hybrid vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein

the travel plan mode gives priority to an actual requested drive force of the driver when the actual requested drive force requires a travel mode that is different from the travel plan.

4. The hybrid vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein

in the travel plan mode, the planned travel route is divided into a plurality of sections and the travel mode in each of the sections is set according to the assumed requested drive force to configure the travel plan.

5. A hybrid vehicle control device configured to be mounted in a hybrid vehicle having a drive source that includes an engine and a motor, and a navigation system that acquires travel environment information on a planned travel route, and comprising:

a drive source controller that carries out control of the drive source in accordance with a driving mode of the hybrid vehicle, the drive source controller being configured to selectively control the drive source to operate in one of an EV mode and an HEV mode as travel modes, wherein

the hybrid vehicle comprises, as the driving modes,

a travel plan mode that sets a travel plan to control the travel mode of the drive source for low fuel consumption travel based on the travel environment information and an assumed requested drive force of a driver, and

an eco-mode that controls the drive source to prioritize fuel efficiency over power performance by decreasing a target drive force with respect to an accelerator operation amount,

each of the travel plan mode and the eco-mode being manually selectable, and

the drive source controller is configured to determine whether the planned travel route has been set by the navigation system and whether the travel plan mode has been selected in a state in which the eco-mode is not selected, and to recommend setting the eco-mode when the drive source controller determines that the planned travel route has been set by the navigation system and that the travel plan mode has been selected in a state in which the eco-mode is not selected, the travel plan being set after setting the eco-mode is recommended.

6. The hybrid vehicle control device according to claim 5, wherein

the drive source controller includes driver characteristic information in the travel environment information that is used when setting the travel plan.

7. The hybrid vehicle control device according to claim 5, wherein

the travel plan mode gives priority to an actual requested drive force of the driver when the actual requested drive force requires a travel mode that is different from the travel plan.

8. The hybrid vehicle control device according to claim 5, wherein

in the travel plan mode, the planned travel route is divided into a plurality of sections and the travel mode in each of the sections is set according to the assumed requested drive force to configure the travel plan.

9. The hybrid vehicle control device according to claim 5, wherein

the travel plan mode and the eco-mode are set in parallel when the eco-mode is selected in response to the recommendation.