Hybrid vehicle

• US 10,336,251 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2018
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ishida, Ryuta, Takeuchi, Hiroaki, Arakawa, Hiroaki, Ichikawa, Shinji, Hashimoto, Keita, Kinomura, Shigeki, Uotani, Akio, Kagawa, Kazuyuki, Kinoshita, Yusuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Alizada, Omeed
• Application Number:
  US15/961,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20180236938A1
• Time in Patent Office: 434 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/188 Displaying information using colour changes
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/797 at the vehicle exterior
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/29 Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/20 the prime-movers consisting of electric motors and internal combustion engines, e.g. HEVs
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/15 with additional electric power supply with capacitors charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/40; with batteries charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/61
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/26 the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/503 using luminous text or symbol displays in or on the vehicle, e.g. static text
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/509 specific to unauthorised use, e.g. for indicating stolen vehicles or infringements of traffic rules
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/543 for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle indicating taxis' state of hire or fare G07B13/045
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/20 Multi-color single source or LED matrix, e.g. yellow blinker and red brake lamp generated by single lamp
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/283 Steering wheels; Gear levers
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/125 Coloured light
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/904 : Component specially adapted for hev

Abstract

A hybrid vehicle includes an engine, a fuel tank, a motor, a battery, a charger, and a notification mechanism. The battery is configured to supply electric power to the motor. The charger is configured to carry out external charging that charges the battery by use of electric power from an external power source. The notification mechanism is configured to notify, to an outside of the vehicle, information on a use index indicative of a degree of use of external charging in a predetermined time period.

Claims

1. A hybrid vehicle comprising:

an engine;

a fuel tank that stores fuel to be supplied to the engine;

a motor;

a battery configured to supply electric power to the motor;

a charger configured to carry out external charging that charges the battery by use of electric power from an external power source; and

a notification mechanism configured to notify information on a use index to an outside of the vehicle during a trip while the vehicle is moving, the use index being an index for indicating a total time that the charger is connected to the external power source in a predetermined time period.

2. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the notification mechanism is configured to perform notification of the information on the use index by performing at least one of change of color of a part of the hybrid vehicle according to the use index, display of the use index on a part of the hybrid vehicle, display of a message corresponding to the use index on a part of the hybrid vehicle, and change of shape of a part of the hybrid vehicle according to the use index.

3. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

when the notification mechanism performs the notification of the information on the use index by performing the change of color of the part of the hybrid vehicle according to the use index, the notification mechanism performs the notification by performing at least one of change of color of a head lamp, change of color of a back lamp, change of color of a stop lamp, change of color of a turn signal lamp, change of color of an outer rear view mirror assembly, change of color of an exterior door handle assembly, change of color of a letter of a number plate, change of color of a number frame, change of color of an emblem, change of color of a lid, change of color of a back door garnish assembly and change of color of a letter of a back door name plate.

4. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

when the notification mechanism performs the notification of the information on the use index by performing the display of the use index on the part of the hybrid vehicle and the display of the message corresponding to the use index on the part of the hybrid vehicle, the notification mechanism is configured to perform the notification by performing at least one of display on a number plate, display on a number frame, display on a vehicle body, display on a bonnet, and display on a door.

5. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

when the notification mechanism performs the notification of the information on the use index by performing at least one of the display of the use index on the part of the hybrid vehicle and the display of the message corresponding to the use index on the part of the hybrid vehicle, the notification mechanism is configured to perform the notification by performing at least one of display on a number plate, display on a number frame, display on a vehicle body, display on a bonnet, and display on a door.

6. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

when the notification mechanism performs the notification of the information on the use index by performing the change of shape of the part of the hybrid vehicle according to the use index, the notification mechanism is configured to perform the notification by change of a length of a projecting portion of an antenna from the vehicle body.

7. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the notification mechanism is configured to notify the information on the use index to an inside of the vehicle as well as the outside of the vehicle.

8. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the notification mechanism is configured to notify the information on the use index when the use index is less than a threshold.

9. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 7, wherein

when the notification mechanism notifies the information on the use index to the inside of the vehicle, the notification mechanism is configured to perform at least one of change of color of a steering wheel, change of color of the emblem or a switch provided in the steering wheel, change of color of an instrument panel, display of the use index on a combination meter and display of the use index on a display of a navigation device.

10. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising

an electronic control unit in communication with the notification mechanism, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to calculate the use index and cause the notification mechanism to notify information on the use index to the outside of the vehicle.

11. A hybrid vehicle comprising:

an engine;

a fuel tank that stores fuel to be supplied to the engine;

a motor;

a battery configured to supply electric power to the motor;

a charger configured to carry out external charging that charges the battery by use of electric power from an external power source; and

a notification mechanism configured to notify information on a use index to an outside of the vehicle during a trip while the vehicle is moving, the use index being an index for indicating a total charging amount that the charger is charging the battery in a predetermined time period.

12. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 11, wherein

the notification mechanism is configured to perform notification of the information on the use index by performing at least one of change of color of a part of the hybrid vehicle according to the use index, display of the use index on a part of the hybrid vehicle, display of a message corresponding to the use index on a part of the hybrid vehicle, and change of shape of a part of the hybrid vehicle according to the use index.

13. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 12, wherein

when the notification mechanism performs the notification of the information on the use index by performing the change of color of the part of the hybrid vehicle according to the use index, the notification mechanism performs the notification by performing at least one of change of color of a head lamp, change of color of a back lamp, change of color of a stop lamp, change of color of a turn signal lamp, change of color of an outer rear view mirror assembly, change of color of an exterior door handle assembly, change of color of a letter of a number plate, change of color of a number frame, change of color of an emblem, change of color of a lid, change of color of a back door garnish assembly and change of color of a letter of a back door name plate.

14. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 12, wherein

when the notification mechanism performs the notification of the information on the use index by performing the display of the use index on the part of the hybrid vehicle and the display of the message corresponding to the use index on the part of the hybrid vehicle, the notification mechanism is configured to perform the notification by performing at least one of display on a number plate, display on a number frame, display on a vehicle body, display on a bonnet, and display on a door.

15. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 12, wherein

when the notification mechanism performs the notification of the information on the use index by performing at least one of the display of the use index on the part of the hybrid vehicle and the display of the message corresponding to the use index on the part of the hybrid vehicle, the notification mechanism is configured to perform the notification by performing at least one of display on a number plate, display on a number frame, display on a vehicle body, display on a bonnet, and display on a door.

16. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 12, wherein

when the notification mechanism performs the notification of the information on the use index by performing the change of shape of the part of the hybrid vehicle according to the use index, the notification mechanism is configured to perform the notification by change of a length of a projecting portion of an antenna from the vehicle body.

17. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 11, wherein

the notification mechanism is configured to notify the information on the use index to an inside of the vehicle as well as the outside of the vehicle.

18. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 11, wherein

the notification mechanism is configured to notify the information on the use index when the use index is less than a threshold.

19. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 17, wherein

when the notification mechanism notifies the information on the use index to the inside of the vehicle, the notification mechanism is configured to perform at least one of change of color of a steering wheel, change of color of the emblem or a switch provided in the steering wheel, change of color of an instrument panel, display of the use index on a combination meter and display of the use index on a display of a navigation device.

20. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 11, further comprising

an electronic control unit in communication with the notification mechanism, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to calculate the use index and cause the notification mechanism to notify information on the use index to the outside of the vehicle.