Control apparatus for hybrid vehicles

• US 20020108794A1
• Filed: 04/17/2002
• Published: 08/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Nakamoto, Yasuo, Sawamura, Kazutomo, Oki, Hideyuki, Wakashiro, Teruo, Izumiura, Atsushi, Kitajima, Shinichi, Kuroda, Shigetaka, Nakaune, Kan
• Granted Patent: US 6,907,948 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/65.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/485 Motor-assist type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/44 related to combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/441 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/26 Transition between different drive modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/14 Preventing excessive discharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 Preventing overcharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/18 Controlling the braking effect B60L7/12, B60L7/14, B60L7/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• 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 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

A control apparatus of a hybrid vehicle is provided, capable of charging the battery device when the state of charge of the battery device tends to decrease and the initial state of charge of the battery device is reduced by a predetermined amount. The present device comprises a lower limit threshold value setting device S060, an upper limit threshold value setting device for setting the lower limit and upper limit threshold values of the discharge amount of the battery device, a mode setting device S054 for increasing the state of charge when the state of charge is reduced to the lower limit threshold value, a mode setting release device S062 for releasing the mode setting changed by the mode setting device, and a discharge depth detecting device S063 for detecting the discharge amount of the present state of charge by comparison with the initial state of charge. The threshold value for determining whether it is necessary for the motor to assist the engine is modified depending upon the discharge depth.

Claims

1. A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle comprising

an engine for outputting a driving force of the vehicle;

a motor for generating an auxiliary driving force for assisting the output of the engine;

a battery device for supplying electric power to the motor and for storing regenerative energy obtained by a regenerative operation of the motor at the time of supplying electric power to the motor during deceleration of the vehicle;

an assist determination device for determining whether it is necessary for the motor to assist the engine output in response to the driving condition of said vehicle;

an assist amount determination device for determining the assist amount of the engine output by the motor in response to the engine driving conditions when an assist of the engine output is determined by said assist determination device;

an assist control device for assisting the output of said engine by said motor based on the assist amount determined by said assist amount determination device;

wherein said control apparatus of the hybrid vehicle comprises;

a travel start detecting device for detecting the travel start of the vehicle;

a state of charge detecting device for detecting the state of charge of said battery device;

a discharge depth detecting device for detecting a discharge amount of the present state of charge by comparison with the initial state of charge detected at the time of starting the travel;

a lower limit threshold value setting device for setting the lower limit threshold value of the discharge amount when compared with said initial state of charge;

an upper limit threshold value setting device for setting the upper limit threshold value of the discharge amount when compared with said initial state of charge;

a mode setting device for changing the control mode of said motor when the state of charge of the battery device is reduced to said lower limit threshold value; and

a mode setting release device for releasing the setting of the motor control mode set by said mode setting device when the state of charge of the battery device reaches said upper limit threshold value;

a determination threshold correction device for correcting the engine output determination threshold used as a standard for determination by said assist determination device in response to the discharge depth detected by said discharge depth detecting device when the motor control mode is changed by said mode setting device.

2. A control apparatus of a hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the determination threshold value corrected by said determination threshold value correction device is corrected in response to the vehicle speed.

3. A control apparatus of a hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control apparatus of the hybrid vehicle comprises, in place of said determination threshold value correction device, an assist amount correcting device for correcting the assist amount for the engine output by the motor or the cruise generation amount correction device for correcting the amount of charge to the battery device at the time of cruising travel.

4. A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle comprising:

an engine for outputting a driving force of the vehicle;

a motor for generating an auxiliary driving force for assisting the engine output;

a battery device for supplying electric power to the motor and for storing regenerative energy obtained by a regenerative operation of the motor during deceleration the vehicle;

an assist determination device for determining whether it is necessary for the motor to assist the engine output in response to the driving condition of said vehicle;

wherein said control apparatus of the hybrid vehicle comprises;

a start of travel detecting device for detecting the start of travel of the vehicle;

a state of charge detecting device for detecting the state of charge of said battery device;

a discharge depth detecting device for detecting a discharge amount of the present state of charge by comparison with the initial state of charge detected at the time of starting the travel;

a lower limit threshold value setting device for setting the lower limit threshold value of the discharge amount when compared with said initial state of charge;

an upper limit threshold value setting device for setting the upper limit threshold value of the discharge amount when compared with said initial state of charge;

a mode setting device for changing a control mode of said motor when the state of charge of the battery device is reduced to said lower limit threshold value;

a mode setting release device for releasing the setting of the motor control mode set by said mode setting release device when the residual capacity of the storage battery reaches said upper limit threshold value;

a determination threshold value correction device for correcting the determination threshold value used as the standard for determination by said assist determination device in response to said discharge depth detecting device when the control mode of the motor is changed by said mode setting device; and

a determination threshold value state of charge correction device for further correcting the determination threshold value corrected by said determination threshold value correction device in response to said initial state of charge of said battery device.

5. An control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said determination threshold state of charge correction device decreases the correction amount of the determination threshold as the initial state of charge the battery device increases.