Control device for a hybrid electric vehicle

• US 20070219045A1
• Filed: 03/19/2007
• Published: 09/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi FUSO Truck & Bus Corporation (Daimler Truck Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi FUSO Truck & Bus Corporation (Daimler Truck Holding AG)
• Inventors: Kiuchi, Tatsuo, Ogata, Makoto
• Application Number:
  US11/723,295
• Publication Number:
  US 20070219045A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 477/3
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/547 the transmission being a stepped gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2072 for drive off
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/486 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/507 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/526 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/527 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/529 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/26 by pedal actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0061 relating to electrical machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• 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 10/11 Stepped gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/115 : with planetary gears
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 : for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• 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 20/50 : Control strategies for responding to system failures, e.g. for fault diagnosis, failsafe operation or limp mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18027 : Drive off, accelerating from standstill
• 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 hybrid electric vehicle is equipped with an engine output system that makes the engine generate a driving force and outputs the driving force of the engine and a motor output system that makes an electric motor generate a driving force and outputs the driving force of the electric motor, and is capable of transmitting to driving wheels the driving forces outputted from the respective systems. If a failure of the motor output system is not detected, a vehicle ECU sets the gear of an automatic transmission for start-up of the vehicle to a first gear. If the failure is detected, the vehicle ECU sets the gear of the automatic transmission for start-up the vehicle to a second gear that is lower than the first gear.

Claims

1. A control device for a hybrid electric vehicle equipped with an engine output system that makes an engine generate a driving force and outputs the driving force of the engine and a motor output system that makes an electric motor generate a driving force and outputs the driving force of the electric motor, the vehicle being capable of transmitting the driving forces outputted from the respective systems to driving wheels, the control device comprising:

an automatic transmission that has a plurality of forward gears and transmits to the driving wheels the driving force of the engine which is outputted from the engine output system;

a failure detection means for detecting a failure of the motor output system; and

a control means that sets a gear of the automatic transmission for start-up of the vehicle to a first gear when the failure is not detected by the failure detection means, and on the other hand, sets the gear of the automatic transmission for start-up of the vehicle to a second gear that is lower than the first gear when the failure is detected by the failure detection means.

2. The control device for a hybrid electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

the control means changes the gear of the automatic transmission for start-up of the vehicle between a situation in which the failure is detected by the failure detection means and a situation in which the failure is not detected by the failure detection means by switching gear shift maps for controlling the automatic transmission according to a change in an operating state of the vehicle.

3. The control device for a hybrid electric vehicle according to claim 2, wherein:

the gear shift map that is selected when a failure of the motor output system is detected by the failure detection means is configured so that the transmission is downshifted earlier according to a change in the operating state of the vehicle, and upshifted later according to a change in the operating state of the vehicle, as compared to the gear shift map that is selected when a failure of the motor output system is not detected by the failure detection means.