Hybrid vehicle and method of controlling the same

• US 20090277702A1
• Filed: 10/03/2006
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Takahiro, Yoshida, Hiroshi, Mogari, Takeshi, Kanada, Naoya
• Application Number:
  US11/991,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20090277702A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/65.290
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/20 AC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/62 Vehicle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• 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: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/13 in order to stay within battery power input or output limits; in order to prevent overcharging or battery depletion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/20 Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 2201/09 Boost converter, i.e. DC-DC step up converter increasing the voltage between the supply and the inverter driving the motor general aspects of plural converters in cascade H02M
• 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 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A controller obtains a planned travel distance from a current position of a vehicle to a preset charging point from a car navigation system, and based on the obtained planned travel distance, sets upper and lower limit values for controlling SOC of an electric storage lower as it comes closer to the charging point. The controller controls the SOC of the electric storage such that the SOC is within the set upper and lower limits of SOC control.

Claims

1. A hybrid vehicle having an internal combustion engine and an electric motor mounted as power sources, comprising:

a rechargeable electric storage supplying electric power to said electric motor;

an electric power generating device generating electric power using an output of said internal combustion engine and supplying the generated electric power to said electric storage;

an electric power input unit receiving electric power applied from the outside of the vehicle for charging said electric storage;

control means for controlling an amount of charge from said electric power generating device to said electric storage such that a state amount representing state of charge of said electric storage is adjusted within a prescribed control range or to a control target value;

position detecting means for detecting current position of the hybrid vehicle; and

setting means for setting a threshold value defining said prescribed control range or said control target value lower, as travel distance from the current position detected by said position detecting means to a preset charging point is shorter.

2. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said electric power applied from the outside of said vehicle is electric power from a commercial power source;

and

said charging point is home of the user of said hybrid vehicle.

3. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

when said internal combustion engine is stopped, said electric power generating device can start an operation of said internal combustion engine using electric power from said electric storage;

and

said setting means sets said threshold value or said control target value such that said state amount does not fall below a lower limit level at which said electric power generating device can start the operation of said internal combustion engine using the electric power from said electric storage.

4. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 3, wherein

said setting means changes said lower limit level in accordance with a region to which said charging point belongs.

5. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 3, wherein

said setting means changes said lower limit level in accordance with temperature of said internal combustion engine.

6. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 3, wherein

said setting means changes said lower limit level in accordance with temperature of said electric storage.

7. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said electric power generating device includes

an additional electric motor having a rotation shaft mechanically linked to a crank shaft of said internal combustion engine, and

a first inverter provided corresponding to said additional electric motor;

said hybrid vehicle further comprising;

a second inverter provided corresponding to said electric motor; and

inverter control means for controlling said first and second inverters;

wherein

said additional electric motor and said electric motor include first and second poly-phase windings as stator windings, respectively;

said electric power input unit is connected to a first neutral point of said first poly-phase winding and to a second neutral point of said second poly-phase winding and applies AC power supplied from the outside of the vehicle to said first and second neutral points; and

said inverter control means controls said first and second inverters in a coordinated manner such that when said AC power is supplied to said first and second neutral points, said AC power is converted to DC power and output to said electric storage.

8. A method of controlling a hybrid vehicle having an internal combustion engine and an electric motor mounted as power sources, wherein

said hybrid vehicle includes

a rechargeable electric storage supplying electric power to said electric motor;

an electric power generating device generating electric power using an output of said internal combustion engine and supplying the generated electric power to said electric storage;

an electric power input unit receiving electric power applied from the outside of the vehicle for charging said electric storage; and

a position detecting unit configured to be capable of detecting current position of the hybrid vehicle;

said control method comprising;

the first step of obtaining, from said position detecting unit, a planned travel distance from the current position of said hybrid vehicle to a preset charging point;

the second step of setting a threshold value defining a control range of a state amount representing state of charge of said electric storage or a control target value of said state amount lower as said planned travel distance is shorter; and

the third step of controlling an amount of charge from said electric power generating device to said electric storage such that said state amount is adjusted within said control range or to said control target value.

9. The control method according to claim 8, wherein

said electric power applied from the outside of said vehicle is electric power from a commercial power source;

and

said charging point is home of the user of said hybrid vehicle.

10. The control method according to claim 8, wherein

when said internal combustion engine is stopped, said electric power generating device can start an operation of said internal combustion engine using electric power from said electric storage;

and

at said second step, said threshold value or said control target value is set such that said state amount does not fall below a lower limit level at which said electric power generating device can start the operation of said internal combustion engine using the electric power from said electric storage.

11. The control method according to claim 10, wherein

said lower limit level is changed in accordance with a region to which said charging point belongs.

12. The control method according to claim 10, wherein

said lower limit level is changed in accordance with temperature of said internal combustion engine.

13. The control method according to claim 10, wherein

said lower limit level is changed in accordance with temperature of said electric storage.

14. The control method according to claim 8, wherein

said electric power generating device includes

an additional electric motor having a rotation shaft mechanically linked to a crank shaft of said internal combustion engine, and

a first inverter provided corresponding to said additional electric motor;

said hybrid vehicle further includes a second inverter provided corresponding to said electric motor;

said additional electric motor and said electric motor include first and second poly-phase windings as stator windings, respectively;

said electric power input unit is connected to a first neutral point of said first poly-phase winding and to a second neutral point of said second poly-phase winding and applies AC power supplied from the outside of the vehicle to said first and second neutral points; and

said control method further comprising the fourth step of controlling said first and second inverters in a coordinated manner such that when said AC power is supplied to said first and second neutral points, said AC power is converted to DC power and output to said electric storage.