HYBRID VEHICLE AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME

• US 20100185349A1
• Filed: 11/09/2007
• Published: 07/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ando, Daigo, Harada, Osamu
• Granted Patent: US 8,774,993 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• 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 2240/423 Torque
• 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 10/24 including control of energy storage means
• 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 20/40 Controlling the engagement or disengagement of prime movers, e.g. for transition between prime movers power-up or power-down of the driveline B60W30/192
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/18 Distance travelled
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/083 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/2006 Periodically heating or cooling catalytic reactors, e.g. at cold starting or overheating by electrically controlling the supply of combustible mixture or its constituents only F02D41/0235
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/02 peculiar to engines driving vehicles; peculiar to engines driving variable pitch propellers
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/06 peculiar to engines driving electric generators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/20 Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility

Abstract

A hybrid vehicle is equipped with an engine and a motor generator (MG2) serving as a power source for driving the vehicle. A catalytic converter is provided in an exhaust pipe of the engine. An HV-ECU estimates a possible EV-running distance based on an SOC of a power storage device for comparison with a traveling distance (L) to a destination set by a navigation device. When the possible EV-running distance is longer than the traveling distance (L), the HV-ECU outputs a control signal (CTL2) instructing prohibition of warm-up of the catalytic converter, to an EG-ECU.

Claims

1. A hybrid vehicle equipped with an internal combustion engine, an electric motor serving as a power source for driving the hybrid vehicle and a power storage device supplying electric power to said electric motor, comprising:

a catalytic converter purifying an exhaust gas discharged from said internal combustion engine;

warming-up means for warming up said catalytic converter;

setting means for setting a traveling distance of the hybrid vehicle;

estimation means for estimating a possible running distance in an electric-motor traveling mode of traveling with said internal combustion engine turned off and with said electric motor driven, based on a state of charge of a said power storage device;

comparison means for comparing the possible running distance estimated by said estimation means with the traveling distance set by said setting means; and

control means for controlling said warming-up means based on a result of the comparison made by said comparison means, and

power generation means for generating electric power to charge said power storage device by motive power of said internal combustion engine, wherein

said internal combustion engine is started when a state of charge of said power storage device falls below a predetermined threshold value,

said hybrid vehicle further comprising threshold value setting means (260) for setting said predetermined threshold value based on the result of the comparison made by said comparison means.

2. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

when the possible running distance estimated by said estimation means is longer than the traveling distance set by said setting means, said control means prohibits warm-up of said catalytic converter by said warming-up means.

3. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

when start of said internal combustion engine is requested during prohibition of warm-up of said catalytic converter, said control means cancels the prohibition of warm-up of said catalytic converter by said warming-up means.

4. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

when the traveling distance of the hybrid vehicle is newly set by said setting means, said comparison means compares the newly set traveling distance with the possible running distance estimated by said estimation means, and

said control means controls said warming-up means based on the result of the comparison.

5. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

when the traveling distance of the hybrid vehicle is newly set by said setting means during warm-up of said catalytic converter by said warming-up means, said comparison means compares the newly set traveling distance with the possible running distance estimated by said estimation means, and

when the possible running distance estimated by said estimation means is longer than said newly set traveling distance, said control means stops warm-up of said catalytic converter by said warming-up means.

6. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

when a system of the hybrid vehicle is turned off at a distance shorter than the traveling distance set by said setting means,

said comparison means compares a remaining distance of the set traveling distance with the possible running distance estimated by said estimation means when the system is activated next time, and

said control means controls said warming-up means based on the result of the comparison.

7. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said threshold value setting means sets said predetermined threshold value at a first threshold value when the possible running distance estimated by said estimation means is longer than the traveling distance set by said setting means, and sets said predetermined threshold value at a second threshold value larger than said first threshold value when the possible running distance estimated by said estimation means is not longer than the traveling distance set by said setting means.

8. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising charging means for charging said power storage device by electric power received from a source external to the hybrid vehicle.

9. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said setting means includes a navigation device allowing setting of a destination of the hybrid vehicle, and

said navigation device calculates the traveling distance of the hybrid vehicle based on the set destination.

10. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said setting means includes an input device allowing input of the traveling distance of the hybrid vehicle.

11. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said setting means sets the traveling distance of the hybrid vehicle at a preset fixed value.

12. A method of controlling a hybrid vehicle equipped with an internal combustion engine, an electric motor serving as a power source for driving the hybrid vehicle and a power storage device supplying electric power to said electric motor, wherein

said hybrid vehicle includes:

a catalytic converter purifying an exhaust gas discharged from said internal combustion engine; and

warming-up means for warming up said catalytic converter, and

power generation means for generating electric power to charge said power storage device by motive power of said internal combustion engine, wherein

said internal combustion engine is started when a state of charge of said power storage device falls below a predetermined threshold value,

said method comprising;

a first step of setting a traveling distance of the hybrid vehicle;

a second step of estimating a state of charge of a said power storage device;

a third step of estimating a possible running distance in an electric-motor traveling mode of traveling with said internal combustion engine turned off and with said electric motor driven, based on the estimated state of charge;

a fourth step of comparing the estimated possible running distance with the traveling distance set in said first step; and

a fifth step of controlling said warming-up means based on a result of the comparison, and

a sixth step of setting said predetermined threshold value based on said result of the comparison.

13. The method of controlling a hybrid vehicle according to claim 12, wherein

a said sixth step includes:

a sub-step of setting said predetermined threshold value at a first threshold value when the possible running distance estimated in said third step is longer than the traveling distance set in said first step; and

a sub-step of setting said predetermined threshold value at a second threshold value larger than said first threshold value, when the possible running distance estimated in said third step is not longer than the traveling distance set in said first step.

14. A hybrid vehicle equipped with an internal combustion engine, an electric motor serving as a power source for driving the hybrid vehicle and a power storage device supplying electric power to said electric motor, comprising:

a catalytic converter purifying an exhaust gas discharged from said internal combustion engine;

a warming-up device warming up said catalytic converter;

a setting device setting a traveling distance of the hybrid vehicle;

a power generation device generating electric power for charging said power storage device by motive power of said internal combustion engine, and

a control device executing a series of steps, wherein

said internal combustion engine is started when a state of charge of said power storage device falls below a predetermined threshold value, and

said control device estimates a possible running distance in an electric-motor traveling mode of traveling with said internal combustion engine turned off and with said electric motor driven, based on a state of charge of said power storage device, compares the estimated possible running distance with the traveling distance set by said setting device, controls said warming-up device based on a result of the comparison, and sets said predetermined threshold value based on said result of the comparison.

15. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 14, wherein

when the estimated possible running distance is longer than the traveling distance set by said setting device, said control device prohibits warm-up of said catalytic converter by said warming-up device.

16. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 15, wherein

when start of said internal combustion engine is requested during prohibition of warm-up of said catalytic converter, said control device cancels the prohibition of warm-up of said catalytic converter by said warming-up device.

17. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 14, wherein

when the traveling distance of the hybrid vehicle is newly set by said setting device, said control device compares the newly set traveling distance with said estimated possible running distance, and controls said warming-up device based on the result of the comparison.

18. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 14, wherein

when the traveling distance of the hybrid vehicle is newly set by said setting device during warm-up of said catalytic converter by said warming-up device, said control device compares the newly set traveling distance with said estimated possible running distance, and when said estimated possible running distance is longer than said newly set traveling distance, said control device stops the warm-up of said catalytic converter by said warming-up device.

19. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 14, wherein

when a system of the hybrid vehicle is turned off at a distance shorter than the traveling distance set by said setting device,

said control device compares a remaining distance of the set traveling distance with said estimated possible running distance when the system is activated next time, and controls said warming-up device based on the result of the comparison.

20. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 14, wherein

said control device sets said predetermined threshold value at a first threshold value when said estimated possible running distance is longer than the traveling distance set by said setting device, and sets said predetermined threshold value at a second threshold value larger than said first threshold value when said estimated possible running distance is not longer than the traveling distance set by said setting device.

21. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 14, further comprising a charging device charging said power storage device by electric power received from a source external to the hybrid vehicle.

22. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 14, wherein

said setting device includes a navigation device allowing setting of a destination of the hybrid vehicle, and

said navigation device calculates the traveling distance of the hybrid vehicle based on the set destination.

23. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 14, wherein

said setting device includes an input device allowing input of the traveling distance of the hybrid vehicle.

24. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 14, wherein

said setting device sets the traveling distance of the hybrid vehicle at a preset fixed value.