HYBRID VEHICLE CONTROL DEVICE

• US 20100256851A1
• Filed: 11/10/2008
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Mitsutani, Noritake
• Granted Patent: US 7,941,254 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• 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 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0061 relating to electrical machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• 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 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 2510/081 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/06 Ignition switch
• 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

Abstract

A hybrid vehicle control unit performs diagnosis of a power generator using a target number of diagnoses during a trip period that extends from an ON state to an OFF state of an ignition key. For this, the control unit judges whether electricity is generated by the power generator from time to time. If no power is generated, it is judged whether the number of diagnoses which have been performed reaches the target number of diagnoses. If the target number of diagnoses is not reached, it is judged whether a diagnosis start condition appropriate for the diagnosis is satisfied. If yes, a gate arranged between a first inverter for controlling drive of the power generator and a power source is opened so that they are electrically connected. While keeping this state, a zero-torque control is executed to execute a diagnosis regarding the power generator.

Claims

1. A hybrid vehicle control device which controls a hybrid vehicle comprising an internal combustion engine, a power generator which generates electric power by mechanical power of the internal combustion engine, a first inverter which controls the power generator, a motor which drives a wheel, and a second inverter which controls the motor, the hybrid vehicle control device comprising:

a detecting unit which detects, during driving of the first inverter, a value which is defined in advance and which is necessary for a failure/non-failure diagnosis of at least one of the power generator and the first inverter, and

a control unit which controls the driving of the first inverter and which diagnoses failure/non-failure of at least one of the power generator and the first inverter based on a detection result by the detecting unit, wherein

the control unit stops driving of the first inverter when the control unit judges that the failure/non-failure diagnosis is not necessary during electric running in which the wheel is driven with the motor, and the control unit instructs to drive the first inverter until the detection by the detecting unit is completed even during the electric running when the control unit judges that the failure/non-failure diagnosis is necessary.

2. The hybrid vehicle control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a storage unit which stores a diagnosis result by the control unit separately for each trip period which is a running period from switching ON of an ignition switch to switching OFF of the ignition switch, wherein

when the control unit judges that a number of diagnoses has not reached a target number of diagnoses based on a diagnosis result stored in the storage unit, the control unit judges that the failure/non-failure diagnosis is necessary and instructs to drive the first inverter even during the electric running.

3. The hybrid vehicle control device according to claim 2, wherein

the control unit drives and controls the first inverter during execution of the detection by the detecting unit so that the power generator is zero-torque controlled.

4. The hybrid vehicle control device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a rotational speed detecting unit which detects the rotational speed of the power generator by co-rotation, wherein

the control unit instructs to drive the first inverter to execute the detection by the detecting unit when the number of diagnoses has not reached the target number and the rotational speed detected by the rotational speed detecting unit has reached a rotational speed which is appropriate for diagnosis of the power generator.

5. The hybrid vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein

the power supply can be internally charged by the internal combustion engine and the power generator and can be externally charged by an external power supply.