HYBRID VEHICLE AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING ELECTRIC POWER OF HYBRID VEHICLE

• US 20100280698A1
• Filed: 04/22/2009
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ichikawa, Shinji
• Application Number:
  US12/811,756
• Publication Number:
  US 20100280698A1
• 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 1/04 fed by the power supply line
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/445 Temperature
• 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: B60L 53/20 characterised by converters located in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• 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 10/26 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 2510/0676 Engine temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/194 related to low temperature conditions, e.g. high viscosity of hydraulic fluid
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2240/16 an electric heater, i.e. a resistance heater
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/2013 using electric or magnetic heating means
• 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 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• 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 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A charge port receives power supplied from a power supply on the outside of a vehicle. A charger is constituted to charge a power storage device by performing voltage conversion of power inputted from the charge port. A block heater warms up an engine by receiving an operating power from the charger. When the block heater is connected with a power supply port which is connected electrically with the charger, an ECU controls the charger to give priority to power supply to the block heater over charging of the power storage device.

Claims

1. A hybrid vehicle that travels by using motive power output from at least one of an internal combustion engine and a motor for vehicle traveling, comprising:

a power storage device for storing electric power to be supplied to said motor;

an electric power receiving unit for receiving electric power supplied from a power supply external to the vehicle;

a charging device configured to convert a voltage of electric power input from said electric power receiving unit and charge said power storage device;

a heater for receiving operation power from said charging device and warming up said internal combustion engine; and

a controller for controlling said charging device to give higher priority to power feeding to said heater than to charging of said power storage device, when said heater is electrically connected to said charging device.

2. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said controller changes charging control over said power storage device based on whether or not said heater is electrically connected to said charging device.

3. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising

a power supply port provided within an engine room where said internal combustion engine is housed, for receiving electric power from said charging device, wherein

said heater is configured to be attachable/detachable from/to said power supply port.

4. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising

a switch for switching between operation and non-operation of said heater, wherein

said controller controls said charging device to give higher priority to power feeding to said heater than to charging of said power storage device, when said switch is ON.

5. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising

a first temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of said internal combustion engine, wherein

said controller controls charging of said power storage device and power feeding to said heater, based on a value detected by said first temperature sensor and a state of charge of said power storage device.

6. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 5, wherein

said controller controls said charging device to give higher priority to power feeding to said heater than to charging of said power storage device, when the value detected by said first temperature sensor is lower than a first predefined value and said heater is electrically connected to said charging device.

7. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 6, wherein

said controller controls said charging device to end power feeding to said heater when the value detected by said first temperature sensor reaches said first predefined value or higher, and controls said charging device to charge said power storage device when an amount of a state indicating the state of charge of said power storage device is lower than a second predefined value at the end of power feeding to said heater.

8. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 6, wherein

said controller controls said charging device to charge said power storage device, when said heater is electrically disconnected from said charging device and when an amount of a state indicating the state of charge of said power storage device is lower than a second predefined value.

9. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 5, further comprising:

a second temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of a vehicle interior; and

an electric-powered air conditioner operated by the electric power stored in said power storage device or the electric power input from said electric power receiving unit, wherein

said electric-powered air conditioner conditions air in said vehicle interior before a user gets in the vehicle, based on a pre-air-conditioning command for requesting air conditioning of said vehicle interior before the user gets in the vehicle, and

said controller controls charging of said power storage device, power feeding to said heater and operation of said electric-powered air conditioner, based on further a value detected by said second temperature sensor and said pre-air-conditioning command.

10. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 9, wherein

said controller controls said charging device to give higher priority to power feeding to said heater than to charging of said power storage device and the operation of said electric-powered air conditioner, when the value detected by said first temperature sensor is lower than a predefined value and said heater is electrically connected to said charging device.

11. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising

an electrically heated catalyst device for receiving electric power from said power storage device and purifying exhaust gas discharged from said internal combustion engine, wherein

said controller exercises electric power control to give higher priority to power feeding to said electrically heated catalyst device than to power feeding to said heater, when startup of said internal combustion engine is anticipated.

12. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising

an electric power generating device configured to generate electric power by using the motive power output from said internal combustion engine and charge said power storage device, wherein

said controller controls said charging device to feed electric power from said power storage device to said heater, when said electric power receiving unit does not receive electric power from said power supply.

13. A method for controlling electric power of a hybrid vehicle that travels by using motive power output from at least one of an internal combustion engine and a motor for vehicle traveling,

said hybrid vehicle including:

a power storage device for storing electric power to be supplied to said motor;

an electric power receiving unit for receiving electric power supplied from a power supply external to the vehicle;

a charging device configured to convert a voltage of electric power input from said electric power receiving unit and charge said power storage device; and

a heater for receiving operation power from said charging device and warming up said internal combustion engine, and

said method for controlling electric power comprising the steps of;

determining whether or not said heater is electrically connected to said charging device; and

controlling said charging device to give higher priority to power feeding to said heater than to charging of said power storage device, when it is determined that said heater is electrically connected to said charging device.

14. The method for controlling electric power of a hybrid vehicle according to claim 13, further comprising the step of

changing charging control over said power storage device based on whether or not said heater is electrically connected to said charging device.

15. The method for controlling electric power of a hybrid vehicle according to claim 13, further comprising the step of

determining whether or not a temperature of said internal combustion engine is lower than a predefined value, wherein

in the step of controlling said charging device, said charging device is controlled to give higher priority to power feeding to said heater than to charging of said power storage device, when it is determined that said temperature is lower than said predefined value and it is determined that said heater is electrically connected to said charging device.

16. The method for controlling electric power of a hybrid vehicle according to claim 15, wherein

said hybrid vehicle further includes an electric-powered air conditioner operated by the electric power stored in said power storage device or the electric power input from said electric power receiving unit,

said electric-powered air conditioner conditions air in a vehicle interior before a user gets in the vehicle, based on a pre-air-conditioning command for requesting air conditioning of said vehicle interior before the user gets in the vehicle, and

in the step of controlling said charging device, said charging device is controlled to give higher priority to power feeding to said heater than to charging of said power storage device and operation of said electric-powered air conditioner.

17. The method for controlling electric power of a hybrid vehicle according to claim 13, wherein

said hybrid vehicle further includes an electrically heated catalyst device for receiving electric power from said power storage device and purifying exhaust gas discharged from said internal combustion engine, and

said method for controlling electric power further comprises the step of exercising electric power control to give higher priority to power feeding to said electrically heated catalyst device than to power feeding to said heater, when startup of said internal combustion engine is anticipated.