Drive control device for hybrid electric vehicle

• US 20110022255A1
• Filed: 07/22/2010
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Yamada, Kazunao, Sakai, Tadashi, Mizuno, Yusuke
• Granted Patent: US 8,527,122 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/46 Series type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/642 Slope of road
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/68 Traffic data
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/46 by self learning
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/62 charged by low-power generators primarily intended to support the batteries, e.g. range extenders
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/13 Maintaining the SoC within a determined range
• 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 20/11 using model predictive control [MPC] strategies, i.e. control methods based on models predicting performance utilising navigation and traffic information in the control strategy B60W20/12
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/1882 characterised by the working point of the engine, e.g. by using engine output chart
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 : Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 : Engine management systems
• 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 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 : Data processing systems or methods, management, administration
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A drive control device is mounted to a hybrid electric vehicle that has an engine and a motor as a running power source, wherein the hybrid electric vehicle runs under a plurality of running modes that is switched in accordance with accelerator operation. The drive control device specifies a present position of the vehicle. The drive control device defines a schedule of the accelerator operation for each of a plurality of sections in a route from an origin to a destination in order to achieve an enhanced fuel efficient running of the vehicle. The drive control device displays a recommended accelerator operation for a present section of the plurality of sections, in which section the vehicle is presently located, in accordance with the schedule of the accelerator operation and the present position of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A drive control device mounted to a hybrid electric vehicle that has an engine and a motor as a running power source, wherein the hybrid electric vehicle runs under a plurality of running modes that is switched in accordance with accelerator operation, wherein the drive control device performs a drive control of the engine and the motor, the drive control device comprising:

present position specifying means for specifying a present position of the vehicle;

accelerator operation schedule defining means for defining a schedule of the accelerator operation for each of a plurality of sections in a route from an origin to a destination in order to achieve an enhanced fuel efficient running of the vehicle; and

display means for displaying a recommended accelerator operation for a present section of the plurality of sections, in which section the vehicle is presently located, in accordance with the schedule of the accelerator operation and the present position of the vehicle.

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

control index defining means for defining a schedule of a control index for each of the plurality of sections in the route in order to achieve the enhanced fuel efficient running of the vehicle, wherein;

the accelerator operation schedule defining means defines the schedule of the accelerator operation based on the schedule of the control index.

3. The drive control device according to claim 2, wherein:

the control index is a target value of a battery charge amount for a battery that drives the motor;

the plurality of sections includes a battery charge section, in which the target value of the battery charge amount is increased; and

the accelerator operation schedule defining means defines the schedule of the accelerator operation for the battery charge section such that the accelerator operation is executed in order to allow the battery to be charged in the battery charge section.

4. The drive control device according to claim 3, wherein:

the plurality of sections includes a battery consumption section, in which the target value of the battery charge, amount is reduced; and

the accelerator operation schedule defining means defines the schedule of the accelerator operation for the battery consumption section such that the accelerator operation is executed in order to limit the battery from being charged in the battery consumption section.

5. The drive control device according to claim 2, further comprising:

information storing means for collecting running information, which is used for defining the control index, for each of the plurality of sections while the vehicle runs and for causing a storage device to store therein the running information, wherein;

the control index defining means defines the schedule of the control index for each of the plurality of sections based on the running information stored in the storage device in order to achieve the enhanced fuel efficient running of the vehicle.

6. The drive control device according to claim 1, wherein:

the display means includes an indicator configured to display an area indicating an accelerator pedal position, which area is increased with an increase of the accelerator pedal position, in order to indicate the accelerator pedal position of the vehicle; and

the display means highlights a range of the accelerator pedal position, which corresponds to the recommended accelerator operation for the present section, on the indicator.

7. The drive control device according to claim 1, wherein:

the display means includes an indicator configured to display an area indicating an accelerator pedal position, which area changes with a change of the accelerator pedal position at a rate different for each of the plurality of running modes, in order to indicate the accelerator pedal position of the vehicle; and

the display means always displays a range of the accelerator pedal position, which corresponds to the recommended accelerator operation for the present section, at a predetermined position on the indicator.