OUTPUT RESTRICTION CONTROL DEVICE, HYBRID VEHICLE, OUTPUT RESTRICTION CONTROL METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM

• US 20130158767A1
• Filed: 10/20/2011
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HINO Motors Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HINO Motors Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Araki, Tomohiko
• Granted Patent: US 9,085,297 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/443 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• 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 20/15 Control strategies specially adapted for achieving a particular effect
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/103 Accelerator thresholds, e.g. kickdown
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/20 Direction indicator values
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/215 Selection or confirmation of options
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/00 Input parameters relating to data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0672 Torque change rate
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/085 Torque change rate
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/1022 Input torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/1027 : Input torque change rate
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18163 : Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/182 : Selecting between different operative modes, e.g. comfort and performance modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/087 : where the control system corrects or modifies a request from the driver
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/93 : Conjoint control of different elements

Abstract

To improve the drivability of a driver while performing an output restriction. A hybrid vehicle has an output restriction control unit that releases or restores an output restriction in accordance with a predetermined operation by the driver, and a predetermined release rate or a predetermined restoration rate can be set for the release or the restoration of the output restriction.

Claims

1. An output restriction control device mounted on a hybrid vehicle having an engine and an electric motor, which is drivable by the engine or the electric motor or drivable by cooperation of the engine and the electric motor, the output restriction control device comprising:

an output restriction means that restricts torque output from the engine and/or the electric motor,

wherein the output restriction means releases or restores an output restriction in accordance with a predetermined operation of a driver, and a predetermined release rate or a predetermined restoration rate is settable for release or restoration of the output restriction, respectively.

2. The output restriction control device according to claim 1, wherein

the predetermined operation is an operation of an accelerator and an operation of a direction indicator, and

the output restriction means immediately releases the output restriction with respect to a driver'"'"'s sudden operation of an accelerator over a predetermined accelerator opening level, gently restores the output restriction based on a predetermined restoration rate in restoration from the sudden accelerator operation, gently releases the output restriction based on a predetermined release rate with respect to a driver'"'"'s operation of a direction indicator, and gently restores the output restriction based on a predetermined restoration rate when the operation of the direction indicator is terminated.

3. The output restriction control device according to claim 2, wherein, when at least some of a series of controls to restore from release of the output restriction caused by the operation of the accelerator and a series of controls to restore from release of the output restriction caused by the operation of the direction indicator are performed in parallel, a side in which a torque value of a control result is larger is adopted.

4. The output restriction control device according to claim 2, wherein, when either control of a series of controls to restore from release of the output restriction caused by the operation of the accelerator and a series of controls to restore from release of the output restriction caused by the operation of the direction indicator is performed, the other control is not performed.

5. The output restriction control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an output restriction release display unit displaying that the output restriction means releases the output restriction.

6. A hybrid vehicle having the output restriction control device according to claim 1.

8. A computer program for causing an information processing device to implement a function of the output restriction control device according to claim 1.

7. An output restriction control method for an output restriction control device mounted on a hybrid vehicle having an engine and an electric motor, which is drivable by the engine or the electric motor or drivable by cooperation of the engine and the electric motor and having an output restriction means restricting torque output from the engine and/or the electric motor, comprising:

an output restriction control step of releasing or restoring an output restriction in accordance with a predetermined operation of a driver, in which a predetermined release rate or a predetermined restoration rate is settable for release or restoration of the output restriction, respectively.