VEHICLE AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING VEHICLE

• US 20130297137A1
• Filed: 01/27/2011
• Published: 11/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Fushiki, Shunsuke, Yamazaki, Makoto
• Granted Patent: US 9,050,975 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• 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 20/40 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 20/50 Control strategies for responding to system failures, e.g. for fault diagnosis, failsafe operation or limp mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0205 Diagnosing or detecting failures; Failure detection models
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor

Abstract

A vehicle includes an engine, a power storage device, a motor generator using electric power from the power storage device for generating driving force, and an ECU. The vehicle is capable of running with the operation mode selectively switched between the CS mode in which the vehicle runs utilizing the driving force from the engine and the motor generator, and the CD mode in which the vehicle runs preferentially utilizing the driving force from the motor generator in the state where the engine is stopped. When the OBD is performed for detecting a malfunction in the engine in the state where the CD mode is selected, the ECU keeps the operation mode being temporarily switched from the CD mode to the CS mode until the OBD is completed.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

an internal combustion engine;

a power storage device;

a rotating electric machine for generating driving force using electric power from said power storage device; and

a control device for detecting a malfunction in said internal combustion engine,

said vehicle having, as an operation mode, a first mode in which the vehicle runs utilizing at least the driving force from said rotating electric machine among an output of said internal combustion engine and the driving force from said rotating electric machine, and a second mode in which the vehicle runs preferentially utilizing the driving force from said rotating electric machine in a state where said internal combustion engine is stopped, and said internal combustion engine is less frequently driven as compared with said first mode, said vehicle being capable of running with said operation mode selectively switched, and

when a malfunction detection process for said internal combustion engine is performed in a case where said second mode is selected, said control device allowing said internal combustion engine to be more frequently driven as compared with a case where said malfunction detection process is not performed.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, when malfunction detection for said internal combustion engine is performed in a state where said second mode is selected, said control device switches said operation mode to said first mode.

3. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein, when malfunction detection for said internal combustion engine is performed in the state where said second mode is selected, said control device keeps said operation mode being switched to said first mode until said malfunction detection process is completed.

4. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein, in a case where there is a history that a malfunction in said internal combustion engine is detected in said malfunction detection process during previous running and where said second mode is selected during current running, said control device switches said operation mode to said first mode and performs said malfunction detection process when said internal combustion engine is driven.

5. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein, when said second mode is selected in a case where a state of charge of said power storage device is from a fully charged state to a reference range determined in advance, said control device switches said operation mode to said first mode after said state of charge falls below said reference range, and performs said malfunction detection process when said internal combustion engine is driven.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, in the case where said second mode is selected, said control device forcibly drives said internal combustion engine in order to perform said malfunction detection process.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, in the case where said second mode is selected, said control device inhibits said internal combustion engine from being stopped until said malfunction detection process is completed, when said internal combustion engine is driven in said second mode.

8. A method of controlling a vehicle,

said vehicle including an internal combustion engine, a power storage device, and a rotating electric machine for generating driving force using electric power from said power storage device, said vehicle being capable of running with selective switching done between a first mode in which the vehicle runs utilizing at least the driving force from said rotating electric machine among an output of said internal combustion engine and the driving force from said rotating electric machine, and a second mode in which the vehicle runs preferentially utilizing the driving force from said rotating electric machine in a state where said internal combustion engine is stopped, and said internal combustion engine is less frequently driven as compared with said first mode,

said method comprising the steps of:

determining whether said second mode is selected or not; and

when malfunction detection for said internal combustion engine is performed in a case where said second mode is selected, allowing said internal combustion engine to be more frequently driven as compared with a case where said malfunction detection is not performed.