HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLE CONTROLLER AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING A HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLE
First Claim
1. A controller for a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) having an engine and an electric machine, the controller being configured upon start-up to control the electric machine to provide torque to drive the vehicle with the engine off if a state of charge (SoC) of an energy storage device is above an EV-start SoC threshold and to start the engine if the SoC of the energy storage device is below the EV-start SoC threshold, wherein the EV-start SoC threshold comprises at least one of:
- a value sufficient to allow the vehicle to travel a prescribed distance before the SoC falls below a SoC minimum level at which the engine is started; and
a value sufficient to allow the vehicle to operate for a prescribed time period before the SoC falls below the SoC minimum level.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments of the invention provide a controller for a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) having an engine and an electric machine, the controller being configured upon start-up to control an electric machine to provide torque to drive a vehicle with an engine off if a state of charge (SoC) of an energy storage device is above an EV-start SoC threshold and to start an engine if a SoC of an energy storage device is below the EV-start SoC threshold, wherein the EV-start SoC threshold is determined to be one selected from amongst a value sufficient to allow a vehicle to travel a prescribed distance before a SoC falls below a SoC minimum level at which an engine is started and a value sufficient to allow a vehicle to operate for a prescribed time period before a SoC falls below the SoC minimum level.
21 Citations
16 Claims
-
1. A controller for a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) having an engine and an electric machine, the controller being configured upon start-up to control the electric machine to provide torque to drive the vehicle with the engine off if a state of charge (SoC) of an energy storage device is above an EV-start SoC threshold and to start the engine if the SoC of the energy storage device is below the EV-start SoC threshold, wherein the EV-start SoC threshold comprises at least one of:
-
a value sufficient to allow the vehicle to travel a prescribed distance before the SoC falls below a SoC minimum level at which the engine is started; and a value sufficient to allow the vehicle to operate for a prescribed time period before the SoC falls below the SoC minimum level. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A method of controlling a hybrid electric vehicle having an engine and an electric machine, the method comprising:
- upon start-up, controlling the electric machine to provide torque to drive a vehicle with the engine off if a state of charge (SoC) of an energy storage device is above an EV-start SoC threshold and to start the engine if the SoC of the energy storage device is below the EV-start SoC threshold, wherein the EV-start SoC threshold is determined to be one selected from amongst a value sufficient to allow the vehicle to travel a prescribed distance before the SoC falls below a SoC minimum level at which the engine is started and a value sufficient to allow the vehicle to operate for a prescribed time period before the SoC falls below the SoC minimum level.
-
16. A controller for a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) operable in an electric (EV) mode in which torque to drive the vehicle is provided by an electric machine and a hybrid-electric (HEV) mode in which torque to drive the vehicle is provided by an internal combustion engine, the controller being configured to start the vehicle in EV mode when a state of charge (SoC) of an energy storage device is above an EV-start SoC threshold and to start the vehicle in HEV mode engine if the SoC of the energy storage device is below the EV-start SoC threshold, wherein the EV-start SoC threshold comprises:
-
a value sufficient to allow the vehicle to travel a prescribed distance before the SoC falls below a SoC minimum level at twice the engine is started; and
/ora value sufficient to allow the vehicle to operate for a prescribed time period before the SoC falls below the SoC minimum level.
-
Specification