HYBRID VEHICLE

• US 20140288757A1
• Filed: 11/14/2011
• Published: 09/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Hirasawa, Takahiko, Mitsutani, Noritake
• Application Number:
  US14/357,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20140288757A1
• 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 20/10 Controlling the power contribution of each of the prime movers to meet required power demand
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0642 Idle condition
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/101 Transmission neutral state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/103 Accelerator thresholds, e.g. kickdown
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0644 Engine speed
• 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 50/082 Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/10 Interpretation of driver requests or demands
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/93 Conjoint control of different elements

Abstract

A hybrid vehicle according to one of embodiments of the present invention generates a driving torque using an internal combustion engine, an motor generator, and the like when a shift position is a driving position, the driving torque being determined based on a selected driving mode (e.g., a power mode to give priority to the power, and a normal mode to give priority to fuel consumption) and an accelerator operation amount. On the other hand, when the shift position is a neutral position, the vehicle maintains a rotational speed of the engine at a constant speed (including zero when the engine is stopped) regardless of the accelerator operation amount. When the accelerator operation amount becomes equal to or larger than an accelerator operation amount threshold while the neutral position is selected, the vehicle supplies information indicating that the neutral position is selected to a driver. The accelerator operation amount threshold is determined based on the driving mode.

Claims

1. A hybrid vehicle having, as a driving source, an internal combustion engine and an electric motor comprising;

a shift position selecting section configured to enable a driver to select, as a shift position, at least either one of a neutral position and a driving position;

a driving mode selecting section configured to enable said driver to select one of two or more of driving modes;

an accelerator operation amount detecting section configured to detect an accelerator operation amount which is varied by said driver;

a drive control section configured to control said engine and said electric motor so as to apply a driving torque, which varies depending on said driving mode selected by said driving mode selecting section and becomes larger as said detected accelerator operation amount becomes larger, to a drive axle connected to drive wheels of said vehicle, when said driving position is selected; and

to control said engine and said electric motor in such a manner that no driving torque is applied to said drive axle, and a rotational speed of said engine becomes zero or a rotational speed irrelevant to said detected accelerator operation amount, irrespective of said detected accelerator operation amount, when said neutral position is selected; and

a shift position information supplying section configured to supply predetermined information regarding said shift position to said driver, when said neutral position is selected and said detected accelerator operation amount becomes equal to or larger than an accelerator operation amount threshold,

wherein,

said shift position information supplying section is configured to vary said accelerator operation amount threshold in accordance with said selected driving mode.

2. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein,

said two or more of said driving modes include a first driving mode and a second driving mode, and said second driving mode is a driving mode in which said driving torque larger than said driving torque applied to said drive axle in said first mode is applied to said drive axle, when said driving position is selected and said accelerator operation amount is equal to an arbitrary accelerator operation amount, and

said shift position information supplying section is configured to set a first accelerator operation amount threshold which is said accelerator operation amount threshold to be set when said first driving mode is selected at a value larger than a second accelerator operation amount threshold which is said accelerator operation amount threshold to be set when said second driving mode is selected.

3. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 2, wherein,

said shift position information supplying section is configured to set said first accelerator operation amount threshold and said second accelerator operation amount threshold, in such a manner that:

said driving torque applied to said drive axle when said accelerator operation amount becomes equal to said first accelerator operation amount threshold in a case where said first driving mode is selected and said driving position is selected, and

said driving torque applied to said drive axle when said accelerator operation amount becomes equal to said second accelerator operation amount threshold in a case where said second driving mode is selected and said driving position is selected,

are equal to each other.

4. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a vehicle speed detecting section configured to detect a vehicle speed which is a speed of said vehicle, and wherein,

said drive control section is configured to control said engine and said electric motor in such a manner that said driving torque becomes smaller as said detected vehicle speed becomes higher, when said driving position is selected;

and

said shift position information supplying section is configured so as to vary said accelerator operation amount threshold in such a manner that said accelerator operation amount threshold becomes larger as said detected vehicle speed becomes higher.