CONTROL DEVICE FOR HYBRID VEHICLE

• US 20150142232A1
• Filed: 02/28/2012
• Published: 05/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Tabata, Atsushi, Matsubara, Tooru, Okuda, Koichi, Kumazaki, Kenta, Imamura, Tatsuya, Imai, Keita, Kitahata, Takeshi, Kato, Shunya, Hiasa, Yasuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,944,275 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 20/40 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: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/93 Conjoint control of different elements

Abstract

A control device of a hybrid vehicle includes an electric motor outputting a running torque at the time of motor running and a starting torque at engine start, in a state of the motor running using even the starting torque, the control device being configured to give a notification of the state to a driver when a charging capacity is smaller than a first predetermined value, and to start an engine when the charging capacity is smaller than a second predetermined value which is smaller than the first predetermined value.

Claims

1. A control device of a hybrid vehicle including an electric motor outputting a running torque at the time of motor running and a starting torque at engine start,

in a state of the motor running using even the starting torque, the control device being configured to give a notification of the state to a driver when a charging capacity is smaller than a first predetermined value, and to start an engine when the charging capacity is smaller than a second predetermined value which is smaller than the first predetermined value.

3. The control device of a hybrid vehicle of claim 1, wherein

when the motor running is performed by using electric power stored by an external power source, the motor running is performed in a torque range in which the running torque and the starting torque are output, and wherein

when motor running is performed by using electric power stored by power from the engine or driven force from a drive wheel side, the motor running is performed in a torque range in which the running torque is output.

4. The control device of a hybrid vehicle of claim 1, wherein

when the engine start is requested or when the engine start is predicted, the notification to a driver is started.

5. The control device of a hybrid vehicle of claim 1, wherein

the notification to the driver prompts an operation of reducing power of the electric motor required for the motor running.

6. The control device of a hybrid vehicle of claim 1, wherein

a differential mechanism is included that has a plurality of rotating elements respectively coupled to a first electric motor and a second electric motor each acting as the electric motor and the engine, wherein

the differential mechanism has a rotating element coupled to the first electric motor, a rotating element that is an output rotating member coupled to drive wheels in a power transmittable manner, and a rotating element coupled to a crankshaft of the engine as the plurality of the rotating elements, wherein

the second electric motor is coupled to the drive wheels in a power transmittable manner, wherein

a lock mechanism is further included that couples a rotating element of the plurality of the rotating elements to a non-rotating member when lock actuation is achieved, wherein the rotating element is other than the rotating elements coupled to the electric motor, and wherein

when the engine is started during motor running using output torques from the first electric motor and the second electric motor together while the lock mechanism is in a locked state, the lock mechanism is brought into a non-lock state, the first electric motor outputs a cranking torque starting the engine, and the second electric motor compensates a reaction torque of the cranking torque.

7. The control device of a hybrid vehicle of claim 1, wherein

a differential mechanism is included that has a plurality of rotating elements respectively coupled to the engine and multiple electric motors acting as the electric motor and the engine, wherein

a connecting/disconnecting clutch is included that connects/disconnects a power transmission path between the engine and a rotating element coupled to any of the multiple electric motors, wherein

a rotating element coupled to none of the multiple electric motors is used as an output rotating member, wherein

when it the engine is started during the motor running in which the vehicle is running with the connecting/disconnecting clutch released, the starting torque is output by the electric motor coupled to the connecting/disconnecting clutch while the connecting/disconnecting clutch is engaged.

8. The control device of a hybrid vehicle of claim 1, wherein

a connecting/disconnecting clutch is included that connects/disconnects a power transmission path between the engine and the electric motor, and wherein

when the engine is started during the motor running using only the electric motor for running with the connecting/disconnecting clutch released, the starting torque is output by the electric motor while the connecting/disconnecting clutch is engaged.

2. A control device of a hybrid vehicle including two electric motors outputting a running torque at the time of motor running, at least one of the two electric motors outputting a starting torque at engine start,

when a state of the motor running using output torques from the two electric motors together is a state of the motor running in which even the starting torque is used for running so as to cover the output torques from the two electric motors by a torque from at least only one of the electric motors, the control device being configured to give a notification of the state to a driver.

9. A control device of a hybrid vehicle including two electric motors outputting a running torque at the time of motor running, at least one of the two electric motors outputting a starting torque at engine start,

in a state of the motor running using output torques from the two electric motors together, the control device being configured to give a notification of the state to a driver,

when motor running is performed by using electric power stored by an external power source, the motor running being performed in a torque range in which the running torque and the starting torque are output, and

when motor running is performed by using electric power stored by power from the engine or driven force from a drive wheel side, the motor running is being performed in a torque range in which the running torque is output.

10. A control device of a hybrid vehicle including two electric motors outputting a running torque at the time of motor running, at least one of the two electric motors outputting a starting torque at engine start, characterized in that

in a state of the motor running using output torques from the two electric motors together, the control device being configured to give a notification of the state to a driver, and

the notification to the driver prompting an operation of reducing power of the electric motor required for the motor running.