VEHICLE AND VEHICLE CONTROL METHOD

• US 20150266470A1
• Filed: 10/02/2012
• Published: 09/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Takara, Atsushi
• Granted Patent: US 9,463,791 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/441 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/445 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/12 by confirmation, e.g. of the input
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0023 Detecting, eliminating, remedying or compensating for drive train abnormalities, e.g. failures within the drive train
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0061 relating to electrical machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 55/00 Arrangements for supplying energy stored within a vehicle to a power network, i.e. vehicle-to-grid [V2G] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• 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 20/50 Control strategies for responding to system failures, e.g. for fault diagnosis, failsafe operation or limp mode
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• 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 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/126 : the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/93 : Conjoint control of different elements

Abstract

In a vehicle capable of external discharging to supply electric power generated from motive power of a vehicle-mounted engine to a receiver external to the vehicle (hereinafter “engine-operated discharging”), an ECU determines, during engine operation, whether engine-operated discharging is being done. When engine-operated discharging is not being done, the ECU sets a first malfunction determination condition (condition that postulated misfire malfunction was detected in two trips) as an engine malfunction determination condition and, when the first malfunction determination condition is met, lights a check engine light. When engine-operated discharging is being done, the ECU sets a second malfunction determination condition (condition that postulated misfire malfunction was detected in one trip) as the engine malfunction determination condition and, when the second malfunction determination condition is met, lights the check engine light and automatically stops the engine.

Claims

1. A vehicle capable of performing external discharging to supply electric power to an external electrical apparatus, comprising:

an engine;

a generator configured to generate electric power using motive power of said engine; and

a control device configured to determine, using a malfunction determination condition, whether or not said engine has a malfunction, and to perform a fail-safe control when determining that said engine has a malfunction,

said control device changing at least one of said malfunction determination condition and said fail-safe control, depending on whether or not said external discharging is being done.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said control device performs a first control as said fail-safe control when determining that said engine has a malfunction while said external discharging is not being done, and performs a second control as said fail-safe control when determining that said engine has a malfunction while said external discharging is being done, and

said second control is a control under which said engine is more likely to be stopped relative to said first control.

3. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

said first control is a control for informing a user of the malfunction of said engine, and

said second control is a control for informing a user of the malfunction of said engine and stopping said engine.

4. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein said second control includes a control for continuing an operation of said engine in a case where the malfunction of said engine does not hinder the operation of said engine, and stopping said engine in a case where the malfunction of said engine hinders the operation of said engine.

5. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein said second control includes a control for continuing an operation of said engine in the event of occurrence of a disaster, and stopping said engine in the event of non-occurrence of a disaster.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said control device sets a first condition as said malfunction determination condition in a case where said external discharging is not being done, and sets a second condition as said malfunction determination condition in a case where said external discharging is being done, and

said second condition is a condition under which a determination that said engine has a malfunction is more likely to be made, relative to said first condition.

7. The vehicle according to claim 6, wherein

said first condition is a condition that a misfire malfunction of said engine has been detected in a current trip and a previous trip, and

said second condition is a condition that a misfire malfunction of said engine has been detected in a current trip.

8. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said control device sets a first condition as said malfunction determination condition in a case where said external discharging is not being done, and sets a second condition as said malfunction determination condition in a case where said external discharging is being done, and

said second condition is a condition under which a determination that said engine has a malfunction is less likely to be made, relative to said first condition.

9. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said control device further includes a selection device for allowing a user to select to change at least one of said malfunction determination condition and said fail-safe control in a case where said external discharging is being done.

10. A method for controlling a vehicle capable of external discharging to supply electric power to an external electrical apparatus,

said vehicle including:

an engine;

a generator configured to generate electric power using motive power of said engine; and

a control device configured to determine, using a malfunction determination condition, whether or not said engine has a malfunction, and to perform a fail-safe control when determining that said engine has a malfunction,

said method comprising the steps of;

determining whether or not said external discharging is being done; and

changing at least one of said malfunction determination condition and said fail-safe control depending on whether or not said external discharging is being done.