VEHICLE CONTROL DEVICE

• US 20150292463A1
• Filed: 10/08/2013
• Published: 10/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Uetsuji, Kiyoshi, Kubo, Hidehito, Hayashi, Hirohito, Matsumoto, Shohei, Yumoto, Shuji, Yoshihara, Koji, Fujiwara, Hirofumi
• Application Number:
  US14/441,775
• Publication Number:
  US 20150292463A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/46 Series type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/26 Transition between different drive modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/62 charged by low-power generators primarily intended to support the batteries, e.g. range extenders
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/02 peculiar to engines driving vehicles; peculiar to engines driving variable pitch propellers
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0811 using a timer
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• 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 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

An engine is started to meet the driver'"'"'s benefit in a vehicle control device for executing a control for starting the engine automatically if the engine has not been started for a predetermined period. The vehicle control device 10 stores the date when the engine (internal combustion engine) was last started (internal combustion engine start date). The vehicle control device 10 starts the engine 40 automatically upon movement of the vehicle after five weeks (first period) have elapsed from the internal combustion engine start date.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device mounted to a vehicle, wherein:

the vehicle comprises;

an internal combustion engine;

a battery; and

a motor generator or a motor and a generator;

the vehicle control device stores an internal combustion engine start date representing a date when the internal combustion engine was last started; and

the vehicle control device comprises a first control function for starting the internal combustion engine upon movement of the vehicle after a first period elapses from the internal combustion engine start date.

2. The vehicle control device of claim 1, further comprising:

a function for issuing a warning if the internal combustion engine has not been started within a second period longer than the first period from the internal combustion engine start date; and

a function for starting the internal combustion engine after a predetermined time has elapsed from the warning.

3. The vehicle control device of claim 1, wherein:

the vehicle control device stores a movement schedule and a travel range of the battery;

the movement schedule includes one or more planned movement dates and information representing planned movement distance for each planned movement date;

the vehicle control device determines whether a planned internal combustion engine start date exists within a second period longer than the first period from the internal combustion engine start date, the planned internal combustion engine start date being a date among the planned movement dates for which the planned movement distance is greater than the travel range of the battery; and

if the planned internal combustion engine start date exists within the second period from the internal combustion engine start date, the vehicle control device does not execute the first control function until the planned internal combustion engine start date passes even if the first period has elapsed from the internal combustion engine start date.

4. The vehicle control device of claim 3, wherein the vehicle control device executes the first control function if the planned movement date exists within the second period from the internal combustion engine start date.

5. The vehicle control device of claim 3, further comprising:

a function for obtaining information about a degree of deterioration of the battery; and

a function for determining the travel range of the battery based on the degree of deterioration.