VEHICLE

• US 20160311304A1
• Filed: 04/21/2016
• Published: 10/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Niwa, Yamato
• Granted Patent: US 9,701,186 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/24 characterised by the combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/26 characterised by the motors or the generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/28 characterised by the electric energy storing means, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/006 to power outlets
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/15 with additional electric power supply with capacitors charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/40; with batteries charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/61
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 Preventing overcharging
• 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 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/13 in order to stay within battery power input or output limits; in order to prevent overcharging or battery depletion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2400/00 Indexing codes relating to detected, measured or calculated conditions or factors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/209 Fuel quantity remaining in tank
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18054 at stand still, e.g. engine in idling state hill holding B60W30/18118
• 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 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/905 : Combustion engine
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/906 : Motor or generator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/907 : Electricity storage, e.g. battery, capacitor

Abstract

A fuel remaining amount is recognized by a control device by a discrete numerical value. In a period that continues until execution of only the electric power supply in which the engine is stopped after the electric power supply is initiated (time is to t1), that is, in a period when no SOC recovery history is generated, the control device calculates an electric power supply possible time Tsp with a sum of an electric power generation possible time Tgs based on a fuel remaining amount detection value FLV# and a discharging possible time Tel based on the SOC. In a period subsequent to the generation of the SOC recovery history attributable to starting of the engine (after time t0), the electric power supply possible time Tsp is calculated in accordance with the electric power generation possible time Tgs without the SOC being reflected.

Claims

1. A vehicle having an electric power supply mode, the vehicle comprising:

an electric power storage device;

an internal combustion engine configured to generate power by combustion of a fuel;

a fuel tank configured to store the fuel;

a fuel gauge configured to detect an amount of the fuel remaining in the fuel tank;

an electric power generation mechanism configured to generate electric power with the power from the internal combustion engine;

an electric power converter configured to convert electric power from at least one of the electric power storage device and the electric power generation mechanism to supply electric power in the electric power supply mode;

an electric power node configured to output the supply electric power from the electric power converter; and

an electronic control unit configured to put the internal combustion engine into operation and control the operation of the internal combustion engine for electric power supply to continue once an SOC of the electric power storage device is reduced to a first reference value during the electric power supply in which the internal combustion engine is stopped in the electric power supply mode,

wherein the electronic control unit is configured to;

i) calculate an electric power supply possible time based on a remaining amount value recognized as a discrete numerical value based on an output of the fuel gauge and the SOC in a first period between an initiation of the electric power supply and generation of a recovery history in the SOC resulting from charging of the electric power storage device with the electric power from the electric power generation mechanism attributable to the operation of the internal combustion engine in the electric power supply mode, and ii) calculate the electric power supply possible time based on the remaining amount value without taking the SOC into account after the generation of the recovery history.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the electronic control unit is configured to control the operation of the internal combustion engine for the electric power supply to continue with the internal combustion engine stopped once the SOC of the electric power storage device rises to a second reference value higher than the first reference value during the electric power supply involving the operation of the internal combustion engine.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the electronic control unit is configured to detect the recovery history based on an operation history of the internal combustion engine starting from the initiation of the electric power supply.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the electronic control unit is configured to detect the recovery history based on presence or absence of a history of the SOC changing from a decrease to an increase in the electric power supply mode.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the electronic control unit is configured to detect the recovery history based on presence or absence of a history of the SOC being reduced to a predetermined value determined in correlation with the first reference value in the electric power supply mode.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

an indicator configured to display the electric power supply possible time calculated by the control device in a manner in which a user is capable of viewing the electric power supply possible time.