DRIVING SUPPORT APPARATUS

• US 20170291598A1
• Filed: 04/07/2017
• Published: 10/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: MURASE, Masahiro, SAITO, Jun
• Granted Patent: US 10,358,126 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/167 Vehicle dynamics information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/168 Target or limit values
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/169 Remaining operating distance or charge
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/174 Economic driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/22 Display screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/44 Series-parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/442 Series-parallel switching 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 20/20 Control strategies involving selection of hybrid configuration, e.g. selection between series or parallel configuration
• 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: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/246 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/92 Hybrid vehicles
• 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 10/84 : Data processing systems or methods, management, administration
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 : having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor

Abstract

A driving support apparatus for a hybrid vehicle including an engine and a motor, in which the engine starts running when any one of parameters indicating a state of the hybrid vehicle reaches an engine start threshold set for the parameters, the driving support apparatus includes a current value acquiring section that acquires current values of the parameters, a margin calculation section that calculates margin levels for the current values of the parameters for keeping the engine stopping using the current values of the parameters and the engine start thresholds, and an output section that outputs the smallest margin level of the calculated margin levels.

Claims

1. A driving support apparatus for a hybrid vehicle including an engine and a motor, in which the engine starts running when any one of parameters indicating a state of the hybrid vehicle reaches an engine start threshold set for the parameters, the driving support apparatus comprising:

a current value acquiring section that acquires current values of the parameters;

a margin calculation section that calculates margin levels for the current values of the parameters for keeping the engine stopping using the current values of the parameters and the engine start thresholds; and

an output section that outputs the smallest margin level of the calculated margin levels.

2. The driving support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the margin calculating section calculates one of the margin levels by dividing a differences between one of the current values of the parameters and a corresponding engine starting threshold by a difference between a value most distant from the corresponding engine starting threshold within a possible value range of the one of the current values and the corresponding engine starting threshold.

3. The driving support apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display unit that includes a display area in which an area corresponding to the smallest margin level is displayed with a color difference from that of the other regions.

4. The driving support apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a display unit that includes a display area in which an area corresponding to the smallest margin level is displayed with a color difference from that of the other regions.

5. The driving support apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when the smallest margin level is the maximum value, the area has the maximum area, and

when the smallest margin level is the minimum value, the area is substantially zero.

6. The driving support apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when the smallest margin level is the maximum value, the area has the maximum area, and

when the smallest margin level is the minimum value, the area is substantially zero.

7. The driving support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the parameters include at least one of a state of charge of a battery of the hybrid vehicle, a value of required output to the hybrid vehicle, a voltage of the battery, a temperature of the battery;

8. The driving support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output unit outputs a notification to a driver of the hybrid vehicle when the parameter corresponding to the smallest margin level changes during traveling.