TRAVEL ASSISTANCE APPARATUS FOR HYBRID VEHICLE

• US 20200130670A1
• Filed: 09/30/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: OGAWA, Yuki
• Granted Patent: US 11,458,949 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/12 using control strategies taking into account route information estimation or calculation of non-directly measurable driving parameters B60W40/00
• 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 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/06 Ignition switch
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/182 Selecting between different operative modes, e.g. comfort and performance modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3605 Destination input or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

A travel assistance apparatus includes an ECU that is configured to: draw up a travel plan in which any one of drive modes, including a CD mode and a CS mode, is assigned to each of travel segments of a scheduled travel route, execute travel assistance control for causing a vehicle to travel according to the travel plan; when a total of consumption energy is greater than a value obtained by adding a first margin value to a remaining battery power, draw up the travel plan and execute the travel assistance control; and, when the total of consumption energy is greater than a value obtained by adding a second margin value less than the first margin value to the remaining battery power when the travel assistance control is started again after suspension of the travel assistance control, maintain or adjust the travel plan and execute the travel assistance control.

Claims

1. A travel assistance apparatus for a hybrid vehicle including an engine, a motor, and a battery, the travel assistance apparatus comprising an electronic control unit configured to

draw up a travel plan in which any one of drive modes, including a charge depleting mode and a charge sustaining mode, is assigned to each of travel segments of a scheduled travel route from a current position to a destination, execute travel assistance control for causing the hybrid vehicle to travel according to the drawn-up travel plan,

when a total of consumption energy that is consumed in the travel segments is greater than a value obtained by adding a first margin value to a remaining battery power, draw up the travel plan and execute the travel assistance control, and

when the total of consumption energy that is consumed in the travel segments is greater than a value obtained by adding a second margin value less than the first margin value to the remaining battery power when the travel assistance control is started again after suspension of the travel assistance control, maintain or adjust the travel plan and execute the travel assistance control.

2. The travel assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the electronic control unit is configured to, while the electronic control unit is executing the travel assistance control, determine to suspend the travel assistance control when at least one of following cases is appropriate, a case where information on the travel segments is lost, a case where a position of the host vehicle is lost, and a case where a system is shut down without a change of the destination or the scheduled travel route.

3. The travel assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the electronic control unit is configured to, while the electronic control unit is executing the travel assistance control, determine to exit the travel assistance control when at least one of following cases is appropriate, a case where the destination is changed, a case where the hybrid vehicle reaches the destination, a case where the remaining battery power changes, and a case where an operation to exit the travel assistance control is performed.

4. The travel assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the electronic control unit is configured to, when the travel assistance control is being executed, maintain or adjust the travel plan and control the travel assistance control on condition that the total of consumption energy that is consumed in the travel segments is greater than a value obtained by adding a third margin value less than the first margin value to the remaining battery power.

5. The travel assistance apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the third margin value is equal to the second margin value.

6. The travel assistance apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the second margin value is any one of zero and a value that reduces with time.