Control apparatus and method for engine/electric hybrid vehicle
First Claim
1. An apparatus for controlling a hybrid vehicle having wheels, comprising:
- an internal combustion engine having a throttle,throttle control means for controlling an opening degree of said throttle as a function of a given first control amount,an electric motor,a battery for supplying an electric power to said electric motor,motor control means for controlling said electric power fed from said battery to said electric motor as a function of a given second control amount,transmitting means for transmitting a driving power of at least said internal combustion engine and said electric motor to said wheels of said hybrid vehicle,speed adjustment operating means for being operated for speed adjustment of said hybrid vehicle,first data providing means for providing data concerning a relation of said first control amount with respect to the number of revolutions and torque of said internal combustion engine,second data providing means for providing data concerning a relation of said second control amount with respect to the number of revolutions and torque of said electric motor,revolution number providing means responsive to the movement of said hybrid vehicle for providing data concerning the number of revolutions determinable as a function of the speed of said movement of said hybrid vehicle and adaptable to the number of revolutions of said internal combustion engine and the number of revolutions of said electric motor,required torque data providing means responsive to the output of said speed adjustment operating means for providing data concerning a required torque determinable based on the number of revolutions obtained from said revolution number data providing means,first determining means for determining whether said number of revolutions obtained from said revolution number data providing means is within a predetermined range of said number of revolutions of said internal combustion engine for allowing for a running operation of said internal combustion engine when said number of revolutions obtained from said revolution number data providing means is deemed as said number of revolutions of said internal combustion engine,second determining means for determining whether said required torque exceeds a predetermined upper limit value of a predetermined torque range of said internal combustion engine for allowing for a running operation of said internal combustion engine when it is determined by said first determining means that said number of revolutions obtained from said revolution number data providing means is within said predetermined range of said number of revolutions of said internal combustion engine, andcontrol means for providing said first control amount to said throttle control means by referring to said first data providing means so as to maximize said opening degree of said throttle of said internal combustion engine when it is determined by said second determining means that said required torque exceeds said predetermined upper limit value of said predetermined torque range of said internal combustion engine and for providing said second control amount to said motor control means by referring to said second data providing means so as to run said electric motor with a torque corresponding to the difference between said required torque and said predetermined upper limit value of said predetermined torque range of said internal combustion engine.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A hybrid vehicle comprises an internal combustion engine and a motor/generator, which are controlled by a microcomputer. The internal combustion engine is rendered capable of a running operation in a region of a better fuel consumption characteristic. Outside the above described region, the motor is cooperatively driven with the internal combustion engine to provide a driving torque or only the motor is energized by a battery to provide a driving torque. On the other hand, when the hybrid vehicle is driven with a torque smaller than a predetermined lower limit value of the torque of the internal combustion engine, the redundant torque is used to drive the generator, so that a regenerative power is absorbed by the battery.
-
Citations
35 Claims
-
1. An apparatus for controlling a hybrid vehicle having wheels, comprising:
-
an internal combustion engine having a throttle, throttle control means for controlling an opening degree of said throttle as a function of a given first control amount, an electric motor, a battery for supplying an electric power to said electric motor, motor control means for controlling said electric power fed from said battery to said electric motor as a function of a given second control amount, transmitting means for transmitting a driving power of at least said internal combustion engine and said electric motor to said wheels of said hybrid vehicle, speed adjustment operating means for being operated for speed adjustment of said hybrid vehicle, first data providing means for providing data concerning a relation of said first control amount with respect to the number of revolutions and torque of said internal combustion engine, second data providing means for providing data concerning a relation of said second control amount with respect to the number of revolutions and torque of said electric motor, revolution number providing means responsive to the movement of said hybrid vehicle for providing data concerning the number of revolutions determinable as a function of the speed of said movement of said hybrid vehicle and adaptable to the number of revolutions of said internal combustion engine and the number of revolutions of said electric motor, required torque data providing means responsive to the output of said speed adjustment operating means for providing data concerning a required torque determinable based on the number of revolutions obtained from said revolution number data providing means, first determining means for determining whether said number of revolutions obtained from said revolution number data providing means is within a predetermined range of said number of revolutions of said internal combustion engine for allowing for a running operation of said internal combustion engine when said number of revolutions obtained from said revolution number data providing means is deemed as said number of revolutions of said internal combustion engine, second determining means for determining whether said required torque exceeds a predetermined upper limit value of a predetermined torque range of said internal combustion engine for allowing for a running operation of said internal combustion engine when it is determined by said first determining means that said number of revolutions obtained from said revolution number data providing means is within said predetermined range of said number of revolutions of said internal combustion engine, and control means for providing said first control amount to said throttle control means by referring to said first data providing means so as to maximize said opening degree of said throttle of said internal combustion engine when it is determined by said second determining means that said required torque exceeds said predetermined upper limit value of said predetermined torque range of said internal combustion engine and for providing said second control amount to said motor control means by referring to said second data providing means so as to run said electric motor with a torque corresponding to the difference between said required torque and said predetermined upper limit value of said predetermined torque range of said internal combustion engine. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
-
-
27. A method for controlling a hybrid vehicle having wheels, said hybrid vehicle comprising:
-
an internal combustion enginen having a throttle, throttle control means for controlling an opening degree of said throttle as a function of a given first control amount, an electric motor, a battery for supplying an electric power to said electric motor, motor control means for controlling said electric power fed from said battery to said electric motor as a function of a given second control amount, transmitting means for transmitting a driving power of at least said internal combustion engine and said electric motor to said wheels of said hybrid vehicle, and speed adjustment operating means for being operated for speed adjustment of said hybrid vehicle, said method comprising the step of providing data concerning a relation of said first control amount with respect to the number of revolutions and torque of said internal combustion engine, the step of providing data concerning a relation of said second control amount with respect to the number of revolutions and torque of said electric motor, the step of providing data concerning the number of revolutions determinable as a function of the speed of said movement of said hybrid vehicle and adaptable to the number of revolutions of said internal combustion engine and the number of revolutions of said electric motor, the step of providing data concerning a required torque determinable based on said number of revolutions provided at said revolution number data providing step responsive to the output of said speed adjustment operating means, the first determining step of determining whether said number of revolutions provided at said revolution number data providing step is within a predetermined range of said number of revolutions of said internal combustion engine for allowing for a running operation of said internal combustion engine when said number of revolutions provided at said revolution number data providing step is deemed as said number of revolutions of said internal combustion engine, the second determining step of determining whether said required torque exceeds a predetermined upper limit value of a predetermined torque range of said internal combustion engine for allowing for a running operation of said internal combustion engine when it is determined at said first determining step that said number of revolutions provided at said revolution number data providing step is within said predetermined range of said number of revolutions of said internal combustion engine, and the step of providing said first control amount to said throttle control means by referring to the data provided at said first data providing step so as to maximize said opening degree of said throttle of said internal combustion engine when it is determined at said second determining step that said required torque exceeds said predetermined upper limit value of said predetermined torque range of said internal combustion engine and for providing said second control amount to said motor control means by referring to the data provided at said second data providing step so as to run said electric motor with a torque corresponding to the difference between said required torque and said predetermined upper limit value of said predetermined torque range of said internal combustion engine. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
-
Specification