Control system for inhibiting unintended use of hybrid electric vehicle

• US 5,664,635 A
• Filed: 05/18/1995
• Issued: 09/09/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Kato, Masaaki, Kawamura, Nobuyuki, Furukawa, Nobuya, Koga, Hisamitsu, Kumagai, Naotake, Ohwada, Tomiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VANAMAN, FRANK BENNETT
• Application Number:
  US08/443,757
• Time in Patent Office: 845 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.2, 180/65.3, 180/65.4, 180/65.5, 180/65.6, 180/65.7, 180/65.8, 180/68.5, 290/16, 290/17, 290/45, 290/50
• US Class Current: 180/65.245
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0455 Removal or replacement of the energy storages
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/10 responsive to conditions relating to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/46 Series type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/485 Motor-assist 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 2250/12 by confirmation, e.g. of the input
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• 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 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• 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 20/50 Control strategies for responding to system failures, e.g. for fault diagnosis, failsafe operation or limp mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/215 Selection or confirmation of options
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 : Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/085 : Changing the parameters of the control units, e.g. changing limit values, working points by control input
• 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

A hybrid electric vehicle is equipped with a combustion engine for driving a generator or a combustion engine for driving vehicle wheels. The hybrid electric vehicle has a battery unit, an electric drive motor, the combustion engine directly or indirectly usable for driving wheels, and a controller for controlling operations of the electric drive motor and the combustion engine. The hybrid electric vehicle is further provided with a microcomputer for determining whether or not the battery unit meets a predetermined specification. When the battery unit is determined as failing to meet the predetermined specification by the microcomputer, the controller limits an output of the electric drive motor or the combustion engine.

Claims

1. A hybrid electric vehicle, comprising:

a rechargeable battery unit;

an electric drive motor which drives wheels of said vehicle by an electric power from said rechargeable battery unit;

a generator which charges said rechargeable battery unit;

a combustion engine which drives said generator;

a controller which controls operations of said electric drive motor and said combustion engine;

a determining unit which determines whether said rechargeable battery unit has been removed or replaced with another battery unit which fails to meet a predetermined specification;

wherein said controller limits the output from said electric drive motor by inhibiting operation of at least one of said electric drive motor and said combustion engine when said determining unit determines that said rechargeable battery unit has been removed or said rechargeable battery unit has been replaced with said another battery unit.

2. A hybrid electric vehicle, comprising:

a recharge able battery unit;

an electric drive motor which drives wheels of said vehicle by an electric power from said rechargeable battery unit;

a generator which charges said rechargeable battery unit;

a combustion engine which drives said generator;

a controller which controls operations of said electric drive motor and said combustion engine;

a determining unit which determines whether said rechargeable battery unit has been removed or replaced with another battery unit which fails to meet a predetermined specification;

wherein, when said determining unit determines that said rechargeable battery unit has been removed or said rechargeable battery unit has been replaced with said another battery unit, said controller limits the output from said electric drive motor by gradually reducing a maximum output torque when at least one of said electric drive motor and said combustion engine operates faster than a preset rotational speed.

3. A hybrid electric vehicle, comprising:

a rechargeable battery unit;

an electric drive motor which drives wheels of said vehicle by an electric power from said rechargeable battery unit;

a combustion engine which indirectly drives said wheels; and

a control unit which controls operations of said electric drive motor and said combustion engine;

a battery removal determining unit which determines whether said rechargeable battery unit is being mounted in a specific mounting position;

wherein said control unit gradually reduces an output torque of said electric drive motor to limit an output of said electric drive motor, when said battery removal determination unit determines that said rechargeable battery unit is not being mounted in said specific mounting position and a rotational speed of said electric drive motor exceeds a preset rotational speed.

4. A hybrid electric vehicle, comprising:

a rechargeable battery unit;

an electric drive motor which drives wheels of said vehicle by an electric power from said rechargeable battery unit;

a combustion engine which directly drives said wheels;

a controller which controls operations of said electric drive motor and said combustion engine; and

a battery removal determination unit which determines whether said rechargeable battery unit is being mounted at a specified mounting position;

wherein said controller limits an output of said electric drive motor, when said battery removal determination unit determines that said rechargeable battery unit has been removed.