Drive power control apparatus for hybrid vehicle

• US 6,343,252 B1
• Filed: 08/24/2000
• Issued: 01/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ibaraki, Shigeru, Asami, Kiyoshi, Kishida, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Dolinar, Andrew M.
• Application Number:
  US09/645,035
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• Field of Search: 701/111, 701/113, 701/22, 602/84, 602/85, 180/65.2, 180/65.4
• US Class Current: 701/113
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2006/268 Electric drive motor starts the engine, i.e. used as starter motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/543 the transmission being a continuously variable transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/445 Temperature
• 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 20/13 in order to stay within battery power input or output limits; in order to prevent overcharging or battery depletion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0676 Engine temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/068 Engine exhaust temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0622 Air-fuel ratio
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/194 related to low temperature conditions, e.g. high viscosity of hydraulic fluid
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/024 to increase temperature of the exhaust gas treating apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/66 specially adapted for continuously variable gearings control of exclusively fluid gearing F16H61/38
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/91 : Orbital, e.g. planetary gears
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/918 : Continuously variable

Abstract

The hybrid vehicle of the present invention has an internal combustion engine, a power storage unit for storing electric power, and a motor driven by the electric power stored in the power storage unit, the hybrid vehicle being driven by at least one of the outputs from the internal combustion engine and the motor. The drive power control apparatus comprises: a detector for detecting variations in torque produced by the internal combustion engine; a converter for converting the variation into an output from the motor, based on the detection result of the detector; a remaining charge detector for detecting remaining charge of the power storage unit or a value relating to the same; a comparison circuit for comparing the detection result from the remaining charge detector with a preset remaining charge reference value or a value relating to the same; and a controller for driving the motor, based on the output from the converter, when warming up the catalyst by retarding the ignition timing of the internal combustion engine, and when it is determined, based on the output from the comparison circuit, that the detection result from the remaining charge detector is equal to or above the remaining charge reference value or the value relating to the same.

Claims

1. A drive power control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle having an internal combustion engine, a power storage unit for storing electric power, and a motor driven by the electric power stored in the power storage unit, the hybrid vehicle being driven by at least one of the outputs from the internal combustion engine and the motor, the drive power control apparatus comprising:

a detector for detecting a variation in torque produced by the internal combustion engine;

a converter for converting the variation into an output from the motor, based on the detection result of the detector;

a remaining charge detector for detecting a remaining charge of the power storage unit or a value relating to the same;

a comparison circuit for comparing the detection result from the remaining charge detector with a preset remaining charge reference value or a value relating to the same; and

a controller for driving the motor, based on the output from the converter, when warming up a catalyst by retarding the ignition timing of the internal combustion engine, and when it is determined, based on the output from the comparison circuit, that the detection result from the remaining charge detector is equal to or above the remaining charge reference value or the value relating to the same.

2. A power drive control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 1 wherein the control by the controller is performed until a preset time has passed, when warming up the catalyst by retarding the ignition timing of the internal combustion engine.

5. A power drive control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the controller corrects a command value of the torque of the engine, when warming up the catalyst by retarding the ignition timing of the internal combustion engine, and when it is determined, based on the output from the comparison circuit, that the detection result from the remaining charge detector is below the remaining charge reference value or the value relating to the same.

3. A drive power control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle having an internal combustion engine, a power storage unit for storing electric power, and a motor driven by the electric power stored in the power storage unit, the hybrid vehicle being driven by at least one of the outputs from the internal combustion engine and the motor, the drive power control apparatus comprising:

a detector for detecting a variation in torque produced by the internal combustion engine;

a converter for converting the variation into an output from the motor, based on the detection result of the detector;

a remaining charge detector for detecting a remaining charge of the power storage unit or a value relating to the same;

a first comparison circuit for comparing the detection result from the remaining charge detector with a preset remaining charge reference value or a value relating to the same;

a data detector for detecting data corresponding to a temperature of catalyst;

a second comparison circuit for comparing the detection result from the data detector with a preset reference value; and

a controller for driving the motor, based on the output from the converter, when warming up a catalyst by retarding the ignition timing of the internal combustion engine, when it is determined, based on the output from the comparison circuit, that the detection result from the remaining charge detector is equal to or above the remaining charge reference value or the value relating to the same, and when the detection result from the data detector is equal to or below the reference value.

4. A power drive control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 3 wherein the data detector counts a preset time, and outputs that the detection result is greater than the reference value.

6. A power drive control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the controller corrects a command value of the torque of the engine, when warming up the catalyst by retarding the ignition timing of the internal combustion engine, and when it is determined, based on the output from the comparison circuit, that the detection result from the remaining charge detector is below the remaining charge reference value or the value relating to the same.