Hybrid vehicle control apparatus wherein battery is charged based on required charging amount and/or energy conversion efficiency of electric generator

• US 6,637,530 B1
• Filed: 10/06/2000
• Issued: 10/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Endo, Hiroatsu, Oba, Hidehiro, Hoshiya, Kazumi, Umeyama, Mitsuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Brian L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHRIVER II, JAMES A
• Application Number:
  US09/684,468
• Time in Patent Office: 1,117 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.1, 180/65.2, 180/65.3, 180/65.4, 180/65.6, 180/65.7
• US Class Current: 180/65.25
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• 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 2240/16 longitudinal
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• 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 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/24 including control of energy storage means
• 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 2510/081 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/083 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/105 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/662 with endless flexible members
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1415 : with a generator driven by a prime mover other than the motor of a vehicle
• 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: 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/945 : Characterized by control of gearing, e.g. control of transmission ratio
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/946 : Characterized by control of driveline clutch

Abstract

A control apparatus for controlling a hybrid automotive vehicle including an engine and an electric motor as drive power sources for driving the vehicle, and an electric generator operable by the engine to charge a battery while the vehicle is driven by the engine. The control apparatus includes a charging opportunity selecting device operable to determine whether the battery should be charged by the electric generator, on the basis of at least one of a required charging amount of electric energy with which the battery is charged and an energy conversion efficiency of said electric generator.

Claims

1. A control apparatus to control a hybrid automotive vehicle including an engine operable by combustion of a fuel and an electric motor as drive power sources for driving the vehicle, and an electric generator operable by said engine to generate an electric energy for charging a battery while the vehicle is driven by said engine, said control apparatus comprising:

a charging opportunity selecting device operable to determine whether said battery should be charged by said electric generator, on the basis of at least an energy conversion efficiency of said electric generator.

2. A control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for determining a required charging amount of electric with which said battery is charged, on the basis of an amount of electric energy stored in said battery, and wherein said charging opportunity selecting means determines said energy efficiency of said electric motor on the basis of the determined required charging amount.

3. A control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said electric motor and said electric generator are combined into a motor/generator which selectively functions as said electric motor or said electric generator, and said hybrid automotive vehicle includes an output member operatively connected to a drive wheel of the vehicle for driving the vehicle, a synthesizing/distributing device of gear type connected to said engine, said motor/generator and said output member, for synthesizing and distributing forces among said engine, said motor/generator and said output member, and a continuously variable transmission disposed between said output member and said drive wheel.

4. A control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said synthesizing/distributing device includes a housing, a first rotary element connected to said engine, a second rotary element connected to said motor/generator and connected to said output member through a first clutch, and a third rotary element connected to said output member through a second clutch and fixed to said housing through a brake.

5. A control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for calculating a desired vehicle drive power by which the vehicle is driven by said engine;

means for calculating required charging amount of electric energy with which said battery is charged during an operation of said engine to drive the vehicle; and

means for calculating a desired operating speed of said engine on the basis of the calculated desired vehicle drive power and the calculated required charging amount, wherein said charging opportunity selecting device determines said energy conversion efficiency of said electric generator on the basis of the calculated desired operating speed of said engine and said calculated required charging amount of electric energy of said battery.

6. A control apparatus for controlling a hybrid automotive vehicle including an engine operable by combustion of a fuel and an electric motor as drive power sources for driving the vehicle, a continuously variable transmission through which at least a drive force generated by said engine is transmitted to drive wheels of the vehicle, and an electric generator operable by said engine to generate an electric energy for charging a battery while the vehicle is driven by said engine, said control apparatus comprising:

a first engine/transmission control device operable upon charging of said battery, to increase a torque of said engine while shifting down said continuously variable transmission so as to increase an operating speed of said engine; and

a second engine/transmission control device operable upon an increase in a vehicle-operator'"'"'s desired drive power for driving the vehicle, to increase said torque of said engine and shifting down said transmission so as to increase the operating speed of said engine, said second engine/transmission control device including engine-output increasing means for increasing said torque of said engine, said engine having a throttle valve, and said engine-output increasing means having a response higher than said throttle valve.

7. A control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said first engine/transmission control device controls said engine such that an operating state of said engine changes along a first engine operating line which is formulated for improved fuel economy of said engine, and said second engine/transmission control device controls said engine such that the operating state of said engine changes along a second engine operating line which is formulated to provide a larger torque than said first engine operating line, said first and second engine operating lines being defined by the torque and speed of said engine.

8. A control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said first engine/transmission control device shifts down said continuously variable transmission at a speed which is lower than that at which said continuously variable transmission is shifted down while said battery is not charged.

9. A control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said hybrid automotive vehicle includes a motor/generator which selectively functions as said electric motor and said electric generator, an output member operatively connected through said continuously variable transmission to a drive wheel of the vehicle for driving the vehicle, and a synthesizing/distributing device of gear type connected to said engine, said motor/generator and said output member, for synthesizing and distributing forces among said engine, said motor/generator and said output member.

10. A control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said synthesizing/distributing device includes a housing, a first rotary element connected to said engine, a second rotary element connected to said motor/generator and connected to said output member through a first clutch, and a third rotary element connected to said output member through a second clutch and fixed to said housing through a brake.

11. A control apparatus according to claim 10 further comprising means for determining said energy conversion efficiency of said electric generator on the basis of an amount of electric power to be generated by said electric generator to charge said battery.