Control apparatus for hybrid vehicles

• US 6,907,948 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2002
• Issued: 06/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1999
• 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: Wakashiro, Teruo, Nakamoto, Yasuo, Kuroda, Shigetaka, Nakaune, Kan, Sawamura, Kazutomo, Oki, Hideyuki, Izumiura, Atsushi, Kitajima, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KLEBE, GERALD B
• Application Number:
  US10/123,137
• Publication Number:
  US 20020108794A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.2, 180/65.3, 180/65.4, 180/65.6, 180/65.7, 180/65.8, 180/65.1, 701/22, 701/70
• US Class Current: 180/65.25
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/485 Motor-assist type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/44 related to combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/441 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/26 Transition between different drive modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/14 Preventing excessive discharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 Preventing overcharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/18 Controlling the braking effect B60L7/12, B60L7/14, B60L7/16 take precedence
• 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: 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 control apparatus of a hybrid vehicle is provided, capable of charging the battery device when the state of charge of the battery device tends to decrease and the initial state of charge of the battery device is reduced by a predetermined amount. The present device comprises a lower limit threshold value setting device S060, an upper limit threshold value setting device for setting the lower limit and upper limit threshold values of the discharge amount of the battery device, a mode setting device S054 for increasing the state of charge when the state of charge is reduced to the lower limit threshold value, a mode setting release device S062 for releasing the mode setting changed by the mode setting device, and a discharge depth detecting device S063 for detecting the discharge amount of the present state of charge by comparison with the initial state of charge. The threshold value for determining whether it is necessary for the motor to assist the engine is modified depending upon the discharge depth.

Claims

1. A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle propelled only by a single engine and a single motor, in which said single engine and said single motor are directly connected, comprising:

the single engine for outputting a driving force of the hybrid vehicle;

the single motor for generating an auxiliary driving force for assisting the engine output;

a battery device for supplying electric power to the single motor and for storing regenerative energy obtained by a regenerative operation of the single motor during deceleration of the vehicle;

an assist determination device for determining whether it is necessary for the single motor to assist the engine output in response to a driving condition of the vehicle;

wherein said control apparatus of the hybrid vehicle comprises;

a start of travel detecting device for detecting the start of travel of the vehicle;

a state of charge detecting device for detecting only the initial state of charge of said battery device at the time of starting the travel;

a discharge depth detecting device for detecting a charge amount and a discharge amount including a discharge depth value of the present state of charge from the initial state of charge detected at the time of starting the travel;

a lower limit threshold value setting device for setting the lower limit threshold value of the discharge amount based on said initial state of charge;

an upper limit threshold value setting device for setting the upper limit threshold value of the discharge amount based on said initial state of charge;

a mode setting device for changing a control mode of said single motor to a discharge limiting motor control mode when the discharge depth value of the battery device is reduced to said lower limit threshold value;

a mode setting release device for releasing the setting of the discharge limiting control mode set by said mode setting device after the charge amount of the battery device reaches said upper limit threshold value from the lower limit threshold value;

a determination threshold value correction device for correcting the determination threshold value used as the standard for determination by said assist determination device in response to said discharge depth detecting device when the control mode of the single motor is changed by said mode setting device; and

a determination threshold value discharge depth value correction device for further correcting the determination threshold value corrected by said determination threshold value correction device in response to said initial state of charge of said battery device;

wherein the state of charge of the battery device is determined based on the initial state of charge, the charge amount, and discharge amount including the discharge depth value.

2. A control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said determination threshold state of charge correction device decreases the correction amount of the determination threshold state of charge correction as the initial state of charge of the battery device increases.

3. A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle propelled only by a single engine and a single motor, in which said single engine and said single motor are directly connected, comprising:

the single engine for outputting a driving force of the hybrid vehicle;

the single motor for generating an auxiliary driving force for assisting the engine output;

a battery device for supplying electric power to the single motor and for storing regenerative energy obtained by a regenerative operation of the single motor during deceleration of the vehicle;

an assist determination device for determining whether it is necessary for the single motor to assist the engine output in response to a driving condition of said vehicle;

wherein said control apparatus of the hybrid vehicle comprises;

a start of travel detecting device for detecting the start of travel of the vehicle;

a state of charge detecting device for detecting only the initial state of charge of said battery device at the time of starting the travel;

a discharge depth detecting device for detecting a charge amount and a discharge amount including a discharge depth value of the present state of charge from the initial state of charge detected at the time of starting the travel;

the control apparatus for setting a lower limit discharge amount for said initial state of charge;

the control apparatus for setting an upper limit charge amount for said initial state of charge;

a mode setting device for changing a control mode of said single motor to a discharge control mode when the discharge depth value of the battery device is reduced to said lower limit threshold value;

a mode setting release device for releasing the setting of the motor control mode set by said mode setting device when the charge amount of the battery device reaches said upper limit threshold value;

a determination threshold value correction device for correcting the determination threshold value used as the standard for determination by said assist determination device in response to said discharge depth detecting device when the control mode of the single motor is changed by said mode setting device; and

a determination threshold value state of charge correction device for further correcting the determination threshold value corrected by said determination threshold value correction device in response to said initial state of charge of said battery device;

wherein the state of charge of said battery device is determined based on the initial state of charge, the charge amount, and the discharge depth value.

4. A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 3, wherein said determination threshold value state of charge correction device decreases said determination threshold value as said initial state of charge of said battery device increases.