Vehicular power supply apparatus and engine-drive-regulation supporting apparatus

• US 6,986,398 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2003
• Issued: 01/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Obayashi, Kazuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SWENSON, BRIAN L
• Application Number:
  US10/602,726
• Publication Number:
  US 20040084232A1
• Time in Patent Office: 937 Days
• Field of Search: 180/167, 180/168, 180/170, 180/65.2, 701/91, 701/93, 701/207, 701/213
• US Class Current: 180/65.28
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/082 Plural DC voltage, e.g. DC supply voltage with at least two different DC voltage levels
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/14 Balancing the load in a network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/46 for ICE-powered road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1423 with multiple batteries
• 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 903/917 with transmission for changing gear ratio

Abstract

A power feed portion includes a power storage portion and a power generating portion. The power storage portion includes a storage battery. The power feed portion feeds electric power to a plurality of on-vehicle loads. In cases where the sum of feedable electric power is smaller than the sum of required electric power or in cases where an electric quantity related to the sum of feedable electric power is smaller than an electric quantity related to the sum of required electric power, a control portion increases the sum of feedable electric power or decreases the sum of required electric power. The sum of feedable electric power is equal to electric power which can be fed from the power feed portion to the on-vehicle loads, and which contains electric power generated by the power generating portion and electric power feedable from the storage battery.

Claims

1. An engine-drive-regulation supporting apparatus mounted on a hybrid-drive vehicle which can be driven by an engine and an electric generator/motor, the apparatus comprising:

engine-drive-regulated region detecting means including at least one of means for judging whether the position of the hybrid-drive vehicle is in a prescribed engine-drive-regulated region on the basis of information received from a vehicle position detecting device provided on the hybrid-drive vehicle or from an external source with respect to the hybrid-drive vehicle, and means for receiving an engine-drive-regulation signal from an external source with respect to the hybrid-drive vehicle; and

engine-drive regulating means for giving a notice to a vehicle driver, suspending the engine, or decelerating the engine to reduce exhaust gas emitted from the hybrid-drive vehicle when it is judged that the position of the hybrid-drive vehicle is in the prescribed engine-drive-regulated region or in response to reception of the engine-drive-regulation signal.

2. An engine-drive-regulation supporting apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the engine-drive regulating means includes:

means for judging whether the hybrid-drive vehicle is in the prescribed engine-drive-regulated region and the present time is in a prescribed engine-drive-regulated time range; and

means for giving the notice to the vehicle driver, suspending the engine, or decelerating the engine to reduce exhaust gas emitted from the hybrid-drive vehicle when it is judged that the hybrid-drive vehicle is in the prescribed engine-drive-regulated region and the present time is in the prescribed engine-drive-regulated time range.