Hybrid vehicle and control method thereof

• US 7,406,378 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2005
• Issued: 07/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Harada, Osamu, Yamaguchi, Katsuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): KWON, JOHN
• Application Number:
  US11/587,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20070220883A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,160 Days
• Field of Search: 701/101, 701/103, 701/114, 701/115, 701/123, 123/41.01, 123/41.05, 903/905
• US Class Current: 701/103
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/02 the heat being derived from the propulsion plant B60H1/00492 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/445 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0676 Engine temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2050/24 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2060/08 Cabin heater
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 7/167 by adjusting the pre-set temperature according to engine parameters, e.g. engine load, engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/083 taking into account engine load variation, e.g. air-conditionning

Abstract

In response to simultaneous ON settings of a heater switch signal HSW and an eco switch signal ESW, an eco priority map is set to an intermittent operation permission map (step S350). The heater switch signal HSW is output from a heater switch that is operated to warm up a passenger compartment, while the eco switch signal ESW is output from an eco switch that is operated to give preference to improvement in fuel consumption of the vehicle over the heater function. The eco priority map is designed to allow intermittent operation of an engine in a lower range of cooling water temperature Tw of the engine than that in a heater-on state map set in response to OFF setting of the eco switch signal ESW and ON setting of the heater switch signal HSW. The control procedure of the invention refers to the intermittent operation permission map and determines whether the intermittent operation of the engine is allowed or prohibited, based on the current cooling water temperature Tw and a starting-time cooling water temperature Tst, which represents a temperature of cooling water at a first start of the engine since activation of the vehicle system (step S360).

Claims

1. A hybrid vehicle that is equipped with an internal combustion engine and a motor and is driven with power output from at least the motor to a drive shaft, said hybrid vehicle comprising:

a heating module that uses the internal combustion engine as a heat source to warm up a passenger compartment;

a fuel consumption priority instruction module that gives a fuel consumption priority instruction for giving preference to fuel consumption, in response to an operator'"'"'s request;

a cooling water temperature measurement module that measures a cooling water temperature in the internal combustion engine;

a power demand setting module that sets a power demand required for the drive shaft;

an intermittent operation permission module that, in response to no reception of the fuel consumption priority instruction given by said fuel consumption priority instruction module during heating of the passenger compartment by said heating module, gives permission for intermittent operation of the internal combustion engine upon condition that the cooling water temperature measured by said cooling water temperature measurement module is not lower than a preset first temperature, while otherwise placing a prohibition on the intermittent operation of the internal combustion engine,

in response to reception of the fuel consumption priority instruction given by said fuel consumption priority instruction module during heating of the passenger compartment by said heating module, said intermittent operation permission module giving permission for the intermittent operation of the internal combustion engine upon condition that the cooling water temperature measured by said cooling water temperature measurement module is not lower than a preset second temperature, which is below the preset first temperature, while otherwise placing the prohibition on the intermittent operation of the internal combustion engine; and

a control module that, in response to the permission for the intermittent operation of the internal combustion engine given by said intermittent operation permission module, controls the internal combustion engine and the motor to ensure an output power level corresponding to the power demand to the drive shaft with the intermittent operation of the internal combustion engine,

in response to the prohibition on the intermittent operation of the internal combustion engine placed by said intermittent operation permission module, said control module controlling the internal combustion engine and the motor to ensure the output power level corresponding to the power demand to the drive shaft with continuous operation of the internal combustion engine.

2. A hybrid vehicle in accordance with claim 1, wherein said intermittent operation permission module gives permission for the intermittent operation of the internal combustion engine, based on a starting-time cooling water temperature measured by said cooling water temperature measurement module at a first start of the internal combustion engine since activation of said hybrid vehicle.

3. A hybrid vehicle in accordance with claim 2, wherein said intermittent operation permission module gives permission for the intermittent operation of the internal combustion engine, based on the preset second temperature, which decreases with an increase in starting-time cooling water temperature.

4. A hybrid vehicle in accordance with claim 1, said hybrid vehicle further comprising:

an engine operation stop instruction module that gives an engine operation stop instruction for stopping the operation of the internal combustion engine, based on the power demand,

wherein said control module controls the internal combustion engine to be idled, in response to the engine operation stop instruction of the internal combustion engine given by said engine operation stop instruction module under the prohibition on the intermittent operation of the internal combustion engine placed by said intermittent operation permission module.

5. A hybrid vehicle in accordance with claim 1, said hybrid vehicle further comprising:

an electric power-mechanical power input-output module that is linked to an output shaft of the internal combustion engine and to the drive shaft connecting with a predetermined axle of said hybrid vehicle and outputs at least part of power from the internal combustion engine to the drive shaft through input and output of electric powers and mechanical powers,

wherein the motor is linked to either of the predetermined axle connecting with the drive shaft and another axle of said hybrid vehicle that is different from the predetermined axle, and

said control module controls said electric power-mechanic power input-output module.

6. A hybrid vehicle in accordance with claim 5,

wherein said electric power-mechanical power input-output module comprises a three shaft-type power input-output unit that is linked to three shafts, the output shaft of the internal combustion engine, the drive shaft, and a rotating shaft, and determines a power input from and output to residual one shaft based on powers input from and output to any two shafts among the three shafts, and a motor that is capable of inputting and outputting power from and to the rotating shaft.

7. A hybrid vehicle in accordance with claim 5,

wherein said electric power-mechanical power input-output module comprises a pair-rotor motor that has a first rotor connected to the output shaft of the internal combustion engine and a second rotor connected to the drive shaft, where the first rotor and the second rotor rotate relative to each other to drive the pair-rotor motor.

8. A hybrid vehicle that is equipped with an internal combustion engine and a motor and is driven with power output from at least the motor to a drive shaft, said hybrid vehicle comprising:

a heating module that uses the internal combustion engine as a heat source to warm up a passenger compartment;

a fuel consumption priority instruction module that gives a fuel consumption priority instruction for giving preference to fuel consumption, in response to an operator'"'"'s request;

a temperature measurement module that measures either of temperature of the internal combustion engine and temperature of a medium, which depends on the temperature of the internal combustion engine, and sets the measured temperature to a control temperature;

a power demand setting module that sets a power demand required for the drive shaft;

an intermittent operation permission module that, in response to no reception of the fuel consumption priority instruction given by said fuel consumption priority instruction module during heating of the passenger compartment by said heating module, gives permission for intermittent operation of the internal combustion engine upon condition that the control temperature measured by said temperature measurement module is not lower than a preset first temperature, while otherwise placing a prohibition on the intermittent operation of the internal combustion engine,

in response to reception of the fuel consumption priority instruction given by said fuel consumption priority instruction module during heating of the passenger compartment by said heating module, said intermittent operation permission module giving permission for the intermittent operation of the internal combustion engine upon condition that the control temperature measured by said temperature measurement module is not lower than a preset second temperature, which is below the preset first temperature, while otherwise placing the prohibition on the intermittent operation of the internal combustion engine; and

a control module that, in response to the permission for the intermittent operation of the internal combustion engine given by said intermittent operation permission module, controls the internal combustion engine and the motor to ensure an output power level corresponding to the power demand to the drive shaft with the intermittent operation of the internal combustion engine,

in response to the prohibition on the intermittent operation of the internal combustion engine placed by said intermittent operation permission module, said control module controlling the internal combustion engine and the motor to ensure the output power level corresponding to the power demand to the drive shaft with continuous operation of the internal combustion engine.

9. A control method of a hybrid vehicle, which is equipped with an internal combustion engine, a motor, a heating module that uses the internal combustion engine as a heat source to warm up a passenger compartment, and a fuel consumption priority instruction module that gives a fuel consumption priority instruction for giving preference to fuel consumption, in response to a operator'"'"'s request, said hybrid vehicle being driven with power output from at least the motor to a drive shaft,

said control method comprising the steps of:

(a) setting a power demand required for the drive shaft;

(b) measuring a cooling water temperature in the internal combustion engine;

(c) in response to no reception of the fuel consumption priority instruction given by said fuel consumption priority instruction module during heating of the passenger compartment by said heating module, giving permission for intermittent operation of the internal combustion engine upon condition that the cooling water temperature measured in said step (b) is not lower than a preset first temperature, while otherwise placing a prohibition on the intermittent operation of the internal combustion engine,

in response to reception of the fuel consumption priority instruction given by said fuel consumption priority instruction module during heating of the passenger compartment by said heating module, giving permission for the intermittent operation of the internal combustion engine upon condition that the cooling water temperature measured in said step (b) is not lower than a preset second temperature, which is below the preset first temperature, while otherwise placing the prohibition on the intermittent operation of the internal combustion engine; and

(d) in response to the permission for the intermittent operation of the internal combustion engine given in said step (c), controlling the internal combustion engine and the motor to ensure an output power level corresponding to the power demand to the drive shaft with the intermittent operation of the internal combustion engine,

in response to the prohibition on the intermittent operation of the internal combustion engine placed in said step (c), controlling the internal combustion engine and the motor to ensure the output power level corresponding to the power demand to the drive shaft with continuous operation of the internal combustion engine.

10. A control method in accordance with claim 9, wherein said step (c) gives permission for the intermittent operation of the internal combustion engine, based on a starting-time cooling water temperature measured by said step (b) at a first start of the internal combustion engine since activation of said hybrid vehicle.

11. A control method in accordance with claim 10, wherein said step (c) gives permission for the intermittent operation of the internal combustion engine, based on the preset second temperature, which decreases with an increase in starting-time cooling water temperature.

12. A control method in accordance with claim 9, said control method further comprising the step of:

(e) giving an engine operation stop instruction for stopping the operation of the internal combustion engine based on the power demand, preceding step (d),

wherein said (d) controls the internal combustion engine to be idled, in response to the engine operation stop instruction of the internal combustion engine given in said step (e) under the prohibition on the intermittent operation of the internal combustion engine placed in said step (c).