Hybrid cruising control system

• US 7,783,396 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2008
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Funakoshi, Sunao, Ishikawa, Katsumi, Nagasu, Masahiro, Arita, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US12/015,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20080183348A1
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 701/36, 701/91, 701/96, 701/99, 701/93, 475/5, 180/65.25, 180/65.27, 180/65.28, 180/65.29, 477/3, 903/903, 903/947
• US Class Current: 701/22
• 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 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/11 using model predictive control [MPC] strategies, i.e. control methods based on models predicting performance utilising navigation and traffic information in the control strategy B60W20/12
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/246 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/103 Speed profile
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/184 Preventing damage resulting from overload or excessive wear of the driveline
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor

Abstract

In a conventional hybrid scheme used to mount a rechargeable battery in a motor vehicle, store into the battery the electric power that has been obtained via a regenerative brake, and utilize the power during acceleration of the vehicle, when a temperature rise of the battery due to charging or discharging causes a temperature of the battery to stay outside a defined range, it has been absolutely necessary to stop the battery charge or discharge, and fuel efficiency has decreased. This invention predicts a charge level and temperature of a rechargeable battery from the cruising input/output power requirements calculated from route information and historical records of cruising, prevents a stoppage of the battery by calculating chronological engine output and brake control data for the temperature to stay within a defined range, and hence improves fuel efficiency.

Claims

1. A hybrid cruising control system, comprising:

an electric power storage device;

an electric motor;

an electric power generator;

an engine; and

braking means;

wherein,

a motor vehicle is driven by said motor alone or by using said engine and said motor, the vehicle being braked by regenerative braking with said motor alone or by combining said braking means and regenerative braking with said motor;

said electric power storage device has a function which supplies electric power to said motor, and a function which stores, in addition to electric power which said engine has generated by driving said electric power generator, regenerative electric power generated by said motor during braking;

means for generating a cruising pattern is provided for calculating an output of said engine and a control state of said braking means by using route information and historical records of cruising;

said electric power storage device is controlled such that at least one or more states thereof will stay within a required range; and

the means for generating a cruising pattern predicts a charge level and temperature as states of said electric power storage device.

2. The hybrid cruising control system according to claim 1, wherein the means for generating a cruising pattern accommodates daily changes in route conditions by collecting historical records of cruising for each specific day of the week and on a specific time frame basis.

3. The hybrid cruising control system according to claim 1, wherein:

the means for generating a cruising pattern obtains information on sequential cruising route conditions and cruising conditions to cope even with traffic congestion, blockage, and other unassumed cruising conditions; and

if actual data measurements prove contrary to initial predictions, the means for generating a cruising pattern regenerates a cruising pattern.

4. The hybrid cruising control system according to claim 1, wherein when a cruising route change occurs, the means for generating a cruising pattern regenerates a cruising pattern for the new route, based on route information and historical records of cruising.

5. The hybrid cruising control system according to claim 1, wherein the means for generating a cruising pattern regenerates a cruising pattern if a temperature of the battery is reduced as a result of a stop at a signal.