Inputs for optimizing performance in hybrid vehicles

• US 7,958,958 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2010
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jose De La Torre Bueno, Law Office of Scott C. Harris
• Original Assignee: Jose De La Torre-Bueno, Law Office of Scott C. Harris
• Inventors: de la Torre Bueno, Jose
• Primary Examiner(s): Restifo; Jeffrey J
• Application Number:
  US12/710,350
• Publication Number:
  US 20100217467A1
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.29, 180/65.31, 180/65.27, 180/167, 701/22, 701/25, 701/202, 701/213
• US Class Current: 180/65.29
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/46 Series type
• 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 20/12 using control strategies taking into account route information estimation or calculation of non-directly measurable driving parameters B60W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

A hybrid vehicle controller operates to use GPS navigation information to determine how much energy should be delivered from or sent to, the battery. The battery charge can be better managed by using knowledge of the future path of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A hybrid vehicle, comprising:

a battery;

a motor, operating from power stored in said battery;

a GPS navigator, that stores future trip information and provides output information about said future trip information; and

a controller, including a monitoring port, which monitors a state of charge of the battery, and also receives information from said GPS navigator, and controls how much energy is received by and delivered by said battery, based on both of said state of charge of said battery, and said information, and also controls, at a current time, an amount of charging of the battery, based on said future trip information, whereby based on at least one item of future trip information causes said battery to be charged by less than a maximum charging amount.

2. A vehicle as in claim 1, wherein said controller determines a contour of a road ahead that will be traveled, based on said information, and uses said contour to determine an amount of charge to be delivered.

3. A vehicle as in claim 1, further comprising a catalytic converter, and said controller detects a temperature of said catalytic converter, and uses said temperature to determine energy delivery by said battery.