Hybrid vehicle

• US 8,083,015 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2006
• Issued: 12/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nexgen Control Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Tomohiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Restifo, Jeffrey J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Frick, Emma K
• Application Number:
  US12/295,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20090044995A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,911 Days
• Field of Search: 180 6521- 6531, 701/22
• US Class Current: 180/65.21
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2006/268 Electric drive motor starts the engine, i.e. used as starter motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/46 Series type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/486 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/24 including control of energy storage means
• 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 20/10 Controlling the power contribution of each of the prime movers to meet required power demand
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/18 Distance travelled
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/16 Ratio selector position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/20 Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/072 Curvature of the road
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/076 Slope angle of the road
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A hybrid vehicle which can determine slope ascending and slope descending without using GPS radio waves. The hybrid vehicle includes a control unit determines a slope ascending state or a slope descending state of the vehicle by making use of an inclination sensor which detects an inclination with respect to a horizontal surface in the running direction of the vehicle or a vehicle drive sensor. Alternatively, the control unit obtains slope ascending information or slope descending information of the road by making use of a driver operation panel or a bus location system. The control unit sets a charge rate target value of an energy storage device based on these slope ascending state, slope ascending information, slope descending state, and slope descending information and controls charging to the energy storage device.

Claims

1. A hybrid vehicle comprising:

an engine;

a generator which is driven by the engine;

an energy storage device; and

a drive motor which drives the hybrid vehicle, and is configured such that the drive motor drives the hybrid vehicle upon receiving a generation output of the generator and an energy storage output of the energy storage device and, further, the energy storage device is charged with the generation output of the generator and a regeneration output of the drive motor, wherein

the hybrid vehicle includes a control unit which controls the generation output of the generator and controls the charging to the energy storage device, and an inclination sensor which detects an inclination in the running direction of the hybrid vehicle with respect to a horizontal surface, and

the control unit includes

a first determination means which determines a slope ascending state of the hybrid vehicle based on an inclination sensor output of the inclination sensor,

a second determination means which determines a slope descending state of the hybrid vehicle based on the inclination sensor output of the inclination sensor,

a slope ascending distance calculation means which calculates a slope ascending distance when the slope ascending state is determined,

a third determination means which determines a long slope ascending state in which the slope ascending distance is equal or more than a predetermined value,

a slope descending distance calculation means which calculates a slope descending distance when the slope descending state is determined,

a fourth determination means which determines a long slope descending state in which the slope descending distance is equal or more than a predetermined value,

a first setting means sets an ascending mode target value as a charge rate control target to the energy storage device when the long slope ascending state is determined, and

a second setting means sets a descending mode target value as the charge rate control target to the energy storage device when the long slope descending state is determined, and

the control unit controls the generation output of the generator based on the charge rate control target and controls the charging to the energy storage device.

2. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the hybrid vehicle further includes a charge sensor which outputs a charge rate of the energy storage device, and the control unit controls the generation output of the generator based on the charge rate and the charge rate control target.

3. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the control unit controls driving and stopping of the engine and performs an ON/OFF control of the generation output of the generator.

4. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the hybrid vehicle further includes a power converter which controls the generation output of the generator, and the control unit controls the generation output of the generator by controlling the power converter.