Charge-discharge management apparatus and computer readable medium having instructions for achieving the apparatus

• US 8,234,027 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2008
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Yamada, Kazunao
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Murshed, Nagi
• Application Number:
  US12/214,379
• Publication Number:
  US 20080319597A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,504 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/46 Series type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/52 drive range estimation, e.g. of estimation of available travel distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• 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 20/11 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 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 2050/0031 Mathematical model of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/105 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/05 Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads
• 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 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

In charge-discharge control for a battery in a hybrid vehicle, when a difference between a target SOC (State Of Charge) and a present SOC becomes greater than or equal to a reference range in an estimated route to a destination, a charge schedule is drawn up again as a charge re-schedule. However, if the number of times of the re-schedule becomes greater than or equal to predetermined N times or if a remaining distance to the destination becomes less than a predetermined reference distance, a hybrid control based on the charge schedule is stopped without the charge re-schedule drawn up.

Claims

1. A charge-discharge management apparatus for a battery of a hybrid vehicle, which uses an internal combustion engine driven by fuel combustion and a motor driven by the battery as a power source for running, the apparatus comprising:

a scheduling control unit configured to (i) determine a schedule about whether or not to drive the hybrid vehicle using the motor and to charge the battery along an estimated route to a destination and (ii) estimate transition of a remaining quantity of the battery along the estimated route based on the schedule;

a scheduled running control unit configured, when the hybrid vehicle runs along the estimated route, to perform a control over whether or not to drive the hybrid vehicle using the motor and whether or not to charge the battery in accordance with the schedule;

a re-scheduling control unit configured to operate to cause the scheduling control unit to operate again when the hybrid vehicle runs along the estimated route, based on a remaining battery quantity difference being greater than or equal to a reference quantity value, the remaining battery quantity difference being a difference in a remaining quantity of the battery between a detected quantity at a present position of the hybrid vehicle and a scheduled quantity according to the schedule at the present position; and

a stop control unit configured to stop an operation of the scheduled running control unit based on the re-scheduling control unit having operated a number of times greater than or equal to a reference times value while the hybrid vehicle travels from a start point to the present position along the estimated route;

wherein

after the stop control unit stops the operation of the scheduled running control unit, an autonomous control mode is executed, the autonomous control mode controlling to maintain the remaining quantity of the battery at the reference quantity value regardless of whether the hybrid vehicle runs along the estimated route.

9. A computer readable medium comprising instructions being executed by a computer, the instructions for achieving all the control units included in the charge-discharge management apparatus according to claim 1.

2. A charge-discharge management apparatus for a battery of a hybrid vehicle, which uses an internal combustion engine driven by fuel combustion and a motor driven by the battery as a power source for running, the apparatus comprising:

a scheduling control unit configured to (i) determine a schedule about whether or not to drive the hybrid vehicle using the motor and to charge the battery along an estimated route to a destination and (ii) estimate transition of a remaining quantity of the battery along the estimated route based on the schedule;

a scheduled running control unit configured, when the hybrid vehicle runs along the estimated route, to perform a control over whether or not to drive the hybrid vehicle using the motor and whether or not to charge the battery in accordance with the schedule; and

a stop control unit configured to stop an operation of the scheduled running control unit based on a remaining battery quantity difference being greater than or equal to a reference quantity value, the remaining battery quantity difference being a difference in a remaining quantity of the battery between a detected quantity at a present position of the hybrid vehicle and a scheduled quantity according to the schedule at the present position, when it is affirmatively determined that a distance from the present position to the destination is less than a reference distance value, when the hybrid vehicle runs along the estimated route;

wherein

after the stop control unit stops the operation of the scheduled running control unit, an autonomous control mode is executed, the autonomous control mode controlling to maintain the remaining quantity of the battery at the reference quantity value regardless of whether the hybrid vehicle runs along the estimated route.

10. A computer readable medium comprising instructions being executed by a computer, the instructions for achieving all the control units included in the charge-discharge management apparatus according to claim 2.

3. A charge-discharge management apparatus for a battery of a hybrid vehicle, which uses an internal combustion engine driven by fuel combustion and a motor driven by the battery as a power source for running, the apparatus comprising:

a learning control unit configured to record, in a storage medium, information on a driving situation of the hybrid vehicle in a travel road which the hybrid vehicle has been traveled;

a scheduling control unit configured to (i) determine, based on the recorded information on the driving situation in an estimated route to a destination, a schedule about whether or not to drive the hybrid vehicle using the motor and to charge the battery along the estimated route and (ii) estimate transition of a remaining quantity of the battery along the estimated route based on the schedule;

a scheduled running control unit configured, when the hybrid vehicle runs along the estimated route, to perform a control over whether or not to drive the hybrid vehicle using the motor and whether or not to charge the battery in accordance with the schedule; and

a stop control unit configured to stop an operation of the scheduled running control unit based on a difference exceeding a reference degree in the estimate route between a driving situation at a present travel and a driving situation recorded in the estimated route by the learning control unit, when the hybrid vehicle runs along the estimated route;

wherein

after the stop control unit stops the operation of the scheduled running control unit, an autonomous control mode is executed, the autonomous control mode controlling to maintain the remaining quantity of the battery at the reference quantity value regardless of whether the hybrid vehicle runs along the estimated route.

11. A computer readable medium comprising instructions being executed by a computer, the instructions for achieving all the control units included in the charge-discharge management apparatus according to claim 3.

4. A charge-discharge management apparatus for a battery of a hybrid vehicle, which uses an internal combustion engine driven by fuel combustion and a motor driven by the battery as a power source for running, the apparatus comprising:

a scheduling control unit configured to (i) determine a schedule about whether or not to drive the hybrid vehicle using the motor and to charge the battery along an estimated route to a destination and (ii) estimate transition of a remaining quantity of the battery along the estimated route based on the schedule;

a scheduled running control unit configured to control a hybrid control apparatus so as to operate in a passive control mode according to the schedule determined by the scheduling control unit when the hybrid vehicle runs the estimated route, the hybrid control apparatus being configured to switch an own operation mode between the passive control mode and an autonomous control mode based on a control from the charge-discharge management apparatus, the passive control mode which changes whether or not to drive the hybrid vehicle by the motor and whether or not charge the battery according to a control from the charge-discharge management apparatus, the autonomous control mode which changes whether or not to drive the hybrid vehicle by the motor and whether or not to charge the battery independent of a control from the charge-discharge management apparatus; and

a stop control unit configured to stop an operation of the scheduled running control unit to thereby control the hybrid control apparatus so as to operate in the autonomous control mode based on receiving from the hybrid control apparatus a predetermined signal indicating that the passive control mode be inappropriate;

wherein

after the stop control unit stops the operation of the scheduled running control unit, the autonomous control mode is executed, the autonomous control mode controlling to maintain the remaining quantity of the battery at the reference quantity value regardless of whether the hybrid vehicle runs along the estimated route.

12. A computer readable medium comprising instructions being executed by a computer, the instructions for achieving all the control units included in the charge-discharge management apparatus according to claim 4.

5. A computer readable medium comprising instructions being executed by a computer, the instructions including a computer-implemented method for managing a battery of a hybrid vehicle, which uses an internal combustion engine driven by fuel combustion and a motor driven by the battery as a power source for running, the instructions comprising:

performing a scheduling which (i) determines a schedule about whether or not to drive the hybrid vehicle using the motor and to charge the battery along an estimated route to a destination and (ii) estimates transition of a remaining quantity of the battery along the estimated route based on the schedule;

performing, when the hybrid vehicle runs along the estimated route, a hybrid control over whether or not to drive the hybrid vehicle using the motor and whether or not to charge the battery in accordance with the schedule;

causing the scheduling to be performed again when the hybrid vehicle runs along the estimated route, based on a remaining battery quantity difference being greater than or equal to a reference quantity value, the remaining battery quantity difference being a difference in a remaining quantity of the battery between a detected quantity at a present position of the hybrid vehicle and a scheduled quantity according to the schedule at the present position;

stopping performing of the hybrid control based on the scheduling having been performed a number of times greater than or equal to a reference times value while the hybrid vehicle travels from a start point to the present position along the estimated route; and

executing an autonomous control mode after stopping performing of the hybrid control based on the scheduling, the autonomous control mode controlling to maintain the remaining quantity of the battery at the reference quantity value regardless of whether the hybrid vehicle runs along the estimated routed.

6. A computer readable medium comprising instructions being executed by a computer, the instructions including a computer-implemented method for managing a battery of a hybrid vehicle, which uses an internal combustion engine driven by fuel combustion and a motor driven by the battery as a power source for running, the instructions comprising:

performing a scheduling which (i) determines a schedule about whether or not to drive the hybrid vehicle using the motor and to charge the battery along an estimated route to a destination and (ii) estimates transition of a remaining quantity of the battery along the estimated route based on the schedule;

performing, when the hybrid vehicle runs along the estimated route, a hybrid control over whether or not to drive the hybrid vehicle using the motor and whether or not to charge the battery in accordance with the schedule;

stopping performing of the hybrid control based on the scheduling based on a remaining battery quantity difference being greater than or equal to a reference quantity value, the remaining battery quantity difference being a difference in a remaining quantity of the battery between a detected quantity at a present position of the hybrid vehicle and a scheduled quantity according to the schedule at the present position, when it is affirmatively determined that a distance from the present position to the destination is less than a reference distance value, when the hybrid vehicle runs along the estimated route; and

executing an autonomous control mode after stopping performing of the hybrid control based on the scheduling, the autonomous control mode controlling to maintain the remaining quantity of the battery at the reference quantity value regardless of whether the hybrid vehicle runs along the estimated routed.

7. A computer readable medium comprising instructions being executed by a computer, the instructions including a computer-implemented method for managing a battery of a hybrid vehicle, which uses an internal combustion engine driven by fuel combustion and a motor driven by the battery as a power source for running, the instructions comprising:

recording, in a storage medium, information on a driving situation of the hybrid vehicle in a travel road which the hybrid vehicle has been traveled;

performing a scheduling which (i) determines, based on the recorded information on the driving situation in an estimated route to a destination, a schedule about whether or not to drive the hybrid vehicle using the motor and to charge the battery along the estimated route and (ii) estimates transition of a remaining quantity of the battery along the estimated route based on the schedule;

performing, when the hybrid vehicle runs along the estimated route, a hybrid control over whether or not to drive the hybrid vehicle using the motor and whether or not to charge the battery in accordance with the schedule;

stopping performing the hybrid control based on a difference exceeding a reference degree in the estimate route between a driving situation at a present travel and a driving situation recorded in the estimated route, when the hybrid vehicle runs along the estimated route; and

executing an autonomous control mode after stopping performing of the hybrid control based on the difference exceeding the reference degree, the autonomous control mode controlling to maintain the remaining quantity of the battery at the reference quantity value regardless of whether the hybrid vehicle runs along the estimated routed.

8. A computer readable medium comprising instructions being executed by a computer, the instructions including a computer-implemented method for managing a battery of a hybrid vehicle, which uses an internal combustion engine driven by fuel combustion and a motor driven by the battery as a power source for running, the instructions comprising:

performing a scheduling which (i) determines a schedule about whether or not to drive the hybrid vehicle using the motor and to charge the battery along an estimated route to a destination and (ii) estimates transition of a remaining quantity of the battery along the estimated route based on the schedule;

performing a hybrid control to control a hybrid control apparatus so as to operate in a passive control mode according to the determined schedule when the hybrid vehicle runs the estimated route, the hybrid control apparatus being configured to switch an own operation mode between the passive control mode and an autonomous control mode based on an instruction issued from the hybrid control, the passive control mode which changes whether or not to drive the hybrid vehicle by the motor and whether or not charge the battery according to an instruction issued from the hybrid control, the autonomous control mode which changes whether or not to drive the hybrid vehicle by the motor and whether or not to charge the battery independent of an instruction issued from the hybrid control; and

stopping performing the hybrid control and then controlling the hybrid control apparatus so as to operate in the autonomous control mode based on an instruction issued from the hybrid control a predetermined signal indicating that the passive control mode be inappropriate, the autonomous control mode controlling to maintain the remaining quantity of the battery at the referenced quantity value regardless of whether the hybrid vehicle runs along the estimated route.