Hybrid vehicle, control method of hybrid vehicle, and computer-readable recording medium recording program for allowing computer to execute control method

• US 8,234,028 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2007
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Katsuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): MCPARTLIN, SARAH BURNHAM
• Application Number:
  US12/311,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20090277704A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,747 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/26 characterised by the motors or the generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• 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 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 2510/081 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/105 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/13 Mileage
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/18 Distance travelled
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/081 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility

Abstract

A hybrid vehicle has as a travel mode an EV mode for traveling while stopping the engine, and an HV mode for operating the engine. An ECU includes first and second traveling distance operating units, and a determination unit. The first traveling distance operating unit calculates an EV traveling distance indicative of a total traveling distance in the EV mode. The second traveling distance operating unit calculates the engine use traveling distance indicative of a total traveling distance when the engine is operated. The determination unit determines the necessity of maintenance of predetermined elements included in the vehicle based on the EV traveling distance and the engine use traveling distance.

Claims

1. A hybrid vehicle equipped with an internal combustion engine and a rotating electric machine serving as a mechanical power source for vehicle driving, having a first running mode during which said internal combustion engine is stopped and a second running mode during which said internal combustion engine is actuated, said hybrid vehicle comprising:

a first running amount computation unit for computing a first status amount indicating a running amount in said first running mode;

a second running amount computation unit for computing a second status amount indicating a running amount in said second running mode; and

a determination unit for determining necessity of maintenance for elements included in the vehicle, based on said first and second status amounts, wherein

said determination unit determines necessity of maintenance for said internal combustion engine and the elements actuated in accordance with the actuation of said internal combustion engine among said elements in the vehicle, based on said second status amount, and determines necessity of maintenance for the remaining elements, based on a third status amount indicating a total running amount of the vehicle; and

a notification unit which issues, to a user, a notification of the necessity of maintenance for the elements included in the vehicle, based on a result of the determination by said determination unit.

2. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said third status amount is calculated by addition of said second status amount to said first status amount.

3. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said first status amount is a total running distance in said first running mode, and

said second status amount is a total running distance in said second running mode.

4. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 3, wherein said second running amount computation unit calculates the total running distance in said second running mode from an assumed speed set in accordance with a load of said internal combustion engine.

5. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 4, further comprising:

a chargeable electric-power storage device for storing electric power consumed by said rotating electric machine; and

an electric-power generation device configured to be capable of charging said electric-power storage device through use of mechanical power of said internal combustion engine.

6. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said first status amount is a total running time in said first running mode, and

said second status amount is a total running time in said second running mode.

7. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said first running amount computation unit calculates said first status amount by subtraction of said second status amount from said third status amount indicating a total running amount of the vehicle.

8. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said second running amount computation unit calculates said second status amount by subtraction of said first status amount from said third status amount indicating a total running amount of the vehicle.

9. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a memory unit for storing said first and second status amounts.

10. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit for displaying said first and second status amounts.

11. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a transmission unit for transmitting said first and second status amounts to outside of the vehicle.

12. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a chargeable electric-power storage device for storing electric power consumed by said rotating electric machine, wherein

said electric-power storage device has such a capacity that the vehicle can run a distance of at least 10 km in said first running mode.

13. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a chargeable electric-power storage device;

a plug capable of being connected to a power supply external to a vehicle; and

an electric-power charge device configured to be capable of receiving electric power from said plug, converting the electric power into voltage and charging said electric-power storage device.

14. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 13, further comprising another rotating electric machine which is different from said rotating electric machine, wherein

each of said rotating electric machine and said another rotating electric machine includes, as a stator winding, a star-connected multi-phase winding, and

said electric-power charge device includes

a first inverter which is provided in correspondence with said rotating electric machine,

a second inverter which is connected to said first inverter in parallel and is provided in correspondence with said another rotating electric machine,

a pair of electric power lines which connect said plug to a neutral point of the multi-phase winding of said rotating electric machine and a neutral point of the multi-phase winding of said another rotating electric machine, and

a charge control unit which controls said first and second inverters such that said first and second inverters convert electric power given to said neutral points from said power supply external to the vehicle through said pair of electric power lines into voltage to charge said electric-power storage device.

15. A control method for a hybrid vehicle equipped with an internal combustion engine and a rotating electric machine serving as a mechanical power source for vehicle driving, having a first running mode during which said internal combustion engine is stopped and a second running mode during which said internal combustion engine is actuated, said control method comprising:

a step of computing a first status amount indicating a running amount in said first running mode;

a step of computing a second status amount indicating a running amount in said second running mode; and

a step of determining necessity of maintenance for elements included in the vehicle, based on said first and second status amounts, wherein

necessity of maintenance for said internal combustion engine and the elements actuated in accordance with the actuation of said internal combustion engine among said elements in the vehicle is determined based on said second status amount, and necessity of maintenance for the remaining elements is determined based on a third status amount indicating a total running amount of the vehicle; and

a step of issuing, to a user, a notification of the necessity of maintenance for the elements included in the vehicle, based on a result of the determination.

16. The control method for the hybrid vehicle according to claim 15, wherein said third status amount is calculated by addition of said second status amount to said first status amount.

17. The control method for the hybrid vehicle according to claim 15, wherein

said first status amount is a total running distance in said first running mode, and

said second status amount is a total running distance in said second running mode.

18. The control method for the hybrid vehicle according to claim 17, wherein

in the step of computing the second status amount, the total running distance in said second running mode is calculated from an assumed speed set in accordance with a load of said internal combustion engine.

19. The control method for the hybrid vehicle according to claim 15, wherein

said first status amount is a total running time in said first running mode, and

said second status amount is a total running time in said second running mode.

20. The control method for the hybrid vehicle according to claim 15, wherein

in the step of computing the first status amount, said first status amount is calculated by subtraction of said second status amount from said third status amount indicating a total running amount of the vehicle.

21. The control method for the hybrid vehicle according to claim 15, wherein

in the step of computing the second status amount, said second status amount is calculated by subtraction of said first status amount from said third status amount indicating a total running amount of the vehicle.

22. The control method for the hybrid vehicle according to claim 15, further comprising a step of displaying said first and second status amounts.

23. The control method for the hybrid vehicle according to claim 15, further comprising a step of transmitting said first and second status amounts to outside of the vehicle.

24. A computer-readable recording medium recording a program for allowing a computer to execute the control method according to claim 15.