Hybrid vehicle with immobilizer

• US 8,569,908 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2011
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Graf, Johann, Steinbrueck, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Algahaim, Helal A
• Assistant Examiner(s): INGRAM, THOMAS P
• Application Number:
  US13/641,797
• Publication Number:
  US 20130096755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 701/51, 701/66, 701/93, 701/112, 701/113, 123/179.4, 340/426.11, 340/426.35, 340/5.8, 307/10.2, 307/10.3, 307/10.6
• US Class Current: 307/10.3
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/486 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• 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 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• 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 2050/0045 using databus protocols
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/105 Output torque
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/902 Prime movers comprising electrical and internal combustion motors

Abstract

In a hybrid vehicle which has a plurality of drives, of which in particular one drive is a combustion engine and the other is an electric drive, all the drive control units, if appropriate even a transmission control unit, require enabling by an immobilizer control unit before the first control unit outputs control commands to communicate a torque request, input by a vehicle driver.

Claims

1. A method for operating a motor vehicle, comprising:

detecting, at an immobilizer control unit, whether a condition has been satisfied;

communicating that the condition has been satisfied by sending a signal from the immobilizer control unit;

individually activating each of a plurality of drives of the motor vehicle by outputting control signals from an associated drive control unit, the plurality of drives comprising an internal combustion engine, each of the plurality of drives being individually activated only when the immobilizer control unit has detected satisfaction of the condition within a specific time period which has not yet expired;

in response to a predetermined situation, determining at a master control unit whether to activate each individual drive which was previously inactive, the master control unit acting as a hybrid control unit;

when all drives were previously inactive, ensuring that each of the drive control units has received the signal from the immobilizer control unit before a first of the drive control units begins to output control signals for activation; and

after a predetermined time period of inactivity less than the specific time period, briefly activating the internal combustion engine by outputting control signals from the associated drive control unit.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the motor vehicle has a transmission control unit for outputting control signals to a transmission, and

the transmission control unit must have received the signal from the immobilizer control unit, which signal communicates that the condition has been satisfied, before the transmission control unit outputs control signals to the transmission.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein

each control unit must transmit an interrogation signal to the immobilizer control unit before reception of the signal from the immobilizer control unit, which signal communicates that the condition has been satisfied.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein

in response to the predetermined situation, the master control unit outputs an interrogation signal to the immobilizer control unit, and

when the master control unit outputs the interrogation signal to the immobilizer control unit, the master control unit also communicates to the other control units, using a separate signal, that the interrogation signal has been output.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the predetermined situation is present if a vehicle driver performs an operator control by which the vehicle driver requests for torque to be applied by the drives of the motor vehicle, and

the predetermined situation is present if an automatic control device requests for torque to be applied by the drives of the motor vehicle.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of drives comprise the internal combustion engine and an electric motor.

7. A method for operating a motor vehicle, comprising:

detecting, at an immobilizer control unit, whether a condition has been satisfied;

communicating that the condition has been satisfied by sending a signal from the immobilizer control unit;

individually activating each of a plurality of drives of the motor vehicle by outputting control signals from an associated drive control unit, the plurality of drives comprising an internal combustion engine, each of the plurality of drives being individually activated only when the immobilizer control unit has detected satisfaction of the condition within a specific time period which has not yet expired;

in response to a predetermined situation, determining at a master control unit whether to activate each individual drive which was previously inactive, the master control unit acting as a hybrid control unit;

when all drives were previously inactive, ensuring that each of the drive control units has received the signal from the immobilizer control unit before a first of the drive control units begins to output control signals for activation; and

after a predetermined time period of inactivity, briefly activating the internal combustion engine by outputting control signals from the associated drive control unit;

wherein the drive control unit for the internal combustion engine also serves as the master control unit,

each control unit must transmit an interrogation signal to the immobilizer control unit before reception of the signal from the immobilizer control unit, which signal communicates that the condition has been satisfied, thereby permitting the associated drive to be activated, and

ensuring that each of the drive control units has received the signal from the immobilizer control unit before a first of the drive control units begins to output control signals for activation, comprises;

when the master control unit outputs the interrogation signal to the immobilizer control unit, the master control unit also communicates to the other control units, using a separate signal, that the interrogation signal has been output; and

upon receiving the separate signal from the master control unit, the other drive control units each transmit an interrogation signal to the immobilizer control unit.