Vehicle and control method thereof

• US 8,577,526 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2007
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Jinno, Kunihiko, Nakagawa, Tadashi, Maeda, Masahiko, Yaguchi, Hideaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US12/523,281
• Publication Number:
  US 20100082190A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,155 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/40 characterised by the assembly or relative disposition of components
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/448 Electrical distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/52 Driving a plurality of drive axles, e.g. four-wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/543 the transmission being a continuously variable transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/547 the transmission being a stepped gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/486 Operating parameters
• 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 10/24 including control of energy storage means
• 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 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• 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 2540/30 : Driving style
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 : Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/90 : Vehicles comprising electric prime movers
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2037/0866 : Power split variators with distributing differentials, with the output of the CVT connected or connectable to the output shaft
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 63/42 : Ratio indicator devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

In a hybrid vehicle 20, when the ECO switch 88 is turned on, Step S140 determines whether or not a driving state is an economy driving state based on an ECO mode driving state determination map having a tendency not to regard the driving state as the economy driving state in comparison with a normal driving state determination map. A determination result of Step S140 is displayed on a meter display unit 90 in the form of an illumination or an extinction of an ECO mark 95 so as to inform the driving state is the economy driving state or not (Step S180).

Claims

1. A vehicle having an informing unit configured to inform vehicle information that relates a driving state, the vehicle comprising:

a fuel consumption priority mode selection switch to select a fuel consumption priority mode that gives priority to fuel consumption;

a driving state determination module configured to determine whether the driving state is an economy driving state based on a first determination criterion when the fuel consumption priority mode selection switch is turned off, the driving state determination module determining whether the driving state is the economy driving state based on a second determination criterion that is stricter for determining whether the driving state is the economy driving state in comparison with the first determination criterion, when the fuel consumption priority mode selection switch is turned on;

an informing control module configured to control the informing unit to inform a driver of a determination result of the driving state determination module.

2. A vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a driving force related physical quantity acquisition unit that acquires a physical quantity relating a driving force demand by the driver,

wherein the first and second determination criteria respectively regard that the driving state is the economy driving state when the acquired physical quantity is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, and wherein the threshold in the second determination criterion is smaller than that in the first determination criterion.

3. A vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a vehicle speed related physical quantity acquisition unit that acquires a physical quantity relating a vehicle speed,

wherein the first and second determination criteria respectively regard that the driving state is the economy driving state when the acquired physical quantity is equal to or less than a predetermined vehicle speed related threshold, and wherein the vehicle speed related threshold in the second determination criterion is smaller than that in the first determination criterion.

4. A vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a motor capable of outputting power for driving; and

an accumulator capable of supplying and receiving electric power from the motor.

5. A vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

an internal combustion engine capable of outputting power for driving; and

a power transmitting mechanism having an axle-side rotational element connected to a predetermined axle, and an engine-side rotational element connected to an engine shaft of the internal combustion engine and configured to differentially rotate with respect to the axle-side rotational element, the power transmitting mechanism capable of outputting at least a part of power from the engine shaft to the axle side.

6. A vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the power transmitting mechanism is an electric power-mechanical power input output structure connected to the predetermined axle and the engine shaft of the internal combustion engine and outputting at least a part of power from the internal combustion engine to the axle side with input/output of electric power and mechanical power.

7. A vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the electric power-mechanical power input output structure includes a power generation motor capable of inputting and outputting power, and a three shaft-type power input output assembly connected with three shafts, the predetermined axle, the engine shaft of the internal combustion engine, and a rotating shaft of the power generation motor, the three shaft-type power input output assembly configured to input and output power to one remaining shaft, based on input and output of powers from and to any two shafts selected among the three shafts.

8. A vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the power transmitting mechanism is a continuously variable transmission.

9. A control method of a vehicle including an informing unit configured to inform vehicle information that relates a driving state, and a fuel consumption priority mode selection switch to select a fuel consumption priority mode that gives priority to fuel consumption, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) determining whether the driving state is an economy driving state based on a first determination criterion when the fuel consumption priority mode selection switch is turned off, the step (a) determining whether the driving state is the economy driving state based on a second determination criterion that is stricter for determining whether the driving state is the economy driving state in comparison with the first determination criterion, when the fuel consumption priority mode selection switch is turned on; and

(b) controlling the informing unit so that a driver is informed of a determination at the step (a).

10. A control method of a vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the first and second determination criteria used at the step (a) respectively regard that the driving state is the economy driving state when a physical quantity relating a driving force demand by the driver is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, and wherein the threshold in the second determination criterion is smaller than that in the first determination criterion.

11. A control method of a vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the first and second determination criteria used at the step (a) respectively regard that the driving state is the economy driving state when a physical quantity relating a vehicle speed is equal to or less than a predetermined vehicle speed related threshold, and wherein the vehicle speed related threshold in the second determination criterion is smaller than that in the first determination criterion.