Vehicle and vehicle control method

• US 9,090,252 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2013
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Mitsutani, Noritake
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Tuan C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kan, Yuri
• Application Number:
  US13/893,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20130311021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 805 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 123/406.23, 180/65.245, 602/84, 602/86, 602/74
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• 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 20/16 for reducing engine exhaust emissions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0694 Engine exhaust temperature
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor

Abstract

A vehicle includes: an electrical storage device configured to supply electric power to a power receiving system outside the vehicle; a power generating device configured to supply electric power to the electrical storage device and the power receiving system; an engine that is a power source of the power generating device and that has a catalyst for purifying exhaust gas; and a control device. The control device is configured to control the vehicle such that a catalyst temperature becomes a first target value when there is a request to warm up the catalyst while the vehicle is travelling, and the control device configured to control the vehicle such that catalyst temperature becomes a second target value different from the first target value when there is a request to warm up the catalyst while electric power is being supplied to the power receiving system.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

an electrical storage device configured to supply electric power to a power receiving system outside the vehicle;

a power generating device configured to supply electric power to the electrical storage device and the power receiving system;

an engine that is a power source of the power generating device and that has a catalyst for purifying exhaust gas; and

an electronic control unit configured to control the vehicle such that a catalyst temperature becomes a first target value when there is a request to warm up the catalyst while the vehicle is travelling, and the electronic control unit configured to control the vehicle such that catalyst temperature becomes a second target value different from the first target value when there is a request to warm up the catalyst while electric power is being supplied to the power receiving system, wherein the second target value is lower in temperature than the first target value.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the first target value is the catalyst temperature required to purify the exhaust gas in an amount corresponding to an upper limit of an intake air flow rate of the engine while the vehicle is travelling.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the second target value is the catalyst temperature required to purify the exhaust gas in an amount corresponding to an upper limit of an intake air flow rate of the engine while electric power is being supplied to the power receiving system.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to determine that there is a request to warm up the catalyst when a state of charge of the electrical storage device is lower than a threshold.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to determine that there is a request to warm up the catalyst when a low-load state of the engine continues until a lapse of time after an end of warm-up of the catalyst is longer than or equal to a threshold.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

an electric motor configured to drive the vehicle, wherein

the electronic control unit is configured to determine that there is a request to warm up the catalyst when there is a request to start the engine while the vehicle is driven with the use of the electric motor in a state where the engine is stopped.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a detecting unit configured to detect the catalyst temperature, wherein

the electronic control unit is configured to determine that there is a request to warm up the catalyst when the engine is in operation and the catalyst temperature detected by the detecting unit is lower than a threshold.

8. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a drive wheel;

a second rotating electrical machine configured to rotate the drive wheel; and

a power transmission device configured to mechanically couple three elements, that is, an output shaft of the engine, a rotary shaft of a first rotating electrical machine that is the power generating device and a rotary shaft of the second rotating electrical machine, to each other, and the power transmission device configured to set any one of the three elements as a reaction element to thereby transmit power between the other two elements.

9. A vehicle control method that is used in a vehicle including:

an electrical storage device configured to supply electric power to an external power receiving system;

a power generating device configured to supply electric power to the electrical storage device and the power receiving system; and

an engine that is a power source of the power generating device and that has a catalyst, comprising;

controlling, via an electronic control unit, the vehicle such that a catalyst temperature becomes a first target value when there is a request to warm up the catalyst while the vehicle is travelling; and

controlling, via the electronic control unit, the vehicle such that the catalyst temperature becomes a second target value different from the first target value when there is a request to warm up the catalyst while electric power is being supplied to the power receiving system, wherein the second target value is lower in temperature than the first target value.