Vehicle and method of controlling vehicle

• US 9,199,542 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2011
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Amano, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEUNG, CALVIN K
• Application Number:
  US14/347,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20150021916A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,526 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/12 Buck converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/14 Boost converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/443 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/527 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/26 by pedal actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/26 Transition between different drive modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/62 charged by low-power generators primarily intended to support the batteries, e.g. range extenders
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• 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 20/10 : Controlling the power contribution of each of the prime movers to meet required power demand
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/40 : Controlling the engagement or disengagement of prime movers, e.g. for transition between prime movers power-up or power-down of the driveline B60W30/192
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2030/1809 : Without torque flow between driveshaft and engine, e.g. with clutch disengaged or transmission in neutral
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0677 : Engine power
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/083 : Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/086 : Power
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/10 : Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/143 : Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18072 : Coasting
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18127 : Regenerative braking
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 : Engine management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• 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

Abstract

A vehicle (100) includes a motor generator (130) generating driving power for running the vehicle (100), and an ECU (300) for controlling the motor generator (130). The ECU (300) causes driving power variation operation to be performed on the motor generator (130) in which the motor generator is switched between a first state (low output state) in which the motor generator generates driving power of a prescribed level and a second state (high output state) in which the motor generator generates driving power larger than the driving power in the first state to run the vehicle (100). As a result, energy efficiency of the vehicle (100) is improved.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

first and second driving sources generating driving power for running the vehicle; and

a control device for controlling the first and second driving sources,

the control device causing inertial running control to be performed,

by causing driving power variation operation to be performed on the driving source in which the first driving source is switched between a first state where the first driving source generates driving power of a prescribed level and a second state where the first driving source generates driving power larger than the driving power in the first state to run the vehicle, and

by causing interval operation to be performed on the second driving source in which the second driving source is switched between a first running pattern where the generation of the driving power by the second driving source is stopped and a second running pattern where the driving power generated by the second driving source is used for running to run the vehicle.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the control device causes the inertial running control to be performed, when driving power requested by a user varies within a prescribed range.

3. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

the control device causes switching between the states of the first driving source and the running patterns of the second driving source so as to maintain a speed of the vehicle within an acceptable range, while the inertial running control is performed.

4. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein

the control device causes switching to the first state in response to an increase in the speed of the vehicle to an upper limit of the acceptable range, and causes switching to the second state in response to a decrease in the speed of the vehicle to a lower limit of the acceptable range.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the driving power in the first state is set to be smaller than reference driving power of constant output capable of maintaining a speed of the vehicle, and

the driving power in the second state is set to be larger than the reference driving power.

6. The vehicle according to claim 5, wherein

the vehicle runs mainly with inertial force of the vehicle in the first state.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the first driving source is a rotating electric machine, and the second driving source is an engine.

8. The vehicle according to claim 7, wherein

the control device causes, when the rotating electric machine is switched to the second state while the engine is in the second running pattern, the driving power generated by the rotating electric machine to be smaller than the driving power when the rotating electric machine is switched to the second state while the engine is in the first running pattern.

9. The vehicle according to claim 7, wherein

the control device causes the engine to be switched to the second running pattern during a period when the rotating electric machine is in the second state.

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

a power storage device supplying electric power to the rotating electric machine; and

a generator configured to be driven by the engine to generate electric power for charging the power storage device, wherein

the control device causes the engine to be switched to the second running pattern when the generator is driven to charge the power storage device.

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

a power storage device supplying electric power to the rotating electric machine; and

a generator configured to be driven by the engine to generate electric power for charging the power storage device, wherein

the control device causes the generator to be driven to charge the power storage device when the engine is in the second running pattern, and

the control device causes, when the engine is in the second running pattern, the driving power of the engine when generating electric power by the generator to be larger than the driving power of the engine when not generating electric power by the generator.

12. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the first driving source is an engine, and the second driving source is a rotating electric machine.

13. The vehicle according to claim 12, wherein

the control device causes, when the rotating electric machine is switched to the second running pattern while the engine is in the second state, the driving power generated by the rotating electric machine to be smaller than the driving power when the rotating electric machine is switched to the second running pattern while the engine is in the first state.

14. The vehicle according to claim 12, wherein

the control device causes the rotating electric machine to be switched to the second running pattern during a period when the engine is in the second state.

15. The vehicle according to claim 12, further comprising:

a power storage device supplying electric power to the rotating electric machine; and

a generator configured to be driven by the engine to generate electric power for charging the power storage device, wherein

the control device causes the engine to be switched to the second state when the generator is driven to charge the power storage device.

16. The vehicle according to claim 12, further comprising:

a power storage device supplying electric power to the rotating electric machine; and

a generator configured to be driven by the engine to generate electric power for charging the power storage device, wherein

the control device causes the generator to be driven to charge the power storage device when the engine is in the second state, and

the control device causes, when the engine is in the second state, the driving power of the engine when generating electric power by the generator to be larger than the driving power of the engine when not generating electric power by the generator.

17. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the first and second driving sources are a first rotating electric machine and a second rotating electric machine, respectively.

18. A method of controlling a vehicle including first and second driving sources generating driving power for running, comprising the steps of:

putting the first driving source in a first state where the first driving source generates driving power of a prescribed level;

putting the first driving source in a second state where the first driving source generates driving power larger than the driving power in the first state;

performing driving power variation operation of switching between the first and second states to run the vehicle;

putting the second driving, source in a first running pattern where the generation of the driving power by the second driving source is stopped;

putting the second driving source in a second running pattern where the driving power generated by the second driving source is used for running; and

performing interval operation of switching between the first and second running patterns to run the vehicle.