Hybrid vehicle

• US 9,415,698 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2015
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Sato, Keita, Endo, Hiroki, Hokoi, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Hau
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEYER, JACOB B
• Application Number:
  US14/969,115
• Publication Number:
  US 20160176310A1
• Time in Patent Office: 245 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/26 Transition between different drive modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0084 relating to control modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• 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 20/19 for achieving enhanced acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/215 Selection or confirmation of options
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0666 Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/083 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

An ECU may make a changeover between EV running and HV running in accordance with a running situation in each of a CD mode and a CS mode. A start power threshold of an engine at the time when the CD mode is selected may be larger than the start power threshold at the time when the CS mode is selected. Then, the ECU may change the driving force characteristics of a vehicle depending on whether the CD mode or the CS mode is selected that may result in the vehicle driving torque for the same vehicle speed and the same accelerator opening degree being larger when the CD mode is selected than when the CS mode is selected.

Claims

1. A hybrid vehicle comprising:

an internal combustion engine;

an electrical storage device;

an electric motor that generates a running driving force upon being supplied with an electric power from the electrical storage device; and

at least one electronic control unit configured to;

select one of a charge depleting mode and a charge sustaining mode,

cause the hybrid vehicle to run while making a changeover between a first running mode and a second running mode in accordance with a running situation of the hybrid vehicle in each of the charge depleting mode and the charge sustaining mode, wherein the first running mode is a mode in which the hybrid vehicle runs by the electric motor with the internal combustion engine stopped, the second running mode is a mode in which the hybrid vehicle runs with the internal combustion engine in operation, and a threshold of a power at which a changeover from the first running mode to the second running mode is made at a time when the charge depleting mode is selected being larger than the threshold at a time when the charge sustaining mode is selected, and

change driving force characteristics of the hybrid vehicle resulting in a driving torque of the hybrid vehicle for a same vehicle speed and a same accelerator opening degree at the time when the charge depleting mode is selected being larger than the driving torque for the same vehicle speed and the same accelerator opening degree at the time when the charge sustaining mode is selected.

2. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the electronic control unit is configured to change the driving force characteristics of the hybrid vehicle resulting in a falling rate of the driving torque corresponding to an increase in vehicle speed at the same accelerator opening degree at the time when the charge depleting mode is selected being smaller than a falling rate of the driving torque corresponding to an increase in vehicle speed at the same accelerator opening degree at the time when the charge sustaining mode is selected, in a range where the driving torque of the hybrid vehicle is below a predetermined upper limit.

3. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising

an input device configured to select a driving priority mode that realizes running with higher priority given to acceleration performance or responsiveness of the vehicle than to reduction in fuel consumption, wherein

the electronic control unit is configured to change the driving force characteristics of the hybrid vehicle resulting in the driving torque of the hybrid vehicle for the same vehicle speed and the same accelerator opening degree at the time when the charge depleting mode is selected and the driving priority mode is selected being larger than the driving torque of the hybrid vehicle for the same vehicle speed and the same accelerator opening degree at the time when the charge depleting mode is selected and the driving priority mode is not selected.

4. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising

an input device configured to select an economy mode that realizes running with higher priority given to reduction in fuel consumption than to acceleration performance of the hybrid vehicle, wherein

the electronic control unit is configured to change the driving force characteristics of the hybrid vehicle resulting in the driving torque of the hybrid vehicle for the same vehicle speed and the same accelerator opening degree at the time when the charge depleting mode is selected and the economy mode is selected being smaller than the driving torque of the hybrid vehicle for the same vehicle speed and the same accelerator opening degree at the time when the charge depleting mode is selected and the economy mode is not selected.

5. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising

a charging mechanism configured to charge the electrical storage device through a use of an electric power from an electric power supply outside the vehicle.