Hybrid vehicle, method of controlling hybrid vehicle, program for causing computer to execute the method of controlling hybrid vehicle, and computer readable storage medium having the program stored therein

• US 20100006359A1
• Filed: 09/25/2007
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Niwa, Toshiaki, Ang, Wanleng
• Granted Patent: US 8,210,293 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/65.285
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/007 Physical arrangements or structures of drive train converters specially adapted for the propulsion motors of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/14 Synchronous machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• 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 20/12 using control strategies taking into account route information estimation or calculation of non-directly measurable driving parameters B60W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/085 Changing the parameters of the control units, e.g. changing limit values, working points by control input
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 2201/09 Boost converter, i.e. DC-DC step up converter increasing the voltage between the supply and the inverter driving the motor general aspects of plural converters in cascade H02M
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

The present invention contemplates a hybrid vehicle capable of changing an amount to be charged to an electric power storage device in accordance with whether it is externally charged. The hybrid vehicle includes a control device inquiring of an occupant of the vehicle whether the occupant has an intention to go to a charging location for example at home. If so, the control device sets a target value for the electric power storage device'"'"'s amount of a state (SOC) to have a value smaller than when the occupant does not have an intention to go to the charging location. This allows as much energy as possible to be received at the charging location and a vehicle can thus be obtained that less depends on an internal combustion engine and contributes to environmental protection.

Claims

1. A hybrid vehicle comprising:

an internal combustion engine;

an electric motor used to drive a wheel;

a chargeable and dischargeable electric power storage device supplying said electric motor with electric power;

an electric power generation device receiving mechanical motive power from said internal combustion engine to generate electric power;

an electric power input unit receiving electric power provided from external to the vehicle to charge said electric power storage device; and

a control device controlling an amount charged from said electric power generation device to said electric power storage device to allow said electric power storage device to have an amount of a state, representing a state of charge, approaching a target control value, wherein said control device inquires of an occupant of the vehicle whether the occupant has an intention to go to a charging location, and said control device changes said target control value in accordance with an instruction of the occupant.

2. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

said charging location is previously set; and

said control device has a special SOC control mode available when the vehicle'"'"'s current position has a distance of at most a predetermined value to said charging location, and said control device inquires of the occupant whether to select said special SOC control mode when a decision is made in a navigation system that said distance to said charging location is at most said predetermined value.

3. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein if the occupant provides an instruction indicating that the occupant has an intention to go to said charging location, said control device sets said target control value to be lower than when the occupant does not have an intention to go to said charging location.

4. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said control device further inquires of the occupant an amount to be charged, and changes said target control value in accordance with said amount to be charged.

11. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 2, wherein said control device further inquires of the occupant an amount to be charged, and changes said target control value in accordance with said amount to be charged.

12. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 3, wherein said control device further inquires of the occupant an amount to be charged, and changes said target control value in accordance with said amount to be charged.

5. A method of controlling a hybrid vehicle including an internal combustion engine, an electric motor used to drive a wheel, a chargeable and dischargeable electric power storage device supplying said electric motor with electric power, an electric power generation device receiving mechanical motive power from said internal combustion engine to generate electric power, and an electric power input unit receiving electric power provided from external to the vehicle to charge said electric power storage device, the method comprising the steps of:

inquiring of an occupant of the vehicle whether the occupant has an intention to go to a charging location;

controlling first charging, controlling an amount charged from said electric power generation device to said electric power storage device to allow said electric power storage device to have an amount of a state, representing a state of charge, approaching a first target control value;

controlling second charging, controlling an amount charged from said electric power generation device to said electric power storage device to allow said amount of said state to approach a second target control value lower than said first target control value; and

determining in accordance with an instruction of the occupant to perform one of the step of controlling said first charging and the step of controlling said second charging.

6. The method of controlling a hybrid vehicle according to claim 5, said charging location being previously set, the method further comprising the steps of:

obtaining a distance extending from the vehicle'"'"'s current position to said charging location; and

determining whether said distance is at most a predetermined value, wherein the step of inquiring inquires whether the occupant has an intention to go to said charging location when said distance is at most said predetermined value.

7. The method of controlling a hybrid vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the step of determining to perform one of the step of controlling said first charging and the step of controlling said second charging causes the step of controlling said second charging to be performed if the occupant'"'"'s instruction indicates that the occupant has an intention to go to said charging location, and the step of determining causes the step of controlling said first charging to be performed if the occupant'"'"'s instruction indicates that the occupant does not have an intention to go to said charging location.

8. The method of controlling a hybrid vehicle according to claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

further inquiring of the occupant an amount to be charged; and

changing said second target control value in accordance with said amount to be charged.

9. A computer readable storage medium having a program stored therein for causing a computer to perform the method of controlling a hybrid vehicle according to claim 5.

10. A program for causing a computer to perform the method of controlling a hybrid vehicle according to claim 5.

13. A computer readable storage medium having a program stored therein for causing a computer to perform the method of controlling a hybrid vehicle according to claim 6.

14. A computer readable storage medium having a program stored therein for causing a computer to perform the method of controlling a hybrid vehicle according to claim 7.

15. A computer readable storage medium having a program stored therein for causing a computer to perform the method of controlling a hybrid vehicle according to claim 8.

16. A program for causing a computer to perform the method of controlling a hybrid vehicle according to claim 6.

17. A program for causing a computer to perform the method of controlling a hybrid vehicle according to claim 7.

18. A program for causing a computer to perform the method of controlling a hybrid vehicle according to claim 8.