VEHICLE AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING VEHICLE

• US 20130293201A1
• Filed: 11/18/2010
• Published: 11/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ono, Tomoya
• Granted Patent: US 9,030,172 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/138
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/02 to electric heating circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC 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 2220/14 Synchronous machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/441 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/14 by input of vehicle departure time
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/44 by parameter estimation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/58 Departure time prediction
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/12 of exhaust
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 : DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 : Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 : responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 : having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/14 : for vehicles propelled by ac motors
• 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 10/24 : 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 2710/248 : Current for loading or unloading
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18054 : at stand still, e.g. engine in idling state hill holding B60W30/18118
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/14 : Starting of engines by means of electric starters with external current supply F02N11/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/40 : adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage
• 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 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle allows a power storage device mounted therein to be externally charged using electric power from an external power supply. The vehicle includes an engine, a motor generator and a vehicle ECU. The vehicle allows a motor generator to generate electric power by driving the engine. Then, when charging of the power storage device is not completed within a target charging time period set by the user only using the electric power from the external power supply in the case where external charging is performed, the vehicle ECU charges the power storage device with the electric power from the external power supply additionally using the electric power generated by driving the engine.

Claims

1. A vehicle allowing a power storage device mounted therein to be externally charged using electric power from an external power supply, said vehicle comprising:

a power generation device; and

a control device for controlling said external charging,

during said external charging, said control device performing charging of said power storage device with the electric power from said external power supply additionally using electric power generated by said power generation device as required.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said control device determines based on a target charging time period set by a user whether or not to perform charging additionally using said generated electric power.

3. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein, when it is estimated that charging is not completed within the set target charging time period only by the electric power from said external power supply, said control device uses said power generation device to generate electric power to provide charging electric power insufficiently provided by said external power supply, so as to fully supply required charging electric power.

4. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein, when it is estimated that charging is not completed within the set target charging time period only by the electric power from said external power supply, said control device makes a selection, based on setting by the user, between charging additionally using said generated electric power and extension of a charging time period.

5. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein

said power generation device can be set such that the generated electric power is variable, and

said control device controls said power generation device such that the unfilled electric power is generated within the set target charging time period.

6. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein said control device stops power generation by said power generation device in a case where unfilled charging electric power of the required charging electric power can be supplied within the set target charging time period using only the electric power from said external power supply when charging is performed additionally using said generated electric power.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said power generation device includes

an internal combustion engine, and

a rotating electric machine generating electric power using driving force from said internal combustion engine.

8. The vehicle according to claim 7, further comprising a warm-up device for raising a temperature of a catalyst for purifying exhaust gas of said internal combustion engine, wherein

when charging is performed additionally using said generated electric power, said control device raises the temperature of said catalyst by driving said warm-up device before driving said internal combustion engine.

9. The vehicle according to claim 8, wherein said control device drives said internal combustion engine when the temperature of said catalyst exceeds a predetermined reference temperature.

10. The vehicle according to claim 8, wherein said control device stops said warm-up device when the temperature of said catalyst exceeds a predetermined reference temperature.

11. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said power generation device includes a fuel cell.

12. The vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising a notification unit for notifying the user of information about charging.

13. The vehicle according to claim 12, wherein, when it is estimated that charging is not completed within the set target charging time period only by the electric power from said external power supply, said control device causes said notification unit to notify the user to make a selection between charging additionally using said generated electric power and extension of a charging time period.

14. The vehicle according to claim 12, wherein, when it is estimated that charging is not completed within the set target charging time period even when charging is performed additionally using said generated electric power, said control device causes said notification unit to notify the user of at least one of the estimation that charging is not completed within said target charging time period and an estimated charging time period required until completion of charging.

15. A method of controlling a vehicle, said method allowing charging of a power storage device mounted in the vehicle using electric power from an external power supply and electric power generated by a power generation device mounted in the vehicle, said method comprising:

the step of causing a user to set a target charging time period;

the step of determining whether charging of said power storage device is completed or not within said target charging time period using only the electric power from said external power supply; and

,

the step of, when charging of said power storage device cannot be completed within said target charging time period using only the electric power from said external power supply, charging said power storage device with the electric power from said external power supply additionally using said generated electric power.

16. The method of controlling a vehicle according to claim 15, wherein

said power generation device includes

an internal combustion engine, and

a rotating electric machine generating electric power using driving force from said internal combustion engine,

said vehicle includes a warm-up device for raising a temperature of a catalyst for purifying exhaust gas of said internal combustion engine, and

said method further comprises the step of raising the temperature of said catalyst by driving said warm-up device before driving said internal combustion engine when charging is performed additionally using said generated electric power.

17. The method of controlling a vehicle according to claim 15, wherein

said vehicle further includes a notification unit for notifying the user of information about charging,

said method further comprises the step of causing said notification unit to notify the user to make a selection between charging additionally using said generated electric power and extension of a charging time period, when it is estimated that charging is not completed within the set target charging time period only by the electric power from said external power supply.

18. The method of controlling a vehicle according to claim 17, further comprising the step of causing said notification unit to notify the user of at least one of the estimation that charging is not completed within said target charging time period and an estimated charging time period required until completion of charging, when it is estimated that charging is not completed within the set target charging time period even if charging is performed additionally using said generated electric power.