Hybrid vehicle including means for maintaining residual charge capacity based on destination information

• US 5,832,396 A
• Filed: 08/14/1997
• Issued: 11/03/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushikikaisha Equos Research
• Original Assignee: Kabushikikaisha Equos Research
• Inventors: Hisada, Hideki, Moroto, Shuzo
• Primary Examiner(s): ZANELLI, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US08/911,273
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 701/29, 701/207, 701/213, 701/123, 701/201, 701/209, 340/439, 340/455, 180/65.2, 180/65.3, 180/65.4, 180/65.8
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/46 Series type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/485 Motor-assist type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/486 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/62 Vehicle position
• 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 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/08 Controlling the braking effect B60L7/04, B60L7/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/18 Controlling the braking effect B60L7/12, B60L7/14, B60L7/16 take precedence
• 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 10/26 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 20/15 Control strategies specially adapted for achieving a particular effect
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 : Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/16 : Ratio selector position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/20 : Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/25 : Road altitude
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/40 : Altitude
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 : Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 : of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 : having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/946 : Characterized by control of driveline clutch

Abstract

A hybrid vehicle capable of efficiently regenerating a battery when the driving route is previously defined and of decreasing exhaust gases. A controller calculates a battery stored residual charge from the output of a battery current voltage detection sensor, sets a target value for the battery residual charge in accordance with road information and information of the present location of the vehicle, received from a navigation processor, and adjusts the outputs of a motor and an engine to cause the actual battery residual charge to approach the target value.

Claims

1. A hybrid vehicle, comprising:

a motor;

an internal-combustion engine;

storage means for transferring electric power with the motor;

storage residual capacity detection means for detecting residual charge capacity of the storage means;

present location detection means for detecting a present location of the vehicle;

memory means for memorizing road information;

destination input means for inputting a destination;

route research means for researching the memorized road information to determine a route from the present location detected by the present location detection means to the destination;

energy calculation means for calculating an amount of energy to be used by the vehicle on the route determined by the route research means;

required storage capacity calculation means calculating storage capacity required for the route determined by the route research means;

target value setting means for setting a target value for the storage means in response to the amount of energy calculated by the energy calculation means and the required storage capacity calculated by the required storage capacity calculation means; and

output adjustment means for adjusting outputs of the motor and of the engine to cause the residual charge capacity of the storage means detected by the storage capacity detection means to approximate the target value set by the target value setting means.

2. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said destination input means includes display means for displaying the route determined by said route research means.

3. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said memory means contains information as to altitude, and wherein said target value setting means sets the target value based on the altitude information for defined points on the route determined by the route research means.

4. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said memory means contains information identifying decelerating points for the vehicle, and wherein said target value setting means sets said target value based on the information for decelerating points on the route determined by the route research means.

5. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said target value is set in response to regenerated power to be received by said storage means from said motor on the route determined by the route research means, between the destination and the present location detected by the present location detection means.

6. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said target value setting means calculates a target value for each of plural road segments between junctions based on said road information memorized in said memory means.

7. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said target value setting means sets said target value in accordance with information as to width of the road and the speed limit, for the determined route, stored as road information memorized in said memory means.

8. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the present location detection means includes a GPS receiving device for receiving signals from artificial satellites.