Electrical system, hybrid vehicle and method of controlling hybrid vehicle

• US 7,832,507 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2006
• Issued: 11/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Oyobe, Hichirosai, Ishikawa, Tetsuhiro, Nakamura, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Shriver, II; J. Allen
• Assistant Examiner(s): WALTERS, JOHN DANIEL
• Application Number:
  US11/918,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20080185197A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,462 Days
• Field of Search: 180/2.1, 180/65.27, 180/65.275, 180/65.28, 180/65.285, 180/65.29, 180/65.31, 701/22, 903/930, 290/1.R, 290/1.A, 290/4.A, 290/40.R, 290/40.C, 290/51
• US Class Current: 180/2.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/006 to power outlets
• 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 2210/14 Boost converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/441 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/443 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• 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 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• 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 2510/085 : Power
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0818 : Conditions for starting or stopping the engine or for deactivating the idle-start-stop mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5408 : using protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5445 : Local network
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5466 : using three phases conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 : Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

During the communication with a house through an electric power line, a control device determines whether an engine is operating or not. If it is determined that the engine is operating, the control device stops the engine and a motor generator to stop the electric power generation by the motor generator using the output of the engine.

Claims

1. An electrical system installed in a vehicle comprising:

an electric motor generating electric power, operating based on a given instruction;

an electricity storage device transmitting electric power to and from said electric motor;

an electric power line configured to be capable of transmitting the electric power between said electricity storage device and an apparatus external to the vehicle;

a communication device configured to perform communication with said apparatus through said electric power line; and

a control unit outputting, to said electric motor and an internal combustion engine instructions to stop said electric motor and said internal combustion engine, when the communication with said apparatus is being performed by said communication device.

2. The electrical system according to claim 1, wherein said control unit outputs said instructions to said electric motor and said internal combustion engine when the communication with said apparatus is being performed by said communication device and a communication load with said apparatus by said communication device exceeds a predetermined amount.

3. The electrical system according to claim 2, wherein said electric motor includes a star-connected polyphase winding as a stator winding,

said electric power line is connected to a neutral point of said polyphase winding, and

the electric power is transmitted between said electricity storage device and said apparatus external to the vehicle through said electric motor and said electric power line.

4. The electrical system according to claim 1, wherein said electric motor includes a star-connected polyphase winding as a stator winding,

said electric power line is connected to a neutral point of said polyphase winding, and

the electric power is transmitted between said electricity storage device and said apparatus external to the vehicle through said electric motor and said electric power line.

5. An electrical system installed in a vehicle comprising:

an electric motor operating based on a given instruction;

an electricity storage device transmitting electric power to and from said electric motor;

an electric power line configured to be capable of transmitting the electric power between said electricity storage device and an apparatus external to the vehicle;

a communication device configured to perform communication with said apparatus through said electric power line; and

a control unit outputting, to said communication device, an instruction to prohibit the communication with said apparatus or to limit an amount of communication with said apparatus while outputting, to said electric motor, an instruction to drive said electric motor.

6. The electrical system according to claim 5, wherein

said electric motor includes a star-connected polyphase winding as a stator winding,

said electric power line is connected to a neutral point of said polyphase winding, and

the electric power is transmitted between said electricity storage device and said apparatus external to the vehicle through said electric motor and said electric power line.

7. A hybrid vehicle comprising:

an internal combustion engine;

a first electric motor mechanically linked to said internal combustion engine and generating electric power using an output of said internal combustion engine;

an electricity storage device charged with the electric power generated by said first electric motor;

a second electric motor mechanically linked to a drive shaft of the vehicle and generating a driving force of the vehicle using the electric power from said electricity storage device;

an electric power line configured to be capable of transmitting the electric power between said electricity storage device and an apparatus external to the vehicle;

a communication device configured to perform communication with said apparatus through said electric power line; and

a control unit outputting, to said internal combustion engine and to said first electric motor, instructions to prohibit an operation of said internal combustion engine and said first electric motor, when the communication with said apparatus is being performed by said communication device.

8. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 7, wherein said control unit outputs said instructions to said internal combustion engine and said first electric motor when the communication with said apparatus is being performed by said communication device and a communication load with said apparatus by said communication device exceeds a predetermined amount.

9. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 8, wherein

said first and second electric motors each include a star-connected polyphase winding as a stator winding,

said electric power line is connected to a neutral point of each polyphase winding of said first and second electric motors, and

the electric power is transmitted between said electricity storage device and said apparatus external to the vehicle through said first and second electric motors and each said electric power line corresponding thereto.

10. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 7, wherein

said first and second electric motors each include a star-connected polyphase winding as a stator winding,

said electric power line is connected to a neutral point of each polyphase winding of said first and second electric motors, and

the electric power is transmitted between said electricity storage device and said apparatus external to the vehicle through said first and second electric motors and each said electric power line corresponding thereto.

11. A hybrid vehicle comprising:

an internal combustion engine;

a first electric motor mechanically linked to said internal combustion engine and generating electric power using an output of said internal combustion engine;

an electricity storage device charged with the electric power generated by said first electric motor;

a second electric motor mechanically linked to a drive shaft of the vehicle and generating a driving force of the vehicle using the electric power from said electricity storage device;

an electric power line configured to be capable of transmitting the electric power between said electricity storage device and an apparatus external to the vehicle;

a communication device configured to perform communication with said apparatus through said electric power line; and

a control unit outputting, to said communication device, an instruction to prohibit the communication with said apparatus or to limit an amount of communication with said apparatus when said internal combustion engine is operating.

12. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 11, wherein

said first and second electric motors each include a star-connected polyphase winding as a stator winding,

said electric power line is connected to a neutral point of each polyphase winding of said first and second electric motors, and

the electric power is transmitted between said electricity storage device and said apparatus external to the vehicle through said first and second electric motors and each said electric power line corresponding thereto.

13. A method of controlling a hybrid vehicle,

said hybrid vehicle including

an internal combustion engine,

a first electric motor mechanically linked to said internal combustion engine and generating electric power using an output of said internal combustion engine,

an electricity storage device charged with the electric power generated by said first electric motor,

a second electric motor mechanically linked to a drive shaft of the vehicle and generating a driving force of the vehicle using the electric power from said electricity storage device,

an electric power line configured to be capable of transmitting the electric power between said electricity storage device and an apparatus external to the vehicle, and

a communication device configured to perform communication with said apparatus through said electric power line,

said control method comprising:

a first step of determining whether or not the communication with said apparatus is being performed by said communication device, and

a second step of prohibiting an operation of said internal combustion engine and said first electric motor when it is determined that the communication with said apparatus is being performed.

14. The control method according to claim 13, further comprising a third step of determining whether or not communication load with said apparatus by said communication device exceeds a predetermined amount, wherein

the operation of said internal combustion engine and said first electric motor is prohibited in said second step only when it is determined that said communication load exceeds the predetermined amount.

15. A method of controlling a hybrid vehicle,

said hybrid vehicle including

an internal combustion engine,

a first electric motor mechanically linked to said internal combustion engine and generating electric power using an output of said internal combustion engine,

an electricity storage device charged with the electric power generated by said first electric motor,

a second electric motor mechanically linked to a drive shaft of the vehicle and generating a driving force of the vehicle using the electric power from said electricity storage device,

an electric power line configured to be capable of transmitting the electric power between said electricity storage device and an apparatus external to the vehicle, and

a communication device configured to perform communication with said apparatus through said electric power line,

said control method comprising:

a first step of determining whether or not said internal combustion engine is operating, and

a second step of prohibiting the communication with said apparatus or limiting an amount of communication with said apparatus when it is determined that said internal combustion engine is operating.