Vehicle and control method thereof

• US 8,065,069 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2007
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Maeda, Masahiko, Jinno, Kunihiko, Nakagawa, Tadashi, Yaguchi, Hideaki
• Primary Examiner(s): SOLIS, ERICK R
• Application Number:
  US12/522,234
• Publication Number:
  US 20100076663A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,489 Days
• Field of Search: 701/102, 180/65.21, 180/65.28, 123/179.4, 12333916-33918, 123/339.22, 123/339.24
• US Class Current: 701/102
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/448 Electrical distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/52 Driving a plurality of drive axles, e.g. four-wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/02 to electric heating circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2054 by controlling transmissions or clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC 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 2220/52 Clutch motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/34 Cabin temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• 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 2240/445 : Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/486 : Operating parameters
• 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 2240/662 : Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/665 : Light intensity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/24 : by lever actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/26 : by pedal actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/28 : Four wheel or all wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/142 : acoustic
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/145 : Structure borne vibrations
• 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: B60L 58/20 : having different nominal voltages
• 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 20/40 : Controlling the engagement or disengagement of prime movers, e.g. for transition between prime movers power-up or power-down of the driveline B60W30/192
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0638 : Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0676 : Engine temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/215 : Selection or confirmation of options
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0644 : Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 : Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• 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: F02D 2200/604 : Engine control mode selected by driver, e.g. to manually start particle filter regeneration or to select driving style
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0205 : using an auxiliary engine speed control engine speed control per se F02D31/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/068 : for warming-up
• 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 10/84 : Data processing systems or methods, management, administration
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

In a hybrid vehicle 20, when an ECO switch 88 is turned off while an intermittent operation of an engine 22 is prohibited in response to a warm-up demand of the engine 22 according to a cooling water temperature Tw or a heating demand, the engine 22 is autonomously operated at a target rotational speed Ne* derived and set from a normal autonomous rotational speed setting map (Steps 170, S190). When the ECO switch 88 is turned on while the warm-up is demanded, the engine 22 is autonomously operated at the target rotational speed Ne* set based on an ECO mode autonomous rotational speed setting map so as to be not more than the value derived from the normal autonomous rotational speed setting map (Steps 180, S190).

Claims

1. A vehicle including an internal combustion engine capable of outputting power for driving and performing an intermittent operation, the vehicle comprising:

a fuel consumption priority mode selection switch to select a fuel consumption priority mode that gives priority to fuel consumption;

an intermittent permission determining module that prohibits the intermittent operation of internal combustion engine at least one of when a warm up of the internal combustion engine is necessary and when a heating is demanded of a heater that heats a vehicle room through the use of the internal combustion engine as a heat source; and

an intermittent prohibition control module configured to control the internal combustion engine so as to autonomously operate at a first autonomous rotational speed when the fuel consumption priority mode selection switch is turned off during an intermittent operation prohibition in which the intermittent operation of the internal combustion engine is prohibited by the intermittent permission determining module and a load operation is not demanded of the internal combustion engine, the control module controlling the internal combustion engine so as to autonomously operate at a second autonomous rotational speed defined to be not more than the first autonomous rotational speed when the fuel consumption priority mode selection switch is turned on during the intermittent operation prohibition.

2. A vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a motor capable of outputting power for driving; and

an accumulator capable of supplying and receiving electric power from the motor.

3. A vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a power transmitting mechanism having an axle-side rotational element connected to a predetermined axle, and an engine-side rotational element connected to an engine shaft of the internal combustion engine and configured to differentially rotate with respect to the axle-side rotational element, the power transmitting mechanism capable of outputting at least a part of power from the engine shaft to the axle side.

4. A vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the power transmitting mechanism is an electric power-mechanical power input output structure connected to the predetermined axle and the engine shaft of the internal combustion engine and outputting at least a part of power from the internal combustion engine to the axle side with input/output of electric power and mechanical power, and wherein the motor is capable of outputting power to the predetermined axle or another axle different from the predetermined axle.

5. A vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the electric power-mechanical power input output structure includes a generator capable of inputting and outputting power, and a three shaft-type power input output assembly connected with three shafts, the predetermined axle, the engine shaft of the internal combustion engine, and a rotating shaft of the generator, the three shaft-type power input output assembly configured to input and output power to one remaining shaft, based on input and output of powers from and to any two shafts selected among the three shafts.

6. A vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the power transmitting mechanism is a continuously variable transmission.

7. A control method of a vehicle including an internal combustion engine capable of outputting power for driving and performing an intermittent operation and a fuel consumption priority mode selection switch to select a fuel consumption priority mode that gives priority to fuel consumption, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) prohibiting the intermittent operation of internal combustion engine at least one of when a warm up of the internal combustion engine is necessary and when a heating is demanded of a heater that heats a vehicle room through the use of the internal combustion engine as a heat source; and

(b) controlling the internal combustion engine so as to autonomously operate at a first autonomous rotational speed when the fuel consumption priority mode selection switch is turned off during an intermittent operation prohibition in which the intermittent operation of the internal combustion engine is prohibited at the step (a) and a load operation is not demanded of the internal combustion engine, the step (b) controlling the internal combustion engine so as to autonomously operate at a second autonomous rotational speed defined to be not more than the first autonomous rotational speed when the fuel consumption priority mode selection switch is turned on during the intermittent operation prohibition.