Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and recording medium having program recorded thereon

• US 8,285,433 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2007
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ang, Wanleng
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Murshed, Nagi
• Application Number:
  US12/310,482
• Publication Number:
  US 20090326750A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,894 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/22
• 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 6/547 the transmission being a stepped gearing
• 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 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• 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 20/12 using control strategies taking into account route information estimation or calculation of non-directly measurable driving parameters B60W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0638 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/081 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal 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 2556/10 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0666 : Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/083 : Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/182 : Selecting between different operative modes, e.g. comfort and performance modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 : Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 : Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/90 : Vehicles comprising electric prime movers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 : specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 : Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle control method having an HV driving mode in which operation of an internal combustion engine is permitted and an EV driving mode in which a vehicle is driven by using a motor with the internal combustion engine stopped includes the steps of: setting a destination; setting a driving route from a starting point to the destination; dividing the driving route and associating any of the driving modes with each section of the divided driving route; fixing the division of the driving route and the driving mode associated with each section based on an instruction from an operator; and causing the vehicle to travel each section in the associated driving mode.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device having a plurality of driving modes, comprising:

a destination setting portion setting a destination;

a route setting portion setting a driving route from a starting point to the destination;

a driving route dividing portion dividing the driving route into sections;

a driving mode fixing portion fixing a driving mode by associating any of the driving modes with each of the sections of the divided driving route, based on an instruction from an operator; and

a driving control portion causing a vehicle to travel each of the sections of the divided driving route in the associated driving mode,

the driving route dividing portion dividing the driving route from the starting point to the destination into sections appropriate for each of the plurality of driving modes and provisionally deciding a driving mode for each of the sections of the divided driving route, and

the driving mode fixing portion changing the driving mode associated with each of the sections of the divided driving route into another driving mode based on the instruction from the operator.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein

the vehicle is a hybrid vehicle driven by using an internal combustion engine and a motor, and

the plurality of driving modes include

an HV driving mode in which operation of the internal combustion engine is permitted, and

an EV driving mode in which the vehicle is driven by using the motor with the internal combustion engine stopped.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an information reading portion reading information including the destination, the driving route, each of the sections of the divided driving route, and the driving mode associated with each of the sections of the divided driving route from outside the vehicle, wherein

the driving control portion is configured such that the vehicle can travel based on the information.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein

the vehicle includes a display portion displaying the driving route, and

the driving mode fixing portion causes the driving mode associated with each of the sections of the divided driving route and another driving mode to pop up on the display portion based on the instruction from the operator specifying any of the sections of the divided driving route, and changes the driving mode based on a mode selection instruction from the operator.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein

the vehicle includes a display portion displaying the driving route, and

the driving mode fixing portion changes a position of a selected boundary point at which the driving route is divided, based on an input by the operator for selecting the boundary point displayed on the display portion at which the driving route is divided, and moving the boundary point along the driving route.

6. A vehicle control device having a plurality of driving modes, comprising:

means for setting a destination;

means for setting a driving route from a starting point to the destination;

means for dividing the driving route into sections;

means for fixing a driving mode by associating any of the driving modes for each of the sections of the divided driving route, based on an instruction from an operator; and

means for causing a vehicle to travel each of the sections of the divided driving route in the associated driving mode,

the means for dividing the driving route dividing the driving route from the starting point to the destination into sections appropriate for each of the plurality of driving modes and provisionally deciding a driving mode for each of the sections of the divided driving route, and

the means for fixing a driving mode changing the driving mode associated with each of the sections of the divided driving route into another driving mode based on the instruction from the operator.

7. The vehicle control device according to claim 6, wherein

the vehicle is a hybrid vehicle driven by using an internal combustion engine and a motor, and

the plurality of driving modes include

an HV driving mode in which operation of the internal combustion engine is permitted, and

an EV driving mode in which the vehicle is driven by using the motor with the internal combustion engine stopped.

8. The vehicle control device according to claim 6, further comprising:

means for reading information including the destination, the driving route, each of the sections of the divided driving route, and the driving mode associated with each of the sections of the divided driving route from outside the vehicle, wherein

the means for causing a vehicle to travel is configured such that the vehicle can travel based on the information.

9. The vehicle control device according to claim 6, wherein

the vehicle includes means for displaying the driving route, and

the means for fixing a driving mode causes the driving mode associated with each of the sections of the divided driving route and another driving mode to pop up on the means for displaying based on the instruction from the operator specifying any of the sections of the divided driving route, and changes the driving mode based on a mode selection instruction from the operator.

10. The vehicle control device according to claim 6, wherein

the vehicle includes means for displaying the driving route, and

the means for fixing a driving mode changes a position of a selected boundary point at which the driving route is divided, based on an input by the operator for selecting the boundary point displayed on the means for displaying at which the driving route is divided, and moving the boundary point along the driving route.

11. A vehicle control method having a plurality of driving modes, comprising the steps of:

setting a destination;

setting a driving route from a starting point to the destination;

dividing the driving route into sections;

fixing a driving mode by associating any of the driving modes for each of the sections of the divided driving route, based on an instruction from an operator; and

causing a vehicle to travel each of the sections of the divided driving route in the associated driving mode,

in the step of dividing the driving route, the driving route from the starting point to the destination being divided into sections appropriate for each of the plurality of driving modes and a driving mode for each of the sections of the divided driving route being provisionally decided, and

in the step of fixing a driving mode, the driving mode associated with each of the sections of the divided driving route being changed into another driving mode based on the instruction from the operator.

12. The vehicle control method according to claim 11, wherein

the vehicle is a hybrid vehicle driven by using an internal combustion engine and a motor, and

the plurality of driving modes include

an HV driving mode in which operation of the internal combustion engine is permitted, and

an EV driving mode in which the vehicle is driven by using the motor with the internal combustion engine stopped.

13. The vehicle control method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of

reading information including the destination, the driving route, each of the sections of the divided driving route, and the driving mode associated with each of the sections of the divided driving route from outside the vehicle, wherein

in the step of causing a vehicle to travel, the vehicle is caused to travel based on the information.

14. The vehicle control method according to claim 11, wherein

the vehicle includes a display portion displaying the driving route, and

in the step of fixing a driving mode, the driving mode associated with each of the sections of the divided driving route and another driving mode is caused to pop up on the display portion based on the instruction from the operator specifying any of the sections of the divided driving route, and the driving mode is changed based on a mode selection instruction from the operator.

15. The vehicle control method according to claim 11, wherein

the vehicle includes a display portion displaying the driving route, and

in the step of fixing a driving mode, a position of a selected boundary point at which the driving route is divided is changed based on an input by the operator for selecting the boundary point displayed on the display portion at which the driving route is divided, and moving the boundary point along the driving route.

16. A computer-readable recording medium having a program for causing a computer to execute the vehicle control method according to claim 11 recorded thereon.