Control system for a hybrid vehicle

• US 8,355,853 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2008
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Uhlmann, Eugenie V., O'Farrell, Desmond J., Schofield, Kenneth, Lynam, Niall R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIPALA, EDWARD J
• Application Number:
  US12/187,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20080300779A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,622 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/29, 701/30, 701/33, 701/36, 701/99, 701/123, 701/200, 701207-209, 701211-213, 701/300, 701/29.1, 701/32.3, 701/32.4, 701/400, 701/408, 701/409, 701/410, 701/412, 701/414, 701/423, 701/426, 701/438, 701/467, 701/468, 701/532, 701/533, 180/65.3, 180/65.21, 180/65.265, 180/65.275, 180/65.28, 180/65.285, 180/65.29, 342/457, 342/357.1, 342/357.8, 342/357.9, 342/357.13, 342/357.2, 342/357.52, 340/903, 340/905, 340/988, 340/989, 340/990, 340/995.1, 340/995.14, 340/995.15, 340/995.17, 340/995.27, 340/902, 903/903, 903/905, 903/907, 903/940, 903/941, 903/942, 903/930, 903/902, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/456.6, 455/457
• US Class Current: 701/99
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 2205/04 Satellite based navigation systems, e.g. global positioning system [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 29/24 Means for warning road traffic that a gate is closed or closing, or that rail traffic is approaching, e.g. for visible or audible warning
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3664 Details of the user input interface, e.g. buttons, knobs or sliders, including those provided on a touch screen; remote controllers; input using gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3688 Systems comprising multiple parts or multiple output devices (not client-server), e.g. detachable faceplates, key fobs or multiple output screens
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3896 Transmission of map data from central databases
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096883 where input information is obtained using a mobile device, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096888 where input information is obtained using learning systems, e.g. history databases
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A control system for a hybrid vehicle includes a control responsive to an indication of at least one of (a) a geographical location of the hybrid vehicle and (b) a programmed route of travel of the hybrid vehicle. The control, responsive to the indication, selects one of (a) electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle and (b) non-electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle.

Claims

1. A control system for a hybrid vehicle, said control system comprising:

a control responsive to an indication of at least one of (a) a geographical location of the hybrid vehicle and (b) a programmed route of travel of the hybrid vehicle;

wherein said control, responsive to said indication, and when the hybrid vehicle is at a geographical location along a route traveled by the hybrid vehicle and while the hybrid vehicle is traveling along the route, selects at least one of (a) electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle and (b) non-electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle; and

wherein said selection is, at least in part, responsive to at least one of (i) a distance from a current geographical location of the hybrid vehicle, as determined by a global positioning system, to a target destination of the hybrid vehicle, (ii) a current geographical location of the hybrid vehicle, as determined by a global positioning system, being indicative of the hybrid vehicle approaching an urban area, (iii) a current geographical location of the hybrid vehicle, as determined by a global positioning system, being indicative of the hybrid vehicle leaving a highway and (iv) a current geographical location of the hybrid vehicle, as determined by a global positioning system, being indicative of the hybrid vehicle entering a residential area.

2. The control system of claim 1, wherein said indication is indicative of a geographical location of the hybrid vehicle and is derived at least in part from a global positioning system.

3. The control system of claim 1, wherein said indication is indicative of a programmed route of travel of the hybrid vehicle and is derived at least in part from a navigational system.

4. The control system of claim 1, wherein said control, responsive to said indication, switches from one of said electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle and said non-electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle to the other of said electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle and said non-electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle.

5. The control system of claim 4, wherein said switching is responsive to a distance from a current geographical location of the hybrid vehicle, as determined by a global positioning system, to a target destination of the hybrid vehicle.

6. The control system of claim 5, wherein said switching is responsive to the distance being greater than a threshold distance.

7. The control system of claim 6, wherein said threshold distance is determined based at least in part on the electric power capacity of said electric-powered propulsion system of the hybrid vehicle.

8. The control system of claim 1, wherein said control, responsive to said indication being indicative of at least one of (a) the hybrid vehicle approaching an urban area, (b) the hybrid vehicle leaving a highway and (c) the hybrid vehicle entering a residential area, switches from said non-electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle to said electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle.

9. The control system of claim 1, wherein said non-electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle comprises an internal combustion engine.

10. The control system of claim 1, wherein the hybrid vehicle comprises a train control system that, responsive to an indication of a train approaching a train railroad crossing that crosses a road on which the hybrid vehicle is traveling, alerts the driver of the hybrid vehicle of the indicated train crossing event.

11. The control system of claim 1 further comprising a communication port in the hybrid vehicle and a wireless communication between a hand held portable unit and said communication port when the hand held portable unit is in the hybrid vehicle, wherein the hand held portable unit is removable from the hybrid vehicle by an occupant of the hybrid vehicle, and wherein an information display displays navigational information for viewing by a driver of the hybrid vehicle, said navigational information being derived from said wireless communication between the hand held portable unit and said communication port.

12. The control system of claim 11, wherein said displayed navigational information is dynamically adapted in accordance with at least one of (a) a vehicle parameter, said vehicle parameter comprising at least one of a vehicle speed, a vehicle geographic location, a vehicle model, a vehicle heading or direction of travel, and a vehicle authorization, and (b) a personal parameter, said personal parameter comprising at least one of a driver/occupant identity, a driver/occupant preference for a particular level of information resolution, and a manually input parameter.

13. The control system of claim 1, wherein said selection is, at least in part, responsive to a distance from a current geographical location of the hybrid vehicle, as determined by a global positioning system, to a target destination of the hybrid vehicle.

14. The control system of claim 1, wherein said selection is, at least in part, responsive to a current geographical location of the hybrid vehicle, as determined by a global positioning system, being indicative of the hybrid vehicle approaching an urban area.

15. The control system of claim 1, wherein said selection is, at least in part, responsive to a current geographical location of the hybrid vehicle, as determined by a global positioning system, being indicative of the hybrid vehicle leaving a highway.

16. The control system of claim 1, wherein said selection is, at least in part, responsive to a current geographical location of the hybrid vehicle, as determined by a global positioning system, being indicative of the hybrid vehicle entering a residential area.

17. A control system for a hybrid vehicle, said control system comprising:

a control responsive to an indication of at least one of (a) a geographical location of the hybrid vehicle derived at least in part from a global positioning system and (b) a programmed route of travel of the hybrid vehicle derived at least in part from a navigational system;

wherein said control, responsive to said indication, selects at least one of (a) electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle and (b) non-electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle; and

wherein said control, responsive to said indication being at least one of (a) the hybrid vehicle approaching an urban area, (b) the hybrid vehicle leaving a highway and (c) the hybrid vehicle entering a residential area, switches from said non-electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle to said electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle.

18. The control system of claim 17, wherein said control, responsive to said indication, switches from one of said electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle and said non-electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle to the other of said electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle and said non-electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle.

19. The control system of claim 18, wherein said switching is responsive to a distance from a current geographical location of the hybrid vehicle, as determined by a global positioning system, to a target destination of the hybrid vehicle.

20. The control system of claim 19, wherein said switching is responsive to the distance being greater than a threshold distance.

21. The control system of claim 20, wherein said threshold distance is determined based at least in part on the electric power capacity of said electric-powered propulsion system of the hybrid vehicle.

22. A control system for a hybrid vehicle, said control system comprising:

a control responsive to an indication of at least one of (a) a geographical location of the hybrid vehicle derived at least in part from a global positioning system and (b) a programmed route of travel of the hybrid vehicle;

wherein said control, responsive to said indication, selects at least one of (a) electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle and (b) non-electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle;

wherein said control, responsive to said indication, and when the hybrid vehicle is at a geographical location along a route traveled by the hybrid vehicle and while the hybrid vehicle is traveling along the route, switches from one of said electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle and said non-electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle to the other of said electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle and said non-electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle; and

wherein said switching is, at least in part, responsive to at least one of (i) a distance from a current geographical location of the hybrid vehicle, as determined by a global positioning system, to a target destination of the hybrid vehicle, (ii) a current geographical location of the hybrid vehicle, as determined by a global positioning system, being indicative of the hybrid vehicle approaching an urban area, (iii) a current geographical location of the hybrid vehicle, as determined by a global positioning system, being indicative of the hybrid vehicle leaving a highway and (iv) a current geographical location of the hybrid vehicle, as determined by a global positioning system, being indicative of the hybrid vehicle entering a residential area.

23. The control system of claim 22, wherein said indication is indicative of a programmed route of travel of the hybrid vehicle and is derived at least in part from a navigational system.

24. The control system of claim 22, wherein said switching is responsive to a distance from a current geographical location of the hybrid vehicle, as determined by a global positioning system, to a target destination of the hybrid vehicle.

25. The control system of claim 24, wherein said switching is responsive to the distance being greater than a threshold distance.

26. The control system of claim 25, wherein said threshold distance is determined based at least in part on the electric power capacity of said electric-powered propulsion system of the hybrid vehicle.

27. The control system of claim 22, wherein said control, responsive to said indication being indicative of at least one of (a) the hybrid vehicle approaching an urban area, (b) the hybrid vehicle leaving a highway and (c) the hybrid vehicle entering a residential area, switches from said non-electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle to said electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle.

28. A control system for a hybrid vehicle, said control system comprising:

a control responsive to an indication of a geographical location of the hybrid vehicle derived at least in part from a global positioning system;

wherein said control, responsive to said indication, and when the hybrid vehicle is at a geographical location along a route traveled by the hybrid vehicle and while the hybrid vehicle is traveling along the route, selects at least one of (a) electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle and (b) non-electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle, and wherein said non-electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle comprises an internal combustion engine; and

wherein said selection is, at least in part, responsive to at least one of (i) a distance from the current geographical location of the hybrid vehicle, as determined by the global positioning system, to a target destination of the hybrid vehicle, (ii) the current geographical location of the hybrid vehicle, as determined by the global positioning system, being indicative of the hybrid vehicle approaching an urban area, (iii) the current geographical location of the hybrid vehicle, as determined by the global positioning system, being indicative of the hybrid vehicle leaving a highway and (iv) the current geographical location of the hybrid vehicle, as determined by the global positioning system, being indicative of the hybrid vehicle entering a residential area.

29. The control system of claim 28, wherein said control, responsive to said indication, switches from one of said electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle and said non-electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle to the other of said electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle and said non-electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle.

30. The control system of claim 29, wherein said switching is responsive to at least one of (a) a distance from a current geographical location of the hybrid vehicle, as determined by said global positioning system, to a target destination of the hybrid vehicle and (b) a programmed route of travel of the hybrid vehicle derived at least in part from a navigational system.

31. The control system of claim 29, wherein said switching is responsive to a distance from a current geographical location of the hybrid vehicle, as determined by said global positioning system, to a target destination of the hybrid vehicle being greater than a threshold distance.

32. The control system of claim 31, wherein said threshold distance is determined based at least in part on the electric power capacity of said electric-powered propulsion system of the hybrid vehicle.

33. The control system of claim 28, wherein said control, responsive to said indication being indicative of at least one of (a) the hybrid vehicle approaching an urban area, (b) the hybrid vehicle leaving a highway and (c) the hybrid vehicle entering a residential area, switches from said non-electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle to said electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle.

34. A control system for a hybrid vehicle, said control system comprising:

a control responsive to an indication of a geographical location of the hybrid vehicle derived at least in part from a global positioning system;

wherein said control, responsive to said indication, and when the hybrid vehicle is at a geographical location along a route traveled by the hybrid vehicle and while the hybrid vehicle is traveling along the route, switches from one of an electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle and a non-electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle to the other of an electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle and a non-electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle; and

wherein said switching is, at least in part, responsive to at least one of (i) a distance from the current geographical location of the hybrid vehicle, as determined by the global positioning system, to a target destination of the hybrid vehicle, (ii) the current geographical location of the hybrid vehicle, as determined by the global positioning system, being indicative of the hybrid vehicle approaching an urban area, (iii) the current geographical location of the hybrid vehicle, as determined by the global indicative of the hybrid vehicle leaving a highway and (iv) the current geographical location of the hybrid vehicle, as determined by the global positioning system, being indicative of the hybrid vehicle entering a residential area.

35. The control system of claim 34, wherein said control, responsive to said indication being indicative of at least one of (a) the hybrid vehicle approaching an urban area, (b) the hybrid vehicle leaving a highway and (c) the hybrid vehicle entering a residential area, switches from said non-electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle to said electric-powered propulsion of the hybrid vehicle.

36. The control system of claim 34, wherein said switching is responsive to a distance from a current geographical location of the hybrid vehicle, as determined by said global positioning system, to a desired target destination of the hybrid vehicle.

37. The control system of claim 36, wherein said switching is responsive to the distance being greater than a threshold distance.

38. The control system of claim 37, wherein said threshold distance is determined based at least in part on the electric power capacity of said electric-powered propulsion system of the hybrid vehicle.