Method for controlling a hybrid vehicle and hybrid vehicle

• US 8,447,511 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2006
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Frese, Thomas, Aumayer, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): ENGLISH, JAMES A
• Application Number:
  US11/990,195
• Publication Number:
  US 20090326748A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,535 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 701/23, 701/25, 701/26, 701/201, 701/202, 701/400, 701/411, 701/425, 180/65.21, 180/65.275
• US Class Current: 701/400
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/15 with additional electric power supply with capacitors charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/40; with batteries charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/61
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• 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 20/12 using control strategies taking into account route information estimation or calculation of non-directly measurable driving parameters B60W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/13 in order to stay within battery power input or output limits; in order to prevent overcharging or battery depletion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• 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 2556/50 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 10/70 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

Abstract

A method for controlling a hybrid vehicle having at least two propulsion engines. According to the specification of an operating controller, propulsion is provided via the first propulsion engine, in particular an internal combustion engine, and/or the second propulsion engine, in particular an electric motor. The percentage contribution of the propulsion of the second propulsion engine is controlled as a function of the data pertaining to the travel route communicated to the operating controller, taking into account a charge state of an energy accumulator. An optimized operating strategy is determined by specifying a geographic destination and/or a destination parameter of the operating strategy, the travel route being selected by taking into account the optimized operating strategy when alternate travel routes are available.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a hybrid vehicle having at least first and second propulsion engines, comprising:

providing propulsion via at least one of the first propulsion engine and the second propulsion engine according to a specification of an operating controller; and

controlling a percentage contribution of the propulsion of the second propulsion engine according to (a) an optimized operating strategy that is based on data pertaining to a travel route communicated to the operating controller, and (b) a charge state of an energy accumulator;

wherein the optimized operating strategy is determined based on;

information pertaining to a user-input geographic destination; and

at least one user-input parameter from the group including a desired final charge state of the energy accumulator and a desired total driving time.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first propulsion engine is an internal combustion engine and the second propulsion engine is an electric motor.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the travel route is selected by taking into account performance parameters of the hybrid vehicle.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein data of a navigation system with respect to at least one of (a) altitude differences, (b) road categories, (c) distance, and (d) anticipated driving time is used for selecting a suitable travel route.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein current information concerning alternate travel routes with respect to at least one of (a) a current and/or anticipated traffic volume of a particular travel route, (b) a time of day, and (c) start/stop phases of the hybrid vehicle to be expected at the time of day is used for selecting a suitable travel route.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one parameter from the group fuel balance, final charge state of the energy accumulator, and total driving time is used as the at least one selection criterion.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, if a destination parameter cannot be expected to be achieved, making a selection more dynamic by modifying the selected travel route while retaining the operating strategy.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, if a destination parameter cannot be expected to be achieved, making a selection more dynamic by retaining the selected travel route while modifying the operating strategy.

9. A hybrid vehicle having a drive which can be operated according to a specification of an operating controller via at least one of a first propulsion engine and a second propulsion engine, comprising:

an arrangement for controlling a percentage contribution of a propulsion of the second propulsion engine according to (a) an optimized operating strategy that is based on data pertaining to a travel route communicated to the operating controller, and (b) a charge state of an energy accumulator;

an arrangement for determining the optimized operating strategy based on;

information pertaining to a user-input geographic destination; and

at least one user-input parameter from the group including a desired final charge state of the energy accumulator and a desired total driving time.

10. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the first propulsion engine is an internal combustion engine and the second propulsion engine is an electric motor.

11. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the hybrid vehicle is constructed such that propulsive energy recovered in individual operating phases is suppliable to consumers of energy provided by the energy accumulator directly or via buffer accumulator devices in the energy accumulator.

12. A method for controlling a hybrid vehicle having at least first and second propulsion engines, comprising:

providing propulsion via at least one of the first propulsion engine and the second propulsion engine according to a specification of an operating controller; and

controlling a percentage contribution of the propulsion of the second propulsion engine as a function of data pertaining to a travel route communicated to the operating controller, taking into account a charge state of an energy accumulator;

wherein the travel route is selected from a set of potential travel routes (a) to meet at least one selection criterion, and (b) to maximize satisfaction of at least one user-input parameter including desired final charge state of the energy accumulator.

13. A method for controlling a hybrid vehicle having at least first and second propulsion engines, comprising:

selecting an engine optimization plan for a travel route from a first location to a user-input destination; and

controlling a respective percentage contribution of each of the first and second propulsion engines for driving the vehicle through the travel route;

wherein the selecting of the engine optimization plan includes selecting the travel route from a plurality of travel routes that extend between the first location and the user-input destination, a parameter of the selection of the travel route being optimization of the respective percentage contributions of the first and second propulsion engines during travel between the first location and the user-input destination.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the optimization of the respective percentage contributions is calculated considering at least one of an expected fuel balance and a final charge state.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the optimization of the respective percentage contributions is calculated considering respective altitude profiles of different ones of the plurality of travel routes.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the optimization of the respective percentage contributions is calculated considering respective engine speed distributions of different ones of the plurality of travel routes.