Apparatus and method for controlling vehicle

• US 8,948,952 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2011
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Niimi, Kuniaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunn, Alex C
• Application Number:
  US14/234,895
• Publication Number:
  US 20140180519A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,239 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/53 in combination with an external power supply, e.g. from overhead contact lines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/27 by heating
• 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 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• 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 20/10 Controlling the power contribution of each of the prime movers to meet required power demand
• 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 2530/13 Mileage
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0688 Engine temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/246 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18054 at stand still, e.g. engine in idling state hill holding B60W30/18118
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/192 Mitigating problems related to power-up or power-down of the driveline, e.g. start-up of a cold engine
• 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: Y10S 903/904 Component specially adapted for hev

Abstract

A vehicle incorporates an engine to which an engine-related component is attached, a battery charged with electric power supplied from an external power supply, and an electric motor as a driving source to which electric power is supplied from the battery. An ECU causes at least one of the engine-related component and the battery to be heated, using the electric power supplied from outside while the electric power is being supplied from outside, in accordance with a distance over which the vehicle can run by driving the electric motor alone and a distance to a destination.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling a vehicle having an engine to which an engine-related component is attached, a power storage device adapted to be charged with electric power supplied from outside, and an electric motor as a driving source to which electric power is supplied from said power storage device, comprising

a control unit that causes at least one of said engine-related component and said power storage device to be heated, using the electric power supplied from outside while the electric power is being supplied from outside, in accordance with a distance over which said vehicle can run by driving said electric motor alone and a distance to a destination,

said control unit determining, with respect to said engine-related component and said power storage device, whether heating is to be performed or not in accordance with a running pattern to the destination, in addition to the distance over which said vehicle can run by driving said electric motor alone and the distance to the destination.

2. The apparatus for controlling the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said control unit determines, from the running pattern to the destination, whether or not warm-up of said engine is completed with heat generated from said engine before arrival at the destination, and if the warm-up of said engine is not completed before arrival at the destination, said control unit causes said engine-related component to be heated, using the electric power supplied from outside while the electric power is being supplied from outside.

3. The apparatus for controlling the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said control unit determines, from the running pattern to the destination, whether or not warm-up of said power storage device is completed with heat generated from said power storage device before arrival at the destination, and if the warm-up of said power storage device is not completed before arrival at the destination, said control unit causes said power storage device to be heated, using the electric power supplied from outside while the electric power is being supplied from outside.

8. The apparatus for controlling the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said control unit causes said engine-related component to be heated, using the electric power supplied from outside while the electric power is being supplied from outside, if the distance to the destination is longer than the distance over which said vehicle can run by driving said electric motor alone.

9. The apparatus for controlling the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said control unit causes said power storage device to be heated, using the electric power supplied from outside while the electric power is being supplied from outside, if the distance to the destination is shorter than the distance over which said vehicle can run by driving said electric motor alone.

4. An apparatus for controlling a vehicle having an engine to which an engine-related component is attached, a power storage device adapted to be charged with electric power supplied from outside, and an electric motor as a driving source to which electric power is supplied from said power storage device, comprising

a control unit that causes at least one of said engine-related component and said power storage device to be heated, using the electric power supplied from outside while the electric power is being supplied from outside, in accordance with a distance over which said vehicle can run by driving said electric motor alone and a distance to a destination,

said control unit determining whether said power storage device is to be heated or not in accordance with electric power consumed for heating said power storage device and an amount of increase in regenerative electric power obtained by heating said power storage device, in addition to the distance over which said vehicle can run by driving said electric motor alone and the distance to the destination.

5. The apparatus for controlling the vehicle according to claim 4, wherein

said control unit causes said power storage device to be heated, using the electric power supplied from outside while the electric power is being supplied from outside, if the amount of increase in regenerative electric power is greater than the electric power consumed for heating.

10. The apparatus for controlling the vehicle according to claim 4, wherein

said control unit causes said engine-related component to be heated, using the electric power supplied from outside while the electric power is being supplied from outside, if the distance to the destination is longer than the distance over which said vehicle can run by driving said electric motor alone.

11. The apparatus for controlling the vehicle according to claim 4, wherein

said control unit causes said power storage device to be heated, using the electric power supplied from outside while the electric power is being supplied from outside, if the distance to the destination is shorter than the distance over which said vehicle can run by driving said electric motor alone.

6. A method for controlling a vehicle having an engine to which an engine-related component is attached, a power storage device adapted to be charged with electric power supplied from outside, and an electric motor as a driving source to which electric power is supplied from said power storage device, comprising the steps of:

comparing a distance over which said vehicle can run by driving said electric motor alone and a distance to a destination; and

heating at least one of said engine-related component and said power storage device, using the electric power supplied from outside while the electric power is being supplied from outside, in accordance with a running pattern to the destination, in addition to the distance over which said vehicle can run by driving said electric motor alone and the distance to the destination.

7. A method for controlling a vehicle having an engine to which an engine-related component is attached, a power storage device adapted to be charged with electric power supplied from outside, and an electric motor as a driving source to which electric power is supplied from said power storage device, comprising the steps of:

comparing a distance over which said vehicle can run by driving said electric motor alone and a distance to a destination; and

heating at least one of said engine-related component and said power storage device, using the electric power supplied from outside while the electric power is being supplied from outside, in accordance with electric power consumed for heating said power storage device and an amount of increase in regenerative electric power obtained by heating said power storage device, in addition to the distance over which said vehicle can run by driving said electric motor alone and the distance to the destination.