Hybrid vehicle and method of controlling hybrid vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10183675-B2
Application number	US-201715848828-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2017
Priority date	Dec 22, 2016
Publication date	Jan 22, 2019
Grant date	Jan 22, 2019

Abstract

In a hybrid vehicle, in order to start up an engine, an ECU executes one of first engine start-up control for starting up the engine using a starter motor and second engine start-up control for starting up the engine by coupling the engine to drive wheels using a clutch while the hybrid vehicle is traveling. The ECU notifies the user of information for prompting the user to stop the hybrid vehicle in a predetermined notification mode using a notification apparatus, when the ECU determines that the following conditions i) and ii) are both satisfied while the hybrid vehicle is performing electric traveling,
i) a motor generator is in a malfunctioning state, and the engine needs to be started up, and ii) a vehicle speed is lower than a threshold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hybrid vehicle comprising:
an engine;
drive wheels;
a starter motor configured to start up the engine;
an auxiliary battery configured to supply electric power to auxiliary machines including the starter motor;
a motor generator configured to be coupled to the drive wheels;
a clutch configured to couple the engine and the drive wheels to each other;
a notification apparatus configured to notify a user of information regarding the hybrid vehicle; and
an electronic control unit configured to execute one of first engine start-up control and second engine start-up control to start up the engine, the first engine start-up control being control for starting up the engine using the starter motor, and the second engine start-up control being control for starting up the engine by coupling the engine and the drive wheels to each other using the clutch while the hybrid vehicle is traveling, and
the electronic control unit being configured to notify the user of information for prompting the user to stop the hybrid vehicle in a predetermined notification mode using the notification apparatus, when following conditions i) and ii) are both satisfied while the hybrid vehicle is performing electric traveling using the motor generator with the engine stopped,
i) the electronic control unit determines that the motor generator is in a malfunctioning state, and the engine needs to be started up, and
ii) the electronic control unit determines that a vehicle speed of the hybrid vehicle is lower than a threshold.

2. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to execute the first engine start-up control when the hybrid vehicle stops after notification of the information is made using the notification apparatus.

3. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 2 , further comprising a torque converter disposed between the engine and the drive wheels, the torque converter being provided with a lock-up clutch,
wherein the electronic control unit is configured to control the lock-up clutch such that the lock-up clutch enters a disengaged state when the electronic control unit executes the second engine start-up control.

4. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the electronic control unit is configured to notify the user of information for prompting the user to switch a shift position to a parking position, in addition to the information for prompting the user to stop the hybrid vehicle, in the predetermined notification mode using the notification apparatus, when the following conditions i) and ii) are both satisfied while the hybrid vehicle is performing the electric traveling,
i) the electronic control unit determines that the motor generator is in the malfunctioning state, and the engine needs to be started up, and
ii) the electronic control unit determines that the vehicle speed of the hybrid vehicle is lower than the threshold.

5. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to execute the first engine start-up control when the hybrid vehicle stops and the shift position is switched to the parking position after notification of the information is made using the notification apparatus.

6. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the notification apparatus includes a display device provided at a position where the display device is seen from the user while the user is driving the hybrid vehicle, and
the predetermined notification mode includes a notification mode of displaying prescribed textual information on the display device.

7. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to execute the second engine start-up control when following conditions i) and iii) are both satisfied while the hybrid vehicle is performing the electric traveling,
i) the electronic control unit determines that the motor generator is in the malfunctioning state, and the engine needs to be started up, and
iii) the electronic control unit determines that the vehicle speed of the hybrid vehicle is equal to or higher than the threshold.

8. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a power supply apparatus configured to supply electric power to the motor generator;
a resolver configured to detect a rotational speed of the motor generator; and
a current sensor configured to detect a current flowing from the power supply apparatus to the motor generator,
wherein the electronic control unit is configured to determine that the motor generator is in the malfunctioning state, when the electronic control unit detects a failure in at least one of the power supply apparatus, the resolver, and the current sensor.

9. A method of controlling a hybrid vehicle, the hybrid vehicle including an engine, drive wheels, a starter motor, an auxiliary battery, a motor generator, a clutch, a notification apparatus, and an electronic control unit,
the starter motor being configured to start up the engine, the auxiliary battery being configured to supply electric power to auxiliary machines including the starter motor, the motor generator being configured to be coupled to the drive wheels, the clutch being configured to couple the engine and the drive wheels to each other, and the notification apparatus being configured to notify a user of information regarding the hybrid vehicle,
the method comprising:
executing, by the electronic control unit, one of first engine start-up control and second engine start-up control to start up the engine, the first engine start-up control being control for starting up the engine using the starter motor, and the second engine start-up control being control for starting up the engine by coupling the engine and the drive wheels to each other using the clutch while the hybrid vehicle is traveling; and
notifying, by the notification apparatus, the user of information for prompting the user to stop the hybrid vehicle in a predetermined notification mode, when following conditions i) and ii) are both satisfied while the hybrid vehicle is performing electric traveling using the motor generator with the engine stopped,

i) the electronic control unit determines that the motor generator is in a malfunctioning state, and the engine needs to be started up, and
ii) the electronic control unit determines that a vehicle speed of the hybrid vehicle is lower than a threshold.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nozaki Takeshi

Classifications

• B60W2520/10

  Longitudinal speed · CPC title

• B60W50/0205

  Diagnosing or detecting failures; Failure detection models · CPC title

• B60W2710/06

  Combustion engines, Gas turbines · CPC title

• B60W2710/021

  Clutch engagement state · CPC title

• B60W20/40

  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 title