Support system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12528353-B2
Application number	US-202318723929-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 27, 2023
Priority date	Feb 15, 2022
Publication date	Jan 20, 2026
Grant date	Jan 20, 2026

Abstract

A display control device for a support system includes a number-of-charging-lights determination unit for determining the number of charging lights, which corresponds to state-of-charge which ranges from maximum state-of-charge of a driving battery to a charge threshold and is assigned to a plurality of segments; a number-of-output-lights determination unit for determining the number of output lights, which corresponds to a difference, where a requested output ranging from an output that can be output to an output threshold is assigned to the plurality of segments; and a number-of-lights instruction unit for instructing a display device to light up the least number of segments of the number of charging lights or the number of output lights, when an EV priority mode is selected.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A support system for supporting continued EV driving of a hybrid vehicle which is allowed to select an EV priority mode where EV driving in which the hybrid vehicle travels with an engine stopped is prioritized over engine driving in which the hybrid vehicle travels with the engine in operation, and
even when the EV priority mode is selected, starts the engine if state-of-charge of a driving battery is not greater than a predetermined charge threshold or a requested output of a user is not less than a predetermined output threshold, comprising: an EV priority mode selection device for selecting the EV priority mode; a state-of-charge detection device for detecting the state-of-charge; a requested output detection device for detecting the requested output; a display control device; and a display device for displaying a plurality of segments lined up in a row, at an instruction from the display control device, when the EV priority mode is selected, wherein the display control device includes: a number-of-charging-lights determination unit for restricting an increase in the number of charging lights, which corresponds to the state-of-charge during the EV driving, as well as for determining the number of charging lights, the state-of-charge ranging from maximum state-of-charge of the driving battery to the charge threshold being assigned to the plurality of segments such that the state-of-charge corresponds to the number of lights of the plurality of segments; a number-of-output-lights determination unit for determining the number of output lights, which corresponds to a difference between the requested output and an output that can be output with the engine stopped, the requested output ranging from the output that can be output to the output threshold being assigned to the plurality of segments such that the difference corresponds to the number of lights of the plurality of segments; and a number-of-lights instruction unit for instructing the display device to light up the least number of segments of the number of charging lights or the number of output lights, when the EV priority mode is selected.

2 . The support system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the support system is a support system for starting the engine if a negative pressure of a brake booster is not greater than a predetermined negative pressure threshold, the support system comprising: a negative pressure detection device for detecting the negative pressure; and a number-of-negative-pressure-lights determination unit for restricting a decrease in the number of negative pressure lights, which corresponds to the negative pressure during the engine driving, as well as for determining the number of negative pressure lights, the negative pressure ranging from a maximum negative pressure stored in the brake booster to the negative pressure threshold being assigned to the plurality of segments such that the negative pressure corresponds to the number of lights of the plurality of segments, and wherein the number-of-lights instruction unit instructs the display device to light up the least number of segments of the number of charging lights, the number of negative pressure lights, or the number of output lights, when the EV priority mode is selected.

3 . The support system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the display device displays an SOC meter for displaying the state-of-charge of the driving battery.

4 . The support system according to claim 1 ,
wherein, when the EV priority mode is selected, the display device turns on an EV indicator at an instruction from the display control device if the EV driving is possible, whereas the display device turns off the EV indicator at an instruction from the display control device if the EV driving is impossible.

5 . A support system for supporting continued EV driving of a hybrid vehicle which is allowed to select an EV priority mode where EV driving in which the hybrid vehicle travels with an engine stopped is prioritized over engine driving in which the hybrid vehicle travels with the engine in operation, and
even when the EV priority mode is selected, starts the engine if state-of-charge of a driving battery is not greater than a predetermined charge threshold or a requested output of a user is not less than a predetermined output threshold, comprising: an EV priority mode selection device for selecting the EV priority mode; a state-of-charge detection device for detecting the state-of-charge; a requested output detection device for detecting the requested output; a display control device; a display device for displaying a plurality of segments lined up in a row, at an instruction from the display control device, when the EV priority mode is selected; and a charge mode selection device for enabling selection of a charge mode where the driving battery is charged with electricity generated by the engine, wherein the display control device includes: a number-of-charging-lights determination unit for determining the number of charging lights, which corresponds to the state-of-charge, the state-of-charge ranging from maximum state-of-charge of the driving battery to the charge threshold being assigned to the plurality of segments such that the state-of-charge corresponds to the number of lights of the plurality of segments; a number-of-output-lights determination unit for determining the number of output lights, which corresponds to a difference between the requested output and an output that can be output with the engine stopped, the requested output ranging from the output that can be output to the output threshold being assigned to the plurality of segments such that the difference corresponds to the number of lights of the plurality of segments; and a number-of-lights instruction unit for instructing the display device to light up the least number of segments of the number of charging lights or the number of output lights, when the EV priority mode is selected, wherein the plurality of segments include a segment for indicating full charge, which lights up if the state-of-charge of the driving battery is not less than predetermined full state-of-charge, wherein the number-of-lights instruction unit instructs the display device to light up the segments of the number of charging lights, when the charge mode is selected, and wherein the segment for indicating full charge lights up if the driving battery is charged to not less than the full state-of-charge by an operation of the engine, when the charge mode is selected.

6 . A support system for supporting continued EV driving of a hybrid vehicle which is allowed to select an EV priority mode where EV driving in which the hybrid vehicle travels with an engine stopped is prioritized over engine driving in which the hybrid vehicle travels with the engine in operation, and
even when the EV priority mode is selected, starts the engine if state-of-charge of a driving battery is not greater than a predetermined charge threshold or a requested output of a user is not less than a predetermined output threshold, comprising: an EV priority mode selection device for selecting the EV priority mode; a state-of-charge detection device for detecting the state-of-charge; a requested output detection device for detecting the requested output; a display control device; a display device for displaying a plurality of segments lined up in a row, at an instruction from the display control device, when the EV priority mode is selected; and wherein the plurality of segments include a segment for indicating full charge, which lights up if the state-of-charge of the driving battery is not less than predetermined full state-of-charge, and wherein the segment for indicating full charge lights up if the

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Motors Corp

Inventors

• Sasaki Yusuke
• Kamihira Makoto
• TOMIDA Yuichi
• Mizui Toshifumi

Classifications

• B60W2510/182

  Brake pressure, e.g. of fluid or between pad and disc · CPC title

• B60W2050/146

  Display means · CPC title

• B60W50/14

  Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention · CPC title

• B60W50/082

  Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling · CPC title

• B60W30/182

  Selecting between different operative modes, e.g. comfort and performance modes · CPC title