Hybrid vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018339697-A1
Application number	US-201815984665-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 21, 2018
Priority date	May 26, 2017
Publication date	Nov 29, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A hybrid vehicle includes: an internal combustion engine; a motor generator; an electric storage device electrically connected with the motor generator; and a control device configured to set a control mode of an electric storage level of the electric storage device, to one of a charge depleting mode and a charge sustaining mode. The control device is configured to expand a permissible fluctuation band of the electric storage level during the charge sustaining mode, when the control device is performing a first switching control, compared to when the control device is not performing the first switching control, the first switching control being a control in which the control device automatically performs switching between the charge depleting mode and the charge sustaining mode, at least partly based on a predicted load on a planned traveling route for the hybrid vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A hybrid vehicle comprising:
an internal combustion engine; a motor generator connected with at least one of the internal combustion engine and a drive wheel; an electric storage device electrically connected with the motor generator; and a control device configured to set a control mode of an electric storage level of the electric storage device, to one of a charge depleting mode and a charge sustaining mode, wherein the control device is configured to expand a permissible fluctuation band of the electric storage level of the electric storage device during the charge sustaining mode, when the control device is performing a first switching control, compared to when the control device is not performing the first switching control, the first switching control being a control in which the control device automatically performs switching between the charge depleting mode and the charge sustaining mode, at least partly based on a predicted load on a planned traveling route for the hybrid vehicle.

2 . The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the control device is configured to expand the permissible fluctuation band of the electric storage level during the charge sustaining mode, when the control device is performing the first switching control and the electric storage level is higher than a lower limit of the electric storage level allowing traveling in the charge depleting mode, compared to when the control device is not performing the first switching control.

3 . The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the control device is configured to prevent the electric storage level from departing from a reference value by performing a guard process of restricting a required charge-discharge power of the electric storage device within a range between an upper limit guard value and a lower limit guard value, and the control device is configured to expand the permissible fluctuation band of the electric storage level during the charge sustaining mode by disabling or relaxing the restriction of the required charge-discharge power by the guard process.

4 . The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the control device is configured to stop the internal combustion engine when a required power decreases to less than a stop threshold during operation of the internal combustion engine, and to expand a permissible increase band of the electric storage level during the charge sustaining mode by decreasing the stop threshold when the control device is performing the first switching control and a vehicle speed is included in a high-speed region, compared to when the control device is not performing the first switching control.

5 . The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the control device is configured to start the internal combustion engine when a required power of the internal combustion engine exceeds a start threshold during stop of the internal combustion engine, and to expand a permissible decrease band of the electric storage level during the charge sustaining mode by increasing the start threshold when the control device is performing the first switching control and a vehicle speed is included in a low-speed region, compared to when the control device is not performing the first switching control.

6 . The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the control device is configured to stop the internal combustion engine when a required power decreases to less than a stop threshold during operation of the internal combustion engine, and to expand a permissible increase band of the electric storage level during the charge sustaining mode by decreasing the stop threshold when the control device is performing the first switching control and the internal combustion engine is operating, compared to when the control device is not performing the first switching control.

7 . The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the control device is configured to reduce a permissible increase band of the electric storage level when a remaining distance to a destination becomes shorter than a threshold distance during an expansion of the fluctuation band of the electric storage level of the electric storage device.

8 . The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the control device is configured to reduce a permissible decrease band of the electric storage level when the electric storage level becomes lower than a threshold level during an expansion of the fluctuation band of the electric storage level of the electric storage device.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ogawa Yuki

Classifications

• B60W2556/50

  of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data · CPC title

• B60K2001/0455

  Removal or replacement of the energy storages · CPC title

• B60L53/00

  Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles · CPC title

• B60W2710/244

  Charge state · CPC title

• B60W20/13 Primary

  in order to stay within battery power input or output limits; in order to prevent overcharging or battery depletion · CPC title