Indicator apparatus for hybrid vehicle, hybrid vehicle, indicating method for hybrid vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9415685-B2
Application number	US-201414166520-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2014
Priority date	Sep 25, 2006
Publication date	Aug 16, 2016
Grant date	Aug 16, 2016

Abstract

An indicator portion includes a first indicator portion and a second indicator portion. The first indicator portion indicates an accelerator pedal opening degree that changes in accordance with an operated amount of the accelerator pedal by the driver. The second indicator portion includes a division line and regions divided by the division line. The division line shows an accelerator pedal opening degree where traveling modes (EV mode and HV mode) are switched. The regions show the ranges of accelerator pedal opening degrees where traveling is performed in EV mode and HV mode, respectively.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An indicator apparatus for a hybrid vehicle that incorporates an internal combustion engine and an electric motor as motive power sources, and that is capable of traveling in one of traveling modes including a first mode where traveling is performed while said internal combustion engine is stopped and a second mode where traveling is performed while both of said internal combustion engine and said electric motor are operated, the indicator apparatus comprising:
an electronic control unit configured to switch between said first mode where traveling is performed while said internal combustion engine is stopped and said second mode where traveling is performed while both of said internal combustion engine and said electric motor are operated based on an output demand from a driver;
a first indicator portion indicating to the driver a first state amount that changes in accordance with said output demand from the driver, the first indicator portion having a range and displaying a mark that moves over an area that includes the range as the first state amount changes; and
a second indicator portion indicating to the driver a second state amount that shows switching between the first mode and the second mode so that the driver can recognize the switching and whether traveling is being performed in the first mode or the second mode by comparing the first and second state amounts, the second indicator portion indicating the switching as occurring at a position within the range of the first indicator portion, wherein
when starting of the internal combustion engine is demanded based on a prescribed condition irrespective of the output demand from the driver, the electronic control unit forcibly switches the traveling mode to the second mode, the prescribed condition including at least one of (i) a case where warm-up driving of the engine is necessary after cold start, (ii) a case where a catalyst of the engine needs to be warmed up, (iii) a case where heater performance of an air conditioner cannot be maintained, and (iv) a case where a temperature of the power storage apparatus is not higher than a prescribed temperature, and
when the traveling mode is forcibly switched to the second mode, the second indicator portion shows that the second mode is selected for an entirety of the range of the first indicator portion.

2. The indicator apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
said first state amount and said second state amount are accelerator pedal opening degrees.

3. The indicator apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
said first indicator portion indicates to the driver said first state amount by a change of an indication region or an indication position, and
said second indicator portion indicates to the driver
a traveling mode indication region provided corresponding to said first indicator portion, and
a division line dividing, in accordance with said second state amount, said traveling mode indication region into a first region showing that the traveling mode is said first mode and a second region showing that the traveling mode is said second mode.

4. The indicator apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
said electronic control unit is configured to change a threshold value for switching between the first mode and the second mode in accordance with a speed of the vehicle, and
said second indicator portion changes said second state amount in accordance with the change of said threshold value for switching.

5. The indicator apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
when an output power of a power storage apparatus supplying electric power to said electric motor is restricted, said electronic control unit changes a threshold value for switching between the first mode and the second mode so that a range in which traveling is performed in said second mode is increased, and
said second indicator portion changes said second state amount in accordance with the change of the threshold value for switching.

6. The indicator apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
when a temperature of a power converting apparatus converting electric power between a power storage apparatus supplying electric power to said electric motor and said electric motor becomes not lower than a prescribed temperature, said electronic control unit changes a threshold value for switching between the first mode and the second mode so that a range in which traveling is performed in said second mode is increased, and
said second indicator portion changes said second state amount in accordance with the change of the threshold value for switching.

7. The indicator apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
when a temperature of said electric motor becomes not lower than a prescribed temperature, said electronic control unit changes a threshold value for switching between the first mode and the second mode so that a range in which traveling is performed in said second mode is increased, and
said second indicator portion changes said second state amount in accordance with the change of the threshold value for switching.

8. The indicator apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
said hybrid vehicle includes a switch for allowing the driver to select traveling in said first mode,
when said switch is operated by the driver, said electronic control unit changes a threshold value for switching between the first mode and the second mode so that a range in which traveling is performed in said first mode is increased, and
said second indicator portion changes said second state amount in accordance with the change of the threshold value for switching.

9. The indicator apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
an indication update cycle of said second indicator portion is longer than an indication update cycle of said first indicator portion.

10. The indicator apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first indicator portion is separated from the second indicator portion by a space.

11. The indicator apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the second indicator portion displays a first region indicative of travel in the first mode, the first region being displayed adjacent to a portion of the area through which the mark moves so that the mark is positioned adjacent to the first region when the traveling is being performed in the first mode, and
the second indicator portion displays a second region indicative of travel in the second mode, the second region being displayed adjacent to a portion of the area through which the mark moves, and being positioned adjacent to the first region, so that the mark is positioned adjacent to the second region when the traveling is being performed in the second mode.

12. A hybrid vehicle, comprising:
an internal combustion engine and an electric motor incorporated as motive power sources;
a battery supplying electric power to said electric motor;
a charge connector configured to receive electric power supplied from an outside of the vehicle and to charge said battery; and
the indicator apparatus according to claim 1 .

13. An indicating method for a hybrid vehicle that incorporates an internal combustion engine and an electric motor as motive power sources, and that is capable of traveling in one of traveling modes including a first mode where traveling is performed while said internal combustion engine is stopped and a second mode where traveling is performed while both of said internal combustion engine and said electric motor are operated, the indicating method comprising the steps of:
switching between said first mode where traveling is performed while said internal combustion engine is stopped and said second mode w

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Suzuki Naoto
• Nakashima Motohiro

Classifications

• B60K35/50

  Instruments characterised by their means of attachment to or integration in the vehicle (B60K35/231 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60K35/90

  Calibration of instruments, e.g. setting initial or reference parameters; Testing of instruments, e.g. detecting malfunction · CPC title

• B60K35/10

  Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor · CPC title

• B60L2240/441

  Speed · CPC title

• Y02T10/642

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic