Vehicle and control method of vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9493153-B2
Application number	US-201314408660-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 11, 2013
Priority date	Oct 22, 2012
Publication date	Nov 15, 2016
Grant date	Nov 15, 2016

Abstract

A vehicle includes an engine, an electrically heated catalyst configured to purify exhaust gas of the engine, and a controller configured to control energizing power to the electrically heated catalyst. The controller is configured to determine the energizing power based on a vehicle speed of the vehicle and an acceleration of the vehicle, when energizing the electrically heated catalyst before the engine is started.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
an engine;
an electrically heated catalyst configured to purify exhaust gas of the engine; and
a controller configured to control energizing power to the electrically heated catalyst,
the controller being configured to determine the energizing power based on a vehicle speed of the vehicle and an acceleration of the vehicle, when energizing the electrically heated catalyst before the engine is started, and
the controller being configured to increase the energizing power as both: (i) the vehicle speed increases and (ii) the acceleration increases, when the vehicle speed is equal to or higher than a predetermined speed.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the engine is started when a required power of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined amount or when the vehicle speed exceeds a vehicle-speed threshold value that is higher than the predetermined speed.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is a hybrid vehicle that runs by power of at least one of the engine and an electric motor.

4. A control method of a vehicle, the vehicle including an engine, an electrically heated catalyst, a vehicle speed sensor and an electronic control unit, the control method comprising:
detecting a vehicle speed of the vehicle, by the vehicle speed sensor,
detecting an acceleration of the vehicle, by the electronic control unit,
determining, by the electronic control unit, an energizing power based on the vehicle speed and the acceleration, when energizing the electrically heated catalyst before an engine is started, and
determining, by the electronic control unit, the energizing power such that the energizing power increases as both: (i) the vehicle speed increases and (ii) the acceleration increases, when the vehicle speed is equal to or higher than a predetermined speed.

5. A vehicle comprising:
an engine;
an electrically heated catalyst configured to purify exhaust gas of the engine; and
a controller configured to control energizing power to the electrically heated catalyst,
the controller being configured to determine the energizing power based on a vehicle speed of the vehicle and an acceleration of the vehicle, when energizing the electrically heated catalyst before the engine is started,
the controller being configured to increase the energizing power as both: (i) the vehicle speed increases and (ii) the acceleration increases, when the vehicle speed is equal to or higher than a predetermined speed, and
the controller being configured to increase the energizing power as the vehicle speed decreases, when the vehicle speed is lower than the predetermined speed.

6. The vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the engine is started when a required power of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined amount or when the vehicle speed exceeds a vehicle-speed threshold value that is higher than the predetermined speed.

7. The vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the vehicle is a hybrid vehicle that runs by power of at least one of the engine and an electric motor.

8. A control method of a vehicle, the vehicle including an engine, an electrically heated catalyst, a vehicle speed sensor and an electronic control unit, the control method comprising:
detecting a vehicle speed of the vehicle, by the vehicle speed sensor,
detecting an acceleration of the vehicle, by the electronic control unit,
determining, by the electronic control unit, an energizing power based on the vehicle speed and the acceleration, when energizing the electrically heated catalyst before an engine is started,
determining, by the electronic control unit, the energizing power such that the energizing power increases as both: (i) the vehicle speed increases and (ii) the acceleration increases, when the vehicle speed is equal to or higher than a predetermined speed, and
determining, by the electronic control unit, the energizing power such that the energizing power increases as the vehicle speed decreases, when the vehicle speed is lower than the predetermined speed.

Assignees

• Hashimoto Keita
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hashimoto Keita

Classifications

• F01N2900/10

  said parameters being related to the vehicle or its components · CPC title

• Y02T10/26

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y10S903/902

  Prime movers comprising electrical and internal combustion motors · CPC title

• F01N3/2013 Primary

  using electric or magnetic heating means · CPC title

• Y02T10/47

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic