Hybrid vehicle and control method of hybrid vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9676384-B2
Application number	US-201414903408-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2014
Priority date	Jul 9, 2013
Publication date	Jun 13, 2017
Grant date	Jun 13, 2017

Abstract

An ECU determines in an HV mode that a fuel sender gauge is in malfunction when a first condition is met, and determines in an EV mode that the fuel sender gauge is in malfunction when a second condition differing from the first condition is met. The first condition is met when the difference between an estimated value of the fuel consumption amount and an amount of change in the detection value by the fuel sender gauge is greater than a predetermined value Z. The second condition is met when the detection value changes exceeding a predetermined range X.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A hybrid vehicle comprising:
an internal combustion engine;
a rotating electric machine;
a fuel tank storing fuel supplied to said internal combustion engine;
a detector for detecting an amount of fuel in said fuel tank;
a malfunction determination unit determining a malfunction in said detector based on a detection value by said detector; and
a running mode control unit controlling switching between a first running mode for running with said internal combustion engine operating and a second running mode for running by driving power of said rotating electric machine with said internal combustion engine stopped,
said malfunction determination unit determining in said first running mode that said detector is in malfunction when a predetermined first condition is met, and determining in said second running mode that said detector is in malfunction when a predetermined second condition differing from said first condition is met,
said first condition being met when a difference between a fuel consumption amount estimated to be consumed during running in said first running mode and an amount of change in said detection value during running in said first running mode exceeds a predetermined value, and
said second condition being met when said detection value by said detector exceeds a predetermined range during running in said second running mode,
wherein said malfunction determination unit determines whether or not said first condition is met when a first state amount indicating an amount of running in said first running mode reaches a first predetermined amount, and determines whether or not said second condition is met when a second state amount indicating an amount of running in said second running mode reaches a second predetermined amount, and said second predetermined amount is smaller than said first predetermined amount.

2. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
said first state amount is a running distance in said first running mode, and
said second state amount is a running distance in said second running mode.

3. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
said first state amount is a running time in said first running mode, and
said second state amount is a running time in said second running mode.

4. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising an injection amount calculation unit for calculating an injected amount of fuel at said internal combustion engine,
wherein said malfunction determination unit estimates said fuel consumption amount by accumulating the injected amount of fuel during running in said first running mode.

5. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising a running distance calculation unit for calculating a running distance by said hybrid vehicle,
wherein said malfunction determination unit estimates said fuel consumption amount based on fuel efficiency in said first running mode calculated beforehand, and a running distance in said first running mode calculated by said running distance calculation unit.

6. A hybrid vehicle comprising:
an internal combustion engine;
a rotating electric machine;
a fuel tank storing fuel supplied to said internal combustion engine;
a detector for detecting an amount of fuel in said fuel tank;
a malfunction determination unit determining a malfunction in said detector based on a detection value by said detector; and
a running mode control unit controlling switching between a first running mode for running with said internal combustion engine operating and a second running mode for running by driving power of said rotating electric machine with said internal combustion engine stopped,
said malfunction determination unit determining in said first running mode that said detector is in malfunction when a predetermined first condition is met, and determining in said second running mode that said detector is in malfunction when a predetermined second condition differing from said first condition is met,
said first condition being met when a difference between a fuel consumption amount estimated to be consumed during running in said first running mode and an amount of change in said detection value during running in said first running mode exceeds a predetermined value, and
said second condition being met when said detection value by said detector exceeds a predetermined range during running in said second running mode,
wherein said first condition is met when said detection value does not change even if a first state amount indicating a running amount in said first running mode reaches a first predetermined amount.

7. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a power storage device storing electric power for running; and
a charging device configured to receive supply of electric power from a power supply external to said vehicle and charge said power storage device.

8. A control method of a hybrid vehicle, said hybrid vehicle including
an internal combustion engine,
a rotating electric machine,
a fuel tank storing fuel supplied to said internal combustion engine, and
a detector for detecting an amount of fuel in said fuel tank,
said control method comprising the steps of:
determining a malfunction in said detector based on a detection value by said detector; and
controlling switching between a first running mode for running with said internal combustion engine operating and a second running mode for running by driving power of said rotating electric machine with said internal combustion engine stopped,
said step of determining a malfunction including the steps of:
determining in said first running mode that said detector is in malfunction when a predetermined first condition is met; and
determining in said second running mode that said detector is in malfunction when a predetermined second condition differing from said first condition is met,
said first condition being met when a difference between a fuel consumption amount estimated to be consumed during running in said first running mode and an amount of change in said detection value during running in said first running mode exceeds a predetermined value, said second condition being met when said detection value by said detector exceeds a predetermined range during running in said second running mode;
determining whether or not said first condition is met when a first state amount indicating an amount of running in said first running mode reaches a first predetermined amount; and
determining whether or not said second condition is met when a second state amount indicating an amount of running in said second running mode reaches a second predetermined amount,
wherein said second predetermined amount is smaller than said first predetermined amount.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kaita Keiji
• Hirasawa Takahiko

Classifications

• B60W20/50 Primary

  Control strategies for responding to system failures, e.g. for fault diagnosis, failsafe operation or limp mode · CPC title

• B60W2530/209

  Fuel quantity remaining in tank · CPC title

• B60W10/06 Primary

  including control of combustion engines · CPC title

• B60W10/08

  including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators · CPC title

• B60W2050/0215

  Sensor drifts or sensor failures · CPC title