Control device of hybrid vehicle and control method of hybrid vehicle

Abstract

The present invention provides a control device for a hybrid vehicle and a control method for a hybrid vehicle. The battery charge amount of the hybrid vehicle is managed to an appropriate battery charge amount. The control device (20) of the hybrid vehicle (2) comprises: a target charge amount setting unit for setting a target charge amount of the battery (215); and a driving control unit for controlling the charging and discharging of the internal combustion engine (211), the rotating electric machine (214), and the battery (215) so that the charge amount of the battery (215) becomes the target charge amount, thereby driving the hybrid vehicle. The target charge amount setting unit is configured to set the target charge amount to a lower value when a location within a restricted area where the driving of the internal combustion engine (211) is restricted is set as a destination or a via point, and when the expected arrival time at the destination or via point is outside the restricted period in which the driving of the internal combustion engine (211) is restricted in the restricted area, compared with when the expected arrival time is within the restricted period.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a control device for a hybrid vehicle and a control method for a hybrid vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses a vehicle-mounted equipment control system that detects the current position and current time of a hybrid vehicle and applies a specific control program when the current position is within a restricted area and the current time is within a restricted period. Specifically, Patent document 1 discloses that the restricted area is a region where the noise and waste volume of the hybrid vehicle are to be restricted and that the specific control program is a power control program mainly for driving the vehicle with the power of an electric motor.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-015651

[0006] Among the restricted areas that restrict the driving of the internal combustion engine, there are time-variable restricted areas that restrict the driving of the internal combustion engine only during a predetermined restricted period. If such a time-variable restricted area exists nearby, if the battery charge level of the hybrid vehicle is always maintained at a relatively high value in consideration of driving in the restricted area during the restricted period, the distance that can be driven in the EV mode is reduced, so fuel economy may deteriorate. Summary of the invention

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to suppress the battery charge level of a hybrid vehicle from being maintained at an unnecessary high value and to manage the battery charge level to an appropriate charge level in consideration of a restricted period of a restricted area.

[0008] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to a certain aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hybrid vehicle control device for controlling a hybrid vehicle, the hybrid vehicle comprising: an internal combustion engine; a storage battery for storing electric power generated by the power of the internal combustion engine; and a rotary electric machine for being driven by supplying one or both of the electric power generated by the power of the internal combustion engine and the electric power stored in the storage battery. The hybrid vehicle control device comprises: a target charge amount setting unit for setting a target charge amount of the storage battery; and a travel control unit for driving the hybrid vehicle by controlling the internal combustion engine and the rotary electric machine and the charging and discharging of the storage battery so that the charge amount of the storage battery reaches the target charge amount. The target charge amount setting unit is configured to set the target charge amount to a lower value than when the expected arrival time at the destination or the via point is set as a destination or a via point when a point within a restricted area where the driving of the internal combustion engine is restricted in the restricted area is outside the restricted period where the driving of the internal combustion engine is restricted in the restricted area, compared with when the expected arrival time is within the restricted period.

[0009] In addition, according to another embodiment of the present invention, a control method for a hybrid vehicle is provided, which comprises: an internal combustion engine; a battery for storing electric power generated by using the power of the internal combustion engine; and a rotating electric machine for being driven by being supplied with one or both of the electric power generated by using the power of the internal combustion engine or the electric power stored in the battery, the control method for the hybrid vehicle comprising the following steps: when a location within a restricted area where the driving of the internal combustion engine is restricted is set as a destination or a via point, when an expected arrival time at the destination or the via point is outside a restricted period during which the driving of the internal combustion engine is restricted in the restricted area, a target charge amount is set to a lower value than when the expected arrival time is within the restricted period; and the internal combustion engine and the rotating electric machine, and the charging and discharging of the battery are controlled in such a way that the charge amount of the battery becomes the target charge amount, thereby driving the hybrid vehicle.

[0010] Effects of the Invention

[0011] According to these aspects of the present invention, it is possible to suppress the battery charge level of the hybrid vehicle from being maintained at an unnecessary high value, and to manage the battery charge level to an appropriate charge level in consideration of the restricted period of the restricted area. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 This is a schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle control system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating the restricted area.

[0014] Figure 3It is a schematic diagram of the configuration of a hybrid vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 4 It is a schematic configuration diagram of a hybrid system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing the relationship between the battery charge amount and the switchable load.

[0017] Figure 6 This is a flowchart for explaining setting control of the mode switching charge amount according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 7 This is a coordinate diagram for setting the mode switching charge amount based on the remaining distance or required time from the current position to the restricted area and the margin time from the current time to the start time of the restricted period.

[0019] Description of Reference Numerals

[0020] 2 Hybrid vehicles

[0021] 20 Electronic control unit (control device)

[0022] 211 Internal Combustion Engine

[0023] 214 Second rotating electrical machine (rotating electrical machine)

[0024] 215 Battery DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0026] Figure 1 It is a schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle control system 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] like Figure 1 As shown, a vehicle control system 100 according to the present embodiment includes a server 1 and a hybrid vehicle 2 .

[0028] The server 1 includes a server communication unit 11 , a server storage unit 12 , and a server processing unit 13 .

[0029] The server communication unit 11 is configured to include a communication interface circuit for connecting the server 1 to the network 3 via a gateway or the like, and is capable of mutual communication with the hybrid vehicle 2 .

[0030] The server storage unit 12 includes a storage medium such as a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an optical recording medium, or a semiconductor memory, and stores various computer programs and data used for processing in the server processing unit 13 .

[0031] In this embodiment, the server storage unit 12 stores at least information related to restricted areas set in various places across the country (information related to the boundary GF and restricted period described later, etc.). The restricted area is an area where the driving of the internal combustion engine is restricted from the viewpoint of preventing air pollution and noise.

[0032] Reference Figure 2 Briefly explain the restricted areas. Figure 2 The figure shows the inner and outer boundaries GF of the restricted area and the road positions Kd, Ke, Kf, and Kg located on the boundaries GF. Figure 2 In the example, the inner side of the boundary GF is a restricted area. In the case of a time-variable restricted area set only within a predetermined restricted period, for example, the driving of the internal combustion engine within the restricted area is restricted only within the restricted period, and the driving of the internal combustion engine is allowed during the non-restricted period. The restricted period is set in units of hours, days, weeks, months, years, days of the week, etc.

[0033] return Figure 1 The server processing unit 13 has one or more processors and their peripheral circuits. The server processing unit 13 executes various computer programs stored in the server storage unit 12 and uniformly controls the overall operation of the server 1, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit).

[0034] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the hybrid vehicle 2 .

[0035] like Figure 3 As shown, the hybrid vehicle 2 includes an electronic control unit 20, a hybrid system 21, a GPS receiver 22, a map information storage device 23, a communication device 24, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) device 25, a SOC sensor 26, a load sensor 27 and other various sensors. The hybrid system 21, the GPS receiver 22, the map information storage device 23, the communication device 24, the HMI device 25 and the various sensors are connected to the electronic control unit 20 via an in-vehicle network 28 conforming to a standard such as CAN (Controller Area Network).

[0036] The hybrid system 21 is configured to generate power required for the hybrid vehicle 2 to travel and transmit the power to the drive wheels. Figure 4 Provide explanation.

[0037] Figure 4 2 is a schematic diagram of the hybrid system 21 of the present embodiment. The hybrid system 21 of the present embodiment is a so-called series-parallel hybrid system, but may be a hybrid system of another type such as a series type or a parallel type.

[0038] like Figure 4 As shown, the hybrid system 21 of this embodiment includes an internal combustion engine 211, a power distribution mechanism 212, a first rotating motor 213 mainly used as a generator, a second rotating motor 214 mainly used as a motor, a battery 215, and a power control unit (hereinafter referred to as "PCU") 216.

[0039] The internal combustion engine 211 burns fuel in cylinders formed therein to generate power for rotating an internal combustion engine output shaft connected to the power split mechanism 212 .

[0040] The power split mechanism 212 is a well-known planetary gear mechanism for splitting the power of the internal combustion engine 211 into two systems: power for rotating the drive wheels and power for regeneratively driving the first rotating electric machine 213 .

[0041] The first rotating electric machine 213 is, for example, a three-phase AC synchronous type electric generator, and has the function of an electric motor that receives power supply from the battery 215 and performs power operation driving, and the function of a generator that receives power from the internal combustion engine 211 and performs regenerative driving. In this embodiment, the first rotating electric machine 213 is mainly used as a generator, and generates power required for charging the battery 215 and power required for power operation driving the second rotating electric machine 214. In addition, when the internal combustion engine 211 is started, the first rotating electric machine 213 is used as an electric motor when the internal combustion engine output shaft is rotated to perform cranking, and plays the role of a starter.

[0042] The second rotating electric machine 214 is, for example, a three-phase AC synchronous electric generator, and has the function of a motor that receives power from the battery 215 to drive the vehicle for power operation, and the function of a generator that receives power from the drive wheels to perform regenerative drive when the hybrid vehicle 2 is decelerated. In the present embodiment, the second rotating electric machine 214 is mainly used as a motor to generate power for rotating the drive wheels.

[0043] The storage battery 215 is a rechargeable secondary battery such as a nickel-cadmium storage battery, a nickel-metal hydride storage battery, or a lithium ion battery. The storage battery 215 may be electrically connectable to an external power source so as to be chargeable from an external power source such as a household outlet.

[0044] The PCU 216 includes an inverter (not shown) and a boost converter (not shown), and its operation is controlled by the electronic control unit 20. Specifically, when each rotating electric machine 213, 214 is used as a motor, the electronic control unit 20 controls the operation of the PCU 216 so that the power required to drive each rotating electric machine 213, 214 is supplied from the battery 215 to each rotating electric machine 213, 214. In addition, when each rotating electric machine 213, 214 is used as a generator, the electronic control unit 20 controls the operation of the PCU 216 so that the power generated by each rotating electric machine 213, 214 is supplied to the battery 215.

[0045] return Figure 3 The GPS receiving device 22 receives radio waves from an artificial satellite, determines the latitude and longitude of the hybrid vehicle 2 , and detects the current position of the hybrid vehicle 2 .

[0046] The map information storage device 23 stores various road information such as road position information, road shape information (such as slope, types of curves and straight sections, curvature of curves, etc.), intersection and branch point position information, road types, speed limits, etc.

[0047] The communication device 24 is a vehicle-mounted terminal having a wireless communication function. The communication device 24 communicates with the network 3 (see Figure 1 ) connected wireless base station 4 (refer to Figure 1 ), and connected to the network 3 via the wireless base station 4. Thus, communication with the server 1 is performed mutually.

[0048] The HMI device 25 is an interface for exchanging information with the vehicle occupants. The HMI device 25 of this embodiment includes a display for providing various information to the vehicle occupants, a speaker, and a touch panel (or operation button) for the vehicle occupants to input information. The input information (such as the destination, etc.) input by the vehicle occupants is sent to the electronic control unit 20.

[0049] The SOC sensor 26 detects the charge amount (hereinafter referred to as “battery charge amount”) SOC of the battery 215 .

[0050] The load sensor 27 detects an output voltage proportional to the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal as a parameter corresponding to the running load.

[0051] The electronic control unit 20 includes an in-vehicle communication interface 201, a vehicle storage unit 202, and a vehicle processing unit 203. The in-vehicle communication interface 201, the vehicle storage unit 202, and the vehicle processing unit 203 are connected to each other via a signal line.

[0052] The in-vehicle communication interface 201 is a communication interface circuit for connecting the electronic control unit 20 to the in-vehicle network 28 conforming to a standard such as CAN (Controller Area Network).

[0053] The vehicle storage unit 202 has a storage medium such as a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an optical recording medium, or a semiconductor memory, and stores various computer programs and data used in the processing of the vehicle processing unit 203 .

[0054] The vehicle processing unit 203 has one or more processors and their peripheral circuits. The vehicle processing unit 203 executes various computer programs stored in the vehicle storage unit 202 and controls the hybrid vehicle 2 in a unified manner. The vehicle processing unit 203 is, for example, a CPU. The following describes the content of the control of the hybrid vehicle 2 implemented by the vehicle processing unit 203 and further by the electronic control unit 20.

[0055] The electronic control unit 20 switches the driving mode to either the EV (Electric Vehicle) mode or the HV (Hybrid Vehicle) mode based on the battery charge SOC to drive the hybrid vehicle 2. Specifically, the electronic control unit 20 sets the driving mode of the hybrid vehicle 2 to the EV mode when the battery charge SOC is greater than the mode switching charge SOC1, and sets the driving mode of the hybrid vehicle 2 to the HV mode when the battery charge SOC is less than the mode switching charge SOC1. In addition, the EV mode is sometimes referred to as the CD (Charge Depleting) mode, and the HV mode is sometimes referred to as the CS (Charge Sustaining) mode.

[0056] The EV mode is a mode in which the second rotating electric machine 214 is driven for power running by preferentially utilizing the electric power of the battery 215 , and the power of the second rotating electric machine 214 is transmitted to the drive wheels to cause the hybrid vehicle 2 to travel.

[0057] When the driving mode is the EV mode, the electronic control unit 20 drives the second rotating motor 214 by power running using the power of the battery 215 while the internal combustion engine 211 is stopped, and the hybrid vehicle 2 is driven by rotating the drive wheels only by the power of the second rotating motor 214. That is, when the driving mode is the EV mode, the electronic control unit 20 controls the output of the second rotating motor 214 based on the driving load so as to achieve the requested output corresponding to the driving load, and drives the hybrid vehicle 2.

[0058] The HV mode is a mode in which the hybrid vehicle 2 travels by controlling the outputs of the internal combustion engine 211 and the second rotating electrical machine 214 so that the battery charge level SOC is maintained at the charge level when switching to the HV mode (hereinafter referred to as “maintained charge level”).

[0059] When the driving mode is the HV mode, if the driving load is less than the predetermined switching load, the electronic control unit 20 uses the power of the battery 215 to drive the second rotating motor 214 for power running while the internal combustion engine 211 is stopped, and the hybrid vehicle 2 is driven by rotating the driving wheels only by the power of the second rotating motor 214. Figure 5 As shown, the electronic control unit 20 changes the switching load according to the battery charge SOC so that the switching load becomes smaller as the battery charge SOC becomes smaller.

[0060] In addition, when the driving mode is the HV mode, if the driving load is greater than the predetermined switching load, the electronic control unit 20 distributes the power of the internal combustion engine 211 into two systems through the power distribution mechanism 212, transmits one of the distributed power of the internal combustion engine 211 to the drive wheels, and regenerates the first rotating motor 213 with the power of the other. In addition, the second rotating motor 214 is basically driven by the power generated by the first rotating motor 213, and a part of its power is supplied to the battery as needed to charge the battery, and in addition to the power of one of the internal combustion engine 211, the power of the second rotating motor 214 is transmitted to the drive wheels to drive the hybrid vehicle 2.

[0061] In addition, when the driving mode is the HV mode, the electronic control unit 20 regenerates the first rotating motor 213 by the power of the internal combustion engine 211 in such a way that the battery charge SOC becomes above the maintenance charge when the vehicle is parked, and charges the battery 215 with the power generated by the first rotating motor 213.

[0062] Thus, when the driving mode is the HV mode, the electronic control unit 20 controls the output of the internal combustion engine 211 and the second rotating motor 214 based on the battery charge SOC and the driving load so as to make the requested output corresponding to the driving load, thereby driving the hybrid vehicle 2. When the driving mode is switched from the EV mode to the HV mode, if the driving load becomes high, the internal combustion engine 211 is started. Therefore, the HV mode can also be said to be a driving mode in which the hybrid vehicle 2 can be driven only by the output of the second rotating motor 214 under the condition that the thermal efficiency of the internal combustion engine 211 is poor, with the internal combustion engine 211 basically running.

[0063] Thus, in the present embodiment, in the EV mode, the hybrid vehicle 2 is driven by consuming the electric power of the battery 215 until the battery charge amount SOC reaches the mode switching charge amount SOC1. Furthermore, in the HV mode, the hybrid vehicle 2 is driven by charging the battery 215 with the electric power generated by the power of the internal combustion engine 211 as needed so that the battery charge amount SOC is maintained at the mode switching charge amount SOC1. That is, in the present embodiment, the hybrid vehicle 2 is driven by controlling the charging and discharging of the battery 215 by the internal combustion engine 211 and each rotating electrical machine 213 and 214 so that the battery charge amount SOC reaches the mode switching charge amount SOC1. Therefore, the mode switching charge amount SOC1 of the present embodiment can also be referred to as the target charge amount of the battery 215 during the driving of the hybrid vehicle 2.

[0064] Here, as described above, the HV mode is a driving mode based on the premise of basically operating the internal combustion engine 211. After the driving mode is switched from the EV mode to the HV mode, the internal combustion engine 211 is basically started. Moreover, the switching from the EV mode to the HV mode depends on the battery charge SOC. In the present embodiment, when the battery charge SOC becomes the mode switching charge SOC1, the driving mode is switched from the EV mode to the HV mode. Moreover, in order to improve fuel economy, it is preferable to set the mode switching charge SOC1 to, for example, a relatively low first charge (e.g., 10% of the full charge), and to drive in the EV mode as much as possible.

[0065] However, in recent years, Figure 2In some places, there are cases where the above-mentioned restricted areas are set. If the mode switching charge amount SOC1 is fixed to a low value and the driving mode switching control is implemented without considering the existence of such restricted areas, for example, when the battery charge amount SOC is reduced and the vehicle is driving in the HV mode, that is, when the battery charge amount SOC is not sufficiently ensured, it may be necessary to enter the restricted area in the restricted period. In addition, when driving in the restricted area, for example, it is possible to switch from the non-restricted period to the restricted period when the battery charge amount SOC is not sufficiently ensured.

[0066] In the restricted area during the restricted period, the driving of the internal combustion engine 211 is restricted, so even if the battery charge SOC is not sufficiently ensured, the vehicle must travel in the EV mode, and the internal combustion engine 211 cannot be driven to charge the battery 215. Therefore, in the worst case, the vehicle may not be able to travel due to insufficient power.

[0067] On the other hand, if the hybrid vehicle 2 is driven in the restricted area during the restricted period and the battery charge SOC is always maintained at a relatively high value, the distance that can be driven in the EV mode is reduced, so that fuel efficiency may be deteriorated.

[0068] Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the destination or any point on the path to the destination (hereinafter referred to as "via point") is located in the restricted area, the mode switching charge amount SOC1 (i.e., the target charge amount) is set based on the expected arrival time at the destination or via point and information related to the restriction period of the restricted area. Specifically, when the destination or via point is located in the restricted area, when the expected arrival time at the destination or via point is outside the restriction period during which the driving restriction of the internal combustion engine is performed in the restricted area, the mode switching charge amount SOC1 is set to a lower value than when the expected arrival time at the destination or via point is within the restriction period.

[0069] Thus, even in a case where travel within a restricted area is necessary before reaching the destination, when the possibility of traveling in the restricted area during the restricted period is low (i.e., when the destination or the via point is located in the restricted area, the expected arrival time at the destination or the via point is outside the restricted period of the restricted area), the mode switching charge amount SOC1 is set to a relatively low value.

[0070] On the other hand, when it is necessary to travel within a restricted area before reaching the destination and there is a high possibility of traveling within the restricted area during the restricted period (i.e., when the destination or the via point is located in the restricted area, the expected arrival time at the destination or the via point is within the restricted period of the restricted area), the mode switching charge amount SOC1 is set to a relatively high value.

[0071] Therefore, it is possible to prevent the battery charge SOC of the hybrid vehicle 2 from being unnecessarily maintained at a high value, and to manage the battery charge to be appropriate during the restricted period taking into account the restricted area, thereby preventing deterioration in fuel economy and preventing the vehicle from being unable to travel due to insufficient power even when traveling in the restricted area during the restricted period.

[0072] Below, refer to Figure 6 The flowchart shown explains setting control of the mode switching charge amount SOC1 according to the present embodiment.

[0073] In step S1, the electronic control unit 20 of the hybrid vehicle 2 determines whether the destination has been determined. The destination may be a destination input by the vehicle occupant via the HMI device 25, or a destination estimated based on past driving history, etc. If the destination has not been determined, the electronic control unit 20 proceeds to the process of step S2. On the other hand, if the destination has been determined, the electronic control unit 20 proceeds to the process of step S3.

[0074] In step S2, the destination and even the future driving route are unclear, so there is a possibility of driving in a restricted area during the restricted period. On the other hand, if the mode switching charge SOC1 is excessively set to a high value, it will become a major cause of deteriorating fuel economy. Therefore, the electronic control unit 20 of the hybrid vehicle 2 sets the mode switching charge SOC1 to a predetermined second charge that is slightly larger than the above-mentioned first charge.

[0075] Therefore, when the destination is unclear, a certain degree of battery charge can be ensured even when traveling in a restricted area during the restricted period. In addition, since the mode switching charge SOC1 is not unnecessarily set to a high value, the situation where the vehicle cannot travel due to insufficient power can be suppressed, and the deterioration of fuel economy can also be suppressed.

[0076] In step S3, the ECU 20 of the hybrid vehicle 2 obtains the current position of the hybrid vehicle 2 based on the position information received by the GPS receiver 22. The ECU 20 has a clock function (real-time clock) and also obtains the current date and time (date and time) measured by the clock function.

[0077] In step S4, the electronic control unit 20 of the hybrid vehicle 2 transmits a restricted area information request signal including the identification number of the vehicle (e.g., vehicle number), the destination, and the route from the current position to the destination to obtain restricted area information to the server 1. The restricted area information includes information on whether the destination or a via point (an arbitrary point on the route to the destination) is within the restricted area, and information on the boundary GF of the restricted area and the restricted period when the destination or the via point is within the restricted area.

[0078] In step S5, the server 1 determines whether a restricted area information request signal is received. If a restricted area information request signal is received, the server 1 proceeds to step S6. On the other hand, if a restricted area information request signal is not received, the server 1 ends this processing.

[0079] In step S6, the server 1 generates restricted area information and transmits it to the hybrid vehicle 2 that is the transmission source of the restricted area information request signal (hereinafter also referred to as "transmission source vehicle 2" as necessary).

[0080] Specifically, the server 1 first determines whether the destination or the via point of the source vehicle 2 is within the restricted area based on the information related to the restricted area stored in the server storage unit 12, the destination and the via point of the source vehicle 2. Then, if neither the destination nor the via point of the source vehicle 2 is within the restricted area, the server 1 generates restricted area information including information to that effect, and transmits it to the source vehicle 2. On the other hand, if at least one of the destination and the via point of the source vehicle 2 is within the restricted area, the server 1 generates restricted area information including information related to the boundary GF and the restricted period of the restricted area, and transmits it to the source vehicle 2. In addition, the via point can be set at regular intervals on the path to the destination, for example, or when the vehicle occupant inputs information related to the via point via the HMI device 25, the information related to the via point can be included in the restricted area information request signal to grasp it.

[0081] In step S7, the electronic control unit 20 of the hybrid vehicle 2 determines whether the restricted area information is received. If the restricted area information is received, the electronic control unit 20 proceeds to the process of step S8. On the other hand, if the restricted area information is not received, the electronic control unit 20 waits for a certain period of time and then determines again whether the restricted area information is received.

[0082] In step S8, the electronic control unit 20 of the hybrid vehicle 2 refers to the restricted area information, and if neither the destination nor the via point of the vehicle is within the restricted area, the process proceeds to step S9. On the other hand, if at least one of the destination and the via point of the vehicle is within the restricted area, the electronic control unit 20 proceeds to step S10.

[0083] In step S9, since neither the destination nor the via point is within the restricted area, the possibility of traveling within the restricted area during the restricted period before reaching the destination is low, and there is no problem with the battery charge SOC as long as the minimum charge is ensured, so in order to achieve improved fuel economy, the electronic control unit 20 of the hybrid vehicle 2 sets the mode switching charge SOC1 to the above-mentioned first charge. As described above, in order to improve fuel economy, the first charge is set to a relatively low value, and in this embodiment, it is set to a value of about 10% of the full charge.

[0084] Thus, when the possibility of traveling within the restricted area during the restricted period before reaching the destination is low, the mode switch charge amount SOC1 can be set to a relatively low value, thereby increasing the distance that can be traveled in the EV mode and improving fuel economy.

[0085] In step S10 , the electronic control unit 20 of the hybrid vehicle 2 calculates an estimated arrival time at the via point if the via point is within the restricted area, and calculates an estimated arrival time at the destination if the destination is within the restricted area.

[0086] In step S11, when the via point exists in the restricted area, the electronic control unit 20 of the hybrid vehicle 2 determines whether the expected arrival time at the via point is within the restricted period during which the driving restriction of the internal combustion engine is performed in the restricted area where the via point exists. In addition, at the same time, when the destination exists in the restricted area, the electronic control unit 20 determines whether the expected arrival time at the destination is within the restricted period during which the driving restriction of the internal combustion engine is performed in the restricted area where the destination exists.

[0087] If the estimated arrival time at the via point or the destination existing in the restricted area is within the restricted period of the restricted area, that is, if the possibility of traveling in the restricted area during the restricted period before arriving at the destination is high, the electronic control unit 20 proceeds to the process of step S12. On the other hand, if the estimated arrival time at the via point and the estimated arrival time at the destination is outside the restricted period of the restricted area, that is, if the vehicle is traveling in the restricted area during the restricted period before arriving at the destination, but the possibility of traveling in the restricted area during the restricted period is low, the electronic control unit 20 proceeds to the process of step S9.

[0088] In step S12, since the vehicle is likely to travel in the restricted area during the restricted period before reaching the destination, the electronic control unit 20 sets the mode switching charge SOC1 to a predetermined third charge greater than the first and second charge levels in order to prevent the vehicle from being unable to travel due to insufficient power.

[0089] Thus, when there is a high possibility of traveling in a restricted area during the restricted period before reaching the destination, the mode switching charge SOC1 can be set to a relatively high value, thereby preventing the vehicle from being unable to travel due to insufficient power even when traveling in the restricted area during the restricted period.

[0090] In addition, in this embodiment, the third charge amount is set to a fixed value, but the third charge amount may be a variable value. When the third charge amount is set to a variable value, for example, a value created in advance by experiments or the like may be referred to. Figure 7 The third charge amount is set based on the remaining distance or required time from the current position to the restricted area and the grace time from the current time to the start time of the restricted period. Figure 7 As shown in the graph of , the shorter the remaining distance or required time is, and the shorter the grace time is, the higher the third charge level is set. This is because it is considered that the closer to the restricted area and the shorter the grace time is, the higher the possibility of driving in the restricted area during the restricted period is, so it is necessary to set the third charge level, or even the mode switching charge level SOC1, to a higher value to maintain the battery charge level SOC at a higher value.

[0091] In addition, the remaining distance or required time from the current position of the hybrid vehicle 2 to the restricted area can be calculated, for example, from the current position to each road position Kd, Ke, Kf, Kg located on the boundary GF of the restricted area (see Figure 2), and the shortest distance or required time is used as the remaining distance or required time from the current position to the restricted area. In addition, when the current position of the hybrid vehicle 2 is within the restricted area, the remaining distance or required time can be set to zero.

[0092] The hybrid vehicle 2 of the present embodiment described above includes an internal combustion engine 211, a battery 215 for storing electric power generated by the power of the internal combustion engine 211, and a second rotating electric machine 214 (rotating electric machine) driven by the electric power generated by the power of the internal combustion engine 211 or the electric power stored in the battery 215. The electronic control unit 20 (control device) for controlling the hybrid vehicle 2 includes: a target charge amount setting unit for setting a mode switching charge amount SOC1 equivalent to a target charge amount of the battery 215; and a travel control unit for controlling the internal combustion engine 211, the second rotating electric machine 214, and the charging and discharging of the battery 215 so that the battery charge amount SOC becomes the mode switching charge amount SOC1, thereby driving the hybrid vehicle 2.

[0093] Moreover, the target charge amount setting unit is configured to, when a location within a restricted area in which the driving of the internal combustion engine 211 is restricted is set as a destination or a via point, when the expected arrival time at the destination or the via point is outside the restricted period in which the driving of the internal combustion engine 211 is restricted in the restricted area, set the mode switching charge amount SOC1 to a lower value than when the expected arrival time is within the restricted period.

[0094] Thus, even if the vehicle must travel within the restricted area until reaching the destination, when the possibility of traveling within the restricted area within the restricted period is low (i.e., when the destination or the via point is located in the restricted area, the expected arrival time at the destination or the via point is outside the restricted period of the restricted area), the mode switching charge amount SOC1 can be set to a relatively low value. Therefore, the distance that can be traveled in the EV mode can be increased, thereby achieving improved fuel economy.

[0095] On the other hand, when the vehicle must travel within the restricted area before reaching the destination and there is a high possibility of traveling within the restricted area during the restricted period (i.e., when the destination or the via point is located in the restricted area, the estimated arrival time at the destination or the via point is within the restricted period of the restricted area), the mode switching charge amount SOC1 can be set to a relatively high value. Therefore, even if the vehicle travels within the restricted area during the restricted period, it is possible to prevent the vehicle from being unable to travel due to insufficient power.

[0096] Thus, according to the present embodiment, the battery charge level SOC of the hybrid vehicle 2 can be prevented from being maintained at an unnecessary high value, and the battery charge level SOC can be managed to be an appropriate charge level during the restricted period taking the restricted area into consideration. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the deterioration of fuel economy, and even when the hybrid vehicle 2 is driven in the restricted area during the restricted period, it is possible to prevent the hybrid vehicle 2 from being unable to drive due to insufficient power.

[0097] In addition, when a location within the restricted area is set as a destination or a via point, when the expected arrival time at the destination or the via point is within the restricted period, the mode switching charge amount SOC1 can also be set based on the remaining distance or required time from the current position to the restricted area, and the grace time from the current time to the time when the drive restriction of the internal combustion engine 211 starts in the restricted area.

[0098] Thus, the closer to the restricted area and the shorter the grace time, the higher the mode switching charge SOC1 can be set to and the battery charge SOC can be maintained at a higher value. That is, the higher the possibility of driving in the restricted area during the restricted period, the higher the target charge of the battery 215 can be set to and the battery charge SOC can be maintained at a higher value. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the vehicle from having to drive in the restricted area during the restricted period without fully ensuring the battery charge SOC.

[0099] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the above embodiments merely show a part of application examples of the present invention and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention to the specific structures of the above embodiments.

[0100] For example, in each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the restricted area information is obtained from the server 1, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The restricted area information may be pre-stored in the vehicle storage unit 202 of the electronic control unit 20 or other vehicle-mounted storage devices. When an external communication center such as a road traffic information communication system center periodically transmits the restricted area information, the restricted area information may be obtained by receiving the restricted area information transmitted from the external communication center. In this case, communication with the server 1 is not required.

Claims

1. A hybrid vehicle control device for controlling a hybrid vehicle, The hybrid vehicle comprises: internal combustion engine; a storage battery for storing electric power generated by using the power of the internal combustion engine; and a rotating electric machine driven by being supplied with one or both of electric power generated by the power of the internal combustion engine and electric power stored in the battery, in, The hybrid vehicle control device comprises: a target charge amount setting unit, which sets a target charge amount of the battery; and a travel control unit that controls the internal combustion engine, the rotating electrical machine, and the charging and discharging of the battery so that the charge amount of the battery reaches the target charge amount to travel the hybrid vehicle, When a location within a restricted area where the driving of the internal combustion engine is restricted is set as a destination or a via point, when an expected arrival time at the destination or the via point is outside a restricted period during which the driving of the internal combustion engine is restricted in the restricted area, the target charge amount setting unit sets the target charge amount to a lower value than when the expected arrival time is within the restricted period, The target charge amount is a mode switching charge amount, The control device sets the driving mode of the hybrid vehicle to the electric vehicle mode when the charge amount of the battery is greater than the mode switching charge amount, and sets the driving mode of the hybrid vehicle to the hybrid vehicle mode when the charge amount of the battery is less than the mode switching charge amount.

2. The control device for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: In a case where a location within the restricted area is set as the destination or the via point, and when the expected arrival time is within the restricted period, the target charge amount setting unit sets the target charge amount based on the remaining distance or required time from the current position to the restricted area, and the grace time from the current time to the time when the drive restriction of the internal combustion engine starts in the restricted area.

3. A control method for a hybrid vehicle, The hybrid vehicle comprises: internal combustion engine; a storage battery for storing electric power generated by using the power of the internal combustion engine; and a rotating electric machine driven by being supplied with one or both of electric power generated by the power of the internal combustion engine and electric power stored in the battery, in, The control method of the hybrid vehicle comprises the following steps: When a location within a restricted area in which driving of the internal combustion engine is restricted is set as a destination or a via point, when an expected arrival time at the destination or the via point is outside a restricted period in which driving of the internal combustion engine is restricted in the restricted area, setting a target charge amount to a lower value than when the expected arrival time is within the restricted period; and The hybrid vehicle is driven by controlling the internal combustion engine, the rotating electrical machine, and the charging and discharging of the battery so that the charge amount of the battery reaches the target charge amount. The target charge amount is a mode switching charge amount, The control method of the hybrid vehicle also includes the following steps: when the charge amount of the battery is greater than the mode switching charge amount, the driving mode of the hybrid vehicle is set to the electric vehicle mode; when the charge amount of the battery is less than the mode switching charge amount, the driving mode of the hybrid vehicle is set to the hybrid vehicle mode.

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