Hybrid vehicle

Abstract

To prepare a running support plan more properly.SOLUTION: A control device of a hybrid vehicle executes running support control so that the vehicle runs on the basis of a plan based on map information and a position of an own vehicle or a running support plan in which a motor running mode or a normal running mode is allocated to each running section using information on each running section on an estimated running route. Further, when there is a specific running section having a motor running specified point at which the vehicle should arrive in the motor running mode, of each running section on the running route, the control device divides the specific running section into two running sections with the motor running specified point as a reference, under a predetermined condition, and executes the running support control.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to hybrid vehicles. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, as this type of hybrid vehicle, a vehicle that switches between an electric motor mode for running only on the electric motor, an engine mode for running only on the engine, and a combined mode for running both on the electric motor and the engine, depending on the mode switching vehicle speed, has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this hybrid vehicle, the mode switching vehicle speed is switched for each type of environment, such as urban areas, suburban areas, highways, tunnels, etc., to enable running suited to the environment. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 06-187595 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, in order to suppress noise around the home, a user may set a motor driving area around the home. In this case, the motor driving area is set for a driving section on a map. When setting the home as a destination and creating a driving assistance plan, motor driving is assigned to the driving section including the home. Therefore, if the home is located in the middle of the driving section, the driving assistance plan is created assuming that motor driving will be performed up to the part of the driving section beyond the home, making it impossible to create a more appropriate driving assistance plan.

[0005] The primary objective of the hybrid vehicle disclosed herein is to create a more appropriate driving support plan. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The hybrid vehicle of the present disclosure employs the following measures to achieve the above-mentioned main object.

[0007] The hybrid vehicle of the present disclosure is An engine capable of outputting power for driving; A motor capable of outputting power for driving; a power storage device capable of exchanging power with the motor; a control device that, when controlling the engine and the motor by switching between a motor driving mode in which the vehicle runs using power from the motor while the engine is stopped and a normal driving mode in which the vehicle runs normally using power from the engine and power from the motor as necessary, executes driving assistance control for driving based on a driving assistance plan in which the motor driving mode or the normal driving mode is assigned to each driving section using information on each driving section of a planned or estimated driving route based on map information and a vehicle position; A hybrid vehicle comprising: When a specific driving section having a motor-driving designated point to be reached by motor driving is present among the driving sections in the driving route, the control device divides the specific driving section into two driving sections based on the motor-driving designated point on the basis of a predetermined condition, and executes the driving assistance control. It is characterized by:

[0008] The hybrid vehicle of the present disclosure includes an engine capable of outputting power for driving, a motor capable of outputting power for driving, an electricity storage device capable of exchanging power with the motor, and a control device that controls the engine and the motor by switching between a motor driving mode in which the vehicle drives using power from the motor while the engine is stopped, and a normal driving mode in which the vehicle drives using power from the engine and power from the motor as necessary. The control device executes driving support control for driving based on a driving support plan in which the motor driving mode or the normal driving mode is assigned to each driving section using information on each driving section of a planned or estimated driving route based on map information and the vehicle's position. When a specific driving section having a motor driving designated point to be reached by motor driving is present among the driving sections in the driving route, the control device executes driving support control by dividing the specific driving section into two driving sections based on the motor driving designated point based on a predetermined condition. This allows the driving support plan to be created using two driving sections obtained by dividing the specific driving section having the motor driving designated point to be reached by motor driving based on the motor driving designated point. As a result, a more appropriate driving support plan can be created compared to a case where a driving support plan is created using the specific driving section as one driving section.

[0009] In the hybrid vehicle disclosed herein, the control device may divide the specific driving section into two driving sections based on the motor driving designated point when a first condition is satisfied as the predetermined condition, in which the motor driving designated point is a set or estimated destination or an additional destination. In this way, a driving support plan can be created using only the driving section on the side that reaches the motor driving designated point out of the divided driving sections. In this case, the control device may set the first half of the two divided driving sections of the specific driving section as the motor driving section when the first condition is satisfied as the predetermined condition.

[0010] In the hybrid vehicle disclosed herein, the control device may not divide the specific driving section based on the motor-driving designated point when a second condition is satisfied as the predetermined condition, in which the motor-driving designated point is a waypoint to a set destination. This makes it possible to more appropriately handle the case where the motor-driving designated point is a destination and the case where it is a waypoint. In this case, the control device may execute the driving support control without using the specific driving section as a motor-driving section when the second condition is satisfied as the predetermined condition. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hybrid vehicle 20 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, with a hybrid ECU 50 as the central block. [Diagram 2] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of driving support control executed by a hybrid ECU 50. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of how a travel section including a home is divided into two sections. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a state in which a home is a waypoint on the way to a destination. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Next, a mode (embodiment) for carrying out the present disclosure will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a hybrid vehicle 20 as an embodiment of the present disclosure, with a hybrid electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as hybrid ECU) 50 as a central block. As shown in the figure, the hybrid vehicle 20 of the embodiment includes an engine EG and a motor MG as power sources. The hybrid vehicle 20 of the embodiment has a motor driving mode in which the vehicle runs on power from the motor MG with the engine EG stopped, and a normal driving mode in which the engine EG is operated as necessary and the vehicle runs on power from the engine EG and the motor MG. The normal driving mode includes a CD mode (Charge Depleting mode) in which electric driving is prioritized so as to reduce the storage ratio SOC of the battery 40, and a CS mode (Charge Sustaining mode) in which electric driving and hybrid driving are used together so as to maintain the storage ratio SOC of the battery 40 at a target ratio.

[0013] In addition to the power source, the hybrid vehicle 20 of the embodiment is equipped with an ignition switch 21, a GPS (Global Positioning System, Global Positioning Satellite) 22, an on-board camera 24, a millimeter-wave radar 26, an acceleration sensor 28, a vehicle speed sensor 30, an accelerator sensor 32, a brake sensor 34, a mode change switch 36, a battery actuator 38, a battery 40, an air conditioner electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as air conditioner ECU) 42, an air conditioner compressor 44, a hybrid ECU 50, an accelerator actuator 60, a brake actuator 62, a braking device 64, a display device 66, a driving status indicator 67, a meter 68, a DCM (Data Communication Module) 70, a navigation system 80, and the like.

[0014] The GPS 22 is a device that detects the position of the vehicle based on signals transmitted from multiple GPS satellites. The on-board camera 24 is a camera that captures images of the surroundings of the vehicle, such as a front camera that captures images in front of the vehicle and a rear camera that captures images behind the vehicle. The millimeter wave radar 26 detects the distance and relative speed between the vehicle and a vehicle ahead, and the distance and relative speed between the vehicle and a vehicle behind.

[0015] The acceleration sensor 28 is a sensor that detects, for example, the acceleration in the front-rear direction of the vehicle or the acceleration in the left-right direction (lateral direction) of the vehicle. The vehicle speed sensor 30 detects the vehicle speed based on the wheel speed and the like. The accelerator sensor 32 detects the accelerator opening according to the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal by the driver. The brake sensor 34 detects the brake position as the amount of depression of the brake pedal by the driver. The mode change switch 36 is disposed near the steering wheel of the driver's seat and is a switch for switching between the motor driving mode and the normal driving mode.

[0016] The battery actuator 38 detects the state of the battery 40, such as the terminal voltage, the charge / discharge current, and the battery temperature, and manages the battery 40 based on these. The battery actuator 38 calculates the power storage ratio SOC as the ratio of the remaining power storage capacity to the total power storage capacity based on the charge / discharge current, and calculates the maximum allowable output power (output limit Wout) that may be output from the battery 40 and the maximum allowable input power (input limit Win) that may be input to the battery 40 based on the power storage ratio SOC and the battery temperature, etc. The battery 40 is configured as a chargeable and dischargeable secondary battery, and may be, for example, a lithium ion battery, a nickel metal hydride battery, or a lead storage battery.

[0017] The air conditioner ECU 42 is configured as a microcomputer centered around a CPU (not shown), and in addition to the CPU, it is equipped with a ROM, a RAM, a flash memory, an input port, an output port, a communication port, etc. The air conditioner ECU 42 is incorporated in an air conditioner that conditions the passenger compartment, and drives and controls an air conditioner compressor 44 in the air conditioner so that the temperature of the passenger compartment becomes a set temperature.

[0018] The engine EG is configured as, for example, an internal combustion engine. The motor MG is configured as, for example, an electric motor that also functions as a generator, such as a synchronous motor. The motor MG is connected to a battery 40 via an inverter (not shown), and can output driving force using electric power supplied from the battery 40 and can charge the battery 40 with the generated electric power.

[0019] The hybrid ECU 50 is configured as a microcomputer centered on a CPU (not shown), and in addition to the CPU, is equipped with a ROM, a RAM, a flash memory, an input port, an output port, a communication port, etc. The hybrid ECU 50 sets a driving mode, and sets a target operating point (target rotation speed and target torque) of the engine EG and a torque command of the motor MG based on the set driving mode, the accelerator opening from the accelerator sensor 32, the brake position from the brake sensor 34, and the output limit and input limit from the battery actuator 38. The hybrid ECU 50 does not start up when the accessory is on, but starts up when the ready is on.

[0020] When the vehicle is traveling by motor, the hybrid ECU 50 sets a required driving force and a required power based on the accelerator opening from the accelerator sensor 32 and the vehicle speed from the vehicle speed sensor 30, sets a torque command for the motor MG so as to output the required driving force and the required power to the vehicle, and transmits the set torque command to the accelerator actuator 60. When the vehicle is traveling by hybrid, the hybrid ECU 50 sets a target driving point for the engine EG and a torque command for the motor MG so as to output the required driving force and the required power to the vehicle, and transmits the target driving point and the torque command to the accelerator actuator 60. When the brake pedal is depressed, the hybrid ECU 50 sets a required braking force based on the brake position from the brake sensor 34 and the vehicle speed from the vehicle speed sensor 30, sets a torque command for regeneration for regenerative control of the motor MG based on the required braking force and the vehicle speed, and sets a target braking force by the brake device, transmits the torque command to the accelerator actuator 60, and transmits the target braking force to the brake actuator 62.

[0021] Accelerator actuator 60 controls the drive of engine EG and motor MG according to the target operating point and torque command set by hybrid ECU 50. Accelerator actuator 60 performs intake air amount control, fuel injection control, ignition control, intake valve opening / closing timing control, etc. so that engine EG is operated at the target operating point (target rotation speed and target torque). Accelerator actuator 60 also performs switching control of switching elements of an inverter for driving motor MG so that torque corresponding to the torque command is output from motor MG.

[0022] The brake actuator 62 controls the brake device 64 so that the target braking force set by the hybrid ECU 50 is applied to the vehicle by the brake device 64. The brake device 64 is configured as, for example, a hydraulically driven friction brake.

[0023] The display device 66 is, for example, built into an installation panel in front of the driver's seat, and displays various information and also functions as a touch panel. The driving status indicator 67 has an EV indicator and an HV indicator (not shown), and when the vehicle is running on the motor, the EV indicator is turned on and the HV indicator is turned off, and when the vehicle is running on hybrid, the EV indicator is turned off and the HV indicator is turned on. The meter 68 is, for example, built into an installation panel in front of the driver's seat.

[0024] The DCM (Data Communication Module) 70 transmits information about the vehicle to the traffic information management center 100 and receives road traffic information from the traffic information management center 100. Examples of the vehicle information include the vehicle's position, vehicle speed, running power, and running mode. Examples of the road traffic information include information about current and future congestion, information about the current average vehicle speed and the predicted future average vehicle speed in a section on the travel route, information about traffic regulations, information about weather, information about road surface conditions, and information about maps. The DCM 70 communicates with the traffic information management center 100 at predetermined intervals (for example, every 30 seconds, every minute, or every two minutes).

[0025] The navigation system 80 is a system that guides the vehicle to a set destination, and includes a display unit 82 and a map information database 84. The display unit 82 is a functional block that has a function of displaying the route to the destination, the vehicle's position, and the like on the display device 66 based on map information. The navigation system 80 communicates with a traffic information management center 100 via a DCM (Data Communication Module) 70. When a destination or a waypoint is set, the navigation system 80 sets a route based on the information on the destination and waypoint, information on the current location (current vehicle position) acquired by the GPS 22, and information stored in the map information database 84. The navigation system 80 communicates with the traffic information management center 100 at predetermined time intervals (for example, every 3 minutes or every 5 minutes) to acquire road traffic information, and provides route guidance based on the road traffic information. The map information stored in the map information database 84 includes not only map data, but also road gradients, road types, altitudes, and the like for each driving section.

[0026] When performing route guidance, the navigation system 80 generates, as look-ahead information, information on each travel section in the travel route and information on travel load from the road traffic information acquired from the traffic information management center 100 (or at predetermined intervals), load information required for traveling each travel section based on the vehicle's speed, vehicle's travel power, and vehicle's travel mode, and transmits the look-ahead information to the hybrid ECU 50. The look-ahead information includes vehicle information such as the vehicle's position, vehicle speed, travel power, and travel mode, information on current and future traffic congestion, information on the current average vehicle speed and the predicted value of the future average vehicle speed in the section on the travel route, information on traffic regulations, information on weather, information on road surface conditions, and information on maps. The map information also includes areas where the motor should be driven (motor driving areas) determined by municipalities, etc. The navigation system 80 can also set the motor driving area by designating an area such as an area near the user's home through a user operation. The navigation system 80 transmits a signal to the hybrid ECU 50 indicating whether or not the host vehicle is in the motor driving range when the host vehicle is traveling.

[0027] Next, the operation of the hybrid vehicle 20 thus configured will be described, in particular the operation when creating a driving support plan and driving according to the created driving support plan. Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of driving support control executed by the hybrid ECU 50. This flowchart is executed after the ignition switch 21 is turned on.

[0028] In the driving support control, first, it is determined whether or not driving support control can be executed (step S100). When route guidance cannot be performed satisfactorily, such as when an abnormality occurs in the navigation system 80 or the GPS 22, driving support control cannot be executed. When the battery temperature is low, the output limit Wout, which is the maximum allowable output power that may be output from the battery 40, becomes small, and even when driving in the CD mode, the engine EG may be started frequently, making it impossible to drive in the CD mode appropriately. In step S100, it is determined whether or not driving support control can be executed due to such circumstances. When it is determined in step S100 that driving support control cannot be executed, the vehicle waits until driving support control can be executed.

[0029] When it is determined in step S100 that driving support control can be executed, it is determined whether or not the look-ahead information transmitted from the navigation system 80 has been updated (step S110). When it is determined that the look-ahead information has been updated, information on a planned or estimated driving route within a predetermined range from the current location is acquired (step S120). The predetermined range can be 5 km, 10 km, 15 km, etc. The planned driving route is a driving route planned by the navigation system 80 as route guidance from the current location to the destination by setting the destination, and the estimated driving route is a driving route estimated to be traveled from the current location.

[0030] Next, it is determined whether the home is a planned destination or an estimated destination (step S130). When the home is set as a destination and route guidance is being performed by the navigation system 80, the home is planned as a destination in the travel support plan. Also, when the vehicle is traveling toward the home without route guidance being performed by the navigation system 80, the home is estimated to be the destination. Therefore, in step S130, a positive determination is made when the home is set as a destination and route guidance is being performed, or when the vehicle is traveling toward the home without route guidance being performed. In this case, the travel section including the home is divided into two travel sections based on the home (step S140), and the first half of the two travel sections (the travel section closer to the current position) is set as a motor travel section in which the vehicle travels by motor travel (step S150).

[0031] An example of how a driving section including the home is divided into two is shown in Figure 3. As shown in the figure, of the two driving sections divided into two with the home as the base, the first half of the driving section (the driving section closer to the current location) is set as a motor driving section and used for the driving support plan. On the other hand, the second half of the driving section (the driving section farther from the current location) is not used for the driving support plan.

[0032] When the process of dividing the driving section including the home into two sections based on the home is performed in this way, or when it is determined in step S130 that the home is not a planned destination or an estimated destination, it is determined whether the home is a waypoint in the route guidance to the destination (step S160). When it is determined that the home is a waypoint in the route guidance, the driving section including the home is set as a normal driving section (a section that is not a motor driving section) (step S170). Setting the driving section including the home as a normal driving section in this way is based on treating the vehicle as the same as other vehicles. FIG. 4 shows an example of a state when the home is a waypoint to the destination. In this case, the home is a waypoint (a passing point) in the route guidance to the destination, so the driving section including the home is set as a normal driving section like other vehicles.

[0033] Next, a driving support plan is created (step S180). The driving support plan can be created by, for example, allocating the motor driving mode to the motor driving section among the driving sections of the driving route, and for the other driving sections, calculating the total energy Esum as the total sum of the energy consumption E(n) of each driving section of the driving route from the current location to the control end section (destination), calculating the total remaining energy Eev by subtracting the energy consumption E(n) of the driving section (motor driving section) to which the motor driving mode is assigned from the total energy Esum, and allocating the CD mode to all driving sections when the total remaining energy Eev is equal to or less than the remaining charge of the battery 40, and when the total remaining energy Eev is greater than the remaining charge of the battery 40, rearranging the other driving sections in order of decreasing driving load, and allocating them to the CD mode in order of decreasing driving load until the sum of the energy consumption En of the assigned driving sections exceeds the remaining charge of the battery 40, and allocating the remaining driving sections to the CS mode. When the home is set as the destination, the driving section including the home is divided into two, and the driving support plan is created by using the first half of the two divided driving sections set as the motor driving section. Therefore, a more appropriate driving support plan can be created compared to a case where the driving support plan is created by using the driving section including the home as is without dividing it into two.

[0034] Then, the driving mode is controlled in accordance with the driving support plan (step S190), and it is determined whether or not the control end condition is satisfied (step S200). If it is determined that the control end condition is not satisfied, the process returns to the process of determining whether or not driving support control can be executed in step S100. If it is determined that the control end condition is satisfied, the driving support control is terminated.

[0035] In the hybrid vehicle 20 of the embodiment described above, when the home is the planned or estimated destination, the driving section including the home is divided into two driving sections based on the home, and the first half of the two driving sections is set as the motor driving section. Then, the driving support plan is created using the first half of the two driving sections with the home as the planned or estimated destination. This makes it possible to create a driving support plan more appropriately than when the driving support plan is created using the driving section including the home.

[0036] In the hybrid vehicle 20 of the embodiment, when the home is a waypoint in the route guidance, the driving section including the home is set as one normal driving section without dividing it into two, and the driving support plan is created using this. This makes it possible to more appropriately handle the cases where the home is the destination and the waypoint.

[0037] In the hybrid vehicle 20 of the embodiment, when the vicinity of the home is set as the motor driving area, the driving section including the home is divided into two driving sections based on the home when the home is a planned destination or an estimated destination. However, when the vicinity of a predetermined specific point such as a hospital or a school is set as the motor driving area and the specific point is the destination, the driving section including the specific point may be divided into two driving sections based on the home.

[0038] In the hybrid vehicle 20 of the embodiment, when the home is a planned destination or an estimated destination, the travel section including the home is divided into two travel sections based on the home. However, when the home is not the final destination but an additional destination on the way, the travel section including the home may also be divided into two travel sections based on the home.

[0039] The relationship between the main elements of the embodiment and the main elements of the invention described in the section on means for solving the problem will be described below. In the embodiment, the engine EG corresponds to the "engine", the motor MG corresponds to the "motor", the battery 40 corresponds to the "electricity storage device", and the hybrid electronic control unit 50 corresponds to the "control device".

[0040] Note that the correspondence between the main elements of the embodiment and the main elements of the invention described in the Means for Solving the Problem column does not limit the elements of the invention described in the Means for Solving the Problem column, since the embodiment is an example for specifically explaining the form for implementing the invention described in the Means for Solving the Problem column. In other words, the interpretation of the invention described in the Means for Solving the Problem column should be made based on the description in that column, and the embodiment is merely a specific example of the invention described in the Means for Solving the Problem column.

[0041] The present disclosure has been described above using embodiments, but the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments and can of course be embodied in various forms without departing from the gist of the present disclosure. [Industrial Applicability]

[0042] The present disclosure is applicable to the hybrid vehicle manufacturing industry and the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 20 hybrid vehicle, 21 ignition switch, 22 GPS, 24 in-vehicle camera, 26 millimeter wave radar, 28 acceleration sensor, 30 vehicle speed sensor, 32 accelerator sensor, 34 brake sensor, 36 mode change switch, 38 battery actuator, 40 battery, 42 air conditioner electronic control unit (air conditioner ECU), 44 air conditioner compressor, 50 hybrid electronic control unit (hybrid ECU), 60 accelerator actuator, 62 brake actuator, 64 brake device, 66 display device, 67 driving status indicator, 68 meter, 70 DCM, 80 navigation system, 82 display unit, 84 map information database, 100 traffic information management center, EG engine, MG motor.

Claims

1. An engine capable of outputting power for driving; A motor capable of outputting power for driving; a power storage device capable of exchanging power with the motor; a control device that, when controlling the engine and the motor by switching between a motor driving mode in which the vehicle runs using power from the motor while the engine is stopped and a normal driving mode in which the vehicle runs normally using power from the engine and power from the motor as necessary, executes driving assistance control for driving based on a driving assistance plan in which the motor driving mode or the normal driving mode is assigned to each driving section using information on each driving section of a planned or estimated driving route based on map information and a vehicle position; A hybrid vehicle comprising: When a specific driving section having a motor-driving designated point to be reached by motor driving is present among the driving sections in the driving route, the control device divides the specific driving section into two driving sections based on the motor-driving designated point on the basis of a predetermined condition, and executes the driving assistance control. A hybrid vehicle characterized by:

2. 2. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, When a first condition is satisfied, in which the designated motor-driving point is a set or estimated destination or an additional destination, the control device divides the specific driving section into two driving sections based on the designated motor-driving point. Hybrid car.

3. 3. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 2, When the first condition is satisfied as the predetermined condition, the control device sets a first half of the specific traveling section divided into two as a motor traveling section. Hybrid car.

4. 2. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, When a second condition is satisfied as the predetermined condition, that is, the motor-driving designated point is a waypoint to a set destination, the control device does not divide the specific driving section based on the motor-driving designated point. Hybrid car.

5. 5. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 4, When the second condition is satisfied as the predetermined condition, the control device executes the driving assistance control without using the specific driving section as a motor driving section. Hybrid car.

Images