Hybrid Vehicles

Abstract

To suppress divergence that may occur between an operator's accelerator operation behavior of an engine and so on according to a travel support plan, and to suppress discomfort feeling given to the operator.SOLUTION: A hybrid automobile stores a point of accelerator-on when an accelerator opening is a prescribed opening or more as an accelerator-on point and stores a point of accelerator-off as an accelerator-off point on a travel route, when the accelerator-on point and the accelerator-off point on a travel route are included, sectionally divides a travel section including the accelerator-on point at the accelerator-on point and sectionally divides a travel section including the accelerator-off point at the accelerator-off point, and sets a CS mode priority section in each travel section from the accelerator-on point to the accelerator-off point. A travel support plan is created for the travel route.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a hybrid vehicle, and more particularly to a hybrid vehicle that runs according to a driving support plan generated for a driving route. [Background technology]

[0002] A conventional hybrid vehicle of this type is proposed to generate a driving plan by arranging the driving sections of a driving route in order of EV suitability, which indicates the degree of suitability for the set EV driving mode, and, for the same EV suitability, arranging the driving sections in order of lowest energy consumption, integrating the energy consumption in that order, setting the driving sections up to when the integrated energy consumption exceeds the remaining battery charge as EV sections, and setting the remaining driving sections as HV sections (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this hybrid vehicle, the suitability of the driving plan is improved by the above-mentioned method. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-162261 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the hybrid vehicle described above, when the driver depresses the accelerator pedal to accelerate on an uphill road, etc., and the driving section changes from HV priority mode to EV priority mode, the engine speed may decrease or the engine may stop, causing a discrepancy between the driver's image of the accelerator operation and the behavior of the engine and other components according to the driving assistance plan, which may make the driver feel uncomfortable.

[0005] The main object of the hybrid vehicle of the present invention is to suppress any discrepancy that may occur between the accelerator operation by the driver and the behavior of the engine and the like according to the cruise support plan, thereby suppressing any discomfort felt by the driver. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned main object, the hybrid vehicle of the present invention employs the following means.

[0007] The hybrid vehicle of the present invention is A hybrid vehicle comprising an engine, a motor, a battery, a navigation system that provides route guidance for a driving route from a current location to a destination, and a control device that generates a driving assistance plan for assigning one of a driving mode including a CD mode and a CS mode to each driving section of the driving route based on a remaining energy of the battery and a section consumption energy consumed for traveling each driving section, and that executes driving assistance control for driving in accordance with the driving assistance plan, The control device includes: a device for generating a driving support plan by arranging each travel section of the travel route in order of a degree of CD mode priority set for the travel section and in order of decreasing section energy consumption, integrating the section energy consumptions in this order to calculate an integrated consumed energy, and assigning the CD mode to the travel sections until the integrated consumed energy exceeds a remaining energy of the battery and assigning the CS mode to the remaining travel sections, Furthermore, A point where the accelerator is on when the accelerator opening is equal to or greater than a predetermined opening is stored as an accelerator on point, and a point where the accelerator is released thereafter is stored as an accelerator off point, When the accelerator on point and the accelerator off point are included in the travel route, the travel section including the accelerator on point is divided into sections at the accelerator on point, and the travel section including the accelerator off point is divided into sections at the accelerator off point, and each travel section from the accelerator on point to the accelerator off point is set as a CS mode priority section. It is characterized by:

[0008] In the hybrid vehicle of the present invention, the travel sections of the travel route are arranged in descending order of the degree of CD mode priority set for the travel section and in ascending order of section consumption energy, the section consumption energy is integrated in that order to calculate the integrated energy consumption, and the CD mode is assigned to the travel sections until the integrated energy consumption exceeds the remaining energy of the battery, and the CS mode is assigned to the remaining travel sections to generate a travel support plan. For example, when a CD mode priority section, a normal section, and a CS mode priority section are set as the degree of CD mode priority for each travel section, the travel sections in which the CD mode priority section is set are arranged in ascending order of section consumption energy, then the travel sections in which the normal section is set are arranged in descending order of section consumption energy, and then the travel sections in which the CS mode priority section is set are arranged in descending order of section consumption energy. Then, the CD mode is assigned to the travel sections until the integrated energy consumption exceeds the remaining energy of the battery, and the CS mode is assigned to the remaining travel sections to generate a travel support plan. Then, the point where the accelerator is on when the accelerator opening is equal to or greater than a predetermined opening is stored as the accelerator on point, and the point where the accelerator is off after that is stored as the accelerator off point. When the accelerator on point and the accelerator off point are included in the travel route, the travel section including the accelerator on point is divided at the accelerator on point, and the travel section including the accelerator off point is divided at the accelerator off point, and each travel section from the accelerator on point to the accelerator off point is set as a CS mode priority section. When the section is divided at the accelerator on point and the accelerator off point in this way, a travel support plan is generated for each travel section into which the section is divided, so that the CS mode is easily assigned to the travel section from the accelerator on point to the accelerator off point. As a result, it is possible to suppress a discrepancy that may occur between the driver's accelerator operation and the behavior of the engine, etc. according to the travel support plan, and it is possible to suppress a sense of discomfort felt by the driver.

[0009] In the hybrid vehicle of the present invention, when the distance between the accelerator-on point and the accelerator-off point is less than a predetermined distance, a point that is the predetermined distance away from the accelerator-on point may be set as the accelerator-off point to divide the section. In this way, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a short driving section in which the CS mode is prioritized.

[0010] In the hybrid vehicle of the present invention, the control device may divide the section based on the accelerator on point and the accelerator off point when the accelerator on point and the accelerator off point have been stored a predetermined number of times or more, thereby making it possible to suppress section division due to inadvertent accelerator operation.

[0011] In the hybrid vehicle of the present invention, the control device may be configured to integrate a plurality of driving sections from the accelerator on point to the accelerator off point into one driving section when the section is divided by the accelerator on point and the accelerator off point. By doing so, the section from the accelerator on point to the accelerator off point can be integrated into one driving section.

[0012] In the hybrid vehicle of the present invention, the control device may be configured to combine a driving section ending at the accelerator on point and a driving section preceding the accelerator on point into one driving section, and to combine a driving section starting at the accelerator off point and a driving section following the accelerator on point into one driving section, when dividing the section by the accelerator on point and the accelerator off point, thereby making it possible to prevent the occurrence of short driving sections. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a hybrid vehicle 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention, with a hybrid ECU 50 at the center as a block. [Diagram 2] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of driving support control executed by a hybrid ECU 50. [Diagram 3] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a section division point setting process executed by a hybrid ECU 50. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a section divided by an accelerator-on point and an accelerator-off point. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of section division and section integration based on an accelerator-on point and an accelerator-off point. [Figure 6] 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a state in which a section is divided into sections by setting a point a predetermined distance away from an accelerator on point as an accelerator off point when the distance from an accelerator on point to an accelerator off point is less than a predetermined distance. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Next, a mode for carrying out the present invention will be described using an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a hybrid vehicle 20 as an embodiment of the present invention, 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 a power source. The hybrid vehicle 20 of the embodiment runs by switching between a CD mode (Charge Depleting mode) in which electric running is prioritized so as to reduce the charge storage ratio SOC of the battery 40, and a CS mode (Charge Sustaining mode) in which electric running and hybrid running are used in combination so as to maintain the charge storage ratio SOC of the battery 40 at a target ratio. The electric running mode is a mode in which the vehicle runs only with power from the motor MG with the engine EG stopped, and the hybrid running mode is a mode in which the engine EG is operated and the vehicle runs with power from the engine EG and power from the motor MG.

[0015] 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 the 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.

[0016] 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.

[0017] 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 and the like. The mode change switch 36 is disposed near the steering wheel of the driver's seat and is a switch for changing over between the CD mode and the CS mode.

[0018] 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.

[0019] 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.

[0020] 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.

[0021] The hybrid ECU 50 is configured as a microcomputer centered around 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 for 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.

[0022] During electric running, 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. During hybrid running, 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. In addition, 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.

[0023] 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.

[0024] 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 control device 64 is configured as, for example, a hydraulically driven friction brake.

[0025] The display device 66 is, for example, built into an installation panel in front of the driver's seat, and displays various information. 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.

[0026] 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).

[0027] 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 navigation system 80 communicates with a traffic information management center 100 via a DCM (Data Communication Module) 70. When a destination is set, the navigation system 80 sets a route based on the destination information, 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.

[0028] 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, information on the degree of CD mode priority for each travel section, and load information required for traveling each travel section based on the vehicle speed, the vehicle running power, and the travel mode of the vehicle, and transmits the look-ahead information to the hybrid ECU 50 every time the navigation system 80 acquires road traffic information from the traffic information management center 100 (or at predetermined intervals). Examples of the information on the degree of CD mode priority include a CD mode priority section, a normal section, and a CS mode priority section. When the hybrid ECU 50 is capable of executing travel support control, the hybrid ECU 50 uses the look-ahead information received from the navigation system 80 to formulate a travel support plan for assigning either the CD mode or the CS mode to the travel mode of each section of the route and executes the travel support plan.

[0029] When the navigation system 80 obtains map update information contained in the map information from the traffic information management center 100, it displays a "Map update" item on the display unit 82 and makes an announcement such as "The map information update is ready. Please press the map update button." When the "Map update" item is operated in response to such a map update notification, the navigation system 80 communicates with the traffic information management center 100 via the DCM 70, obtains the map information related to the update, and stores it in the map information database 84. During this map update, an announcement is made such as "Some functions will be stopped when updating the map information."

[0030] The navigation system 80 counts a survival counter Cnb, which is incremented by one at predetermined time intervals to inform the hybrid ECU 50 and the like that the system is operating normally. The hybrid ECU 50 acquires the survival counter Cnb from the navigation system 80 at regular time intervals and confirms that the navigation system 80 is operating normally. Meanwhile, the hybrid ECU 50 counts a survival counter Chv, which is incremented by one at predetermined time intervals to inform the navigation system 80 and the like that the unit is operating normally. The navigation system 80 acquires the survival counter Chv from the hybrid ECU 50 at regular time intervals and confirms that the hybrid ECU 50 is operating normally.

[0031] An operation of the hybrid vehicle 20 thus configured, particularly an operation during driving support control, will be described. Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of driving support control executed by the hybrid ECU 50. This flowchart is executed when a destination is set, etc.

[0032] In the driving support control, first, it is determined whether or not the driving support control can be executed (step S100). As described above, the driving support control is a control in which, when a route from a current location to a destination is set by the navigation system 80, either the CD mode or the CS mode is assigned to the driving mode of each section of the route, and the vehicle travels. Therefore, when a destination is not set, the driving support control cannot be executed. In addition, when the navigation system 80 has an abnormality or the GPS 22 has an abnormality, the driving support control cannot be executed when the vehicle cannot provide good route guidance. 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 the vehicle is traveling in the CD mode, the engine EG may be started frequently, and the vehicle cannot travel in the CD mode appropriately. In step S100, it is determined whether or not the driving support control can be executed due to these circumstances. When it is determined in step S100 that the driving support control cannot be executed, the vehicle waits until the driving support control can be executed.

[0033] When it is determined in step S100 that driving support control can be executed, look-ahead information is acquired (step S110). As described above, the look-ahead information includes information on each driving section in the driving route, information on driving load, and load information required for driving each driving section based on the vehicle speed, driving power, and driving mode of the vehicle, etc., among the road traffic information acquired from the traffic information management center 100.

[0034] Next, it is determined whether or not an accelerator on point and an accelerator off point exist as section division points on the travel route (step S120). The accelerator on point and the accelerator off point as section division points are set by a section division point setting process exemplified in Fig. 3. This section division point setting process is repeatedly executed by the hybrid ECU 50.

[0035] In the section division point setting process, first, a process is executed to wait for the accelerator opening Acc to be equal to or greater than the threshold Aref (step S300). Here, the threshold Aref is a relatively large accelerator opening Acc when accelerating uphill, and may be, for example, 30%, 40%, or 50%. If it is determined that the accelerator opening Acc is equal to or greater than the threshold Aref, the point is stored as an accelerator-on point (step S310), and the process waits for the accelerator to be released (step S320). If it is determined that the accelerator is released, the point is stored as an accelerator-off point (step S330). Then, it is determined whether the stored accelerator-on point and accelerator-off point have been stored a predetermined number of times (step S340). The predetermined number of times may be 3 times, 5 times, or the like. If it is determined that the accelerator on point and the accelerator off point have not been stored a predetermined number of times, the process is terminated. If it is determined that the accelerator on point and the accelerator off point have been stored a predetermined number of times, the accelerator on point and the accelerator off point are set as the section division point (step S350), and the process is terminated.

[0036] Returning to the explanation of the driving support control in Fig. 2, when it is determined in step S120 that there is no accelerator-on point or accelerator-off point as a section dividing point, the energy consumption E(n) of each driving section of the driving route from the current location to the destination (control end section) and the total energy Esum as the sum of these are calculated (step S150). The energy consumption E(n) of each driving section can be determined based on criteria such as whether the driving section is in an urban area, a suburban area, or a mountainous area.

[0037] Next, it is determined whether the total energy Esum is equal to or less than the remaining charge of the battery 40 (step S160). When it is determined that the total energy Esum is equal to or less than the remaining charge of the battery 40, the CD mode is assigned to all the travel sections (step S170). That is, a driving support plan is generated in which the CD mode is assigned to all the travel sections. When it is determined that the total energy Esum is greater than the remaining charge of the battery 40, the travel sections are rearranged in order of the degree of CD mode priority and in order of decreasing driving power (step S180), and the travel sections are assigned to the CD mode until the sum of the consumed energy En of the travel sections assigned in that order exceeds the remaining charge of the battery 40, and the remaining travel sections are assigned to the CS mode (step S190). In this way, the driving support plan is created in which the CD mode and the CS mode are assigned to all the travel sections.

[0038] When the driving assistance plan is generated, the vehicle is controlled so that each driving section is driven in the assigned driving mode in accordance with the driving assistance plan (step S220), and this control ends.

[0039] When it is determined in step S120 that an accelerator on point and an accelerator off point exist as section division points, the travel section having the accelerator on point is divided at the accelerator on point and the travel section having the accelerator off point is divided at the accelerator off point (step S130). FIG. 4 shows an example of how the travel section having the accelerator on point is divided at the accelerator on point and the travel section having the accelerator off point is divided at the accelerator off point. In the example of FIG. 4, it is assumed that normal sections are set in all travel sections 1 to 6. When an accelerator on point indicated by a white circle exists in travel section 3 and an accelerator off point indicated by a black circle exists in travel section 4 among six travel sections 1 to 6 on the travel route from the current location to the destination, as shown in the lower part, travel section 3 is divided into two sections, 3 and 4, at the accelerator on point, and travel section 4 is divided into two sections, 5 and 6, at the accelerator off point, resulting in eight travel sections 1 to 8 in total.

[0040] Next, a CS mode priority section is set for the travel section from the accelerator on point to the accelerator off point (step S140). In the example of FIG. 4, the CS mode priority section is set for travel sections 4 and 5. Then, the process from step S150 onwards is executed. At this time, in step S180, the travel sections are rearranged in order of the degree of CD mode priority and in order of decreasing consumed energy En, but in the example of FIG. 4, the travel sections 1 to 3 and travel sections 6 to 8 set as normal sections are rearranged in order of decreasing consumed energy En, and then the travel sections 4 and 5 are rearranged in order of decreasing consumed energy En. For this reason, the CS mode is more likely to be set for the travel section from the accelerator on point to the accelerator off point.

[0041] In the hybrid vehicle of the embodiment described above, when the travel route has an accelerator on point and an accelerator off point as section division points, the travel route where the accelerator on point is present is divided at the accelerator on point and the travel route where the accelerator off point is present is divided at the accelerator off point, and a CS mode priority section is set for each travel route from the accelerator on point to the accelerator off point. Then, for each travel route, the travel routes are arranged in order of the degree of CD mode priority set for the travel route and in order of the traveling power, and the consumed energy E(n) is integrated in that order to calculate the integrated consumed energy, and the CD mode is assigned to the travel route until the integrated consumed energy exceeds the remaining amount of the battery 40, and the CS mode is assigned to the remaining travel route to generate a travel support plan. As a result, the CS mode is more likely to be assigned to the travel route from the accelerator on point to the accelerator off point, and the deviation that may occur between the accelerator operation by the driver and the behavior of the engine EG according to the travel support plan can be suppressed. As a result, it is possible to suppress the driver from feeling uncomfortable.

[0042] Moreover, since the accelerator on point and the accelerator off point are set as the section division point when the accelerator on point and the accelerator off point are stored a predetermined number of times, it is possible to prevent the accelerator on point and the accelerator off point from being set as the section division point due to an inadvertent accelerator operation by the driver.

[0043] In the hybrid vehicle 20 of the embodiment, when the travel route includes an accelerator on point and an accelerator off point as section division points, the travel section including the accelerator on point is divided at the accelerator on point and the travel section including the accelerator off point is divided at the accelerator off point, and a CS mode priority section is set for each travel section from the accelerator on point to the accelerator off point. However, in addition to such section division, when there are multiple travel sections from the accelerator on point to the accelerator off point, they may be integrated into one travel section, the travel section ending at the accelerator on point and the travel section preceding it may be integrated into one travel section, or the travel section starting at the accelerator off point and the travel section following it may be integrated into one travel section. FIG. 5 shows an example of section division and section integration by the accelerator on point and the accelerator off point. The upper and middle sections of FIG. 5 are the same as FIG. 4. In the example of FIG. 5, the state of the middle section divided into sections by the accelerator on point and the accelerator off point becomes the state of the lower section by section integration. That is, the driving sections 4 and 5 from the accelerator on point to the accelerator off point shown in the middle are integrated into the driving section 3 shown in the lower section, the driving section 3 ending at the accelerator on point shown in the middle and the driving section 2 before it are integrated into the driving section 2 shown in the lower section, and the driving section 6 starting at the accelerator off point shown in the middle and the driving section 7 thereafter are integrated into the driving section 4 shown in the lower section, resulting in five driving sections 1 to 5 as a whole. In this way, the section from the accelerator on point to the accelerator off point can be integrated into one driving section, and the occurrence of short driving sections can be suppressed. Note that the above three section integrations may be performed in any one or two ways.

[0044] In the hybrid vehicle 20 of the embodiment, when the travel route includes an accelerator on point and an accelerator off point as section division points, the travel section including the accelerator on point is divided at the accelerator on point, and the travel section including the accelerator off point is divided at the accelerator off point, and a CS mode priority section is set for each travel section from the accelerator on point to the accelerator off point. However, when the distance from the accelerator on point to the accelerator off point is less than a predetermined distance, a point a predetermined distance away from the accelerator on point may be used as the accelerator off point to divide the section. Figure 6 shows an example of a state in which a point a predetermined distance away from the accelerator on point is used as the accelerator off point when the distance from the accelerator on point to the accelerator off point is less than the predetermined distance. In the example of FIG. 6, when the traveling section 3 has an accelerator-on point indicated by a white circle and an accelerator-off point indicated by a black circle in a short distance as shown in the upper part, the traveling section 3 is divided at the accelerator-on point to become the traveling sections 3 and 4 shown in the lower part, and the traveling section 4 having a point a predetermined distance away from the accelerator-on point is divided at that point to become the traveling sections 5 and 6 shown in the lower part. In this case, the traveling sections 4 and 5 are set as CS mode priority sections. In this way, when the distance from the accelerator-on point to the accelerator-off point is less than the predetermined distance, the traveling section is divided into sections by setting a point a predetermined distance away from the accelerator-on point as the accelerator-off point, thereby suppressing the occurrence of a short-distance traveling section in which the CS mode is prioritized. As described above, the traveling sections 4 and 5, the traveling sections 2 and 3, and the traveling sections 6 and 7 may be integrated.

[0045] In the hybrid vehicle 20 of the embodiment, the navigation system 80 sets a driving route from the current location to the destination using the map information database 84 based on the information on the current location and the information on the destination, but the driving route from the current location to the destination may be set in cooperation with the traffic information management center 100. That is, the navigation system 80 may set a driving route by transmitting the information on the current location and the information on the destination to the traffic information management center 100 and receiving from the traffic information management center 100 a driving route set by the traffic information management center 100 based on the information on the current location and the information on the destination.

[0046] The correspondence 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 "battery", and the hybrid ECU 50 and the navigation system 80 correspond to the "control device".

[0047] The correspondence between the main elements of the Examples and the main elements of the invention described in the Summary of the Problem column does not limit the elements of the invention described in the Summary of the Problem column, since the Examples are examples for specifically explaining the mode for implementing the invention described in the Summary of the Problem column. In other words, the interpretation of the invention described in the Summary of the Problem column should be based on the description in that column, and the Examples are merely a specific example of the invention described in the Summary of the Problem column.

[0048] Although the form for carrying out the present invention has been described above using examples, the present invention is not limited to these examples in any way, and it goes without saying that the present invention can be carried out in various forms without departing from the scope of the gist of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0049] The present invention can be used in the hybrid vehicle manufacturing industry and the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 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

[Claim 1] A hybrid vehicle comprising: an engine; a motor; a battery; a navigation system that provides route guidance for a driving route from a current location to a destination; and a control device that generates a driving assistance plan that assigns one of a CD mode and a CS mode to each driving section of the driving route based on a remaining energy of the battery and a section consumption energy consumed for traveling each driving section, and that executes driving assistance control for driving according to the driving assistance plan, The control device includes: a device for generating a driving support plan by arranging each travel section of the travel route in order of a degree of CD mode priority set for the travel section and in order of decreasing section energy consumption, integrating the section energy consumptions in this order to calculate an integrated energy consumption, and assigning the CD mode to the travel sections until the integrated energy consumption exceeds a remaining energy of the battery and assigning the CS mode to the remaining travel sections, Furthermore, A point where the accelerator is on when the accelerator opening is equal to or greater than a predetermined opening is stored as an accelerator on point, and a point where the accelerator is released thereafter is stored as an accelerator off point, When the accelerator on point and the accelerator off point are included in the travel route, the travel section including the accelerator on point is divided at the accelerator on point, and the travel section including the accelerator off point is divided at the accelerator off point, and each travel section from the accelerator on point to the accelerator off point is set as a CS mode priority section. A hybrid vehicle characterized by:

Images