Hybrid Vehicle Engine Start Control via Environmental Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hybrid vehicles often automatically start the internal combustion engine against the driver's intention in certain situations, such as when pedestrians are present or in quiet areas, leading to undesirable noise and drivability issues.
Innovation Solution
A control apparatus for hybrid vehicles that sets and determines whether to avoid starting the internal combustion engine based on surrounding environment conditions like pedestrian presence, location, and time, using sensors and GPS data to control engine start thresholds, allowing autonomous operation without engine noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the internal combustion engine is automatically started based on running conditions, then the vehicle can maintain optimal performance and efficiency, but the driver's intention to avoid noise is violated and unwanted engine operation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The control apparatus changes the engine start determination parameters based on detected surrounding environment conditions. When conditions indicating driver intention to avoid noise are detected (such as low speed, specific time periods, residential areas), the control apparatus adjusts the start determination thresholds and weighting factors, making the engine less likely to start even if running conditions would normally warrant it. This dynamic parameter adjustment resolves the contradiction by allowing performance optimization only when appropriate.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where sensors continuously monitor surrounding environment conditions and feed this information back to the control apparatus. The control apparatus uses this feedback to dynamically adjust engine start determination, comparing current conditions against stored driver preferences and environmental data. This feedback loop enables the system to adapt to changing conditions and respect driver intentions while maintaining performance optimization when appropriate.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the internal combustion engine is stopped to run in EV mode, then noise is reduced and driver preference is respected, but vehicle power and acceleration capability may be insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The control apparatus dynamically switches between EV mode and hybrid mode based on real-time assessment of both surrounding environment conditions and vehicle running conditions. When noise reduction is prioritized (favorable environment conditions), the vehicle operates in EV mode. When power requirements increase (unfavorable running conditions such as steep gradients, high speed demands), the system dynamically transitions to hybrid mode with engine start. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by allowing the vehicle to operate quietly when possible while maintaining power availability when needed.
3Ease of operation
If the driver manually controls engine start, then driver intention is always respected, but the system cannot automatically adapt to changing running conditions and environment
Solution Approach 1:
The control apparatus acts as an intermediary between the driver's manual control inputs and the actual engine start/stop execution. Even in automatic operation mode, the system monitors driver inputs and surrounding conditions, using this information to intelligently determine whether to execute automatic start commands or respect implied driver preferences. This intermediary role allows the system to provide automatic adaptation while still honoring driver intention, resolving the contradiction between manual control and automation.
Data Source
AI summary
A control apparatus is provided with: a setting device configured to set a surrounding environment situation in which a driver does not want to start the internal combustion engine, as an internal combustion engine start avoidance condition; an obtaining device configured to obtain surrounding environment situation information in order that the hybrid vehicle performs the autonomous running in the automatic operation mode; a condition determining device configured to determine whether or not the surrounding environment situation information matches the internal combustion engine start avoidance condition; and a controlling device configured to control the internal combustion engine to be more hardly started in a case where it is determined that the surrounding environment situation information matches the internal combustion engine start avoidance condition, than in a case where it is determined that the surrounding environment situation information does not match the internal combustion engine start avoidance condition.