Control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle

Claim 2

A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle having an internal combustion engine and a dynamotor as drive sources of said vehicle, said dynamotor operating as a motor for assisting the output of said internal combustion engine and operating as a generator for regenerating running energy of said vehicle, said apparatus comprising: control means responsive to operating conditions of said vehicle for controlling an assist operation for supplying electric power from a storage device to said dynamotor and a regenerative operation for charging said storage device by the generated power of said dynamotor; and determination means for determining that the operating condition of said vehicle is in one of a plurality of operation modes including at least an acceleration mode for performing the assist operation and a cruising mode for selectively performing the assist operation and the regenerative operation, wherein said determination means determines that the operating condition of said vehicle is in the acceleration mode when a throttle valve opening degree of said internal combustion engine has exceeded an acceleration mode start threshold value corresponding to one of an engine rotational speed and a vehicle speed and determines that the operating condition of said vehicle is in the cruising mode when the throttle valve opening degree has fallen below an acceleration mode end threshold value which is less than said acceleration mode start threshold value and which corresponds to one of the engine rotational speed and the vehicle speed.

Claim 3

A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle having an internal combustion engine and a dynamotor as drive sources of said vehicle, said dynamotor operating as a motor for assisting the output of said internal combustion engine and operating as a generator for regenerating running energy of said vehicle, said apparatus comprising: control means responsive to operating conditions of said vehicle for controlling an assist operation for supplying electric power from a storage device to said dynamotor and a regenerative operation for charging said storage device by the generated power of said dynamotor; and determination means for determining that the operating condition of said vehicle is in an acceleration mode for performing the assist operation when a throttle valve opening degree of said internal combustion engine has exceeded an acceleration mode start threshold value corresponding to one of an engine rotational speed and a vehicle speed and for determining that the operating condition of said vehicle is in the cruising mode for selectively performing the assist operation and the regenerative operation when the throttle valve opening degree has fallen below an acceleration mode end threshold value which is less than said acceleration mode start threshold value and which corresponds to one of the engine rotational speed and the vehicle speed, wherein said control means includes a number of data maps for setting the assist amount showing an electric power level to be supplied from said storage device to said dynamotor having parameters of the engine rotational speed and the throttle valve opening degree, the number of data maps being determined by a number of gear ratios of a transmission and an air/fuel ratio of the supply mixture of said internal combustion engine; said control means detecting the gear ratio of said transmission and the air/fuel ratio of the supply mixture of said internal combustion engine; selecting a data map corresponding to respective detection results of the gear ratio of said transmission and the air/fuel ratio of the supply mixture of said internal combustion engine from said data maps; setting an assist amount corresponding to the engine rotational speed and the throttle valve opening degree by using the selected data map; corrects the assist amount set in accordance with the output voltage of said storage device; and performing the assist operation in accordance with the corrected assist amount.

Claim 4

A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle having an internal combustion engine and a dynamotor as drive sources of said vehicle, said dynamotor operating as a motor for assisting the output of said internal combustion engine and operating as a generator for regenerating running energy of said vehicle, said apparatus comprising: control means responsive to operating conditions of said vehicle for controlling an assist operation for supplying electric power from a storage device to said dynamotor and a regenerative operation for charging said storage device by the generated power of said dynamotor; and determination means for determining that the operating condition of said vehicle is in an acceleration mode for performing the assist operation when a throttle valve opening degree of said internal combustion engine has exceeded an acceleration mode start threshold value corresponding to one of an engine rotational speed and a vehicle speed and for determining that the operating condition of said vehicle is in the cruising mode for selectively performing the assist operation and the regenerative operation when the throttle valve opening degree has fallen below an acceleration mode end threshold value which is less than said acceleration mode start threshold value and which corresponds to one of the engine rotational speed and the vehicle speed, wherein said control means includes a number of data maps for setting the assist amount showing an electric power level to be supplied from said storage device to said dynamotor having parameters of the engine rotational speed and the throttle valve opening degree, the number of data maps being determined by a number of gear ratios of a transmission and an air/fuel ratio of the supply mixture of said internal combustion engine; said control means detecting the gear ratio of said transmission and the air/fuel ratio of the supply mixture of said internal combustion engine; selecting a data map corresponding to respective detection results of the gear ratio of said transmission and the air/fuel ratio of the supply mixture of said internal combustion engine from said data maps; setting an assist amount corresponding to the engine rotational speed and the throttle valve opening degree by using the selected data map; corrects the assist amount set in accordance with the output voltage of said storage device; and performing the assist operation in accordance with the corrected assist amount.

Claim 5

A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle having an internal combustion engine and a dynamotor as drive sources of said vehicle, said dynamotor operating as a motor for assisting the output of said internal combustion engine and operating as a generator for regenerating running energy of said vehicle, said apparatus comprising: control means responsive to operating conditions of said vehicle for controlling an assist operation for supplying electric power from a storage device to said dynamotor and a regenerative operation for charging said storage device by the generated power of said dynamotor; and determination means for determining that the operating condition of said vehicle is in an acceleration mode for performing the assist operation when a throttle valve opening degree of said internal combustion engine has exceeded an acceleration mode start threshold value corresponding to one of an engine rotational speed and a vehicle speed and for determining that the operating condition of said vehicle is in the cruising mode for selectively performing the assist operation and the regenerative operation when the throttle valve opening degree has fallen below an acceleration mode end threshold value which is less than said acceleration mode start threshold value and which corresponds to one of the engine rotational speed and the vehicle speed, wherein said acceleration mode start threshold value and said acceleration mode end threshold value are gradually increased while said vehicle is climbing an inclined road or running at high speed, and said acceleration mode start threshold value and said acceleration mode end threshold value are gradually decreased when said vehicle is not climbing an inclined road or running at high speed.

Claim 6

A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle having an internal combustion engine and a dynamotor as drive sources of said vehicle, said dynamotor operating as a motor for assisting the output of said internal combustion engine and operating as a generator for regenerating running energy of said vehicle, said apparatus comprising: control means responsive to operating conditions of said vehicle for controlling an assist operation for supplying electric power from a storage device to said dynamotor and a regenerative operation for charging said storage device by the generated power of said dynamotor; and determination means for determining that the operating condition of said vehicle is in an acceleration mode for performing the assist operation when a throttle valve opening degree of said internal combustion engine has exceeded an acceleration mode start threshold value corresponding to one of an engine rotational speed and a vehicle speed and for determining that the operating condition of said vehicle is in the cruising mode for selectively performing the assist operation and the regenerative operation when the throttle valve opening degree has fallen below an acceleration mode end threshold value which is less than said acceleration mode start threshold value and which corresponds to one of the engine rotational speed and the vehicle speed, wherein said acceleration mode start threshold value and said acceleration mode end threshold value are gradually increased while said vehicle is climbing an inclined road or running at high speed, and said acceleration mode start threshold value and said acceleration mode end threshold value are gradually decreased when said vehicle is not climbing an inclined road or running at high speed.

Claim 7

The control apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein said acceleration mode start threshold value and said acceleration mode end threshold value are gradually increased when a variation of said throttle valve opening degree per unit time is less than an opening level variation corresponding to the electric power of said storage device.

Claim 8

The control apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein said acceleration mode start threshold value and said acceleration mode end threshold value are initialized when a variation of said throttle valve opening degree per unit time is equal to or greater than the opening level variation corresponding to the amount of the electric power stored in said storage device.

Claim 9

A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle having an internal combustion engine and a dynamotor as drive sources of said vehicle, said dynamotor operating as a motor for assisting the output of said internal combustion engine and operating as a generator for regenerating running energy of said vehicle, said apparatus comprising: control means responsive to operating conditions of said vehicle for controlling an assist operation for supplying electric power from a storage device to said dynamotor and a regenerative operation for charging said storage device by the generated power of said dynamotor; and determination means for determining that the operating condition of said vehicle is in an acceleration mode for performing the assist operation when a throttle valve opening degree of said internal combustion engine has exceeded an acceleration mode start threshold value corresponding to one of an engine rotational speed and a vehicle speed and for determining that the operating condition of said vehicle is in the cruising mode for selectively performing the assist operation and the regenerative operation when the throttle valve opening degree has fallen below an acceleration mode end threshold value which is less than said acceleration mode start threshold value and which corresponds to one of the engine rotational speed and the vehicle speed, wherein a target voltage of said storage device is set in accordance with the vehicle speed, and said acceleration mode start threshold value and said acceleration mode end threshold value are increased by a correction value corresponding to a difference in voltage between the output voltage of said storage device and said target voltage.

Claim 10

A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle having an internal combustion engine and a dynamotor as drive sources of said vehicle, said dynamotor operating as a motor for assisting the output of said internal combustion engine and operating as a generator for regenerating running energy of said vehicle, said apparatus comprising: control means responsive to operating conditions of said vehicle for controlling an assist operation for supplying electric power from a storage device to said dynamotor and a regenerative operation for charging said storage device by the generated power of said dynamotor; and determination means for determining that the operating condition of said vehicle is in an acceleration mode for performing the assist operation when a throttle valve opening degree of said internal combustion engine has exceeded an acceleration mode start threshold value corresponding to one of an engine rotational speed and a vehicle speed and for determining that the operating condition of said vehicle is in the cruising mode for selectively performing the assist operation and the regenerative operation when the throttle valve opening degree has fallen below an acceleration mode end threshold value which is less than said acceleration mode start threshold value and which corresponds to one of the engine rotational speed and the vehicle speed, wherein a target voltage of said storage device is set in accordance with the vehicle speed, and said acceleration mode start threshold value and said acceleration mode end threshold value are increased by a correction value corresponding to a difference in voltage between the output voltage of said storage device and said target voltage.

Claim 11

The control apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein said correction value is varied in accordance with the size of a load of said internal combustion engine.

Claim 12

A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle having an internal combustion engine and a dynamotor as drive sources of said vehicle, said dynamotor operating as a motor for assisting the output of said internal combustion engine and operating as a generator for regenerating running energy of said vehicle, said apparatus comprising: control means responsive to operating conditions of said vehicle for controlling an assist operation for supplying electric power from a storage device to said dynamotor and a regenerative operation for charging said storage device by the generated power of said dynamotor; and determination means for determining that the operating condition of said vehicle is in an acceleration mode for performing the assist operation when a throttle valve opening degree of said internal combustion engine has exceeded an acceleration mode start threshold value corresponding to one of an engine rotational speed and a vehicle speed and for determining that the operating condition of said vehicle is in the cruising mode for selectively performing the assist operation and the regenerative operation when the throttle valve opening degree has fallen below an acceleration mode end threshold value which is less than said acceleration mode start threshold value and which corresponds to one of the engine rotational speed and the vehicle speed, wherein said acceleration mode start threshold value and said acceleration mode end threshold value are gradually increased while said vehicle is climbing an inclined road or running at high speed, and said acceleration mode start threshold value and said acceleration mode end threshold value are gradually decreased when said vehicle is not climbing an inclined road or running at high speed.

Claim 13

A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle having an internal combustion engine and a dynamotor as drive sources of said vehicle, said dynamotor operating as a motor for assisting the output of said internal combustion engine and operating as a generator for regenerating running energy of said vehicle, said apparatus comprising: control means responsive to operating conditions of said vehicle for controlling an assist operation for supplying electric power from a storage device to said dynamotor and a regenerative operation for charging said storage device by the generated power of said dynamotor; and determination means for determining that the operating condition of said vehicle is in an acceleration mode for performing the assist operation when a throttle valve opening degree of said internal combustion engine has exceeded an acceleration mode start threshold value corresponding to one of an engine rotational speed and a vehicle speed and for determining that the operating condition of said vehicle is in the cruising mode for selectively performing the assist operation and the regenerative operation when the throttle valve opening degree has fallen below an acceleration mode end threshold value which is less than said acceleration mode start threshold value and which corresponds to one of the engine rotational speed and the vehicle speed, wherein said acceleration mode start threshold value and said acceleration mode end threshold value are gradually increased while said vehicle is climbing an inclined road or running at high speed, and said acceleration mode start threshold value and said acceleration mode end threshold value are gradually decreased when said vehicle is not climbing an inclined road or running at high speed.

Claim 14

The control apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein said acceleration mode start threshold value and said acceleration mode end threshold value are gradually increased when a variation of said throttle valve opening degree per unit time is less than an opening level variation corresponding to the electric power of said storage device.

Claim 15

The control apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein said acceleration mode start threshold value and said acceleration mode end threshold value are initialized when a variation of said throttle valve opening degree per unit time is equal to or greater than the opening level variation corresponding to the amount of the electric power stored in said storage device.

Claim 16

A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle having an internal combustion engine and a dynamotor as drive sources of said vehicle, said dynamotor operating as a motor for assisting the output of said internal combustion engine and operating as a generator for regenerating running energy of said vehicle, said apparatus comprising: control means responsive to operating conditions of said vehicle for controlling an assist operation for supplying electric power from a storage device to said dynamotor and a regenerative operation for charging said storage device by the generated power of said dynamotor; and determination means for determining that the operating condition of said vehicle is in an acceleration mode for performing the assist operation when a throttle valve opening degree of said internal combustion engine has exceeded an acceleration mode start threshold value corresponding to one of an engine rotational speed and a vehicle speed and for determining that the operating condition of said vehicle is in the cruising mode for selectively performing the assist operation and the regenerative operation when the throttle valve opening degree has fallen below an acceleration mode end threshold value which is less than said acceleration mode start threshold value and which corresponds to one of the engine rotational speed and the vehicle speed, wherein a target voltage of said storage device is set in accordance with the vehicle speed, and said acceleration mode start threshold value and said acceleration mode end threshold value are increased by a correction value corresponding to a difference in voltage between the output voltage of said storage device and said target voltage.

Claim 17

A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle having an internal combustion engine and a dynamotor as drive sources of said vehicle, said dynamotor operating as a motor for assisting the output of said internal combustion engine and operating as a generator for regenerating running energy of said vehicle, said apparatus comprising: control means responsive to operating conditions of said vehicle for controlling an assist operation for supplying electric power from a storage device to said dynamotor and a regenerative operation for charging said storage device by the generated power of said dynamotor; and determination means for determining that the operating condition of said vehicle is in an acceleration mode for performing the assist operation when a throttle valve opening degree of said internal combustion engine has exceeded an acceleration mode start threshold value corresponding to one of an engine rotational speed and a vehicle speed and for determining that the operating condition of said vehicle is in the cruising mode for selectively performing the assist operation and the regenerative operation when the throttle valve opening degree has fallen below an acceleration mode end threshold value which is less than said acceleration mode start threshold value and which corresponds to one of the engine rotational speed and the vehicle speed, wherein a target voltage of said storage device is set in accordance with the vehicle speed, and said acceleration mode start threshold value and said acceleration mode end threshold value are increased by a correction value corresponding to a difference in voltage between the output voltage of said storage device and said target voltage.

Claim 18

The control apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein said correction value is varied in accordance with the size of a load of said internal combustion engine.