§
Luxuse
Patent Intelligence
Sign In
← Back to Patent Explorer
US6554088B2 Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Hybrid vehicles

Assignee: Abell Foundation
•
Filing: 2001-04-02
•
Granted: 2003-04-29
•
Expires: 2021-04-02
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract A hybrid vehicle comprises an internal combustion engine, a traction motor, a starter motor, and a battery bank, all controlled by a microprocessor in accordance with the vehicle's instantaneous torque demands so that the engine is run only under conditions of high efficiency, typically only when the load is at least equal to 30% of the engine's maximum torque output. In some embodiments, a turbocharger may be provided, activated only when the load exceeds the engine's maximum torque output for an extended period; a two-speed transmission may further be provided, to further broaden the vehicle's load range. A hybrid brake system provides regenerative braking, with mechanical braking available in the event the battery bank is fully charged, in emergencies, or at rest; a control mechanism is provided to control the brake system to provide linear brake feel under varying circumstances.

Inventors

  • 👤 Alex J. Severinsky
  • 👤 Theodore Louckes

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-27 21:18
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60L; B60L53/00; B60H; B60H1/00; B60H1/00357; B60H1/00385; B60H1/004; B60H1/32; B60H1/3204; B60H1/3222; B60K; B60K1/00; B60K1/02; B60K6/00; B60K6/20; B60K6/22; B60K6/36; B60K6/365; B60K6/42; B60K6/44; B60K6/442; B60K6/46; B60K6/48; B60K6/485; B60K6/50; B60K6/54; B60K6/547; B60L15/00; B60L15/20; B60L15/2045; B60L50/00; B60L50/10; B60L50/16; B60L50/50; B60L50/60; B60L50/61; B60L53/20; B60L58/00; B60L58/10; B60L58/12; B60L7/00; B60L7/10; B60L7/18; B60L7/24; B60L7/26; B60T; B60T11/00; B60T11/10; B60T11/16; B60T11/18; B60T13/00; B60T13/10; B60T13/58; B60T13/585; B60T13/586; B60T7/00; B60T7/02; B60T7/04; B60T7/06; B60T8/00; B60T8/17; B60T8/172; B60W; B60W10/00; B60W10/04; B60W10/06; B60W10/08; B60W10/18; B60W10/24; B60W10/26; B60W20/00; B60W20/10; B60W20/13; B60W20/14; B60W20/15; B60W20/30; B60W30/00; B60W30/18; B60W30/18009; B60W30/18109; B60W30/18127; F; F01; F01N; F01N3/00; F01N3/08; F01N3/10; F01N3/18; F01N3/20; F01N3/2006; F01N3/2013; F02; F02B; F02B37/00; F02B37/12; F02B37/16; F02B37/18; F02D; F02D41/00; F02D41/0002; F02D41/0007; F02M; F02M35/00; F02M35/10; F02M35/1015; F02M35/10157; F02M35/10163; H; H01; H01M; H01M10/00; H01M10/42; H01M10/4207; B60K6/26; B60K2006/268; B60L2200/00; B60L2200/26; B60L2210/00; B60L2210/20; B60L2220/00; B60L2220/10; B60L2220/12; B60L2220/14; B60L2220/16; B60L2240/00; B60L2240/10; B60L2240/34; B60L2240/36; B60L2240/40; B60L2240/42; B60L2240/423; B60L2240/44; B60L2240/443; B60L2240/445; B60L2260/00; B60L2260/20; B60L2260/28; B60L2270/00; B60L2270/10; B60L2270/14; B60L2270/145; B60T2270/00; B60T2270/60; B60T2270/604; B60W2510/00; B60W2510/06; B60W2510/0633; B60W2510/0657; B60W2510/24; B60W2510/242; B60W2510/244; B60W2530/00; B60W2530/16; B60W2540/00; B60W2540/12; B60W2710/00; B60W2710/08; B60W2710/18; B60W2710/24; B60W2710/242; B60W2710/244; B60Y; B60Y2200/00; B60Y2200/90; B60Y2200/91; B60Y2200/92; B60Y2300/00; B60Y2300/18; B60Y2300/18008; B60Y2300/18108; B60Y2300/18125; B60Y2300/91; B60Y2400/00; B60Y2400/11; B60Y2400/112; B60Y2400/43; B60Y2400/435; B60Y2400/81; F02D2250/00; F02D2250/18; F02N; F02N11/00; F02N11/08; F02N11/0814; F02N11/0818; F02N2200/00; F02N2200/06; F02N2200/061; H01M2220/00; H01M2220/20; Y; Y02; Y02A; Y02A50/00; Y02A50/20; Y02E; Y02E60/00; Y02E60/10; Y02T; Y02T10/00; Y02T10/10; Y02T10/12; Y02T10/60; Y02T10/62; Y02T10/64; Y02T10/70; Y02T10/7072; Y02T10/72; Y02T90/00; Y02T90/10; Y02T90/14; Y10; Y10S; Y10S903/00; Y10S903/902; Y10S903/903; Y10S903/904; Y10S903/907; Y10S903/93; Y10S903/946; Y10S903/947

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim 409 words
In a method of controlling an internal combustion engine of a hybrid vehicle, said engine being operatively connected to drive wheels of said vehicle through a clutch, said vehicle further comprising a traction motor operatively connected to drive wheels of said vehicle, a starter/generator motor operatively connected to said engine for starting said engine and for providing electrical power in response to torque from said engine, a battery bank adapted to store electrical energy to power said traction motor and to start said engine, at least one inverter/charger adapted to cooperate with said traction motor and said starter/generator such that said traction motor can be operated to provide torque to said road wheels responsive to electrical power from said battery bank, or to provide electrical power to said battery bank responsive to torque from said road wheels, and such that said starter/generator can be operated to provide torque to start said engine, or to provide electrical power to said battery bank responsive to torque provided by said engine, and a microprocessor adapted to control operation of said engine, said traction motor, said starter/generator, and said at least one inverter/charger, so as to control flow of torque and electrical power therebetween in response to sensed parameters, the improvement comprising: establishing at least four vehicle operating modes, including: a mode I, wherein said engine is not operated and said vehicle is propelled by torque from said traction motor in response to electrical power drawn from said battery bank; a mode II, wherein said vehicle is propelled by torque from said traction motor in response to electrical power drawn from said battery bank, and said starter/generator is driven by torque provided by said engine to provide electrical power to recharge said battery bank; a mode IV, wherein said vehicle is propelled by torque from said engine; and a mode V, wherein said vehicle is propelled by torque from said engine and from said traction motor in response to electrical power drawn from said battery bank; wherein said microprocessor controls operation of said V engine, said traction motor, said starter/generator, and said at least one inverter/charger so as to operate said vehicle in a selected one of said operating modes in response to the instantaneous torque demands (RL) of said vehicle, and said selected operating mode being selected such that said engine is operated only in response to a load equal at least to a predetermined minimum value of its maximum torque output.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 409 words
In a method of controlling an internal combustion engine of a hybrid vehicle, said engine being operatively connected to drive wheels of said vehicle through a clutch, said vehicle further comprising a traction motor operatively connected to drive wheels of said vehicle, a starter/generator motor operatively connected to said engine for starting said engine and for providing electrical power in response to torque from said engine, a battery bank adapted to store electrical energy to power said traction motor and to start said engine, at least one inverter/charger adapted to cooperate with said traction motor and said starter/generator such that said traction motor can be operated to provide torque to said road wheels responsive to electrical power from said battery bank, or to provide electrical power to said battery bank responsive to torque from said road wheels, and such that said starter/generator can be operated to provide torque to start said engine, or to provide electrical power to said battery bank responsive to torque provided by said engine, and a microprocessor adapted to control operation of said engine, said traction motor, said starter/generator, and said at least one inverter/charger, so as to control flow of torque and electrical power therebetween in response to sensed parameters, the improvement comprising: establishing at least four vehicle operating modes, including: a mode I, wherein said engine is not operated and said vehicle is propelled by torque from said traction motor in response to electrical power drawn from said battery bank; a mode II, wherein said vehicle is propelled by torque from said traction motor in response to electrical power drawn from said battery bank, and said starter/generator is driven by torque provided by said engine to provide electrical power to recharge said battery bank; a mode IV, wherein said vehicle is propelled by torque from said engine; and a mode V, wherein said vehicle is propelled by torque from said engine and from said traction motor in response to electrical power drawn from said battery bank; wherein said microprocessor controls operation of said V engine, said traction motor, said starter/generator, and said at least one inverter/charger so as to operate said vehicle in a selected one of said operating modes in response to the instantaneous torque demands (RL) of said vehicle, and said selected operating mode being selected such that said engine is operated only in response to a load equal at least to a predetermined minimum value of its maximum torque output.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 48 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said starter/generator is sized with respect to said engine such that said starter/generator is capable of being driven by said engine in said mode II while said engine produces at least about 30% of the maximum torque output of said engine.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 49 words
The method of claim 2 , wherein said battery bank is sized such that the charging current supplied by said starter-generator in response to torque from said engine while producing at least about 30% of the maximum torque output of said engine is no more than about 50 amperes.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 39 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said microprocessor controls operation of said vehicle such that said mode IV is entered only when RL is at least equal to a predetermined fraction of the engine's maximum torque output (MTO).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 23 words
The method of claim 4 , wherein mode IV is entered only when RL is substantially equal to at least 30% of MTO.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 18 words
The method of claim 5 , wherein said vehicle is operated in mode IV while 30%<RL<100% of MTO.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 16 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein mode V is entered only when RL>100% of MTO.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 70 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said vehicle further comprises a turbocharger adapted to be controlled by said microprocessor so as to increase the torque output of said engine from its maximum value while normally aspirated (MTO), and wherein a further vehicle operating mode VI is established, wherein said turbocharger is controlled to operate when RL is greater than MTO for more than a given period of time T.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 83 words
The method of claim 8 , wherein if said vehicle is in said mode IV, with RL between 30 and 100% of MTO, and if RL then exceeds 100% of MTO, torque required in excess of 100% of MTO is initially provided by said traction motor, and if RL continues to exceed 100% of MTO for more than a given period of time T, said turbocharger is activated by said microprocessor such that said engine produces torque in excess of 100% of MTO.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US1824014A Cited
US2666492A Cited
US3211249A Cited
DE1905641U Cited
US3502165A Cited
US3454122A Cited
US3525874A Cited
US3623568A Cited
US3566717A Cited
US3732751A Cited
US3650345A Cited
US3888325A Cited
US3923115A Cited
US3837419A Cited
US3791473A Cited
US3970163A Cited
US3874472A Cited
US4042056A Cited
US4095664A Cited
US4180138A Cited
US4148192A Cited
US4165795A Cited
US4269280A Cited
US4313080A Cited
US4351405A Cited
US4335429A Cited
US4533011A Cited
US4400997A Cited
US4405029A Cited
US4305254A Cited
US4407132A Cited
US4306156A Cited
US4438342A Cited
US4439989A Cited
US4495451A Cited
US4354144A Cited
US4444285A Cited
US4470476A Cited
US4562894A Cited
US4631456A Cited
US4511012A Cited
US4593779A Cited
US4588040A Cited
US4597463A Cited
US4680986A Cited
US4583505A Cited
US4578955A Cited
US4611466A Cited
US4765656A Cited
US4923025A Cited
US4951769A Cited
US4697660A Cited
US4774811A Cited
US4953646A Cited
US4815334A Cited
US5053632A Cited
US5176213A Cited
US4862009A Cited
US5249637A Cited
US5117931A Cited
US5193634A Cited
US5120282A Cited
US5125469A Cited
US5172784A Cited
US5323868A Cited
US5515937A Cited
US5372213A Cited
US5492189A Cited
US5337848A Cited
US5513718A Cited
US5327987A Cited
US5346031A Cited
US5301764A Cited
US5492190A Cited
US5785138A Cited
US5566774A Cited
US5441122A Cited
US5433282A Cited
US5327992A Cited
US5350031A Cited
US5427196A Cited
US5255733A Cited
US5343970A Cited
US5588498A Cited
US5415245A Cited
US5318142A Cited
US5697466A Cited
US5562565A Cited
US5291960A Cited
US5495906A Cited
US5773904A Cited
US5489001A Cited
US5345154A Cited
US5705859A Cited
US5586613A Cited
USRE36678E Cited
US5513719A Cited
US5632352A Cited
US5495907A Cited
US5545928A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2006-04-28 2006-10-28 2007-04-29 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2010-04-28 2010-10-28 2011-04-29 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2014-04-28 2014-10-28 2015-04-29 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag