US6612386B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Apparatus and method for controlling a hybrid vehicle
Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
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Filing: 2001-05-30
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Granted: 2003-09-02
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Expires: 2021-05-30
Abstract
Abstract A propulsion system for use in a hybrid vehicle, the propulsion system includes an internal combustion engine, an electric motor/generator operatively coupled to the internal combustion engine, an electric storage medium, and a propulsion system controller for actuating the propulsion system. The propulsion system controller varies the operating conditions of the electric motor/generator system in response to operating conditions of the vehicle. The propulsion system controller further varies the operating conditions of the electric motor/generator during an engine cranking sequence.
Inventors
- 👤 Goro Tamai
- 👤 William Leonard Aldrich, III
- 👤 Tony T. Hoang
- 👤 Patrick L. Risse
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 19:43
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60W; B60W20/00; B60W20/10; B60K; B60K6/00; B60K6/20; B60K6/42; B60K6/48; B60K6/485; B60K6/50; B60K6/54; B60K6/547; B60W10/00; B60W10/04; B60W10/06; B60W10/08; B60W10/24; B60W10/26; F; F02; F02D; F02D41/00; F02D41/02; F02D41/04; F02D41/06; F02D41/062; F02N; F02N11/00; F02N11/08; B60K6/22; B60K6/26; B60K2006/268; B60L; B60L2240/00; B60L2240/40; B60L2240/42; B60L2240/421; B60L2240/44; B60L2240/441; B60L2240/445; B60L2240/48; B60L2240/486; B60W2510/00; B60W2510/06; B60W2510/0638; B60W2510/0676; B60W2510/24; B60W2510/242; B60W2510/244; B60W2510/246; B60W2540/00; B60W2540/06; B60W2540/16; B60W2710/00; B60W2710/06; B60W2710/0616; B60W2710/08; B60W2710/081; F02D2200/00; F02D2200/50; F02D2200/503; F02N11/04; F02N11/0848; F02N11/0862; F02N11/0866; F02N11/10; F02N11/101; F02N11/103; F02N2200/00; F02N2200/02; F02N2200/022; F02N2200/023; F02N2200/06; F02N2200/061; Y; Y02; Y02T; Y02T10/00; Y02T10/60; Y02T10/62; Y02T10/64; Y10; Y10S; Y10S903/00; Y10S903/902; Y10S903/903; Y10S903/904; Y10S903/915; Y10S903/917; Y10S903/919
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
121 words
A method for operating a propulsion system of a hybrid vehicle, comprising: determining if an engine starting command has been requested; sensing the state of charge of an electric storage medium; sensing the temperature of an engine coolant of an internal combustion engine; operating a motor/generator in a first mode of operation for providing a starting force to said internal combustion engine and in a second mode of operation for generating an electrical charge; and varying the rate of a prime pulse during a starting sequence of said internal combustion engine, said prime pulse being varied in response to the value of the state of charge of said electrical storage medium and the engine coolant temperature of said internal combustion engine.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
121 words
A method for operating a propulsion system of a hybrid vehicle, comprising: determining if an engine starting command has been requested; sensing the state of charge of an electric storage medium; sensing the temperature of an engine coolant of an internal combustion engine; operating a motor/generator in a first mode of operation for providing a starting force to said internal combustion engine and in a second mode of operation for generating an electrical charge; and varying the rate of a prime pulse during a starting sequence of said internal combustion engine, said prime pulse being varied in response to the value of the state of charge of said electrical storage medium and the engine coolant temperature of said internal combustion engine.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method as in claim 1 , wherein said first mode of operation of said motor/generator is varied in response to the engine coolant temperature of said internal combustion engine.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method as in claim 1 , wherein said first mode of operation of said motor/generator is varied in response to the state of charge of said electric storage medium.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method as in claim 3 , wherein said first mode of operation of said motor/generator is varied in response to the engine coolant temperature of said internal combustion engine.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method as in claim 4 , further including: varying the rate of a prime pulse and the starting force being applied to said internal combustion engine during a starting sequence of said internal combustion engine.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method as in claim 5 , wherein said internal combustion engine is started with a low RPM and a prime pulse when the state of charge is below a predetermined value indicating a low state of charge and the engine coolant temperature is below a predetermined value indicating a low engine coolant temperature.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
58 words
The method as in claim 5 , wherein said internal combustion engine is started with a low RPM and a medium prime pulse when the state of charge is below a predetermined value indicating a low state of charge and the engine coolant temperature is in a range defined by predetermined values indicating a medium engine coolant temperature.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
55 words
The method as in claim 5 , wherein said internal combustion engine is started with a low RPM and a minimal prime pulse when the state of charge is below a predetermined value indicating a low state of charge and the engine coolant temperature is above a predetermined value indicating a medium engine coolant temperature.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
61 words
The method as in claim 5 , wherein said internal combustion engine is started with a low RPM and a prime pulse when the state of charge is in a medium range defined by a pair of predetermined values indicating a medium state of charge and the engine coolant temperature is below a predetermined value indicating a low engine coolant temperature.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
64 words
The method as in claim 5 , wherein said internal combustion engine is started with a medium RPM and a minimal prime pulse when the state of charge is in a medium range defined by a pair of predetermined values indicating a medium state of charge and the engine coolant temperature is in a medium temperature range defined by a pair of predetermined values.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
59 words
The method as in claim 5 , wherein said internal combustion engine is started with a medium RPM when the state of charge is in a medium range defined by a pair of predetermined values indicating a medium state of charge and the engine coolant temperature is above a medium temperature range defined by a pair of predetermined values.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method as in claim 5 , wherein said internal combustion engine is started with a high RPM when the state of charge is above a medium range defined by a pair of predetermined values indicating a medium state of charge and the engine coolant temperature is above a low temperature defined by a predetermined value.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
60 words
The method as in claim 5 , wherein said internal combustion engine is started with a low RPM and a prime pulse when the state of charge is above a medium range defined by a pair of predetermined values indicating a medium state of charge and the engine coolant temperature is below a low temperature defined by a predetermined value.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
144 words
A method for operating a propulsion system of a hybrid vehicle, comprising: determining if an engine starting command has been requested; sensing the state of charge of an electric storage medium; sensing the temperature of an engine coolant of an internal combustion engine; operating a motor/generator in a first mode of operation for providing a starting force to said internal combustion engine and in a second mode of operation for generating an electrical charge; varying the starting speed of said motor/generator in said first mode in response to the state of charge of said electric storage medium; and varying the rate of the prime pulse during a starting sequence of said internal combustion engine, said prime pulse being varied in response to the value of the state of charge of said electrical storage medium and the engine coolant temperature of said internal combustion engine.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
144 words
A method for operating a propulsion system of a hybrid vehicle, comprising: determining if an engine starting command has been requested; sensing the state of charge of an electric storage medium; sensing the temperature of an engine coolant of an internal combustion engine; operating a motor/generator in a first mode of operation for providing a starting force to said internal combustion engine and in a second mode of operation for generating an electrical charge; varying the starting speed of said motor/generator in said first mode in response to the state of charge of said electric storage medium; and varying the rate of the prime pulse during a starting sequence of said internal combustion engine, said prime pulse being varied in response to the value of the state of charge of said electrical storage medium and the engine coolant temperature of said internal combustion engine.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method for operating a propulsion system as in claim 14 , wherein the step of determining if an engine starting command has been requested includes monitoring the position of a shifter of said vehicle, monitoring said internal combustion engine RPM, monitoring the position of an ignition key, monitoring the voltage of said electric storage medium.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method for operating a propulsion system as in claim 14 , wherein said starting force of said motor/generator in said first mode is varied in response to the speed of said internal combustion engine over time during a starting sequence.
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