# US 10,246,074 B2 · Hybrid vehicle

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- Number: US 10,246,074 B2
- Document ID: US10246074B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/345,594
- Filed: 2016-11-08
- Published: 2017-05-18
- Granted: 2019-04-02
- Earliest claimed: 2015-11-12
- Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Keita Sato
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10246074B2

## CPC

- B60W 20/10: Controlling the power contribution of each of the prime movers to meet required power demand
- B60K 6/28: characterised by the electric energy storing means, e.g. batteries or capacitors
- B60K 6/365: with the gears having orbital motion
- B60K 6/383: One-way clutches or freewheel devices
- B60K 6/445: Differential gearing distribution type
- B60L 3/10: Indicating wheel slip {; Correction of wheel slip}
- B60L 15/007: {Physical arrangements or structures of drive train converters specially adapted for the propulsion motors of electric vehicles}
- B60W 30/18172: {Preventing, or responsive to skidding of wheels}
- B60L 2240/465: Slip
- B60L 2240/647: Surface situation of road, e.g. type of paving
- B60W 2510/244: Charge state
- B60W 2540/10: Accelerator pedal position
- B60W 2540/103: Accelerator thresholds, e.g. kickdown
- B60W 2552/40: Coefficient of friction
- B60Y 2200/92: Hybrid vehicles
- Y02T 10/62: Hybrid vehicles
- Y02T 10/72: Electric energy management in electromobility
- Y02T 90/16: Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
- Y10S 903/91: Orbital, e.g. planetary gears
- Y10S 903/93: Conjoint control of different elements
- B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT
- B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- B60Y: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

When a hybrid vehicle travels in CS mode in EV single-drive mode, when a required torque is larger than a torque threshold or when a required power is larger than a power threshold, and when a predetermined high response request is not being issued, a drive mode is caused to shift into HV drive mode. When the predetermined high response request is being issued, the drive mode is caused to shift into EV double-drive mode.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A hybrid vehicle comprising:
an engine;
a first motor;
a second motor;
a planetary gear set including at least one planetary gear, at least part of rotating elements of the at least one planetary gear being connected to the engine, the first motor, the second motor and a drive shaft coupled to an axle;
a rotation restriction mechanism configured to restrict rotation of the engine;
a battery configured to exchange electric power with the first motor and the second motor; and
an electronic control unit configured to:
(i) control, in one of a charge depleting mode and a charge sustaining mode, the engine, the first motor and the second motor such that the hybrid vehicle travels by using a required output for propelling the hybrid vehicle according to an accelerator operation, in any one of a hybrid drive mode, a single-drive mode and a double-drive mode, the hybrid drive mode being a mode in which the hybrid vehicle travels while the engine is operated by placing the engine in a rotating state, the single-drive mode being a mode in which the hybrid vehicle travels by using output from only the second motor in an electric drive mode in which the hybrid vehicle travels while the engine is placed in a rotation stopped state to cause the engine not to operate, and the double-drive mode being a mode in which the hybrid vehicle travels by using output from the first motor and the second motor in the electric drive mode,
(ii) cause a drive mode to shift into the hybrid drive mode by starting the engine when a predetermined high response request is not being issued, when the required output becomes larger than a first threshold in the charge sustaining mode in the single-drive mode, and
(iii) cause the drive mode to shift into the double-drive mode without starting the engine when the predetermined high response request is being issued, when the required output becomes larger than the first threshold in the charge sustaining mode in the single-drive mode.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to cause the drive mode to shift into the hybrid drive mode, when the predetermined high response request is being issued in the charge sustaining mode in the electric drive mode, and when the required output becomes larger than a second threshold larger than the first threshold.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The hybrid vehicle according to claim 2, wherein
the second threshold is a value larger than a maximum double-drive output that is a maximum output outputtable to the drive shaft in the double-drive mode, and
the electronic control unit is configured to cause the drive mode to shift into the hybrid drive mode even when the required output is not larger than the second threshold, when the required output is larger than the first threshold and the predetermined high response request is being issued in the charge sustaining mode in the electric drive mode, and when the required output is larger than the maximum double-drive output.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The hybrid vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to cause the drive mode to shift into the hybrid drive mode even when the required output is not larger than the second threshold, when the required output is larger than the first threshold and the predetermined high response request is being issued in the charge sustaining mode in the electric drive mode, and when at least one of a condition that the hybrid vehicle is traveling on a predetermined low μ road, a condition that a slip due to wheel spin of a drive wheel has been detected, and a condition that slip reduction control for reducing an extent of the slip is being executed is satisfied.