# US 10,766,477 B2 · Vehicle and control method for vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,766,477 B2 - Document ID: US10766477B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/952,589 - Filed: 2018-04-13 - Published: 2018-10-18 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-04-18 - Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Takashi Kohno; Kenta Kumazaki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10766477B2 ## CPC - B60K 6/445: Differential gearing distribution type - B60W 20/13: in order to stay within battery power input or output limits; in order to prevent overcharging or battery depletion - B60W 10/06: including control of combustion engines - B60W 10/08: including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators - B60W 10/26: for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors - B60W 20/11: using model predictive control [MPC] strategies, i.e. control methods based on models predicting performance {(utilising navigation and traffic information in the control strategy B60W20/12)} - B60W 20/12: using control strategies taking into account route information {(estimation or calculation of non-directly measurable driving parameters B60W40/00)} - B60W 30/143: {Speed control (B60W30/16 takes precedence)} - B60W 30/16: Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle - B60K 2006/4825: {Electric machine connected or connectable to gearbox input shaft} - B60W 2510/0638: Engine speed - B60W 2510/083: Torque - B60W 2510/244: Charge state - B60W 2552/00: Input parameters relating to infrastructure - B60W 2710/0644: Engine speed - B60W 2710/083: Torque - B60W 2720/106: Longitudinal acceleration - B60W 2754/30: Longitudinal distance - Y02T 10/40: Engine management systems - Y02T 10/62: Hybrid vehicles - Y10S 903/93: Conjoint control of different elements - 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 - 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 - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract An electronic control unit is configured to make an engine start-up threshold at a time of second operation control smaller than an engine start-up threshold at a time of first operation control. Therefore, the engine stop time at the time of the first operation control can be made long. In consequence, the vehicle efficiency can be enhanced in a vehicle in which the first operation control and the second operation control can be selectively performed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle comprising: an engine; a first rotary machine configured to output a driving torque; a battery configured to be charged by a motive power of the engine and supply an electric power to the first rotary machine; and an electronic control unit configured to: selectively perform: a first operation control of causing the vehicle to run based on a driver's driving operation; and a second operation control of automatically setting a target running state based on at least one of map information and road information and automatically carrying out acceleration or deceleration based on the target running state, while the engine is stopped, start the engine when the engine is stopped and a value representing a state of charge of the battery falls below an engine start threshold; and set the engine start threshold during the second operation control to be smaller than the engine start threshold during the first operation control. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to, during the second operation control, start the engine when the driving torque of the first rotary machine is smaller than an upper limit of the driving torque of the first rotary machine for the first operation control. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to perform the second operation control by automatically carrying out steering and the acceleration or the deceleration based on the target running state. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to set the target running state by setting at least one of a target vehicle speed, a target vehicle-to-vehicle distance from a preceding vehicle, and a target spot in the map information. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: a second rotary machine that generates an electric power with which the battery is charged by the motive power of the engine and that rotationally drives the engine by an electric power supplied from the battery in starting up the engine, wherein the first rotary machine is configured to output the driving torque by the electric power supplied from the battery. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the first rotary machine has a function as a generator that generates the electric power with which the battery is charged by the motive power of the engine, a function as a starter that rotationally drives the engine by the electric power supplied from the battery in starting up the engine, and a function as an electric motor that outputs the driving torque by the electric power supplied from the battery. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the second operation control includes unmanned operation control and manned operation control, the unmanned operation control being operation control according to unmanned running for automatically carrying out the acceleration or the deceleration with no passenger in the vehicle, and the manned operation control being operation control according to manned running for automatically carrying out the acceleration or the deceleration with at least one passenger in the vehicle, the electronic control unit is configured to selectively perform the unmanned operation control and the manned operation control, and the electronic control unit is configured to make the engine start upstart threshold at a time of the unmanned operation control smaller than the engine start upstart threshold at a time of the manned operation control. ### Claim 8 A control method for a vehicle that includes an engine, a first rotary machine configured to output a driving torque, a battery configured to be charged by a motive power of the engine and configured to supply an electric power to the first rotary machine, and an electronic control unit, the control method comprising: performing, by the electronic control unit, a first operation control of causing the vehicle to run based on a driver's driving operation; performing, by the electronic control unit, second operation control of automatically setting a target running state based on at least one of map information and road information and automatically carrying out acceleration or deceleration based on the target running state; while the engine is stopped, starting, by the electronic control unit, the engine when a value representing a state of charge of the battery falls below an engine start threshold; and setting, by the electronic control unit, the engine start threshold during the second operation control to be smaller than the engine start threshold during the first operation control.