Control apparatus for power transmission system of hybrid vehicle
AssigneeToyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsTatsuya Imamura, Yuji Iwase, Atsushi Tabata
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Abstract
A stop range changing unit changes an engine stop range, which is a cruise range in which an operation of an engine is stopped, based on a type of fuel that is burned in the engine and that is determined by a fuel type determination unit. Therefore, the engine is stopped or started up under a cruise condition that suits the fuel type. Accordingly, even if start-up performance of the engine varies due to variation of the fuel type, unfavorable effects of the variation in the start-up performance of the engine on a smooth motion of a hybrid vehicle is alleviated.
Claims18
(canceled)
The control apparatus according to claim 17, wherein changing the operation stop range for the internal combustion engine based on the characteristic of fuel is narrowing the operation stop range for the internal combustion engine when start-up performance of the internal combustion engine deteriorates.
The control apparatus according to claim 17, wherein when the operation stop range for the internal combustion engine is changed, an operation range for the electric motor, which is a cruise range in which the electric motor is operated, is kept unchanged.
The control apparatus according to claim 17, wherein when the operation stop range for the internal combustion engine is changed, an operation range for the electric motor, which is a cruise range in which the electric motor is operated, is changed in accordance with the change in the operation stop range for the internal combustion engine.
The control apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the operation stop range for the internal combustion engine is a cruise range in which the operation of the internal combustion engine is determined to be stopped based on a vehicle speed.
The control apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the operation stop range for the internal combustion engine is a cruise range in which the operation of the internal combustion engine is determined to be stopped based on an accelerator pedal operation amount.
The control apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the operation stop range for the internal combustion engine is a cruise range in which the operation of the internal combustion engine is determined to be stopped based on a temperature of the internal combustion engine.
The control apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the characteristic of the fuel is determined when an amount of fuel in a fuel tank provided in the hybrid vehicle increases.
The control apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the characteristic of the fuel is determined when opening of a lid for a fuel inlet of a fuel tank provided in the hybrid vehicle is detected.
The control apparatus according to claim 17, wherein:
- the fuel is gasoline;
- and
- the characteristic of the fuel is determined by detecting a ratio of ethanol to ethanol-blended-gasoline.
The control apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the power transmission system includes an electric differential unit which has a differential mechanism that is arranged between the internal combustion engine and a drive wheel, and a differential electric motor that is connected to the differential mechanism in such a manner that drive power is transmittable between the differential mechanism and the differential electric motor, and in which a differential state of the differential mechanism is controlled by controlling an operation state of the differential electric motor.
The control apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the operation stop range for the internal combustion engine includes an operation range for the electric motor, which is a cruise range in which the electric motor is operated, and a cruise range in which both the internal combustion engine and the electric motor are stopped.
A control apparatus for a power transmission system of a hybrid vehicle including an internal combustion engine and an electric motor for driving the hybrid vehicle, comprising:
- an operation stop range changing unit that changes an operation stop range for the internal combustion engine, which is a cruise range in which an operation of the internal combustion engine is stopped, based on a characteristic of fuel that is burned in the internal combustion engine.
A control method for a power transmission system of a hybrid vehicle including an internal combustion engine and an electric motor for driving the hybrid vehicle, comprising:
- changing an operation stop range for the internal combustion engine, which is a cruise range in which an operation of the internal combustion engine is stopped, based on a characteristic of fuel that is burned in the internal combustion engine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.