# US 2014/0195092 A1 · Control device for hybrid vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0195092 A1 - Document ID: US20140195092A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/241,692 - Filed: 2012-08-07 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2011-09-01 - Assignees: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Jun Saito - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140195092A1 ## CPC - B60W 20/20: Control strategies involving selection of hybrid configuration, e.g. selection between series or parallel configuration - B60K 6/442: Series-parallel switching type - B60L 50/61: by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles - B60W 10/02: including control of driveline clutches - B60W 10/06: including control of combustion engines - B60W 10/08: including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators - B60W 20/00: Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles {(hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L)} - B60W 50/082: {Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling} - B60W 2520/10: Longitudinal speed - B60W 2540/215: Selection or confirmation of options - Y02T 10/62: Hybrid vehicles - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors - Y10S 903/946: Characterized by control of driveline clutch - 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 - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract A switching vehicle speed determination section (21) judges a traveling mode requested by a driver on the basis of switch position information of a traveling mode switch operated by the driver and determines a switching vehicle speed for switching a hybrid type from a series mode to a parallel mode. A series/parallel modes switching determination section (22) determines switching between the series mode and the parallel mode on the basis of the switching vehicle speed set for the traveling mode determined by the switching vehicle speed determination section (21) and a vehicle speed detected by a vehicle speed sensor. A clutch control section (23) controls engagement/disengagement of a clutch on the basis of a determination result of the series/parallel modes switching determination section (22). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A control device for a hybrid vehicle, comprising: an internal combustion engine and an electric motor mounted on a vehicle; a drive wheel driven by at least either one of the internal combustion engine and the electric motor; a power generator for generating electric power by being driven by the internal combustion engine; a secondary battery for storing electric power generated by the power generator and supplying the stored electric power to the electric motor; a clutch interposed between the internal combustion engine and the drive wheel and adapted to engage/disengage power transmitted from the internal combustion engine to the drive wheel; and a mode switching control unit for switching between a series mode in which the drive wheel is driven by power generated by the electric motor by using the electric power supplied from the secondary battery or the power generator by disengaging the clutch and a parallel mode in which the drive wheel is driven by power of the internal combustion engine and the power generated by the electric motor by using the electric power supplied from the secondary battery by engaging the clutch, wherein the mode switching control unit performs switching between the series mode and the parallel mode at a vehicle speed at which a maximum torque that is generable in the series mode becomes equal to a maximum torque that is generable in the parallel mode. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The control device for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: an operation state switching unit for switching operation states of the vehicle between a first operation mode and a second operation mode in which a consumption amount of power of the secondary battery is suppressed more than in the first operation mode, wherein when the operation state switching unit is in the first operation mode, the mode switching control unit performs switching between the series mode and the parallel mode at a vehicle speed at which a maximum torque that is generable in the series mode equals to a maximum torque that is generable in the parallel mode, and when the operation state switching unit is in the second operation mode, the mode switching control unit performs switching between the series mode and the parallel mode at a vehicle speed lower than the switching vehicle speed in the first operation mode. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The control device for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: a secondary battery remaining amount detecting unit for detecting a state of charge of the secondary battery, wherein when the state of charge is at a predetermined value or more, the mode switching control unit performs switching between the series mode and the parallel mode at a vehicle speed at which a maximum torque that is generable in the series mode equals to a maximum torque that is generable in the parallel mode, and, when the state of charge falls to a value less than the predetermined value, the mode switching control unit lowers the vehicle speed at which the switching between the series mode and the parallel mode is performed, as the state of charge of the secondary battery obtained from a detection result of the secondary battery remaining amount detecting unit is lowered. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The control device for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising: a secondary battery remaining amount detecting unit for detecting a state of charge of the secondary battery, wherein when the state of charge is at a predetermined value or more, the mode switching control unit performs switching between the series mode and the parallel mode at a vehicle speed at which a maximum torque that is generable in the series mode equals to a maximum torque that is generable in the parallel mode, and, when the state of charge falls to a value less than the predetermined value, the mode switching control unit lowers the vehicle speed at which the switching between the series mode and the parallel mode is performed, as the state of charge of the secondary battery obtained from a detection result of the secondary battery remaining amount detecting unit is lowered.