# US 2019/0315340 A1 · Vehicle control device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0315340 A1 - Document ID: US20190315340A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/364,406 - Filed: 2019-03-26 - Published: 2019-10-17 - Earliest claimed: 2018-04-16 - Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Keisuke MORISAKI - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190315340A1 ## CPC - B60K 6/445: Differential gearing distribution type - B60W 20/40: Controlling the engagement or disengagement of prime movers, e.g. for transition between prime movers {(power-up or power-down of the driveline B60W30/192)} - B60W 20/16: for reducing engine exhaust emissions - B60W 20/20: Control strategies involving selection of hybrid configuration, e.g. selection between series or parallel configuration - B60W 30/162: {Speed limiting therefor} - B60W 30/182: Selecting between different operative modes, e.g. comfort and performance modes - B60W 20/00: Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles {(hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L)} - B60W 20/10: Controlling the power contribution of each of the prime movers to meet required power demand - B60W 30/188: Controlling power parameters of the driveline, e.g. determining the required power - B60W 2510/068: Engine exhaust temperature - B60W 2554/801: Lateral distance - G05D 3/00: Control of position or direction (G05D1/00 takes precedence; numerical control to execute positioning G05B19/18) - G05D 13/00: Control of linear speed; Control of angular speed; Control of acceleration or deceleration, e.g. of a prime mover - G05D 17/00: Control of torque; Control of mechanical power - Y02T 10/62: Hybrid vehicles - 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 - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A vehicle control device aims to ensure more appropriate self-driving based on circumstances around its own vehicle. The vehicle control device controls an engine and a motor such as to drive the vehicle with changing over between motor drive without operation of the engine and hybrid drive with operation of the engine. In the motor drive in a self-driving mode where the vehicle is driven independently of a driver's accelerating or decelerating operation, the vehicle control device maintains the motor drive when an other vehicle condition is not met, where the other vehicle condition is a condition that any other vehicle is present in a predetermined distance at least either ahead of the own vehicle or behind the own vehicle, while allowing for a shift to the hybrid drive when the other vehicle condition is met. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle control device mounted on a hybrid vehicle including an engine, a motor and a power storage device that transmits power to and from the motor and configured to control the engine and the motor such as to drive the hybrid vehicle with changing over between motor drive without operation of the engine and hybrid drive with operation of the engine, wherein in the motor drive in a self-driving mode where the hybrid vehicle is driven independently of a driver's accelerating or decelerating operation, the vehicle control device maintains the motor drive when an other vehicle condition is not met, where the other vehicle condition is a condition that any other vehicle is present in a predetermined distance at least either ahead of its own vehicle or behind the own vehicle, while allowing for a shift to the hybrid drive when the other vehicle condition is met. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein upon non-satisfaction of the other vehicle condition in the motor drive in the self-driving mode, the vehicle control device allows for a shift to the hybrid drive when a value obtained by subtracting a vehicle speed from a target vehicle speed is larger than a reference value. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein upon non-satisfaction of the other vehicle condition in the motor drive in the self-driving mode, the vehicle control device shifts the drive of the hybrid vehicle to the hybrid drive when there is a requirement for warm-up of the engine or a requirement for warm-up of a catalyst placed in an exhaust system of the engine. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein in the hybrid drive in the self-driving mode, the vehicle control device maintains the hybrid drive when the other vehicle condition is not met, while allowing for a shift to the motor drive when the other vehicle condition is met. ### Claim 5 A vehicle control device mounted on a hybrid vehicle including an engine, a motor and a power storage device that transmits power to and from the motor and configured to control the engine and the motor such as to drive the hybrid vehicle with changing over between motor drive without operation of the engine and hybrid drive with operation of the engine and to start the engine and shift the drive of the hybrid vehicle to the hybrid drive when a parameter involved in driving output becomes equal to or larger than a start reference value of the engine during the motor drive, wherein in the motor drive in a self-driving mode where the hybrid vehicle is driven independently of a driver's accelerating or decelerating operation, the vehicle control device restricts the parameter in a range of smaller than the start reference value when an other vehicle condition is not met, where the other vehicle condition is a condition that any other vehicle is present in a predetermined distance at least either ahead of its own vehicle or behind the own vehicle, while not restricting the parameter in the range of smaller than the start reference value when the other vehicle condition is met. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The vehicle control device according to claim 5, wherein upon non-satisfaction of the other vehicle condition in the motor drive in the self-driving mode, the vehicle control device does not restrict the parameter in the range of smaller than the start reference value when a value obtained by subtracting a vehicle speed from a target vehicle speed is larger than a reference value. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The vehicle control device according to claim 5, wherein upon non-satisfaction of the other vehicle condition in the motor drive in the self-driving mode, the vehicle control device causes the parameter to be equal to or larger than the start reference value when there is a requirement for warm-up of the engine or a requirement for warm-up of a catalyst placed in an exhaust system of the engine. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The vehicle control device according to claim 5, wherein when the parameter becomes smaller than a stop reference value of the engine that is equal to or smaller than the start reference value during the hybrid drive, the vehicle control device stops operation of the engine and shifts the drive of the hybrid vehicle to the motor drive, and in the hybrid drive in the self-driving mode, the vehicle control device restricts the parameter in a range of not smaller than the stop reference value when the other vehicle condition is not met, while not restricting the parameter in the range of not smaller than the stop reference value when the other vehicle condition is met. ### Claim 9 A vehicle control device mounted on a hybrid vehicle including an engine, a motor and a power storage device that transmits power to and from the motor and configured to control the engine and the motor such as to drive the hybrid vehicle with changing over between motor drive without operation of the engine and hybrid drive with operation of the engine, wherein in a process of starting the engine in a self-driving mode where driving output is controlled independently of a driver's accelerating or decelerating operation, the vehicle control device performs first start control to start the engine with giving preference to a response over reduction of starting shock when an other vehicle condition is met, where the other vehicle condition is a condition that any other vehicle is present in a predetermined distance at least either ahead of its own vehicle or behind the own vehicle, and the vehicle control device performs second start control to start the engine with giving preference to the reduction of starting shock over the response when the other vehicle condition is not met. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The vehicle control device according to claim 9, wherein the second start control is a control of decreasing a cranking torque when the engine is cranked by the motor, compared with the first start control. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The vehicle control device according to claim 9, wherein the second start control is a control of decreasing a throttle position when the engine is cranked by the motor, compared with the first start control. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The vehicle control device according to claim 9, wherein the second start control is a control of delaying an ignition timing of the engine, compared with the first start control.