Operating method for a hybrid car

A method for operating a hybrid car, said hybrid car including an electric motor for driving said hybrid car, a battery for supplying electric power to said electric motor, a generator for charging said battery, an internal combustion engine operatively isolated from said electric motor and used to drive said generator, and an exhaust gas purifier with a catalyst for purifying exhaust gas from said internal combustion engine, the method comprising:

• (a) sensing, with at least first and second sensors, at least first and second vehicle operating parameters, at least one of said at least first and second sensors detecting a parameter other than a depression degree of an accelerator pedal and a depression of a brake pedal;
• (b) controlling said electric motor based on output at least said first and second vehicle operating parameters;
• (c) determining a charge state of said battery;
• (d) setting a target engine operating state in accordance with at least said charge state;
• (e) controlling said internal combustion engine to achieve said target engine operating state;
• (f) sensing a temperature of said catalyst;
• (g) determining whether said catalyst is in one of a sufficiently heated state and an insufficiently heated state based on output of said step (f);
• and wherein
• said step (d) sets said target engine operating state to an off state such that said step (e) prohibits said internal combustion engine from operating when said step (g) determines said insufficiently heated state.

A system for operating a hybrid car, comprising:

• an electric motor which drives driving wheels of said hybrid car;
• a battery which supplies electrical power to said electric motor;
• a generator which charges said battery, said generator being provided independently from said electric motor;
• an internal combustion engine which drives said generator, said internal combustion engine driving said generator without providing output torque to said motor;
• at least first and second sensors for sensing at least an actual vehicle velocity and a depression degree of an accelerator pedal;
• a target vehicle velocity determining unit which establishes a predetermined target vehicle velocity based on said sensed depression degree;
• a battery charge sensor for sensing a charge of said battery;
• and
• control means for controlling said electric motor based on said sensed actual vehicle velocity and said established predetermined target vehicle velocity, for determining a charge state of said battery, for setting a target engine operating state in accordance with at least said charge state, and for controlling said internal combustion engine to achieve said target engine operating state.

A system for operating a hybrid car, said hybrid car including an electric motor for driving said hybrid car, a battery for supplying electric power to said electric motor, a generator for charging said battery, an internal combustion engine operatively isolated from said electric motor and used to drive said generator, and an exhaust gas purifier with a catalyst for purifying exhaust gas from said internal combustion engine, the system comprising:

• at least first and second sensors for sensing first and second vehicle operating parameters, respectively, at least one of said at least first and second sensors detecting a parameter other than a depression degree of an accelerator pedal and a depression of a brake pedal;
• a battery charge sensor for sensing a charge of said battery;
• and
• control means for controlling said electric motor based on at least said first and second vehicle operating parameters, for determining a charge state of said battery, for setting a target engine operating state in accordance with at least said charge state, and for controlling said internal combustion engine to achieve said target engine operating state;
• a temperature sensor for sensing a temperature of said catalyst;
• and wherein
• said control means determines whether said catalyst is in one of a sufficiently heated state and an insufficiently heated state based on output of said temperature sensor;
• and wherein
• said control means sets said target engine operating state to an off state such that said control means prohibits said internal combustion engine from operating when said insufficiently heated state is determined.

A method for operating a hybrid car comprising:

• providing an electric motor to drive driving wheels of said hybrid car;
• providing a battery to supply electrical power to said electric motor;
• providing a generator to charge said battery, said generator being provided independently from said electric motor;
• providing an internal combustion engine to drive said generator, said internal combustion engine driving said generator without providing output torque to said motor;
• sensing, with a first sensor, an actual vehicle velocity;
• sensing, with a second sensor, a depression degree of an accelerator pedal to establish a predetermined target vehicle velocity;
• controlling said electric motor based on said sensed actual vehicle velocity and said established predetermined target vehicle velocity;
• determining a charge state of said battery;
• setting a target engine operating state in accordance with at least said charge state;
• and
• controlling said internal combustion engine to achieve said target engine operating state.