Vehicle drive apparatus, method and computer program

A method for a vehicle drive apparatus which comprises an electricity storage reservoir and an electric motor, which is driven with electricity supplied by said electricity storage reservoir, for driving a vehicle or assisting said vehicle driven by an internal combustion engine, said method comprising the steps of:

• detecting a temperature of said electricity storage reservoir;
• setting an upper limit for discharge power of said electricity storage reservoir depending on said temperature;
• detecting discharge power of said electricity storage reservoir;
• detecting a revolution speed of said internal combustion engine or electric motor;
• setting torque requirement for said electric motor depending on said revolution speed;
• and
• decreasing said torque requirement from a current torque requirement value to a new torque requirement value greater than zero when said discharge power is more than said upper limit when said internal combustion engine is started up by said electric motor.

A computer program for a computer of a vehicle drive apparatus which comprises an electricity storage reservoir and an electric motor, which is driven with electricity supplied by said electricity storage reservoir, for driving a vehicle or assisting said vehicle driven by an internal combustion engine, wherein said computer program executes said computer in a process comprising:

• setting an upper limit for discharge power of said electricity storage reservoir depending on a temperature entered by a temperature detecting means for detecting said temperature of said electricity storage reservoir;
• setting torque requirement for said electric motor depending on a revolution speed entered by a revolution speed detecting means for detecting said revolution speed of said internal combustion engine or electric motor;
• and
• decreasing said torque requirement from a current torque requirement value to a new torque requirement value greater than zero when said discharge power entered by a power detecting means for detecting said discharge power of said electricity storage reservoir is more than said upper limit, when said internal combustion engine is started up by said electric motor.