Travel control device
AssigneeToyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorNaoto Suzuki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A travel control device selects the travel modes of the hybrid vehicle that includes a battery configured to be charged with electric power from an external power source, an MG configured to generate a driving force for running with the electric power of the battery, and an engine configured to generate a driving force for running. The travel control device includes a second estimating unit and a drive switching unit. The second estimating unit estimates an expected charging time at a destination where the battery can be charged. The drive switching unit increases a usage frequency of the EV mode until reaching to the destination in a case where the expected charging time estimated by the second estimating unit is longer than a case where expected charging time is short.
Claims5
A travel control device of a hybrid vehicle comprising:
- a battery configured to be charged with electric power from an external power source;
- a motor configured to generate a driving force for running with the electric power of the battery;
- and
- an engine configured to generate a driving force for running, the travel control device being configured to select an EV mode for travelling with a driving force for running only by a motor, and an HV mode for travelling with a driving force for running at least by an engine, wherein
- the travel control device estimates an expected charging time at a set destination where the battery can be charged, and selects one of the EV mode and the HV mode in such a way as to increase a usage frequency of the EV mode by suppressing a usage frequency of the HV mode during a state of high load until reaching the destination in a case where the estimated expected charging time is longer than a threshold value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.