# US 9,517,760 B2 · Hybrid vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,517,760 B2 - Document ID: US9517760B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/368,965 - Filed: 2011-12-28 - Published: 2014-12-11 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-28 - Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Daigo Ando - Inventors: Daigo Ando - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9517760B2 ## CPC - B60W 20/10: Controlling the power contribution of each of the prime movers to meet required power demand - B60K 6/445: Differential gearing distribution type - 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)} - F02D 41/04: Introducing corrections for particular operating conditions (F02D41/14 takes precedence) - F02D 41/30: Controlling fuel injection {(F02D41/182, F02D41/24 take precedence)} - F02N 11/0829: {related to special engine control, e.g. giving priority to engine warming-up or learning} - B60W 2710/0688: Engine temperature - B60Y 2306/03: Lubrication - F01M 13/00: Crankcase ventilating or breathing - F01M 2001/165: {according to fuel dilution in oil} - F02D 41/0025: {Controlling engines characterised by use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures} - F02D 2250/08: Engine blow-by from crankcase chamber - F02D 2250/11: Oil dilution, i.e. prevention thereof or special controls according thereto - F02N 2200/023: Engine temperature - Y02T 10/40: Engine management systems - Y02T 10/62: Hybrid 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 - 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 - F02D: CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES (vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed B60K31/00; conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function, road vehicle drive control systems for purposes other than the control of a single sub-unit B60W) - F02N: STARTING OF COMBUSTION ENGINES; STARTING AIDS FOR SUCH ENGINES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - B60Y: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY - F01M: LUBRICATING OF MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; LUBRICATING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES; CRANKCASE VENTILATING - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A hybrid vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention has: an internal combustion engine including an in-cylinder fuel injection valve and a crank ventilation system; a motor; a power transmission mechanism connecting a drive shaft of the vehicle and the engine to allow torque transmission therebetween and connecting the drive shaft and the motor to allow torque transmission therebetween; and a control device. The control device controls output torques of the engine and the motor so as to exert an equal torque to a user requiring torque on the drive shaft. Furthermore, the control device stops the engine when an engine stop condition that included a condition that a coolant water temperature is equal to or higher than an intermittency allowance temperature, and start the engine when an engine start condition is satisfied. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A hybrid vehicle comprising: an internal combustion engine including: an in-cylinder fuel injection valve to allow direct fuel injection in a combustion chamber, and a crank ventilation system; a motor; a power transmission mechanism connecting a drive shaft of the vehicle and the engine to allow torque transmission therebetween and connecting the drive shaft and the motor to allow torque transmission therebetween; and a control device having a configuration: to control output torque of the engine and output torque of the motor so as to exert an equal torque to a user requiring torque on the drive shaft, the user requiring torque being a torque required on the drive shaft and determined depending on an acceleration control amount by the user, and to stop the engine upon a predetermined engine stop condition being satisfied and start the engine upon a predetermined engine start condition being satisfied, the engine stop condition including a condition of a coolant water temperature of the engine being equal to or higher than a intermittency allowance temperature, the control device further having a configuration: to estimate a mixed fuel amount, the mixed fuel amount being an amount of fuel mixed in lubrication oil of the engine, to set the intermittency allowance temperature to rise with increasing amount of the estimated mixed fuel amount, to calculate an increased amount of fuel in such a manner that the increased amount is increased as temperature of the coolant water decreases, and increase an amount of fuel injected from the in-cylinder fuel injection valve as the increased amount increases, and wherein the control device calculates the estimated mixed fuel amount in such a manner that the estimated mixed fuel amount is increased when the engine is being driven, the coolant water temperature is lower than a first threshold coolant water temperature, and the increased amount of fuel is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold increased amount. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, the control device further having a configuration to decrease the estimated mixed fuel amount upon the following conditions being satisfied: the engine being driven, and the coolant water temperature being higher than a second threshold coolant water temperature equal to or higher than the first threshold coolant water temperature. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, the control device further having a configuration to change the intermittency allowance temperature from a low threshold temperature to a high threshold temperature upon the estimated mixed fuel amount being equal to or larger than a threshold mixed fuel amount, the high threshold temperature being higher than the low threshold temperature. ### Claim 4 A hybrid vehicle comprising: an internal combustion engine including: an in-cylinder fuel injection valve to allow direct fuel injection in a combustion chamber, and a crank ventilation system; a motor; a power transmission mechanism connecting a drive shaft of the vehicle and the engine to allow torque transmission therebetween and connecting the drive shaft and the motor to allow torque transmission therebetween; and a control device having a configuration: to control output torque of the engine and output torque of the motor so as to exert an equal torque to a user requiring torque on the drive shaft, the user requiring torque being a torque required on the drive shaft and determined depending on an acceleration control amount by the user, and to stop the engine upon a predetermined engine stop condition being satisfied and start the engine upon a predetermined engine start condition being satisfied, the engine stop condition including a condition of a coolant water temperature of the engine being equal to or higher than a intermittency allowance temperature, the control device further having a configuration: to estimate a mixed fuel amount, the mixed fuel amount being an amount of fuel mixed in lubrication oil of the engine, to set the intermittency allowance temperature so as to have the intermittency allowance temperature become higher as the estimated mixed fuel amount increases, and wherein the control device calculates the estimated mixed fuel amount in such a manner that the estimated mixed fuel amount is increased as the number of start of the engine, under a condition that the coolant water temperature is equal to or lower than the first threshold coolant water temperature, increases. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The hybrid vehicle according to claim 4, the control device further having a configuration to decrease the estimated mixed fuel amount upon the following conditions being satisfied: the engine being driven, and the coolant water temperature being higher than a second threshold coolant water temperature equal to or higher than the first threshold coolant water temperature. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The hybrid vehicle according to claim 4, the control device further having a configuration to change the intermittency allowance temperature from a low threshold temperature to a high threshold temperature upon the estimated mixed fuel amount being equal to or larger than a threshold mixed fuel amount, the high threshold temperature being higher than the low threshold temperature.