IP Library Granted Patent US 9,586,574
Granted Patent B2
US 9,586,574 · App. 13/606,960 · Granted Mar 7, 2017

Control apparatus for hybrid electric vehicle

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,586,574
App. No.
13/606,960
Granted
Mar 7, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A control apparatus for a hybrid electric vehicle, includes: a temperature detector configured to detect a temperature of the battery; a temperature increase rate calculator configured to calculate, based on the detected temperature of the battery, a temperature increase rate that is an amount of increase in the temperature per unit time; and an engine controller configured to allow, when the temperature increase rate is equal to or higher than a threshold value, the engine to be started, so that the generator generates the electric power. The threshold value is set so that the higher the detected battery temperature, the lower the threshold value.

Claims (9)

1. A control apparatus for a hybrid electric vehicle comprising: an electric motor configured to drive a driving wheel of the hybrid electric vehicle; a battery configured to supply an electric current to the electric motor; a generator configured to supply an electric current to the electric motor; and an engine configured to allow the generator to generate electric power, the control apparatus comprising:

a temperature detector configured to detect a temperature of the battery;

a temperature increase rate calculator configured to calculate a temperature increase rate based on the detected temperature of the battery, the temperature increase rate that is an amount of increase per unit time in the temperature; and

an engine controller configured to start the engine and activate the generator when the temperature increase rate is equal to an engine start determination value, so as to generate the electric power, wherein

the engine controller is configured to set the engine start determining value so that the engine start determination value increases as the detected battery temperature decreases,

the engine controller controls a rotational speed of the engine so that an electric power generation amount of the generator increases as the calculated temperature increase rate increases,

the engine controller starts the engine when the detected temperature of the battery is equal to or higher than a preset first temperature, and maintains the engine in a stopped state when the detected temperature of the battery is lower than the preset first temperature, and

the engine controller identifies the electric power generation amount from the increase rate based on a map illustrating a relationship between the temperature increase rate and an electric generation amount by the generator, and controls the rotational speed of the engine so that the identified electric power generation amount is generated by the generator.

2. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the engine controller stops the engine when a period during which the detected temperature of the battery is continuously lower than a preset second temperature after start of the engine is equal to or longer than a preset period.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Mar 1, 2021
From: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
To: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 055472/0944 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 10, 2012
From: NISSATO, YUKIHIRO
To: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 028928/0778 →