Control apparatus for hybrid vehicle

1. A control apparatus that is applied to a hybrid vehicle, the hybrid vehicle including an internal combustion engine that serves as a drive source of the hybrid vehicle, an electric motor that serves as a drive source of the hybrid vehicle, and a storage battery that supplies electric power to the electric motor, the hybrid vehicle being configured to perform regenerative braking with use of the electric motor and to charge the storage battery with electric power generated through the regenerative braking, the hybrid vehicle being also configured to charge the storage battery with electric power generated by using output power of the internal combustion engine, the control apparatus being configured to control the internal combustion engine and the electric motor such that a required driving force that is required from the hybrid vehicle is satisfied and a remaining amount of charge of the storage battery approaches a target remaining amount of charge set to a normal remaining amount of charge, the control apparatus comprising:

first storage means for storing map information;

scheduled route determination means for determining a scheduled travel route from a current location of the hybrid vehicle to a destination on the basis of the map information;

controlled section determination means for searching for a target downhill section that satisfies a predetermined condition within the scheduled travel route on the basis of measured gradient information pertaining to a gradient and stored in the first storage means for each road section that constitutes the scheduled travel route, and, when there is the target downhill section, determining, within a section from a downhill control start point that is located a predetermined first distance from a start point of the target downhill section to an end point of the target downhill section, a controlled section including at least a section from the downhill control start point to the start point of the target downhill section;

control execution means for, when the hybrid vehicle travels on the controlled section, executing downhill control in which the target remaining amount of charge is changed to a first remaining amount of charge lower than the normal remaining amount of charge;

gradient information acquisition means for, when the hybrid vehicle has traveled on a road section, acquiring actual gradient information pertaining to an actual gradient of the road section with use of a sensor provided in the hybrid vehicle; and

second storage means for storing the actual gradient information in association with the road section, wherein

the controlled section determination means is configured to, when the actual gradient information of the road section that constitutes the scheduled travel route is stored in the second storage means in a case of searching for the target downhill section, search for the target downhill section by using the actual gradient information instead of the measured gradient information for the road section of which the actual gradient information is stored.

2. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

erasing means for, when the road section in the map information has been changed, erasing the actual gradient information corresponding to the changed road section from the second storage means.

3. A control apparatus that is applied to a hybrid vehicle, the hybrid vehicle including an internal combustion engine that serves as a drive source of the hybrid vehicle, an electric motor that serves as a drive source of the hybrid vehicle, and a storage battery that supplies electric power to the electric motor, the hybrid vehicle being configured to perform regenerative braking with use of the electric motor and to charge the storage battery with electric power generated through the regenerative braking, the hybrid vehicle being also configured to charge the storage battery with electric power generated by using output power of the internal combustion engine, the control apparatus being configured to control the internal combustion engine and the electric motor such that a required driving force that is required from the hybrid vehicle is satisfied and a remaining amount of charge of the storage battery approaches a target remaining amount of charge set to a normal remaining amount of charge, the control apparatus comprising:

a first storage device to store map information;

a first electronic controller configured to determine a scheduled travel route from a current location of the hybrid vehicle to a destination on the basis of the map information, the first electronic controller being configured to search for a target downhill section that satisfies a predetermined condition within the scheduled travel route on the basis of measured gradient information pertaining to a gradient and stored in the first storage device for each road section that constitutes the scheduled travel route, and, when there is the target downhill section, determine, within a section from a downhill control start point that is located a predetermined first distance from a start point of the target downhill section to an end point of the target downhill section, a controlled section including at least a section from the downhill control start point to the start point of the target downhill section, and the first electronic controller being configured to, when the hybrid vehicle has traveled on a road section, acquire actual gradient information pertaining to an actual gradient of the road section from a sensor provided in the hybrid vehicle;

a second electronic controller configured to, when the hybrid vehicle travels on the controlled section, execute downhill control in which the target remaining amount of charge is changed to a first remaining amount of charge lower than the normal remaining amount of charge; and

a second storage device to store the actual gradient information in association with the road section, wherein

the first electronic controller is configured to, when the actual gradient information of the road section that constitutes the scheduled travel route is stored in the second storage device in a case of searching for the target downhill section, search for the target downhill section by using the actual gradient information instead of the measured gradient information for the road section of which the actual gradient information is stored.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the first electronic controller is configured to, when the road section in the map information has been changed, erase the actual gradient information corresponding to the changed road section from the second storage device.

5. A control apparatus that is applied to a hybrid vehicle, the hybrid vehicle including an internal combustion engine that serves as a drive source of the hybrid vehicle, an electric motor that serves as a drive source of the hybrid vehicle, and a storage battery that supplies electric power to the electric motor, the hybrid vehicle being configured to perform regenerative braking with use of the electric motor and to charge the storage battery with electric power generated through the regenerative braking, the hybrid vehicle being also configured to charge the storage battery with electric power generated by using output power of the internal combustion engine, the control apparatus being configured to control the internal combustion engine and the electric motor such that a required driving force that is required from the hybrid vehicle is satisfied and a remaining amount of charge of the storage battery approaches a target remaining amount of charge set to a normal remaining amount of charge, the control apparatus comprising:

a first memory to store map information;

circuitry configured to:

determine a scheduled travel route from a current location of the hybrid vehicle to a destination on the basis of the map information, the circuitry being configured to search for a target downhill section that satisfies a predetermined condition within the scheduled travel route on the basis of measured gradient information pertaining to a gradient and stored in the first memory for each road section that constitutes the scheduled travel route, and, when there is the target downhill section, determine, within a section from a downhill control start point that is located a predetermined first distance from a start point of the target downhill section to an end point of the target downhill section, a controlled section including at least a section from the downhill control start point to the start point of the target downhill section, and the circuitry being configured to, when the hybrid vehicle has traveled on a road section, acquire actual gradient information pertaining to an actual gradient of the road section from a sensor provided in the hybrid vehicle, and

when the hybrid vehicle travels on the controlled section, execute downhill control in which the target remaining amount of charge is changed to a first remaining amount of charge lower than the normal remaining amount of charge; and

a second memory to store the actual gradient information in association with the road section, wherein

the circuitry is configured to, when the actual gradient information of the road section that constitutes the scheduled travel route is stored in the second memory in a case of searching for the target downhill section, search for the target downhill section by using the actual gradient information instead of the measured gradient information for the road section of which the actual gradient information is stored.

6. The control apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the circuitry is configured to, when the road section in the map information has been changed, erase the actual gradient information corresponding to the changed road section from the second memory.