Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – Electric vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-16
2001-11-06
Cuchlinski, Jr., William A. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
Electric vehicle
C701S023000, C701S025000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06314347
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a driving control apparatus of a hybrid vehicle and method thereof, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method that set an operating schedule of an engine and a motor so as to minimize fuel consumption in accordance with road conditions of a route to a destination.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 9-324665 discloses an operating control apparatus for auxiliary equipments of an internal combustion engine by making an operating schedule of the auxiliary equipments so as to minimize the fuel consumption on the basis of predicted driving load and engine load and operating the auxiliary equipments in accordance with the operating schedule.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In such an operating control apparatus for auxiliary equipments of an internal combustion engine, however, a driving load and an engine load only at the time of constant driving are determined. A decrease in fuel consumption due to energy collection at the time of deceleration and braking and an increase in fuel consumption at the time of acceleration are not considered. Consequently, the fuel consumption is not sufficiently reduced.
It is an object of the invention to provide a driving control apparatus of a hybrid vehicle and method thereof, which can set an operating schedule of an engine and a motor so as to minimize the fuel consumption in accordance with a road condition of a route to a destination.
According to the invention, there is provided a driving control apparatus of a hybrid vehicle having a battery, a motor, and an engine, in which power is supplied from the battery to the motor, power generated by driving the motor by the engine and regenerated power of the motor are supplied to the battery, and the hybrid vehicle is driven by at least one of the motor and the engine, comprising: a route retrieving unit retrieving a route to a destination; a road condition detecting unit detecting a road condition of the route; a route dividing unit dividing the route into a plurality of sections on the basis of a point at which start of the hybrid vehicle is predicted and a point at which stop of the hybrid vehicle is predicted on the basis of the road condition; a driving history recording unit for recording driving history; a vehicle speed pattern estimating unit estimating a vehicle speed pattern for each of the plurality of sections on the basis of the road condition and the driving history; and a schedule setting unit setting an operating schedule of the engine and the motor so as to minimize the fuel consumption of the engine to the destination on the basis of the vehicle speed pattern and fuel consumption characteristics of the engine.
In other words, the driving control apparatus of a hybrid vehicle of the invention is applied to a hybrid vehicle having a similar main construction as above mentioned and comprises: route dividing means for dividing a route to a destination into a plurality of sections on the basis of a point at which start of the vehicle is predicted and a point at which stop of the vehicle is predicted on the basis of a road condition of the route; vehicle speed pattern estimating means for estimating a vehicle speed pattern for each of the plurality of sections on the basis of the road condition and a driving history; and schedule setting means for setting an operating schedule of the engine and the motor so as to minimize the fuel consumption of the engine to the destination on the basis of the vehicle speed pattern and fuel consumption characteristics of the engine.
According to the driving control apparatus of a hybrid vehicle of the invention is applied to a hybrid vehicle having a similar construction and comprises: a route retrieving unit retrieving a route to a destination; a road condition detecting unit detecting a road condition of the route; a route dividing unit dividing the route into a plurality of sections by using a start point of a regeneration section, in which the motor continuously performs a regenerating operation for a predetermined time or longer, as a border on the basis of the road condition; a driving history recording unit recording driving history; a vehicle speed pattern estimating unit estimating a vehicle speed pattern for each of the plurality of sections on the basis of the road condition and the driving history; and a schedule setting unit setting an operating schedule of the engine and the motor so as to minimize the fuel consumption of the engine to the destination on the basis of the vehicle speed pattern and fuel consumption characteristics of the engine.
In other words, the driving control apparatus of a hybrid vehicle of the invention is applied to a hybrid vehicle having a similar main construction as above mentioned and comprises: route dividing means for dividing a route to a destination into a plurality of sections by using a start point of a regeneration section in which the motor continuously performs a regenerating operation for a predetermined time or longer as a border on the basis of a road condition of the route; vehicle speed pattern estimating means for estimating a vehicle speed pattern for each of the plurality of sections on the basis of the road condition and a driving history; and schedule setting means for setting an operating schedule of the engine and the motor so as to minimize the fuel consumption of the engine to the destination on the basis of the vehicle speed pattern and fuel consumption characteristics of the engine.
On the other hand, a hybrid vehicle driving method of the invention is applied to a hybrid vehicle of a similar main construction as above mentioned and comprises: dividing a route to a destination into a plurality of sections on the basis of a point at which start of the vehicle is predicted and a point at which stop of the vehicle is predicted on the basis of a road condition of the route; estimating a vehicle speed pattern for each of the plurality of sections on the basis of the road condition and a driving history; and setting an operating schedule of the engine and the motor so as to minimize the fuel consumption of the engine to the destination on the basis of the vehicle speed pattern and fuel consumption characteristics of the engine.
A hybrid vehicle driving method of the invention is applied to a hybrid vehicle of a similar main construction as above mentioned and comprises: dividing a route to a destination into a plurality of sections by using a start point of a regeneration section in which the motor continuously performs a regenerating operation for a predetermined time or longer as a border on the basis of a road condition of the route; estimating a vehicle speed pattern for each of the plurality of sections on the basis of the road condition and a driving history; and setting an operating schedule of the engine and the motor so as to minimize the fuel consumption of the engine to the destination on the basis of the vehicle speed pattern and fuel consumption characteristics of the engine.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4796189 (1989-01-01), Nakayama et al.
patent: 5931886 (1999-08-01), Moroto et al.
patent: 6014607 (2000-01-01), Yagyu et al.
patent: 6032461 (2000-03-01), Kinugasa et al.
patent: 6061625 (2000-05-01), Fastenrath
patent: 9-324665 (1997-12-01), None
Deguchi Yoshitaka
Kuroda Kouichi
Muramoto Itsuro
Takahashi Hiroshi
Cuchlinski Jr. William A.
Marc-Coleman Marthe
McDermott & Will & Emery
Nissan Motor Co,. Ltd.
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