Abstract: When an EV cancellation switch is turned on while a control mode is a CD mode and a traveling mode is an EV traveling mode, when a catalyst temperature is lower than a threshold and when a vehicle speed is lower than a threshold, a controller executes control processing including a step of executing first VVT control, a step of, when the catalyst temperature is higher than or equal to the threshold or when the vehicle speed is higher than or equal to the threshold, executing second VVT control and a step of switching the control mode into a CS mode.

Abstract: A system and a method for a hybrid vehicle for pre-charging the battery. A hybrid vehicle includes a battery having a state of charge (SOC), an engine configured to charge the battery, an actuation device having an on state and an off state, and a processor configured to activate the engine to charge the battery when the actuation device is switched to the on state until the SOC reaches a required SOC. The required SOC may be input by a driver and may exceed a normal maximum SOC utilized by the hybrid vehicle. The pre-charge feature can override the normal hybrid vehicle battery management logic. The required SOC allows the driver to perform reverse maneuvers without running out of battery power.

Abstract: When an EV cancellation switch is turned on while a control mode is a CD mode and a traveling mode is an EV traveling mode, when a catalyst temperature is lower than a threshold and when a vehicle speed is lower than a threshold, a controller executes control processing including a step of executing first VVT control, a step of, when the catalyst temperature is higher than or equal to the threshold or when the vehicle speed is higher than or equal to the threshold, executing second VVT control and a step of switching the control mode into a CS mode.

Abstract: A system and a method for a hybrid vehicle for pre-charging the battery. A hybrid vehicle includes a battery having a state of charge (SOC), an engine configured to charge the battery, an actuation device having an on state and an off state, and a processor configured to activate the engine to charge the battery when the actuation device is switched to the on state until the SOC reaches a required SOC. The required SOC may be input by a driver and may exceed a normal maximum SOC utilized by the hybrid vehicle. The pre-charge feature can override the normal hybrid vehicle battery management logic. The required SOC allows the driver to perform reverse maneuvers without running out of battery power.

Abstract: When the driver steps on an accelerator peal to a certain depth and practically keeps the accelerator pedal at the certain depth to maintain a substantially constant accelerator opening, a target additional torque, a maximum reflection rate, and an increment of a reflection rate are set based on the accelerator opening and a vehicle speed. The reflection rate is gradually increased by the increment to the maximum reflection rate after elapse of a preset time period since a start of decreasing a base torque demand affected by the accelerator opening and the vehicle speed. An object torque demand is computed as the sum of the base torque demand and an additional torque, which is given as the product of the target additional torque and the gradually increasing reflection rate. The operations of an engine and two motors are then controlled with the setting of the object torque demand.

Abstract: An ECU executes a program including the steps of: setting a creep torque reflection ratio; if brake is applied and the vehicle is currently stopped, updating the creep torque reflection ratio to 0; if brake is not applied and despite that the brake fluid's pressure is larger than a hydraulic pressure value, determining that brake hold control is currently exerted, and reducing the creep torque reflection ratio, as based on a map having the brake fluid's pressure as a parameter, to update the creep torque reflection ratio.

Abstract: On condition that output of a torque of not lower than a preset reference torque from a motor continues for at least a predetermined time period in a vehicle stop state with output of a corresponding torque from the a second motor based on a detected accelerator opening, a torque command of the second motor is set to decrease the output torque of said motor by a torque decrease rate, which is set according to the corresponding torque and the accelerator opening in the vehicle stop state (initial accelerator opening). After a changeover of a current crowding phase in the second motor, the torque command of said motor is set to increase the output torque of said motor by a torque increase rate, which is set according to the accelerator opening in the vehicle stop state.

Abstract: When the change speed is instructed, without changing value of a suppressing vibration flag set to value 1 as initial value, a fast fill as the preparation of a brake to be engaged when the change speed is executed and low pressure standby of hydraulic pressure to set the brake in a half-engaged state. Then the suppressing vibration flag is set to value 0 when a predetermined time passed since the change speed is instructed, a sum of a drive torque required for driving and a suppressing vibration torque, which is in the same direction as suppressing rotational fluctuation of a drive shaft, is output from a motor when the suppressing vibration flag is set to value 1.

Abstract: An ECU executes a program including the steps of: if brake hold control is currently exerted , setting at zero a controlled value of a degree of operation of an accelerator pedal used as a controlled value of a degree of a request made by a driver for acceleration, to control a force output to drive the vehicle; if an actual value of the degree of operation of the accelerator pedal serving as an actual value of the degree of the request made by the driver for acceleration is larger than a predetermined degree, determining that there is a request from the driver for acceleration; outputting a command to cancel the brake hold control; and converging the controlled value of the degree of operation of the accelerator pedal to the actual value of the degree of operation of the accelerator pedal.

Abstract: When the change speed is instructed, without changing value of a suppressing vibration flag set to value 1 as initial value, a fast fill as the preparation of a brake to be engaged when the change speed is executed and low pressure standby of hydraulic pressure to set the brake in a half-engaged state. Then the suppressing vibration flag is set to value 0 when a predetermined time passed since the change speed is instructed, a sum of a drive torque required for driving and a suppressing vibration torque, which is in the same direction as suppressing rotational fluctuation of a drive shaft, is output from a motor when the suppressing vibration flag is set to value 1.

Abstract: In response to a driver's braking request operation, for example, the driver's depression of a brake pedal 85, a hybrid vehicle 20 sets a fraction of a regenerative braking torque by a motor MG2 and a fraction of a braking torque by a brake unit 90 relative to a preset braking torque demand Tr* according to the setting of a speed change ratio in a transmission 60 (steps S280, S290, S310, S320, S390, and S400). The hybrid vehicle 20 controls the motor MG2 to output the regenerative braking torque based on the preset braking torque demand Tr* and the set fraction of the regenerative braking torque, while controlling the brake unit 90 to enable the braking torque based on the preset braking force demand Tr* and the regenerative braking torque by the motor MG2 to be applied in a distributive manner at a preset front-rear braking torque distribution ratio ‘d’ to front wheels 39a and 39b and to rear wheels 39c and 39d.

Abstract: An ECU releases brake hold control when an actual accelerator pedal position A exceeds a predetermined position A(0) while the brake hold control is being executed. Further, the ECU determines whether or not the actual accelerator pedal position A is larger than a position A(1), which is a value smaller than the predetermined position A(0), and if it is larger than the predetermined position A(1), executes a process for increasing a creep torque reflection ratio R to recover creep force that has been stopped.

Abstract: In a vehicle, it is determined whether a driver has requested increased driving force based on an accelerator opening degree. If the driver has requested increased driving force, a vehicle speed at the time of the request for increased driving force is derived. Three-dimensional map which corresponds to different vehicle speed and which shows a predetermined relationship of the accelerator opening degree (Acc), the vehicle speed and a required torque are then used to set the required torque. The maps are set such that the required torque increases with respect to the accelerator opening degree when the vehicle speed is low. Further, the maps are set such that when the vehicle speed is high, (i) even if the accelerator opening degree changes a little, the required driving force does not change a large amount, and (ii) the required driving force remains substantially constant when the vehicle speed is in a high speed region.

Abstract: During a standstill, a prescribed rotation speed N3, which is lower than a prescribed rotation speed N2 used during a travel at a low vehicle speed, is set as a minimum rotation speed Nemin (S410), and when a demand for an idle operation has been made (S490), the minimum rotation speed Nemin is set as a target rotation speed Ne* and the value 0 is set as a target torque Te* (S500), whereby an engine is controlled. As a result of this, it is possible to improve the fuel consumption of a vehicle when the engine is operated at idle at standstill compared to a case where the engine is operated at idle at the minimum rotation speed Nemin for which the prescribed rotation speed N2 is set regardless of whether or not the vehicle is at a standstill.

Abstract: In a hybrid vehicle according to the invention, upon satisfaction of a predetermined condition with regard to a gearshift position or a drive mode, a virtual gearshift position according to a driving condition is set to a tentative target gearshift position SPtmp (steps S471 and S472). An object gearshift position SP* is set based on the tentative target gearshift position SPtmp and a boundary value Srt to have a gentle change with a variation of smaller than 1 (step S473).

Abstract: In a drive system, where power from a motor is transmitted to a drive shaft and a transmission ratio is changed by a transmission, if the absolute value of the difference between the reference torque Tm2r0, which is the drive shaft side torque Tm2r at the onset of a change in the shift speed of the transmission, and the driving shaft side torque Tm2r during the change is less than the threshold value ? until the end of the change (S280), the application state of a brake in the transmission during the change and the state of the hydraulic pressure supplied to the brake are learned (S290). During the change, and actuator of the transmission is controlled using those learned results. Accordingly, any deviations that may have occurred due to changes over time in the transmission, etc. are corrected and the shift speed of the transmission is changed more appropriately.

Abstract: When the driver steps on an accelerator peal to a certain depth and practically keeps the accelerator pedal at the certain depth to maintain a substantially constant accelerator opening, a target additional torque, a maximum reflection rate, and an increment of a reflection rate are set based on the accelerator opening and a vehicle speed. The reflection rate is gradually increased by the increment to the maximum reflection rate after elapse of a preset time period since a start of decreasing a base torque demand affected by the accelerator opening and the vehicle speed. An object torque demand is computed as the sum of the base torque demand and an additional torque, which is given as the product of the target additional torque and the gradually increasing reflection rate. The operations of an engine and two motors are then controlled with the setting of the object torque demand.

Abstract: In a vehicle having a brake hold control function an ECU cancels brake hold control when an actual value of a degree of operation of the accelerator pedal is larger than a predetermined degree. The ECU calculates a rate of increasing the vehicle's requested driving force after the brake hold control is cancelled such that the rate is larger for longer times having elapsed since the brake hold control was cancelled and the rate is also larger for larger actual values of the degree of operation of the accelerator pedal, as shown in FIG. 6.

Abstract: In the presence of a torque change request (step S170) for changing a torque Tm2 of one motor MG2 to enable a smooth gearshift of a transmission interposed between a motor and a driveshaft, when the change of the torque Tm2 is unattainable within the range of an input limit Win and an output limit Wout of a battery (step S200), the power output apparatus of the invention resets a torque command Tm1* of the other motor MG1 to be within the input limit Win and the output limit Wout of the battery (steps S210 and S250). The power output apparatus also resets an engine power demand Pe* to make a rotation speed Ne of an engine approximately equal to a target rotation speed Ne* (steps S230 and S270). This arrangement ensures a smooth gearshift of the transmission.

Abstract: On condition that output of a torque of not lower than a preset reference torque from a motor continues for at least a predetermined time period in a vehicle stop state with output of a corresponding torque from the a second motor based on a detected accelerator opening, a torque command of the second motor is set to decrease the output torque of said motor by a torque decrease rate, which is set according to the corresponding torque and the accelerator opening in the vehicle stop state (initial accelerator opening). After a changeover of a current crowding phase in the second motor, the torque command of said motor is set to increase the output torque of said motor by a torque increase rate, which is set according to the accelerator opening in the vehicle stop state.