Method and Control Device for Automatically Setting an Operating Mode of a Hybrid Vehicle, and Hybrid Vehicle

Abstract

A method for automatically setting an operating mode of a hybrid vehicle includes determining whether a distance to the destination is greater than a purely electrically travellable range of the hybrid vehicle, wherein the hybrid vehicle is automatically put into a hybrid mode if the distance to the destination is greater than the purely electrically travellable range of the hybrid vehicle, and the hybrid vehicle is automatically put into a purely electrical drive mode if the distance to the destination is not greater than the purely electrically travellable range of the hybrid vehicle. A corresponding control device and hybrid vehicle are also disclosed.

Claims

1-9. (canceled)

10. A method for automatically setting an operating mode of a hybrid vehicle, the method comprising: determining whether a distance to a destination is greater than a range of the hybrid vehicle that can be covered in a purely electric manner; automatically putting the hybrid vehicle into a hybrid mode in response to determining that the distance to the destination is greater than the range of the hybrid vehicle that can be covered in a purely electric manner; and automatically putting the hybrid vehicle into a purely electric driving mode in response to determining that the distance to the destination is not greater than the range of the hybrid vehicle that can be covered in a purely electric manner.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising: optimizing a manner of operation of the hybrid vehicle for the route still ahead in accordance with at least one prespecified criterion that the hybrid mode is activated.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising: putting the hybrid vehicle into the purely electric driving mode as soon as it has been determined that the distance to the destination is not greater than the range of the hybrid vehicle that can be covered in a purely electric manner.

13. The method according to claim 10, further comprising: determining, before the hybrid vehicle is started, that the distance to the destination is less than the range of the hybrid vehicle that can be covered in a purely electric manner; and responsively starting the hybrid vehicle in the electric driving mode.

14. The method according to claim 10, further comprising: determining that the hybrid vehicle is not in a zero emission zone; and putting the hybrid vehicle into the hybrid mode in response to determining that the hybrid vehicle is not in the zero emission zone.

15. The method according to claim 10, further comprising: determining, before the hybrid vehicle is started, that the distance to the destination is greater than the range of the hybrid vehicle that can be covered in a purely electric manner; and responsively starting the hybrid vehicle in the hybrid mode.

16. A control device for operating a hybrid vehicle, the control device configured to: determine whether a distance to a destination is greater than a range of the hybrid vehicle that can be covered in a purely electric manner; automatically put the hybrid vehicle into a hybrid mode in response to determining that the distance to the destination is greater than the range of the hybrid vehicle that can be covered in a purely electric manner; and automatically put the hybrid vehicle into a purely electric driving mode in response to determining that the distance to the destination is not greater than the range of the hybrid vehicle that can be covered in a purely electric manner.

17. The control device according to claim 16, further configured to: optimize a manner of operation of the hybrid vehicle for the route still ahead in accordance with at least one prespecified criterion that the hybrid mode is activated.

18. The control device according to claim 16, further configured to: putt the hybrid vehicle into the purely electric driving mode as soon as it has been determined that the distance to the destination is not greater than the range of the hybrid vehicle that can be covered in a purely electric manner.

19. The control device according to claim 16, further configured to: determine, before the hybrid vehicle is started, that the distance to the destination is less than the range of the hybrid vehicle that can be covered in a purely electric manner; and responsively start the hybrid vehicle in the electric driving mode.

20. The control device according to claim 16, further configured to: determine that the hybrid vehicle is not in a zero emission zone; and put the hybrid vehicle into the hybrid mode in response to determining that the hybrid vehicle is not in the zero emission zone.

21. The control device according to claim 16, further configured to: determine, before the hybrid vehicle is started, that the distance to the destination is greater than the range of the hybrid vehicle that can be covered in a purely electric manner; and responsively start the hybrid vehicle in the hybrid mode.

22. A hybrid vehicle comprising the control device according to claim 16.

23. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 22, wherein the hybrid vehicle is a plug-in hybrid.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] FIG. 1 shows a highly schematic illustration of a plug-in hybrid vehicle; and

[0020] FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of a route to a destination that is still to be taken by the hybrid vehicle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] FIG. 1 shows a highly schematic illustration of a hybrid vehicle 1 in the form of a plug-in hybrid. The hybrid vehicle 1 comprises an internal combustion engine 2 and an electric drive machine 3 for driving the hybrid vehicle 1. In addition, the hybrid vehicle 1 further comprises a traction battery 4 which is designed, amongst other things, to supply power to the electric drive machine 3. In addition, the hybrid vehicle 1 has a control device 5 which is designed to automatically set different operating modes of the hybrid vehicle 1.

[0022] FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a route 6 which leads to a destination 7 that, for example, a user of the hybrid vehicle 1 has entered into a navigation system of the hybrid vehicle 1. After the route 6 to the destination 7 has been determined, for example by means of the navigation system of the hybrid vehicle 1, the control device 5 checks whether a distance to the destination 7 is greater than a range of the hybrid vehicle 1 that can be covered in a purely electric manner. If this is the case, the control device 5 can automatically put the hybrid vehicle 1 into a hybrid mode in which therefore both the internal combustion engine 2 and the electric drive machine 3 can be used to drive the hybrid vehicle 1. In the hybrid mode, it is also possible for example for the hybrid vehicle 1 to operate in what is known as a charge sustaining mode in order to keep a state of charge of the traction battery 4 more or less constant when in this mode. If required, the electric drive machine 3 can also be used for example for what is known as boosting if a user of the hybrid vehicle 1 wishes to call up a particularly large amount of power or torque, for example in the case of an overtaking operation.

[0023] Provided that the hybrid vehicle 1 is operated in the hybrid mode, the control device 5 can optimize the manner of operation of the hybrid vehicle 1 for the route 6 still ahead in accordance with at least one prespecified criterion. Therefore, it is possible for example to operate the hybrid vehicle 1 in a particularly energy-efficient manner and, for example on the basis of the route 6 ahead, to use the internal combustion engine 2 and the electric drive machine 3 in a manner coordinated with one another such that the hybrid vehicle 1 consumes a particularly small amount of energy overall. Other manners of operation are of course also possible.

[0024] In the present case, a zone with relatively stringent emission regulations in the form of a zero emission zone 8 is schematically indicated, the hybrid vehicle 1 still being in the zero emission zone before the beginning of the route guidance or before the beginning of the journey to the destination 7. Therefore, for example, the navigation system of the hybrid vehicle 1 or else an external navigation device can be used to determine where the hybrid vehicle 1 is and whether it is currently in such a zero emission zone 8. In such a case, the control device 5 puts the hybrid vehicle 1 into the hybrid mode once the hybrid vehicle 1 is no longer in the zero emission zone 8, that is to say crosses a boundary 9 of the zero emission zone 8. If it was determined even before the hybrid vehicle 1 was started that the distance to the destination 7 is greater than the range of the hybrid vehicle 1 that can be covered in a purely electric manner, the hybrid vehicle 1 is started directly in the hybrid mode only if the hybrid vehicle 1 is not in such a zero emission zone 8. In the case shown by way of example in the present case, the hybrid vehicle 1 would therefore also be initially started up in a purely electric manner when the route guidance is started and operated in the purely electric manner until the boundary 9 has been crossed.

[0025] If however the distance to the destination 7 is not greater than the range of the hybrid vehicle 1 that can be covered in a purely electric manner, the control device 5 puts the hybrid vehicle 1 immediately into a purely electric driving mode. If for example a user still performs route determination with the hybrid vehicle 1 stationary or not started, the control device 5 can ensure that the hybrid vehicle 1 is started directly in the purely electric driving mode. This can be done irrespective of whether the hybrid vehicle 1—as schematically indicated here—is in such a zero emission zone 8 or not. Therefore, if the control device 5 identifies that the route 6 to the destination 7 is shorter than the range of the hybrid vehicle 1 that can be covered in a purely electric manner, the hybrid vehicle 1 is started directly in the electric driving mode and covers the entire route 6 in the purely electric driving mode.

[0026] Owing to the automatic adaptation of the operating mode of the hybrid vehicle 1 depending on the situation without user interaction, the respectively appropriate operating mode or driving mode is therefore always set depending on the distance to the destination 7 and taking into account the purely electric range still available.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0027] 1 Hybrid vehicle [0028] 2 Internal combustion engine [0029] 3 Electric drive machine [0030] 4 Traction battery [0031] 5 Control device [0032] 6 Route [0033] 7 Destination [0034] 8 Zero emission zone [0035] 9 Boundary of the zone