US 11,835,003 B2
Vehicle controller and vehicle control method
Hiroaki Mizoguchi, Nagoya (JP); Shinichi Oda, Susono (JP); Yasuaki Murakami, Toyota (JP); and Masahiro Kachi, Nagakute (JP)
Assigned to TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISH, Aichi-Ken (JP)
Filed by TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Aichi-ken (JP)
Filed on Oct. 19, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/968,794.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-176533 (JP), filed on Oct. 28, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0138881 A1, May 4, 2023
Int. Cl. F02D 29/06 (2006.01); B60R 16/03 (2006.01); F02D 41/06 (2006.01); F02N 11/04 (2006.01)
CPC F02D 29/06 (2013.01) [B60R 16/03 (2013.01); F02D 41/068 (2013.01); F02N 11/04 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A controller for a vehicle, wherein
the vehicle includes
an internal combustion engine,
a generator configured to generate electric power based on a driving force of the internal combustion engine,
a battery configured to be charged with the electric power generated by the generator, and
electric devices configured to use the electric power supplied from the battery and configured to be switched on and off by an occupant of the vehicle,
the electric devices are divided into groups according to a magnitude of electric power used by each of the electric devices, a number of the groups being smaller than a number of the electric devices,
the groups include
a first group including first electric devices of the electric devices, wherein the first electric devices are configured to use the electric power less than a predetermined threshold, and the first electric devices include
a rear defogger configured to heat a rear window glass of the vehicle, and
a tail lamp attached to the vehicle and configured to light, and
a second group including second electric devices of the electric devices, wherein the second electric devices are configured to use the electric power equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold, and the second electric devices include
an entire surface deicer configured to heat a windshield of the vehicle, and
a seat heater configured to heat a seat of the vehicle,
the controller comprises circuitry,
the circuitry stores in advance different correction amounts respectively associated with the groups, and
the circuitry is configured to,
determine whether at least one of the electric devices is operating, and
in response to determining that the at least one of the electric devices is operating, determine whether a number of the at least one of the operating electric devices belonging to the second group is equal to or greater than a predetermined specified number,
in response to determining that the number of the at least one of the operating electric devices belonging to the second group is less than the predetermined specified number, perform an increase process of increasing an engine rotation speed of the internal combustion engine by a first correction amount associated with the first group, and
in response to determining that the number of the at least one of the operating electric devices belonging to the second group is equal to or greater than the predetermined specified number, perform the increase process of increasing the engine rotation speed of the internal combustion engine by a second correction amount associated with the second group, wherein the first correction amount is smaller than the second correction amount.