US 12,110,004 B2
Control apparatus for hybrid electric vehicle
Hironobu Aratake, Chiryu (JP); Yoshiaki Tsuruta, Nagakute (JP); Yoshio Hasegawa, Chiryu (JP); and Takahiko Tsutsumi, Nisshin (JP)
Assigned to TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota (JP)
Filed by TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota (JP)
Filed on Jan. 21, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/581,561.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-008334 (JP), filed on Jan. 21, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0227350 A1, Jul. 21, 2022
Int. Cl. B60W 20/00 (2016.01); B60K 6/52 (2007.10); B60W 10/06 (2006.01); B60W 10/08 (2006.01); B60W 10/10 (2012.01); B60W 10/119 (2012.01); B60W 20/30 (2016.01); B60W 50/14 (2020.01)
CPC B60W 20/30 (2013.01) [B60K 6/52 (2013.01); B60W 10/06 (2013.01); B60W 10/08 (2013.01); B60W 10/10 (2013.01); B60W 10/119 (2013.01); B60W 50/14 (2013.01); B60W 2520/04 (2013.01); B60W 2540/10 (2013.01); B60W 2540/215 (2020.02); B60W 2710/06 (2013.01); B60W 2710/083 (2013.01); B60W 2710/10 (2013.01); B60W 2720/403 (2013.01); B60Y 2200/92 (2013.01); B60Y 2400/82 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A control apparatus for a hybrid electric vehicle that includes an engine, an electric motor, main and auxiliary drive wheels and a vehicle power transmission apparatus configured to transmit a drive power toward the main and auxiliary drive wheels, the vehicle power transmission apparatus including a drive-power distribution device configured to distribute the drive power to the main and auxiliary drive wheels, and a transmission provided in the drive-power distribution device and configured to establish a selected one of a low gear position and a high-gear position,
the control apparatus comprising:
an engine control portion configured to control an operation state of the engine; and
a driving-mode control portion configured to control running of the vehicle so as to realize selected at least one of driving modes which is selected by a driver of the vehicle,
wherein the driving modes include an all-wheel driving mode in which the vehicle is to run with the drive power being distributed to the main drive wheels and the auxiliary drive wheels, the all-wheel driving mode being categorized into a low-gear all-wheel driving mode in which the low gear position is established in the transmission and a high-gear all-wheel driving mode in which the high gear position is established in the transmission, and
wherein, in a case in which the low-gear all-wheel driving mode is selected in the high-gear all-wheel driving mode when the engine is in a stopped state with the vehicle power transmission apparatus being in a non-driving position that disables transmission of the drive power, the engine control portion is configured to maintain the stopped state of the engine until completion of switching from the high-gear all-wheel driving mode to the low-gear all-wheel driving mode by the driving-mode control portion, and to start the engine after the completion of the switching from the high-gear all-wheel driving mode to the low-gear all-wheel driving mode.