Control device for hybrid vehicle and control method therefor

Abstract

In a hybrid vehicle that includes an internal combustion engine ( 1 ) in conjunction with an electric motor ( 2 ), when one of a process of regenerating the purification capacity of an exhaust gas purifying device ( 10 ) and a process of charging a battery ( 7 ) is performed (S 102 ), the presence or absence of a request to perform the other process is determined (S 103 ) so that the two processes may be performed as simultaneously as possible to reduce deterioration in driveability and in the fuel efficiency as much as possible.

1 - 5 . (canceled) 
   
   
       6 . A control device for a hybrid vehicle that includes:
 an internal combustion engine;   an electric motor operable by electric power to assist the output power of the internal combustion engine;   an exhaust gas purifying device, provided in an exhaust passage, through which exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine flows to purify the exhaust gas flowing through the exhaust passage, the purification capacity of the exhaust gas purifying device being regenerated by a regenerating process;   a battery for serving at least as a source of electric power to operate the electric motor and charged by electric power supplied during a charging process; and   a power generator for generating electric power proportional to the engine load or engine speed and supplying the electric power to the battery during the charging process;   the control device comprising:   a regenerating portion that performs the regenerating process by increasing the engine load and/or engine speed based on a request to perform the regenerating process from the exhaust gas purifying device;   a charging portion that performs the charging process by increasing the engine load and/or engine speed based on a request to perform the charging process from the battery, and   at least one of: a first multitasking portion that executes the regenerating process and determines whether execution of the charging process is requested when execution of the regenerating process is requested, and   a second multitasking portion that executes the charging process and determines whether execution of the regenerating process is requested when execution of the charging process is requested,   wherein the first multitasking portion determines whether execution of the charging process is requested after relaxing a prescribed first execution condition for determining whether execution of the charging process is requested, and   wherein the second multitasking portion determines whether execution of the regenerating process is requested after relaxing a prescribed second execution condition for determining whether execution of the regenerating process is requested.   
   
   
       7 . The control device for a hybrid vehicle according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein the first execution condition is satisfied when the amount of charge in the battery is equal to or smaller than a threshold charge amount, and the first multitasking portion determines the presence or absence of a request to perform the charging process after relaxing the prescribed first execution condition by increasing the value of the threshold charge amount.   
   
   
       8 . The control device for a hybrid vehicle according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein the second execution condition is satisfied when the amount of matter accumulated in the exhaust gas purifying device is equal to or greater than a threshold amount, and the second multitasking portion determines the presence or absence of a request to perform a regenerating process after relaxing the prescribed second execution condition by decreasing the value of the threshold amount.   
   
   
       9 . A control method for a hybrid vehicle that includes:
 an internal combustion engine;   an electric motor operable by electric power to assist the output power of the internal combustion engine;   an exhaust gas purifying device, provided in an exhaust passage, through which exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine flows to purify the exhaust gas flowing through the exhaust passage, the purification capacity of the exhaust gas purifying device being regenerated by a regenerating process;   a battery for serving at least as a source of electric power to operate the electric motor and charged by electric power supplied during a charging process;   a power generator for generating electric power proportional to the engine load or engine speed and supplying the electric power to the battery during the charging process;   a regenerating portion for performing the regenerating process by increasing the engine load and/or engine speed based on a request to perform the regenerating process from the exhaust gas purifying device; and   a charging portion for performing the charging process by increasing the engine load and/or engine speed based on a request to perform the charging process from the battery,   the control method comprising at least one of:   executing the regenerating process and determining whether execution of the charging process is requested when execution of the regenerating process is requested,   wherein the first multitasking portion determines whether execution of the charging process is requested after relaxing a prescribed first execution condition for determining whether execution of the charging process is request, and   executing the charging process and determining whether execution of the regenerating process is requested when execution of the charging process is requested,   wherein the second multitasking portion determines whether execution of the regenerating process is requested after relaxing a prescribed second execution condition for determining whether execution of the regenerating process is requested.