Patent ID: 9522671
Filing Date: 2016-12-20
CPC Classification: B60W,Y02T,Y10S

Claim Text:
1. A method of controlling a hybrid vehicle, the hybrid vehicle including a hybrid powertrain, the hybrid powertrain including an energy storage device, a fuel source, an internal combustion engine fluidly coupled to the fuel source, and an electric motor-generator electrically connected to the energy storage device, the method comprising: receiving, via a control module, an input from a user, the input indicating a desired destination receiving a speed of the vehicle from a vehicle speed sensor, and an output torque request of the vehicle from a torque request actuator; determining, via the control module, whether the hybrid vehicle is traveling on a highway based, at least in part, on the speed of the vehicle and the output torque request of the vehicle; commanding, via the control module, the hybrid powertrain to switch from a charge-depletion mode to a blended mode if the hybrid vehicle is traveling on the highway after receiving the input, wherein, in the blended mode, the hybrid powertrain uses power from the internal combustion engine and the electric motor-generator to propel the hybrid vehicle and, in the charge-depletion mode, the hybrid powertrain only uses energy from the energy storage device to propel the hybrid vehicle; and commanding, via the control module, the hybrid powertrain to use energy from the energy storage device via the electric motor-generator so as to maintain a substantially constant target state of charge (SOC) discharge rate after the hybrid powertrain switches from the charge-depletion mode to the blended mode, wherein the target SOC discharge rate is a rate at which a SOC of the energy storage device decreases over time while the hybrid powertrain operates in the blended mode, and the substantially constant target SOC discharge rate is a substantially constant value having units of percentage of charge of the energy storage device divided by time duration.