Patent ID: 9605605
Date: 2017-03-28
CPC Classifications: B60K,B60W,F02D,Y02T

Claim:
1. A vehicle control apparatus comprising: an internal combustion engine; an electric motor connected with wheels of a vehicle; a clutch that switches between a disengaged state in which the internal combustion engine is disconnected from the electric motor and an engaged state in which the internal combustion engine is connected with the electric motor; and a wheel disconnecting clutch that switches between a disengaged state in which the wheels are disconnected from the electric motor and an engaged state in which the wheels are connected with the electric motor, wherein the vehicle control apparatus is configured to start the internal combustion engine by the electric motor after switching the clutch to the engaged state by: controlling the electric motor to rotate and controlling the clutch to switch to the engaged state from the disengaged state to cause the internal combustion engine and the electric motor to both rotate at a synchronous rotational speed lower than a target rotational speed, controlling the electric motor to increase a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine and the electric motor from the synchronous rotational speed to the target rotational speed, and starting the internal combustion engine at the target rotational speed, and wherein the vehicle control apparatus is further configured to: cause the wheel disconnecting clutch to switch to the disengaged state in response to starting rotation of the electric motor.