Patent ID: 6123163
Filing Date: 2000-09-26
Classification: B60K,B60L,B60W,B60Y,Y02T,Y10S

Abstract:
A power plant for a vehicle comprising:a drive shaft for turning at least one wheel of the vehicle;an engine for providing a first driving power to said drive shaft;a generator-motor for providing a second driving power to said drive shaft;a battery for supplying and receiving power to and from said generator-motor;an accelerator sensor for detecting an amount by which an operator of the vehicle operates an accelerator and for producing an accelerator operation amount signal;a vehicle speed sensor for detecting a speed of the vehicle and for producing a vehicle speed signal;aimed torque calculation means for calculating an aimed torque signal based on said accelerator operation amount signal and said vehicle speed signal;torque detection means, provided adjacent said drive shaft, for detecting an actual torque and for providing an actual torque signal, wherein said engine includes a throttle and aimed opening means for calculating an aimed opening signal relating to an opening amount for said throttle based on said aimed torque signal and an engine revolution signal, said engine is controlled based on said aimed opening signal, and said generator-motor is controlled based on said aimed torque signal and said actual torque signal; andassist discrimination means for causing said second driving power provided by said generator-motor to be applied to said drive shaft to thereby supplement said first driving power provided by said engine to said drive shaft in response to a first predetermined level of said first driving power provided by said engine.