Subaru Corporation

Naohiko Hirosumi

Satoshi Inoue

Hiroyuki Akiyama

Yuji Ohori

Takahiro Uchimura

Yasuhito Yamaguchi

A vehicle includes: an engine that generates driving force; a motor-generator that generates driving force; a battery electrically coupled to the motor-generator; an electric supercharger that compresses air with electric power supplied by the battery and to supply the compressed air to the engine; a navigation device that determines a route; and a control device including at least one processor and at least one memory coupled to the processor. The at least one processor performs processing including: identifying a downhill section in which a downhill slope on the route is located; determining, based on a state of charge of the battery at present time, an endpoint estimated state of charge of the battery at a point in time when the vehicle reaches an endpoint of the downhill section; and turning on the electric supercharger when the endpoint estimated state of charge is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

Vehicle

A vehicle control apparatus to be applied to a hybrid vehicle includes a continuously variable transmission, a clutch mechanism, and a travel processor. The continuously variable transmission is coupled to an engine and a first motor via an input passage, and coupled to drive wheels via an output passage. The clutch mechanism is provided on the output passage. When the travel mode is switched from a first mode in which the clutch mechanism is engaged to the second mode in which the clutch mechanism is released, the travel processor releases the clutch mechanism and stops the continuously variable transmission while maintaining a speed ratio of the continuously variable transmission. When the travel mode is switched from the second mode to the first mode, the travel processor synchronizes rotation speeds of input-side and output-side portions of the clutch mechanism by controlling the continuously variable transmission, and engages the clutch mechanism.

Vehicle control apparatus

A vehicle control system to be mounted in a hybrid electric vehicle includes an engine, a center differential that includes a front-wheel-side output portion and a rear-wheel-side output portion and distributes torque outputted from the engine to a front wheel and a rear wheel, a limited slip differential mechanism that limits a differential between the front-wheel-side output portion and the rear-wheel-side output portion, and a motor disposed in a drive-power transferring system that transfers drive power from the rear-wheel-side output portion to the rear wheel. The vehicle control system includes a processor. When the hybrid electric vehicle is switched from a first traveling mode to a second traveling mode, the processor stops the engine while causing the limited slip differential mechanism to limit the differential between the front-wheel-side output portion and the rear-wheel-side output portion.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Naohiko Hirosumi