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Engine start determining apparatus

  • US 10,190,562 B2
  • Filed: 11/08/2013
  • Issued: 01/29/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2012
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An engine start determining apparatus comprising:

  • an engine;

    a clutch disposed in a power transmission path connecting between the engine and drive wheels, dividing the power transmission path into an engine-side path and a wheel-side path;

    a motor connected to the wheel-side path; and

    a dynamo-electric machine connected to the engine-side path, rotating the engine while the clutch is disconnected and generating electric power when rotated by the engine;

    a calculator programmed to;

    control the dynamo-electric machine to rotate the engine so that a rotating speed of the dynamo-electric machine for spontaneous revolution of the engine becomes a predetermined speed, andcalculate an increment in a crank angular acceleration of the engine every certain period from a base time after rotating the engine by the dynamo-electric machine, the base time being after start of fuel injection; and

    a determiner programmed to determine that the engine has started by the dynamo-electric machine rotating the engine when the increment in the crank angular acceleration calculated by the calculator exceeds a standard value after the dynamo-electric machine starts to rotate the engine, and after the crank angular acceleration decreases as a rotational speed of the engine approaches a rotational speed of the dynamo-electric machine,the determiner is programmed to further determine that the engine has started when the increments in the crank angular acceleration until an end of said certain period and until the end of a preceding certain period both exceed the standard value.

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