Startup control device, lock determination method, and method for controlling starter motor

• US 10,202,922 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2017
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Yamashita, Hideaki, Kaitani, Yasumasa, Crise, Thomas Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): Moulis, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US15/717,942
• Publication Number:
  US 20180149104A1
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/101 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/50 said parameters being related to the vehicle or its components
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/062 for starting F02D41/061 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0803 characterised by means for initiating engine start or stop F02N11/0814 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0848 with means for detecting successful engine start, e.g. to stop starter actuation
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0862 characterised by the electrical power supply means, e.g. battery
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/10 Safety devices F02N11/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/106 for stopping or interrupting starter actuation
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/022 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/043 Starter voltage
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/044 Starter current
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/061 Battery state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/064 Battery temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/122 Atmospheric temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2300/2011 Control involving a delay; Control involving a waiting period before engine stop or engine start

Abstract

A startup control device controls a starter motor. The startup control device includes lock determination circuitry and motor control circuitry. The lock determination circuitry estimates a current value supplied to the starter motor based on a temperature of a battery, a remaining electricity amount in the battery, and an output voltage of the battery when the battery supplies electricity to the starter motor, determines a threshold period of time according to the current value estimated, and determines that an internal combustion engine does not start if a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine does not exceed a referenced speed within the threshold period of time after starting supplying electricity to the starter motor. The motor control circuitry stops supplying electricity to the starter motor when the lock determination circuitry determines that the internal combustion engine does not start after starting supplying electricity to the starter motor.

Claims

1. A startup control device that controls operation of a starter motor for starting an internal combustion engine, the startup control device comprising:

an energization controller that turns on and off energization of the starter motor by a battery; and

a lock determination part that determines whether said internal combustion engine is in a locked state where the internal combustion engine is not started by said starter motor, wherein;

said energization controller is configured to stop energization of said starter motor when said lock determination part determines that said internal combustion engine is in a locked state after energization of said starter motor; and

said lock determination part is configured to

estimate an energization current value of said starter motor based on a temperature of said battery, an SOC of said battery, and an output voltage of said battery when energizing said starter motor,

set, to a first time, a lock determination time between start of energization of said starter motor and determination that said internal combustion engine is in a locked state, according to said estimated energization current value, and

determine that said internal combustion engine is in a locked state if a speed of said internal combustion engine does not exceed a predetermined speed before an elapsed time after energization of said starter motor exceeds said set lock determination time.

2. The startup control device according to claim 1, wherein

said lock determination part also sets said lock determination time to a second time longer than said first time if a temperature of said battery is lower than a predetermined temperature, regardless of an energization current value of said starter motor.

3. The startup control device according to claim 1, wherein

said lock determination part uses any of an ambient temperature and an outdoor temperature as the temperature of said battery.

4. The startup control device according to claim 1, wherein:

said first time is a predetermined constant value; and

said lock determination part sets said lock determination time to said first time if said estimated energization current value is equal to or larger than a predetermined value, and sets said lock determination time to a second time longer than said first time if said estimated energization current value is smaller than a predetermined value.

5. The startup control device according to claim 1, wherein

said first time is set to a value within a range where a fuse provided in a power supply route from said battery to said starter motor is not blown out, when a current equivalent to said estimated energization current value actually flows through said starter motor.

6. A lock determination method of determining whether an internal combustion engine is in a locked state where the internal combustion engine is not started by a starter motor, the method comprising the steps of:

acquiring an SOC of a battery that energizes said starter motor;

acquiring an output voltage of said battery when energizing said starter motor;

estimating an energization current value of said starter motor based on a temperature of said battery, said acquired SOC, and said output voltage;

setting, to a first time, a lock determination time between start of energization of said starter motor and determination that said internal combustion engine is in a locked state, according to said estimated energization current value; and

determining that said internal combustion engine is in a locked state if a speed of said internal combustion engine does not exceed a predetermined speed before an elapsed time after energization of said starter motor exceeds said set lock determination time.

7. The lock determination method according to claim 6, wherein

in said lock determination time setting step, said lock determination time is set to a second time longer than said first time if a temperature of said battery is lower than a predetermined temperature.

8. The lock determination method according to claim 6, wherein

any of an ambient temperature and an outdoor temperature is used as the temperature of said battery.

9. The lock determination method according to claim 6, wherein:

said first time is a predetermined constant value; and

in said lock determination time setting step, said lock determination time is set to said first time if said estimated energization current value is equal to or larger than a predetermined value, and said lock determination time is set to a second time longer than said first time if said estimated energization current value is smaller than a predetermined value.

10. The lock determination method according to claim 6, wherein

said first time is set to a value within a range where a fuse provided in a power supply route from said battery to said starter motor is not blown out, when a current equivalent to said estimated energization current value actually flows through said starter motor.

11. A startup control device to control a starter motor, comprising:

lock determination circuitry configured to

estimate a current value supplied to the starter motor based on a temperature of a battery that is configured to supply electricity to the starter motor to start an internal combustion engine, a remaining electricity amount in the battery, and an output voltage of the battery when the battery supplies the electricity to the starter motor,

determine a threshold period of time according to the current value estimated, and

determine that the internal combustion engine does not start if a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine does not exceed a referenced speed within the threshold period of time after starting supplying electricity to the starter motor; and

motor control circuitry to stop supplying electricity to the starter motor when the lock determination circuitry determines that the internal combustion engine does not start after starting supplying electricity to the starter motor.

12. The startup control device according to claim 11, wherein

the lock determination circuitry lengthens the threshold period of time if the temperature of the battery is lower than a predetermined temperature.

13. The startup control device according to claim 11, wherein

the lock determination circuitry uses any one of an ambient temperature and an outdoor temperature as the temperature of the battery.

14. The startup control device according to claim 11, wherein the lock determination circuitry does not lengthen the threshold period of time if the current value estimated is equal to or larger than a predetermined value, and lengthens the threshold period of time if the current value estimated is smaller than a predetermined value.

15. The startup control device according to claim 11, wherein

the threshold period of time is determined such that a fuse provided in a power supply route from the battery to the starter motor is not blown out, when a current equivalent to the current value estimated actually flows through the starter motor.

16. A method for controlling a starter motor, the method comprising:

estimating a current value supplied to the starter motor based on a temperature of a battery that is configured to supply electricity to the starter motor to start an internal combustion engine, a remaining electricity amount in the battery, and an output voltage of the battery when the battery supplies the electricity to the starter motor;

determining a threshold period of time according to the current value estimated; and

determining that the internal combustion engine does not start if a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine does not exceed a referenced speed within the threshold period of time after starting supplying electricity to the starter motor.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein

the threshold period of time is lengthened if the temperature of the battery is lower than a predetermined temperature.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein

any one of an ambient temperature and an outdoor temperature is used as the temperature of the battery.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein

the threshold period of time is not lengthened if the current value estimated is equal to or larger than a predetermined value, and the threshold period of time is lengthened if the current value estimated is smaller than a predetermined value.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein

the threshold period of time is determined such that a fuse provided in a power supply route from the battery to the starter motor is not blown out, when a current equivalent to the current value estimated actually flows through the starter motor.