VEHICLE CONTROL APPARATUS

• US 20100299045A1
• Filed: 04/09/2008
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshiyama, Takuya, Moriya, Kouki
• Application Number:
  US12/595,387
• Publication Number:
  US 20100299045A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/102
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 1/16 Controlling lubricant pressure or quantity rendering machines or engines inoperative or idling on lubricant pressure failure F01M1/22
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 5/025 by prelubricating, e.g. using an accumulator
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 17/00 Controlling engines by cutting out individual cylinders; Rendering engines inoperative or idling controlling or rendering inoperative by varying inlet or exhaust valve operating characteristics F02D13/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/00 Controlling engines, such controlling being peculiar to the devices driven thereby, the devices being other than parts or accessories essential to engine operation, e.g. controlling of engines by signals external thereto

Abstract

A vehicle control apparatus 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention is incorporated in a vehicle equipped with an engine 1 that is configured such that a lubricating oil and a working oil are circulated inside the engine 1 by an oil pump 9 driven by a crankshaft 1a. An oil pressure monitoring function performed by the vehicle control apparatus 3 maintains a notification operation for an oil pressure anomaly, even when the engine 1 is automatically shut down by an idle-stop function during execution of the notification operation.

Claims

1. A vehicle control apparatus of a vehicle equipped with an engine in which a lubricating oil and a working oil are circulated by an oil pump driven by a crankshaft, the apparatus comprising:

an idle-stop function that automatically shuts down the engine when a prescribed automatic shutdown condition is satisfied, and restarts the automatically shut-down engine when a prescribed restart condition is satisfied; and

an oil pressure monitoring function that performs a notification operation for an oil pressure anomaly upon detection of an oil pressure anomaly during operation of the engine, the oil pressure monitoring function maintaining the notification operation even when the engine is automatically shut down by the idle-stop function during execution of the notification operation.

2. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the oil pressure monitoring function comprises:

an oil pressure determination means for determining the presence or absence of an anomaly such as an oil pressure dropping to or below a prescribed level based on an output from an oil pressure detecting element during operation of the engine;

a notification executing means for performing the notification operation for an oil pressure anomaly and generating a notification operation execution history when the oil pressure determination means has determined that an oil pressure anomaly is present; and

a notification managing means for, when the engine is automatically shut down by the idle-stop function, checking for the presence or absence of the execution history and maintaining the state of the notification operation from before the automatic shutdown.