ECO-RUN CONTROL DEVICE AND ECO-RUN CONTROL METHOD

• US 20110004396A1
• Filed: 06/17/2010
• Published: 01/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: YAMAGUCHI, Kazuhi
• Granted Patent: US 8,510,022 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/113
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0825 related to prevention of engine restart failure, e.g. disabling automatic stop at low battery state
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/10 Safety devices F02N11/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/063 Battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

An eco-run control device is provided. A control unit is configured to perform an eco-run control of stopping an engine on the basis of stop conditions and of restarting the engine on the basis of restart conditions. A starter driving unit is configured to drive a starter for restarting the engine. A test unit is configured to perform a failure test of the starter driving unit to determine whether the starter driving unit is out of order before the control unit stops the engine by the eco-run control. A nullifying unit is configured to nullify the failure test by the test unit when it is detected that a power supply voltage supplied to the starter driving unit drops below a predetermined value. A prohibiting unit is configured to prohibit the control unit from performing the eco-run control when the test unit determines that the starter driving unit is out of order. The prohibiting unit prohibits the control unit from performing the eco-run control in a case where the nullifying unit nullifies the failure test by the test unit during a test period in which the test unit performs the failure test.

Claims

1. An eco-run control device, comprising:

a control unit configured to perform an eco-run control of stopping an engine on the basis of stop conditions and of restarting the engine on the basis of restart conditions;

a starter driving unit configured to drive a starter for restarting the engine;

a test unit configured to perform a failure test of the starter driving unit to determine whether the starter driving unit is out of order before the control unit stops the engine by the eco-run control;

a nullifying unit configured to nullify the failure test by the test unit when it is detected that a power supply voltage supplied to the starter driving unit drops below a predetermined value; and

a prohibiting unit configured to prohibit the control unit from performing the eco-run control when the test unit determines that the starter driving unit is out of order,

wherein the prohibiting unit prohibits the control unit from performing the eco-run control in a case where the nullifying unit nullifies the failure test by the test unit during a test period in which the test unit performs the failure test.

2. The eco-run control device as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the starter driving unit is connected to a storage battery for storing electric power through a power switch of which a connection state changes with a predetermined condition, and

wherein the test unit is connected directly to the storage battery without the power switch.

3. The eco-run control device as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the prohibiting unit prohibits the control unit from performing the eco-run control until the prohibiting unit determines that the failure test is completed, and

wherein the nullifying unit causes the prohibiting unit not to determine that the failure test is completed even when the failure test is completed, to nullify the failure test when it is detected that the power supply voltage supplied to the starter driving unit drops below the predetermined value during the test period.

4. The eco-run control device as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the prohibiting unit prohibits the control unit from performing the eco-run control until the test unit completes the failure test, and

wherein the nullifying unit causes the test unit not to perform the failure test, to nullify the failure test when it is detected that the power supply voltage supplied to the starter driving unit drops below the predetermined value during the test period.

5. The eco-run control device as set forth in claim 3,

wherein the test unit operates a circuit constituting a part of the starter driving unit with a predetermined pattern in the test period, and

wherein the nullifying unit nullifies the failure test when it is detected that the power supply voltage supplied to the starter driving unit drops below the predetermined value during the test unit operates the circuit with the predetermined pattern.

6. The eco-run control device as set forth in claim 4,

wherein the test unit operates a circuit constituting a part of the starter driving unit with a predetermined pattern in the test period, and

wherein the nullifying unit nullifies the failure test when it is detected that the power supply voltage supplied to the starter driving unit drops below the predetermined value during the test unit operates the circuit with the predetermined pattern.

7. An eco-run control method, comprising:

performing an eco-run control of stopping an engine on the basis of stop conditions and of restarting the engine on the basis of restart conditions;

performing a failure test of a starter driving unit which is configured to drive a starter for restarting the engine, to determine whether the starter driving unit is out of order before the engine is stopped by the eco-run control;

nullifying the failure test when a power supply voltage supplied to the starter driving unit drops below a predetermined value;

prohibiting performing the eco-run control when it is determined that the starter driving unit is out of order; and

prohibiting performing the eco-run control in a case where the failure test is nullified during a test period in which the failure test is performed.