CONTROL OF IDLE-STOP OPERATION

• US 20110180031A1
• Filed: 01/25/2011
• Published: 07/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: HAMANE, Shouta
• Granted Patent: US 8,511,270 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 123/179.4
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/503 Battery correction, i.e. corrections as a function of the state of the battery, its output or its type
• 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 11/0862 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 2200/061 Battery state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/063 Battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2250/02 Battery voltage drop at start, e.g. drops causing ECU reset
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2300/30 characterised by the use of digital means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

An ECM 2 performs an idle-stop operation on a vehicle internal combustion engine 4 in an idle operation state. The ECM 2 is supplied with power from a battery 3. The ECM 2 restarts the internal combustion engine 4 upon request by supplying power from the battery 3 to the starter motor 5. The ECM 2 is programmed to determine if the ECM 2 has experienced an unexpected restart during an engine start-up operation (S1, S2), and prevent the idle-stop operation from being executed on the internal combustion engine 4 when the determination is affirmative. Thus, starting failure of the internal combustion engine 4 from an operation-ceased state can be prevented without preventing the idle-stop operation from being executed excessively.

Claims

1. An idle-stop operation control device that performs an idle-stop operation on a vehicle internal combustion engine, whereby an operation of the vehicle internal combustion engine is ceased in an idle operation state and an engine start-up operation is performed on the internal combustion engine from an operation-ceased state upon request by operating a starter motor using a power of a battery, the device comprising:

a programmable controller that operates using a power supplied from the battery programmed to;

determine if the controller has experienced an unexpected restart in the course of the engine start-up operation; and

prevent the idle-stop operation from being executed on the internal combustion engine when the controller has experienced the unexpected restart in the course of the engine start-up operation.

2. The idle-stop operation control device as defined in claim 1, further comprising a sensor that detects a terminal voltage of the battery, wherein the controller is further programmed to determine if the controller is in a condition immediately after activation and determine that the controller has experienced the unexpected restart in the course of the engine start-up operation when the controller is in a condition immediately after activation and the terminal voltage of the battery is lower than a restart determining value.

3. The idle-stop operation control device as defined in claim 2, wherein the controller is further programmed to compare the terminal voltage with a battery voltage drop determining value that is lower than the restart determining value when the controller has not experienced the unexpected restart in the course of the engine start-up operation, and prevent the idle-stop operation of the internal combustion engine from being executed when the terminal voltage of the battery is lower than the battery voltage drop determining value.

4. The idle-stop operation control device as defined in claim 2, wherein the controller is further programmed to prevent the idle-stop operation by setting an idle-stop operation prevention flag that is reset when the controller is restarted.

5. The idle-stop operation control device as defined in claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises an ignition switch that activates the controller and a starter switch that activates the starter motor in order to crank the internal combustion engine to start up in a state where the ignition switch is turned ON.

7. The idle-stop operation control device as defined in claim 3, wherein the controller is further programmed to prevent the idle-stop operation by setting an idle-stop operation prevention flag that is reset when the controller is restarted.

6. An idle-stop operation control device that performs an idle-stop operation of a vehicle internal combustion engine in which operation of the vehicle internal combustion engine, whereby an operation of the internal combustion engine is ceased in an idle operation state and an engine start-up operation is performed on the internal combustion engine from an operation-ceased state upon request by operating a starter motor using a power of a battery, the device comprising:

means for determining if the controller has experienced an unexpected restart in the course of the engine start-up operation; and

means for preventing the idle-stop operation from being executed on the internal combustion engine when the controller has experienced the unexpected restart in the course of the engine start-up operation.