Engine automatic control system

• US 20120029730A1
• Filed: 07/28/2011
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Nagura, Michinaga, Hashimoto, Naoe
• Granted Patent: US 8,532,843 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0837 Environmental conditions thereof, e.g. traffic, weather or road conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/125 Information about other vehicles, traffic lights or traffic congestion
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2300/306 with external senders or receivers, e.g. receiving signals from traffic lights, other vehicles or base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A roadside communicator in a roadside around an intersection transmits, to vehicles around the intersection, traffic light information on traffic light at the intersection and mobile object information on vehicles and pedestrians around the intersection. An in-vehicle communicator mounted in a subject vehicle acquires the traffic light information and the mobile object information. An in-vehicle engine start determination section mounted in the subject vehicle determines a permission or prohibition of a start of an engine of the subject vehicle based on the traffic light information and mobile object information. The engine start determination section determines an engine start time in consideration of a display of the traffic light, and states of mobile objects that pass through the intersection. An in-vehicle engine control section in the subject vehicle starts the engine when the engine start determination section permits the start of the engine.

Claims

1. An engine automatic control system comprising:

a roadside mobile detection device provided at an intersection to detect a mobile object that passes through the intersection;

a traffic light information acquisition device to acquire traffic light information on traffic light at the intersection, the traffic light information containing a light switchover time schedule that indicates a switchover time schedule between different signals of the traffic light;

a roadside information transmission device provided at the intersection to transmit the mobile object information detected by the roadside mobile detection device and the traffic light information acquired by the traffic light information acquisition device;

an in-vehicle information acquisition device provided in a vehicle to acquire the mobile object information and the traffic light information transmitted from the roadside information transmission device;

an engine start determination section provided in the vehicle to determine a permission or a prohibition of starting an engine of the vehicle, the engine being in a stop state, based on the traffic light information and the mobile object information which are acquired by the in-vehicle information acquisition device; and

an engine control section provided in the vehicle to start the engine of the vehicle, the engine being in the stop state, when the engine start determination section determines the permission of starting the engine.

2. The engine automatic control system according to claim 1, wherein:

the roadside mobile detection device detects, as the mobile object information, vehicle information which indicates a vehicle that passes through the intersection; and

the engine start determination section determines the permission or prohibition of starting the engine based on the traffic light information and the mobile object information including the vehicle information indicating the vehicle that passes through the intersection.

3. The engine automatic control system according to claim 1, wherein:

the roadside mobile detection device detects, as the mobile object information, pedestrian information which indicates a pedestrian that passes through the intersection; and

the engine start determination section determines the permission or prohibition of starting the engine based on the traffic light information and the mobile object information including the pedestrian information indicating the pedestrian that passes through the intersection.

4. The engine automatic control system according to claim 1, wherein:

in cases that the engine start determination section of a subject vehicle determines, based on the traffic light information and the mobile object information, that (i) the traffic light information indicates a permission signal permitting of entering the intersection for the subject vehicle, (ii) there are stopping preceding vehicles ahead of the subject vehicle and then (iii) a tracking target vehicle among the preceding vehicles started forward movement, the tracking target vehicle being positioned such that at least one preceding vehicle is sandwiched in between the tracking target vehicle and the subject vehicle,

the engine start determination section of the subject vehicle an engine of which is in the stop state determines the permission of starting the engine.

5. The engine automatic control system according to claim 4, wherein:

the roadside mobile detection device detects, as the mobile object information, a distance between a vehicle and the intersection; and

the engine start determination section of the subject vehicle determines that the tracking target vehicle started the forward movement based on a distance between the intersection and the tracking target vehicle, the distance being included in the mobile object information.

6. The engine automatic control system according to claim 1, wherein:

the roadside mobile detection device detects, as the mobile object information, a speed of a vehicle and a distance between the vehicle and the intersection; and

in cases that a subject vehicle is in a turn waiting state so as to cross over an oncoming traffic lane and then enter a crossroad of the intersection,

the engine start determination section of the subject vehicle

calculates an estimate of an intersection arrival time duration for which an oncoming vehicle on the oncoming traffic lane, based on a distance between the intersection and the oncoming vehicle and a speed of the oncoming vehicle, the distance and the speed being included in the mobile object information, and

determines the permission or prohibition of starting the engine based on the calculated estimate of the intersection arrival time duration.

7. The engine automatic control system according to claim 1, wherein:

in cases that a subject vehicle is in a turn waiting state so as to enter a cross road at the intersection,

the engine start determination section of the subject vehicle determines the permission or prohibition of starting the engine of the subject vehicle by determining whether there is existing a pedestrian who crosses the cross road or is expected to enter the cross road based on pedestrian information included in the mobile object information.

8. The engine automatic control system according to claim 7, wherein:

the engine start determination section of the subject vehicle determines the permission or prohibition of starting the engine by determining a crossing state of the pedestrian who crosses the cross road.

9. The engine automatic control system according to claim 1, wherein:

in cases that although the engine start determination section of a subject vehicle determines a presence of at least one of a different vehicle and a pedestrian to enter the intersection, the engine start determination section is unable to identify a speed or distance of the at least one,

the engine start determination section determines the prohibition of starting the engine.

10. The engine automatic control system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a turn indicator provided in a vehicle to indicate a turn direction of the vehicle, wherein

in cases that the traffic light information indicates an auxiliary entrance permission signal to permit an auxiliary entrance to a predetermined turn direction at the intersection while indicating a prohibition signal to prohibit the vehicle from entering the intersection,

the engine start determination section of a subject vehicle determines the permission or prohibition of starting the engine of the subject vehicle based on the turn direction indicated by the turn indicator of the subject vehicle and the predetermined turn direction permitted by the auxiliary entrance permission signal indicated by the traffic light information.

11. The engine automatic control system according to claim 1, wherein

in cases that the traffic light information indicates a prohibition signal prohibiting the vehicle from entering the intersection while indicating no auxiliary entrance permission signal to permit an auxiliary entrance to a predetermined turn direction of the intersection,

the engine start determination section of a subject vehicle determines the prohibition of starting the engine of the subject vehicle when determining that a position of the subject vehicle specified from the mobile object information is located short of a stop line before entering the intersection.

12. The engine automatic control system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an input device provided in a vehicle to input an instruction to restart the engine from a driver of the vehicle,

wherein

in cases that the input device of a subject vehicle inputs an instruction to restart the engine of the subject vehicle,

the engine start determination section of the subject vehicle determines the permission of starting the engine of the subject vehicle even when determining the prohibition of the starting the engine of the subject vehicle based on the traffic light information and the mobile object information.

13. The engine automatic control system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a position detection device provided in a vehicle to detect a present position of the vehicle,

wherein the engine start determination section of a subject vehicle detects how many preceding vehicles, which are in a traffic light waiting state, precede ahead of the subject vehicle by identifying the present position of the subject vehicle detected by the position detection device of the subject vehicle among vehicles indicated by the mobile object information.

14. The engine automatic control system according to claim 1, wherein:

the engine start determination section of a subject vehicle determines the prohibition of starting the engine of the subject vehicle

in cases that based on the mobile object information it is determined that the subject vehicle needs to stop inside of the intersection before passing through the intersection because it is determined that there is no room at a position after passing through the intersection.

15. The engine automatic control system according to claim 1, wherein:

the engine start determination section of a subject vehicle determines the permission of starting the engine of the subject vehicle in cases that it is determined that an oncoming vehicle stops short of the intersection before entering the intersection based on the traffic light information relative to an oncoming traffic lane.

16. The engine automatic control system according to claim 1, wherein:

the engine start determination section of a subject vehicle determine the permission of starting the engine of the subject vehicle

in cases that it is determined based on the mobile object information that an oncoming vehicle stops before entering the intersection due to a traffic state at a position after entering the intersection, the traffic state disabling a passage of the intersection by the oncoming vehicle.

17. The engine automatic control system according to claim 1, wherein

the engine start determination section of a subject vehicle determines the permission of starting the engine of the subject vehicle

in cases that it is determined that a pedestrian already finishes crossing over a traffic lane the subject vehicle is entering.

18. The engine automatic control system according to claim 1, wherein:

the engine start determination section of a subject vehicle calculates an arrival time duration for which a pedestrian arrives at a traffic lane of a cross road the subject vehicle is going to enter; and

the engine start determination section of the subject vehicle determines the permission of starting the engine of the subject vehicle in cases that it is determined that the calculated arrival time duration of the pedestrian is long enough to secure a safety of the pedestrian even when the subject vehicle enters the traffic lane of the cross road.

19. The engine automatic control system according to claim 1, wherein

in cases that a subject vehicle is stopping at a position short of a stop line before entering the intersection in a left turn waiting state in a right-hand traffic,

the engine start determination section of the subject vehicle determines the prohibition of starting the engine of the subject vehicle when it is determined that the subject vehicle is unable to finish a left turn within a time duration for which an auxiliary left-turn permission signal is being displayed because of a plurality of preceding vehicles existing inside of the intersection.

20. The engine automatic control system according to claim 1, wherein

in cases that a subject vehicle is stopping at a position short of a stop line before entering the intersection in a right turn waiting state in a left-hand traffic,

the engine start determination section of the subject vehicle determines the prohibition of starting the engine of the subject vehicle when it is determined that the subject vehicle is unable to finish a right turn within a time duration for which an auxiliary right-turn permission signal is being displayed because of a plurality of preceding vehicles existing inside of the intersection.