VEHICLE CONTROL APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING START AND STOP OF AN ENGINE OF A VEHICLE, ESPECIALLY WHEN A HOOD OF THE ENGINE IS OPEN

• US 20130018570A1
• Filed: 02/25/2011
• Published: 01/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Moriya, Kouki
• Granted Patent: US 9,103,312 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/112
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/12 responsive to conditions relating to doors or doors locks, e.g. open door
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/06 Ignition switch
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/14 Clutch pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/192 Mitigating problems related to power-up or power-down of the driveline, e.g. start-up of a cold engine
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0833 Vehicle conditions F02N11/0822, F02N11/0825 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/0814 Bonnet switches
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A vehicle control apparatus includes: detecting means (3) for detecting an open state or closed state of a hood of an engine room of a vehicle; control means (1) for controlling a power supply to an onboard device each time an input operation is performed on a switch (2); and drive control means (4) for starting or stopping an engine of the vehicle in accordance with whether or not a state of the vehicle satisfies a predetermined condition. The control means stops the power supply to the onboard device if the input operation is performed on the switch when the detecting means detects that the hood is open in a state where the engine has been stopped by the drive control means.

Claims

1-3. -3. (canceled)

4. A vehicle control apparatus capable of controlling a power supply to an onboard device installed in a vehicle by performing an input operation on a switch, the apparatus comprising:

detecting means for detecting an open state or closed state of a hood of an engine room of the vehicle;

control means for controlling the power supply to the onboard device each time the input operation is performed on the switch; and

drive control means for starting or stopping an engine of the vehicle in an idling stop mode in accordance with whether or not a state of the vehicle satisfies a predetermined condition,

wherein, if the input operation is performed on the switch when the detecting means detects that the hood is open in a state where the engine of the vehicle is temporarily stopped in the idling stop mode by the drive control means, the control means turns off the power supply to the vehicle;

wherein the switch is a pushdown switch that performs input when pressed by a user.

5. A vehicle control apparatus capable of controlling a power supply to an onboard device installed in a vehicle by performing an input operation on a switch, the apparatus comprising:

a detecting portion that detects an open/closed state of a hood of an engine room of the vehicle;

a control portion that controls the power supply to the onboard device each time the input operation is performed on the switch; and

a drive control portion that starts or stops an engine of the vehicle in an idling stop mode in accordance with whether or not a state of the vehicle satisfies a predetermined condition,

wherein, if the input operation is performed on the switch by a user when the detecting portion detects that the hood is open in a state where the engine of the vehicle has been temporarily stopped in the idling stop mode by the drive control portion, the control portion turns off the power supply to the vehicle.

6. A vehicle control method for controlling a power supply to an onboard device installed in a vehicle by performing an input operation on a switch, the method comprising:

detecting an open state or closed state of a hood of an engine room of the vehicle;

automatically starting or stopping an engine of the vehicle in an idling stop mode in accordance with whether or not a state of the vehicle satisfies a predetermined condition; and

turning off the power supply to the vehicle if the input operation is performed on the switch by a user when the hood is detected to be open in a state where the engine of the vehicle has been temporarily stopped in the idling stop mode.