ENGINE AUTOMATIC STOPPING DEVICE AND ENGINE AUTOMATIC STOPPING METHOD

• US 20130131966A1
• Filed: 07/22/2011
• Published: 05/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hirano, Masahiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,249,741 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/112
• 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 28/00 Programme-control of engines
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/02 peculiar to engines driving vehicles; peculiar to engines driving variable pitch propellers
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0837 Environmental conditions thereof, e.g. traffic, weather or road conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/124 Information about road conditions, e.g. road inclination or surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

An internal combustion engine (2) of a vehicle (1A, 1B) is automatically stopped when a first automatic stopping condition is established while the vehicle is stationary or a second automatic stopping condition is established while the vehicle travels. The first automatic stopping condition requires a road gradient equal to or smaller than a first gradient threshold, and the second automatic stopping condition requires the road gradient equal to or smaller than a second gradient threshold. By setting the second gradient threshold at a smaller value than the first gradient threshold, a feeling of unease experienced by a driver when the engine is stopped on a slope is reduced.

Claims

1. An engine automatic stopping device for an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, configured comprising a programmable controller programmed to:

automatically stop the internal combustion engine when a first automatic stopping condition is established while the vehicle is stationary; and

automatically stop the internal combustion engine when a second automatic stopping condition is established while the vehicle travels,

wherein the first automatic stopping condition requires a road gradient equal to or smaller than a first gradient threshold, the second automatic stopping condition requires the road gradient equal to or smaller than a second gradient threshold, and the second gradient threshold is set at a smaller value than the first gradient threshold.

2. The engine automatic stopping device as defined in claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises an automatic transmission, and a torque converter that connects the internal combustion engine to the automatic transmission.

3. The engine automatic stopping device as defined in claim 1, wherein the controller is further programmed to:

restart the internal combustion engine when a first restarting condition is established after the internal combustion engine has been automatically stopped due to establishment of the first automatic stopping condition, wherein the vehicle comprises a manual transmission, a clutch that engages the internal combustion engine to the manual transmission, and a clutch pedal which, when depressed, blocks engagement between the internal combustion engine and the manual transmission by the clutch, the first restarting condition being set to be established when the clutch pedal is depressed; and

restart the internal combustion engine when a second restarting condition is established after the internal combustion engine has been automatically stopped due to establishment of the second automatic stopping condition, wherein the vehicle comprises a brake pedal and an accelerator pedal, the second restarting condition being set to be established when, following depression of the clutch pedal, the brake pedal is released or the accelerator pedal is depressed.

4. An engine automatic stopping method for automatically stopping an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, comprising:

automatically stopping the vehicle when a first automatic stopping condition is established while the vehicle is stationary; and

automatically stopping the vehicle when a second automatic stopping condition is established while the vehicle travels,

wherein the first automatic stopping condition requires a road gradient equal to or smaller than a first gradient threshold, the second automatic stopping condition requires the road gradient equal to or smaller than a second gradient threshold, and the second gradient threshold is set at a smaller value than the first gradient threshold.

5. An engine automatic stopping device for an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, comprising:

means for automatically stopping the internal combustion engine when a first automatic stopping condition is established while the vehicle is stationary; and

means for automatically stopping the internal combustion engine when a second automatic stopping condition is established while the vehicle -travels,

wherein the first automatic stopping condition requires a road gradient equal to or smaller than a first gradient threshold, the second automatic stopping condition requires the road gradient equal to or smaller than a second gradient threshold, and the second gradient threshold is set at a smaller value than the first gradient threshold.