Device And Method For Determining The Starting Capability Of An Internal Combustion Engine

• US 20150345458A1
• Filed: 11/17/2011
• Published: 12/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Hans-Michael Graf, Horst Gering, Martin Schramme, Matthias Munch, Reinhard Tendler, Thomas Klement, Wolfgang Weigert
• Inventors: SCHRAMME, Martin, GERING, Horst, WEIGERT, Wolfgang, MNCH, Matthias, KLEMENT, Thomas, GRAF, Hans-Michael, TENDLER, Reinhard, FRIEDRICHSOHN, Oliver
• Granted Patent: US 9,689,367 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 11/108 for diagnosis of the starter or its components
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3647 for determining the ability of a battery to perform a critical function, e.g. cranking
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A method for determining the starting capability of an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, which can be started by an electric motor powered by a battery, including detecting first battery parameter values during a successful starting sequence of the internal combustion engine at a first time, detecting second battery parameter values at a second time following the first time, determining at the second time the expected battery voltage for a starting sequence of the internal combustion engine taking place at a third time based on of the detected first and second battery parameter values, and comparing the battery voltage expected at the third time with a predetermined threshold value in order to derive therefrom the starting capability of the internal combustion engine.

Claims

1-8. -8. (canceled)

9. A method for determining a starting capability of an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle that is started by an electric motor supplied by a battery, comprising:

detecting first battery parameter values at a first time during a successful first starting process of the internal combustion engine;

detecting second battery parameter values at a second time following the first time;

determining, at the second time an expected battery voltage for a starting process of the internal combustion engine at a third time based at least in part on the detected first and second battery parameter values;

comparing the expected battery voltage at the third time with a predefined threshold value; and

deriving a starting capability of the internal combustion engine.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the starting capability is present if the expected battery voltage at the third time is equal to or greater than the predefined threshold value.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein an internal combustion engine is running at the second time and is stopped only if the starting capability of the internal combustion engine is present at the third time.

12. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein an internal combustion engine that is stopped at the second time is restarted if the starting capability of the internal combustion engine is no longer present at the third time.

13. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first and second parameters comprise at least one of a battery voltage and a battery temperature.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first and second parameters further comprise a voltage between a negative pole of the battery and a point on a vehicle bodywork through which current flow is measured.

15. A device for determining a starting capability of an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle that is started by an electric motor supplied by a battery, comprising:

at least one sensor configured to;

detect first battery parameter values during a successful starting process of the internal combustion engine at a first time; and

detect second battery parameter values at a second time following the first time;

an evaluation unit configured to;

determine, at the second time, an expected battery voltage for a starting process of the internal combustion engine at a third time based at least in part on the detected first and second battery parameter values; and

compare the expected battery voltage at the third time with a predefined threshold value to derive a starting capability of the internal combustion engine.

16. The device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the evaluation unit is configured to actuate the at least one sensor to detect the first and second battery parameter values at the first and second times.