Automatic starting and stopping apparatus for an engine

• US 5,451,820 A
• Filed: 06/14/1994
• Issued: 09/19/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Gotoh, deceased, Takeo, Yamamoto, Kyohei, Konishi, Keiichi, Moribayashi, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoop, Jr., William M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elms, Richard T.
• Application Number:
  US08/260,227
• Time in Patent Office: 462 Days
• Field of Search: 307/9.1, 307/10.1, 307/10.6, 307/10.3, 290/38 C, 290/38 D, 290/38 E, 123/179.3, 123/179.4, 123/198 DC, 123/198 DB, 180/282-284, 348/148, 348/149, 364/424.03, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/903, 340/905, 340/435, 340/436, 340/439
• US Class Current: 307/10.6
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/17 with provision for special action when the preceding vehicle comes to a halt, e.g. stop and go
• 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: G01S 15/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9319 Controlling the accelerator
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

The present invention relates to an automatic starting and stopping apparatus for an engine, which prolongs the lives of mechanical components such as a starter motor and which is applicable also to automatic vehicles. The automatic starting and stopping apparatus for an engine comprises a vehicle-to-vehicle distance sensor 29, which detects whether the distance from the preceding vehicle is less than a preset value, a signal color identifying and detecting device 30, which identifies whether the lit color of the signal is yellow or red, a car speed sensor 15, and a control circuit 31, which performs automatic start and stop of the engine in accordance with the detection results of the vehicle-to-vehicle distance sensor 29 and the signal color identifying and detecting apparatus 30. The control circuit 31 carries out automatic stop by cutting off the electric power to the engine ignition circuit 3 if the vehicle-to-vehicle distance is less than the preset value or the signal indicates a yellow or red light and also the car speed is zero, while it supplies electric currents to the starter 8 and the engine ignition circuit to implement automatic start when the vehicle-to-vehicle distance has reached the preset value or more or the lit signal color has changed from red to green.

Claims

1. An automatic starting and stopping apparatus for an engine, comprising:

a starter for starting an engine,

an engine ignition circuit for actuating said engine,

a condition detecting means, which detects the operation maintaining condition of said engine,

a car speed sensor, which generates a travel signal corresponding to the speed of the vehicle,

a vehicle-to-vehicle distance sensor, which detects the distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle and determines whether said vehicle-to-vehicle distance is less than a preset value, and

a controlling means, which carries out automatic stop and automatic start of said engine in accordance with the detection results of said condition detecting means, said car speed sensor, and said vehicle-to-vehicle distance sensor,

said controlling means shutting off the electric power to said engine ignition circuit to automatically stop said engine if said vehicle-to-vehicle distance is less than the preset value, said travel signal indicates a zero car speed, and no detection signal is received from said condition detecting means, while supplying electric currents to said starter and said engine ignition circuit to automatically start said engine if said vehicle-to-vehicle distance is the preset value or more.

2. An automatic starting and stopping apparatus for an engine, comprising:

a starter for starting the engine,

an engine ignition circuit for actuating said engine,

a condition detecting means, which detects the operation maintaining condition of said engine,

a car speed sensor, which generates a travel signal corresponding to the speed of the vehicle,

a signal color identifying and detecting device, which detects the lit color of a signal located in front of the vehicle and identifies whether it is yellow or red, and

a controlling means, which carries out automatic stop and automatic start of said engine in accordance with the detection results of said condition detecting means, said car speed sensor, and said signal color identify ing and detecting device,

the controlling means shutting off the electric power to said engine ignition circuit to automatically stop said engine if the lit color of said signal is yellow or red, said travel signal indicates the zero car speed, and no detection signal is received from said condition detecting means, while supplying electric currents to said starter and said engine ignition circuit to automatically start said engine when the lit color of said signal has changed from red to green.

3. The automatic starting and stopping apparatus for an engine according to claim 2, wherein said signal color identifying and detecting device comprises a camera, which photographs a range nearly equivalent to the front view of a driver of the vehicle, and a signal color identifier, which identifies the lit color of said signal from an image photographed by said camera.

4. The automatic starting and stopping apparatus for an engine according to claim 2, wherein said signal color identifying and detecting device comprises a receiver, which receives signal information transmitted from a ground station, and a signal color identifier, which identifies the lit color of said signal from the received signal information.

5. An automatic starting and stopping apparatus for an engine, comprising:

a starter for starting an engine,

an engine ignition circuit for actuating said engine,

a condition detecting means, which detects the operation maintaining condition of said engine,

a car speed sensor, which generates a travel signal corresponding to the speed of the vehicle,

a vehicle-to-vehicle distance sensor, which detects the distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle and determines whether said vehicle-to-vehicle distance is less than a preset value,

a signal color identifying and detecting device, which detects the lit color of a signal located in front of said vehicle and identifies whether it is yellow or red, and

a controlling means, which carries out automatic stop and automatic start of said engine in accordance with the detection results of said condition detecting means, said car speed sensor, said vehicle-to-vehicle distance sensor, and said signal color identifying and detecting device,

said controlling means shutting off the electric power to said engine ignition circuit to automatically stop said engine if at least said vehicle-to-vehicle distance is less than the preset value or the lit color of said signal is yellow or red, and said travel signal indicates the zero car speed, and no detection signal is received from said condition detecting means, while supplying electric currents to said starter and said engine ignition circuit to automatically start said engine when said vehicle-to-vehicle distance is the preset value or more or when the lit color of said signal has changed from red to green.

6. The automatic starting and stopping apparatus for an engine according to claim 5, wherein said signal color identifying and detecting device comprises a camera, which photographs a range nearly equivalent to the front view of the driver of the vehicle, and a signal color identifier, which identifies the lit color of said signal from an image photographed by said camera.

7. The automatic starting and stopping apparatus for an engine according to claim 5, wherein said signal color identifying and detecting device comprises a receiver, which receives signal information transmitted from a ground station, and a signal color identifier, which identifies the lit color of said signal from the received signal information.