Automatic engine-stop control apparatus for internal combustion engine

• US 6,251,046 B1
• Filed: 02/10/2000
• Issued: 06/26/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ogane, Hiroaki, Uchida, Masaaki, Yoshino, Takahiro, Nakajima, Yuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Wright, Dirk
• Application Number:
  US09/501,597
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• Field of Search: 701/112, 477/183, 477/187, 477/205
• US Class Current: 477/187
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18018 Start-stop drive, e.g. in a traffic jam
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 17/04 rendering engines inoperative or idling, e.g. caused by abnormal conditions dependent on lubricating conditions F01M1/22; dependent on cooling F01P5/14
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0833 Vehicle conditions F02N11/0822, F02N11/0825 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/0801 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/101 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/102 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

An automatic engine-stop control apparatus for a vehicle includes a vehicle speed sensor and a brake pedal depression sensor which are coupled to a control unit. The control unit is programmed to decide that the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor is smaller than or equal to a predetermined stop expected speed when the brake pedal depression sensor detects that the brake pedal is depressed, and to decide that the vehicle is stopped when a predetermined time period elapses from a moment that the vehicle speed becomes smaller than or equal to the predetermined stop expected speed and when the depression of the brake pedal is continued.

Claims

1. An automatic engine-stop control apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle speed sensor outputting a vehicle speed indicative signal;

a brake pedal depression sensor outputting a signal indicative that a brake pedal is depressed; and

a control unit coupled to said vehicle speed sensor and said brake pedal depression sensor, said control unit being programmed to decide that the detected vehicle speed is smaller than or equal to a predetermined stop expected speed when the brake pedal is depressed, and to decide that the vehicle is stopped when a predetermined time period elapses from a moment that the detected vehicle speed becomes smaller than or equal to the predetermined stop expected speed and when the depression of the brake pedal is continued.

2. An automatic engine-stop control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control unit previously stores the predetermined time period therein.

3. An automatic engine-stop control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control unit is programmed to determine a low-speed coasting time generated by decreasing the depression of the brake pedal just before the vehicle is stopped, and to determine the predetermined time on the basis of the low-speed coasting time.

4. An automatic engine-stop control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control unit is programmed to calculate a deceleration of the vehicle at a moment just before the detected vehicle speed becomes smaller than or equal to the predetermined stop expected speed and to determine the predetermined time period on the basis of the calculated value of the deceleration.

5. An automatic engine-stop control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a braking force detector for detecting a braking force caused by the depression of the brake pedal, said control unit being coupled to said braking force detector and determining the predetermined time period on the basis of the detected braking force.

6. An automatic engine-stop control apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said braking force detector includes a brake pressure sensor which detects a brake hydraulic pressure of a braking apparatus of the vehicle.

7. An automatic engine-stop control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an acceleration opening sensor for outputting a signal indicative of the depression amount, said control unit being coupled to said acceleration opening sensor and being programmed to stop deciding that the vehicle is stopped when the acceleration pedal is depressed.

8. An automatic engine-stop control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control unit commands a fuel injector of the engine to stop injecting fuel.

9. An automatic engine-stop control apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

vehicle speed detecting means for detecting a vehicle speed of the vehicle;

braking detecting means for detecting that a braking of the vehicle is executed by a driver of the vehicle;

vehicle speed deciding means for deciding that the detected vehicle speed is smaller than or equal to a predetermined stop expected speed; and

running stop deciding means for deciding that the vehicle is stopped when a predetermined time period elapses from a moment that the detected vehicle speed becomes smaller than or equal to the predetermined stop expected speed and when the braking is continued.

10. A method for executing an automatic stop of the engine, the method comprising:

detecting a vehicle speed of a vehicle;

detecting that a braking of the vehicle is executed by a driver of the vehicle;

deciding that the vehicle speed is smaller than or equal to a predetermined stop expected speed when the braking is executed; and

deciding that the vehicle is stopped when a predetermined time period elapses from a moment that the vehicle speed becomes smaller than or equal to the predetermined stop expected speed and when the braking is continued.

11. A vehicle-stop deciding apparatus of a vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle speed sensor outputting a vehicle speed indicative signal;

a brake pedal depression sensor outputting a signal indicative that a brake pedal is depressed; and

a control unit coupled to said vehicle speed sensor and said brake pedal depression sensor, said control unit being programmed to decide that the detected vehicle speed is smaller than or equal to a predetermined stop expected speed when the brake pedal is depressed, and to decide that the vehicle is stopped when a predetermined time period elapses from a moment that the detected vehicle speed becomes smaller than or equal to the predetermined stop expected speed and when the depression of the brake pedal is continued.

12. A method for deciding a stop of a vehicle, the method comprising:

detecting a vehicle speed of the vehicle;

detecting that a braking of the vehicle is executed by a driver of the vehicle;

deciding that the vehicle speed is smaller than or equal to a predetermined stop expected speed when the braking is executed; and

deciding that the vehicle is stopped when a predetermined time period elapses from a moment that the vehicle speed becomes smaller than or equal to the predetermined stop expected speed and when the braking is continued.