Control apparatus and a control method for a vehicle

• US 6,260,539 B1
• Filed: 01/19/2000
• Issued: 07/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Minowa, Toshimichi, Ishii, Junichi, Kuragaki, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): WOLFE JR, WILLIS RAY
• Application Number:
  US09/487,595
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 123/335, 123/361, 123/396, 123/399, 123/436, 123/478, 123/480, 123/486, 477/107, 477/110, 477/111, 180/167, 180/168, 180/169, 180/170, 180/178, 180/179, 180/69.4, 340/901, 340/903, 340/905, 340/435, 701/103, 701/104, 701/105, 701/110, 701/115, 701/117, 701/118, 701/119
• US Class Current: 123/478
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0236 for economical driving
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 11/105 characterised by the function converting demand to actuation, e.g. a map indicating relations between an accelerator pedal position and throttle valve opening or target engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/501 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/602 Pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/702 Road conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2250/18 Control of the engine output torque
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2400/12 Engine control specially adapted for a transmission comprising a torque converter or for continuously variable transmissions
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 35/0015 using exhaust gas sensors F02D41/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/021 Introducing corrections for particular conditions exterior to the engine conjoint control of vehicle sub-units for propelling the vehicle B60W30/18
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/023 in relation with the gear ratio shifting conjoint control for improving gear change B60W30/19
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/14 Introducing closed-loop corrections
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1479 Using a comparator with variable reference
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1486 with correction for particular operating conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/2406 using essentially read only memories
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

A control device and a control method capable of eliminating a torque variation in changing an air/fuel ratio and establishing a compatibility of promotion in fuel economy with promotion in drivability is provided. The device includes an outer environment detector for detecting an outer environment in running a vehicle, a running environment determining device for predicting a current running environment in accordance with the outer environment, a data storage device for storing data for changing a driving characteristic, a selecting device for selecting the data, a control quantity calculator for calculating a control quantity based on the data, and a control actuator for controlling a control object. The engine output is efficiently utilized since the air/fuel ratio is changed in accordance with the change in the running environment, and the fuel cost reduction and the promotion of the drivability can be achieved since the selecting of the air/fuel ratio is performed in accordance with the running environment.

Claims

1. A control apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

an environment condition detector supplying environmental information;

a controller that receives the environmental information and determines an air/fuel ratio control signal as a function of the environmental information, said air/fuel ratio control signal being used to control the air/fuel ratio in the vehicle.

2. A control apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

an environment condition detector supplying environmental information;

a controller that receives the environmental information and determines an air/fuel ratio control signal and a throttle valve opening control signal as a function of the environmental information, said air/fuel ratio control signal and said throttle valve opening control signal being used to control the air/fuel ratio and the throttle valve opening in the vehicle.

3. A control method for a vehicle, comprising:

detecting environmental information about the environment in which a vehicle is operating;

determining an air/fuel ratio control signal as a function of the environmental information; and

controlling the air/fuel ratio in the vehicle using said air/fuel ratio control signal.

4. A control method for a vehicle, comprising:

detecting environmental information about the environment in which a vehicle is operating;

determining an air/fuel ratio control signal and a target driving torque control signal as a function of the environmental information; and

controlling the air/fuel ratio and the target driving torque in the vehicle using the air/fuel ratio control signal and the target driving torque control signal.

5. A control method for a vehicle, comprising:

detecting environmental information about the environment in which a vehicle is operating;

determining an air/fuel ratio control signal and a throttle valve opening control signal as a function of the environmental information; and

controlling the air/fuel ratio and the throttle valve opening in the vehicle using the air/fuel ratio control signal and the throttle valve opening control signal.

6. A control method for a vehicle, comprising:

detecting environmental information about the environment in which a vehicle is operating;

determining an air/fuel ratio control signal, a target driving torque control signal and a throttle valve opening control signal as a function of the environmental information; and

controlling the air/fuel ratio, the target driving torque and the throttle valve opening in the vehicle using said air/fuel ratio control signal, said target driving torque control signal and said throttle valve opening control signal.

7. A control method for a vehicle, comprising:

detecting environmental information about the environment in which a vehicle is operating;

determining an air/fuel ratio control signal, a target driving torque control signal and a throttle valve opening control signal as a function of the environmental information; and

wherein the controlling act correlates the air/fuel ratio, the target driving torque and the throttle valve opening in order to control the vehicle.

8. A control apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

an environment condition detector supplying environmental information;

a controller that receives the environmental information and determines an air/fuel ratio control signal and a target driving torque control signal as a function of the environmental information, said air/fuel ratio control signal and said target driving torque control signal being used to control the air/fuel ratio and the target driving torque in the vehicle.

9. The control apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising an accelerator signal input to said controller, said controller utilizing the accelerator signal in determining the target driving torque used in determining the throttle valve opening.

10. A control apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

an environment condition detector supplying environmental information;

a controller that receives the environmental information and determines an air/fuel ratio control signal, a target driving torque control signal and a throttle valve opening control signal as a function of the environmental information, said air/fuel ratio control signal, said target driving torque control signal and said throttle valve opening control signal being used to control the air/fuel ratio, the target driving torque and the throttle valve opening in the vehicle.

11. The control apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising an accelerator signal input to said controller, said controller utilizing the accelerator signal in determining the target driving torque used in determining the throttle valve opening.

12. A control apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

an environment condition detector supplying environmental information;

a controller that receives the environmental information, said controller determining an air/fuel ratio, a target driving torque and a throttle valve opening as a function of the environmental information, said air/fuel ratio, said target driving torque and said throttle valve opening being correlated with one another to control the vehicle.

13. The control apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising an accelerator signal input to said controller, said controller utilizing the accelerator signal in determining the target driving torque used in determining the throttle valve opening.