Method and apparatus for automatically stopping engine idling of automotive vehicle during stop of vehicle

• US 6,308,129 B1
• Filed: 12/23/1999
• Issued: 10/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Uchida, Masaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Dolinar, Andrew M.
• Application Number:
  US09/471,124
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 701/112, 477/203-206, 123/179.4, 290/38.E
• US Class Current: 701/112
• 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 11/0822 related to action of the driver
• 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 2300/2004 using adaptive control
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

In method and apparatus for automatically stopping an engine idling for an automotive vehicle, a vehicular velocity it detected, a brake manipulated variable of a brake manipulator is detected, the brake manipulated variable is compared with a predetermined criterion to determine whether a brake manipulator is operated, the engine is stopped when the vehicular velocity is detected to be zero and the brake manipulator is determined to be operated, the engine is re-stated when an operation of the brake manipulator is released the brake manipulated variable is determined after the vehicular velocity is zero and the brake manipulator is operated, and the predetermined criterion is updated on the basis of the learning value.

Claims

1. A method for automatically stopping an engine idling for an automotive vehicle, comprising:

detecting a vehicular velocity;

detecting a brake manipulated variable of a brake manipulator;

comparing the brake manipulated variable with a predetermined criterion of the brake pedal manipulation to determine whether a brake manipulator is operated;

stopping the engine when detecting that the vehicular velocity is zero and determining that the brake manipulator is operated;

re-starting the engine when an operation of the brake manipulator is released;

determining a learning value of the brake manipulated variable after the vehicular velocity is zero and determining that the brake manipulator is operated; and

updating the predetermined criterion on the basis of the learning value.

2. A method for automatically stopping an engine idling for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the brake manipulated variable learning value is learned during a duration in time from a time at which the vehicular velocity is zero to a time at which the brake manipulator is operated.

3. A method for a automatically stopping an engine idling for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 1, further comprising setting a delay time duration from a time at which the vehicular velocity is zero and the brake manipulator is operated to a time at which the engine is stopped and wherein the brake manipulated variable learning value is learned during the set delay time.

4. A method for automatically stopping an engine idling for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 3, wherein an average value aveSB of the brake manipulated variable during a predetermined interval of time for the delay time duration is the learning value.

5. A method for automatically stopping an engine idling for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 4, wherein the learning of the brake manipulated variable learning value is inhibited when a deviation between maximum and minimum values of the brake manipulated variables during the predetermined interval of time is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

6. A method for automatically stoppling an engine idling for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 5, wherein the predetermined value #X is equal to or less than 50% the average value aveSB of the brake manipulated variable.

7. A method for automatically stopping an engine idling for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 4, wherein the predetermined criterion is updated to a predetermined small value by a predetermined value #Y from the learning value.

8. A method for automatically stopping an engine idling for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 7, wherein the predetermined value #Y is equal to or greater than a deviation from the average value aveSB to the minimum value minSB.

9. A method for automatically stopping an engine idling for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 8, wherein the average value aveSB is calculated as follows:

aveSB=aveSB (1−

k)+SB k (, wherein k denotes a constant).

10. A method for automatically stopping an engine idling for an automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 9, wherein the brake manipulator is a brake pedal.

11. An apparatus for automatically stopping an engine idling for an automotive vehicle, comprising;

a vehicular velocity sensor to detect a vehicular velocity;

a brake sensor to detect a brake manipulated variable;

a controller programmed to compare the brake manipulated variable with a predetermined criterion to determine whether a brake manipulator is operated, to stop the engine when the vehicular velocity is detected to be zero and determining that the brake manipulator is operated, the engine being re-started when an operation of the brake manipulator is released, to determine a learning value of the brake manipulated variable after the vehicular velocity is zero and determining that the brake manipulator Is operated, and to update the predetermined criterion on the basis of the learning value.

12. An apparatus for automatically stopping an engine idling for an automotive vehicle, comprising:

means for detecting a vehicular velocity;

means for detecting a brake depression angle of a brake pedal;

means for comparing the brake depression angle with a predetermined criterion of the brake pedal depression angle to determine whether the brake pedal is depressed;

means for stopping the engine when detecting that the vehicular velocity is zero and the comparing means determines that the brake pedal is depressed;

means for re-starting the engine when a depression of the brake pedal is released;

means for determining a learning value of the brake pedal depression angle after the vehicular velocity is zero and determining that the brake pedal is depressed; and

means for updating the predetermined criterion on the basis of the learning value.