Engine automatic start stop control apparatus

• US 6,504,259 B1
• Filed: 08/14/2000
• Issued: 01/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Matsubara, Atsushi, Kitajima, Shinichi, Kuroda, Shigetaka, Kiyomiya, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Waks, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US09/637,251
• Time in Patent Office: 876 Days
• Field of Search: 290/40.C, 290/40.A, 290/40.R, 290/38.E, 290/51, 477/167, 477/181, 477/184, 180/65.2, 180/65.3, 123/179.3, 123/179.4
• US Class Current: 290/40.00C
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/46 Series type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/543 the transmission being a continuously variable transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/441 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/40 Controlling the engagement or disengagement of prime movers, e.g. for transition between prime movers power-up or power-down of the driveline B60W30/192
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0208 Clutch engagement state, e.g. engaged or disengaged
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0638 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/14 Clutch pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0818 Conditions for starting or stopping the engine or for deactivating the idle-start-stop mode
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/022 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/023 Engine temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/061 Battery state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/0801 : Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/0802 : Transmission state, e.g. gear ratio or neutral state
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/0806 : Air condition state
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/0807 : Brake booster state
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/122 : Atmospheric temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/14 : said parameter being related to wear of starter or other components, e.g. based on total number of starts or age
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2250/06 : Engine stall and related control features, e.g. for automatic restart
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2300/302 : using data communication
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/66 : specially adapted for continuously variable gearings control of exclusively fluid gearing F16H61/38
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 : Engine management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 : having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/917 : with transmission for changing gear ratio
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/918 : Continuously variable

Abstract

An engine automatic start stop control apparatus controls an engine of a vehicle to be automatically stopped or started in response to driving conditions of a vehicle. Particularly, the apparatus is applied to the vehicle that performs idle stop control for reduction of discharge gas. Herein, the apparatus controls the engine to restart based upon determination for restarting the engine under an engine stop mode. Namely, the apparatus controls the engine to restart if a driver depresses a clutch pedal or if a driver does not depress a brake pedal during an engine stall in which engine speed becomes zero. Thus, it is possible to restart the engine by prescribed operations even if the driver mistakenly recognizes that the engine is stopped by automatic stop control although the engine actually stalls due to an error operation of the driver so that the engine speed becomes zero. This improves drivability for the driver who handles the vehicle, particularly a hybrid vehicle which is capable of independently running by using an electric motor only.

Claims

1. An engine automatic start stop control apparatus that controls an engine to be automatically stopped and started in response to driving conditions of a hybrid vehicle, comprising:

an internal combustion engine cooperating with an electric motor to drive the hybrid vehicle;

an engine speed detection device for detecting an engine speed of the engine;

a clutch detection device for detecting a depression of a clutch pedal;

an automatic stop detection device for detecting an idle stop of the engine; and

an automatic start device for automatically starting the engine if the clutch detection device detects the depression of the clutch pedal, the engine speed detection device detects that the engine speed is zero, and the automatic stop detection device does not detect the idle stop of the engine.

2. An engine automatic start stop control apparatus that controls an engine to be automatically stopped and started in response to driving conditions of a hybrid vehicle, comprising:

an internal combustion engine cooperating with an electric motor to drive the hybrid vehicle;

an engine speed detection device for detecting an engine speed of the engine;

a brake detection device for detecting a depression of a brake pedal;

an automatic stop detection device for detecting an idle stop of the engine; and

an automatic start device for automatically starting the engine if the brake detection device does not detect the depression of the brake pedal, the engine speed detection device detects that the engine speed is zero, and the automatic stop detection device does not detect the idle stop of the engine.

3. A method for engine automatic start stop control in which an engine of a hybrid vehicle is controlled to be automatically stopped and started in response to driving conditions of the vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:

driving the vehicle using an internal combustion engine and an electric motor;

detecting an engine speed of the engine;

detecting a depression of a clutch pedal;

detecting an idle stop of the engine; and

automatically starting the engine if the depression of the clutch pedal is detected while the engine speed is zero and the idle stop of the engine is not detected.

4. A method for engine automatic start stop control in which an engine of a hybrid vehicle is controlled to be automatically stopped and started in response to driving conditions of the vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:

driving the vehicle using an internal combustion engine and an electric motor;

detecting an engine speed of the engine;

detecting a depression of a brake pedal;

detecting an idle stop of the engine; and

automatically starting the engine if the depression of the brake pedal is not detected while the engine speed is zero and the idle stop of the engine is not detected.