Control apparatus for variable-cylinder engine, and control apparatus for vehicle

• US 6,629,024 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2001
• Issued: 09/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Tabata, Atsushi, Nagano, Shuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US09/949,729
• Publication Number:
  US 20020116099A1
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 701/70, 180/65.1, 180/1, 180/65.8, 477/2, 477/3, 477/4, 318/139
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/24 characterised by the combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/32 characterised by the fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/543 the transmission being a continuously variable transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/547 the transmission being a stepped gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/16 longitudinal
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/441 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/445 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/485 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/486 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/525 Temperature of converter or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/24 for controlling the temperature of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/16 for vehicles comprising converters between the power source and the motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/20 Braking by supplying regenerated power to the prime mover of vehicles comprising engine-driven generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/026 of lock-up clutches
• 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 10/18 : including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 : for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• 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 20/13 : in order to stay within battery power input or output limits; in order to prevent overcharging or battery depletion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 : Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0225 : Clutch actuator position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0604 : Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0619 : Air-fuel ratio
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0628 : Inlet air flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0638 : Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0676 : Engine temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/068 : Engine exhaust temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0685 : Engine crank angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/10 : Change speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/107 : Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 : Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/246 : Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 : Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/105 : Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 : Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 : Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/16 : Ratio selector position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0605 : Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0616 : Position of fuel or air injector
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/083 : Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18127 : Regenerative braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18136 : Engine braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/435 : Supercharger or turbochargers
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 13/04 : using engine as brake
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 13/06 : Cutting-out cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0087 : Selective cylinder activation, i.e. partial cylinder operation deceleration cut-off F02D41/123
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/123 : the fuel injection being cut-off
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0814 : comprising means for controlling automatic idle-start-stop
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 19/004 : Aiding engine start by using decompression means or variable valve actuation
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/0047 : the gear ratios comprising five forward speeds
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/2012 : with four sets of orbital gears
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 3/725 : with means to change ratio in the mechanical gearing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 : Engine management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 : Data processing systems or methods, management, administration
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 : Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 : having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/905 : Combustion engine
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/908 : Fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/91 : Orbital, e.g. planetary gears
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/917 : with transmission for changing gear ratio
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/918 : Continuously variable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/919 : Stepped shift
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/945 : Characterized by control of gearing, e.g. control of transmission ratio
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/946 : Characterized by control of driveline clutch
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/947 : Characterized by control of braking, e.g. blending of regeneration, friction braking

Abstract

A control apparatus for a variable-cylinder engine of a vehicle, including a regenerative-braking-state detecting device operable to detect a regenerative braking state of the vehicle, and a decompression-state setting device arranged to place selected ones of non-operating cylinders of the variable-cylinder engine in a decompression state, on the basis of the regenerative braking state of vehicle detected by the regenerative-braking-state detecting device, so that only a required minimum number of the non-operating cylinders of the variable-cylinder engine is/are placed in the decompression state, depending upon the detected regenerative braking state of the vehicle, making it possible to not only improve fuel economy of the vehicle but also assure sufficient engine braking of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A control apparatus for a variable-cylinder engine, comprising:

regenerative-braking-State detecting means for detecting a regenerative braking state of a vehicle and decompression-state setting means for placing selected ones of non-operating cylinders of said variable-cylinder engine in a decompression state, on the basis of the regenerative braking effect of the vehicle detected by said regenerative-braking-effect detecting means.

2. A control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said variable-cylinder engine has a pair of banks each of which has a plurality of cylinders and which are operable independently of each other, said decompression-state setting means is operable to place both of said pair of banks of the variable-cylinder engine in the compression state, when the said regenerative-braking-state detecting means has not detected a regenerative braking state of the vehicle, and place one of said pair of banks of said variable-cylinder engine in a compression state and the other bank in the decompression state when said regenerative-braking-state detecting means has detected a regenerative braking state of the vehicle.

3. A control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising engine-stop-mode detecting means for determining whether the vehicle is running in an engine-stop running mode, with said variable-cylinder being held at rest, and wherein said regenerative-braking-state detecting means is operable to detect the regenerative braking state of the vehicle, when said engine-stop-mode detecting means has detected that the vehicle is running in said engine-stop running mode.

4. A control apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising engine-restart-possibility determining means for determining whether there is a possibility that said variable-cylinder engine will be restarted, and wherein said regenerative-braking-state detecting means is operable to detect the regenerative braking state of the vehicle, when said engine-restart-possibility determining means determines that there is a possibility that the variable-cylinder engine will be restarted, said decompression-state setting means being operable to place one of said pair of banks of said variable-cylinder engine in the compression state and the other bank in the decompression state, when the regenerative-braking-state detecting means has detected the regenerative braking state of the vehicle.

5. A control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when said engine-restart-possibility determining means is operable to determine that there is not a possibility that said variable-cylinder engine will be restarted, said decompression-state setting means places both of said pair of banks of said variable-cylinder engine in the compression state if said regenerative-braking-state detecting means has not detected the regenerative braking state of the vehicle, and places both of said pair of banks of the variable-cylinder engine in the decompression state if said regenerative-braking-state detecting means has detected the regenerative braking state of the vehicle.