Control apparatus for vehicle and method thereof

• US 6,965,825 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2004
• Issued: 11/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Watanabe, Satoru, Hosoya, Hajime
• Primary Examiner(s): MOULIS, THOMAS N
• Application Number:
  US10/886,045
• Publication Number:
  US 20050028792A1
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• Field of Search: 123516-520, 123/198.D, 701/114, 731/181
• US Class Current: 701/114
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/0809 Judging failure of purge control system
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/0818 having means for pressurising the evaporative emission space
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/0836 Arrangement of valves controlling the admission of fuel vapour to an engine, e.g. valve being disposed between fuel tank or absorption canister and intake manifold
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/0854 Details of the absorption canister

Abstract

In a diagnosis control for periodically detecting a pressure in a fuel tank during an operation of an engine is stopped, to diagnose whether or not the leakage occurs in a fuel vapor purge system, the power supply to a sensor detecting the pressure in the fuel tank is intermittently performed at each detection period.

Claims

1. A control apparatus for a vehicle in which an engine is installed, comprising:

a detector outputting a signal corresponding to a state of said vehicle; and

a control unit that receives an output signal from said detector to detect said vehicle state and also controls the power supply to said detector,

wherein said control unit controls the power supply to said detector according to a detection request of said vehicle state, when receiving the output signal from said detector during an operation of said engine is stopped.

2. A control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein said control unit supplies intermittently to said detector the power necessary for an operation of said detector in synchronism with a period of detecting said vehicle state.

3. A control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 2,

wherein said control unit stops the power supply to said detector in an interval of the detection of said vehicle state.

4. A control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 2,

wherein said control unit lowers the power to be supplied to said detector to be less than the power necessary for the operation of said detector in an interval of the detection of said vehicle state.

5. A control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 2,

wherein said control unit starts the power supply to said detector at a point of time before timing of detecting said vehicle state by a predetermined time.

6. A control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 5,

wherein said control unit sets said predetermined time according to the power source voltage of said detector.

7. A control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 5,

wherein said control unit sets said predetermined time according to the temperature of said detector.

8. A control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein said control unit shuts off the supply of operation power by itself after the detection of said vehicle state during the operation of said engine is stopped, is completed.

9. A control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein said control unit shifts to a low power consumption mode after the detection of said vehicle state during the operation of said engine is stopped, is completed.

10. A control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein said engine is provided with a fuel vapor purge system,

said detector is a pressure detector detecting a pressure in a processing path in said fuel vapor purge system, and

said control unit blocks said processing path after the operation of said engine is stopped, to judge whether or not the leakage occurs in said processing path, based on the pressure detected by said pressure detector during the operation of said engine is stopped.

11. A control apparatus for a vehicle in which an engine is installed, comprising:

detecting means for outputting a signal corresponding to a state of said vehicle;

power supply control means for controlling the power supply to said detecting means according to a detection request of said vehicle state during an operation of said engine is stopped; and

calculating means for receiving to calculate an output signal from said detecting means.

12. A control method for a vehicle equipped with an engine and also equipped with a detector outputting a signal corresponding to a state of said vehicle, comprising the steps of:

detecting a condition where an operation of said engine is stopped;

controlling the power supply to said detector according to a detection request of said vehicle state during the operation of said engine is stopped; and

detecting said vehicle state based on an output signal from said detector.

13. A control method for a vehicle according to claim 12,

wherein said step of controlling the power supply to said detector comprises the steps of:

setting a period of detecting said vehicle state during the operation of said engine is stopped; and

supplying intermittently to said detector the power necessary for an operation of said detector in synchronism with said period.

14. A control method for a vehicle according to claim 13,

wherein said step of controlling the power supply to said detector further comprises the step of;

stopping the power supply to said detector in an interval of the detection of said vehicle state.

15. A control method for a vehicle according to claim 13,

wherein said step of controlling the power supply to said detector further comprises the step of;

lowering the power to be supplied to said detector to be less than the power necessary for the operation of said detector in an interval of the detection of said vehicle state.

16. A control method for a vehicle according to claim 13,

wherein said step of controlling the power supply to said detector comprises the steps of:

detecting timing before detection timing of said vehicle state by a predetermined time as timing for starting the power supply; and

starting the power supply to said detector at the timing for starting the power supply.

17. A control method for a vehicle according to claim 16,

wherein said step of detecting the timing for starting the power supply comprises the steps of:

detecting the power source voltage of said detector; and

setting said predetermined time according to said power source voltage.

18. A control method for a vehicle according to claim 16,

wherein said step of detecting the timing for starting the power supply comprises the steps of:

detecting the temperature of said detector; and

setting said predetermined time according to the temperature of said detector.

19. A control method for a vehicle according to claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

judging that the detection of said vehicle state during the operation of said engine is stopped, is completed; and

shifting to a stop mode after the detection of said vehicle state is completed.

20. A control method for a vehicle according to claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

judging that the detection of said vehicle state during the operation of said engine is stopped, is completed; and

shifting to a low power consumption mode after the detection of said vehicle state is completed.