Vehicular abnormality detecting device

• US 7,103,459 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2003
• Issued: 09/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Suzuki, Satoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeanglaude, Gertrude A.
• Application Number:
  US10/641,027
• Publication Number:
  US 20040044449A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,117 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/31, 701 33- 35, 701101-102, 701112-114, 701/30, 701/107, 701/1, 340438-439, 340500-501, 340/517, 340/428, 340/441, 340/514, 340/516, 340/523, 731/16, 731/172, 731/173, 731/181, 731/182
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 15/05 by combined monitoring of two or more different engine parameters

Abstract

Abnormality of a vehicle is detected while the vehicle is being parked. System normality is set when a tank internal pressure is K2 or more for time T1 or more. System abnormality is set when the tank internal pressure is K3 (K3<K2) or more and less than K2 after time T1 and a tank internal temperature variation is less than C1. System interim abnormality is set when an interim abnormality counter reaches M1. The interim abnormality counter is incremented when the tank internal pressure is less than K3 and other predetermined vehicle states suffice.

Claims

1. An abnormality detecting device for executing abnormality detecting of a vehicle after and while an ignition switch of the vehicle is turned off, the abnormality detecting device comprising:

activating means for causing an electronic control unit of the vehicle to automatically activate the electronic control unit itself so that the abnormality detecting is executed after and while the ignition switch is turned off; and

interval setting means for setting a time interval at which the activating means causes the electronic control unit to automatically activate itself, wherein the time interval is set based on a vehicular state before the ignition switch is turned off.

2. The abnormality detecting device according to claim 1,

wherein the vehicular state relates to a traveling state where the vehicle traveled before the ignition switch is turned off.

3. The abnormality detecting device according to claim 1,

wherein the vehicular state includes a traveling distance for which the vehicle traveled before the ignition switch is turned off.

4. The abnormality detecting device according to claim 3,

wherein, when the traveling distance of the vehicle is long, the time interval is set as being short, and

wherein, when the traveling distance of the vehicle is short, the time interval is set as being long.

5. The abnormality detecting device according to claim 1,

wherein the vehicular state before the ignition switch is turned off includes at least one of a cooling water temperature of an engine of the vehicle, an internal temperature of a fuel tank of the vehicle, and an intake air temperature.

6. The abnormality detecting device according to claim 1,

wherein said time interval is set based on a result of a previously executed abnormality detecting.

7. The abnormality detecting device according to claim 1,

wherein the abnormality detecting is selectively cancelled based on a result of a previously executed abnormality detecting.

8. The abnormality detecting device according to claim 1,

wherein said time interval is set based on a result of an abnormality detecting of the vehicle that was executed while an engine of the vehicle was running before the ignition switch is turned off.

9. The abnormality detecting device according to claim 8,

wherein the abnormality detecting of the vehicle that was executed while the engine of the vehicle was running was executed while the vehicle was traveling.

10. The abnormality detecting device according to claim 1,

wherein the activating means is included in another electronic control unit consuming less electric power than the electronic control unit that is activated by the activating means.

11. The abnormality detecting device according to claim 1,

wherein the abnormality detecting is executed regarding airtightness of a fuel tank of the vehicle.

12. A program storage media readable by a computer, tangibly embodying an abnormality detecting program of instructions executable by the computer to perform method steps for executing abnormality detecting of a vehicle after and while the ignition switch of the vehicle is turned off, the method steps including:

a step of setting a time interval at which an electronic control unit of the vehicle is activated after and while the ignition switch is turned off, wherein the time interval is set based on a vehicular state before the ignition switch is turned off; and

a step of causing the electronic control unit of the vehicle to automatically activate the electronic control unit itself at the time interval set at the step of setting the time interval so that the abnormality detecting is executed after and while the ignition switch is turned off.

13. An abnormality detecting method for executing abnormality detecting of a vehicle after and while the ignition switch of the vehicle is turned off, the abnormality detecting method comprising:

setting a time interval at which an electronic control unit of the vehicle is to be activated after and while the ignition switch is turned off, wherein the time interval is set based on a vehicular state before the ignition switch is turned off; and

causing the electronic control unit of the vehicle to automatically activate the electronic control unit itself at the time interval set at the step of setting the time interval so that the abnormality detecting is executed after and while the ignition switch is turned off.