Control system for vehicle having an engine capable of performing and stopping combustion in each cylinder

• US 7,179,199 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2004
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Nishio, Shinichi, Nakajima, Kenji, Kushiyama, Hiroyuki, Katakura, Takehiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; David D.
• Application Number:
  US10/998,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20050130797A1
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 477/83, 477/90, 477/110, 477/166, 477/168, 477/169, 477/173, 477/174, 477/181, 123/198.F, 123/481
• US Class Current: 477/181
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/11 Stepped gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18 Propelling the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/1819 Propulsion control with control means using analogue circuits, relays or mechanical links
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0087 Selective cylinder activation, i.e. partial cylinder operation deceleration cut-off F02D41/123
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/1208 with diagnostic check cycles; Monitoring of failures
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/1276 the failing part is a friction device, e.g. clutches or brakes
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/12 Detecting malfunction or potential malfunction, e.g. fail safe in control of hydrostatic gearing F16H61/4192; Circumventing or fixing failures
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 477/906 Means detecting or ameliorating the effects of malfunction or potential malfunction

Abstract

A control system for a vehicle includes an engine switch control unit for switching the operating condition of the engine between the all-cylinder operating condition and the partial-cylinder operating condition, a failure determining unit for determining the failure of the lockup clutch control device, and a coupling capacity change inhibiting unit for inhibiting a change in coupling capacity of the lockup clutch accompanied by the switch control of the operating condition of the engine by the engine switch control unit during the failure determination by the failure determining unit.

Claims

1. A control system for a vehicle having an engine with a plurality of cylinders whose operating condition is switchable between an all-cylinder operating condition where all of said cylinders are operated and a partial-cylinder operating condition where a part of said cylinders is operated according to an operating condition of said vehicle, a torque converter with a lockup clutch connected to said engine, and a lockup clutch control device for controlling said lockup clutch, said control system comprising:

engine switch control means for switching the operating condition of said engine between said all-cylinder operating condition and said partial-cylinder operating condition;

failure determining means for determining a failure of said lockup clutch and said lockup clutch control device; and

failure determination suspending means for suspending the failure determination by said failure determining means in the case that the operating condition of said engine is switched by said engine switch control means during the failure determination by said failure determining means.

2. A control system according to claim 1, wherein:

a coupling capacity of said lockup clutch is changed by said lockup clutch control device in switching the operating condition of said engine by said engine switch control means; and

said failure determination suspending means excludes a time period for the switch control of the operating condition of said engine by said engine switch control means from a count of an operating condition detecting duration required for the failure determination by said failure determining means.

3. A control system for a vehicle having an engine with a plurality of cylinders whose operating condition is switchable between an all-cylinder operating condition where all of said cylinders are operated and a partial-cylinder operating condition where a part of said cylinders is operated according to an operating condition of said vehicle, a torque converter with a lockup clutch connected to said engine, and a lockup clutch control device for controlling said lockup clutch, said control system comprising:

engine switch control means for switching the operating condition of said engine between said all-cylinder operating condition and said partial-cylinder operating condition;

failure determining means for determining a failure of said lockup clutch and said lockup clutch control device; and

coupling capacity change inhibiting means for inhibiting a change in coupling capacity of said lockup clutch accompanied by the switch control of the operating condition of said engine by said engine switch control means during the failure determination by said failure determining means.

4. A control system for a vehicle having an engine with a plurality of cylinders whose operating condition is switchable between an all-cylinder operating condition where all of said cylinders are operated and a partial-cylinder operating condition where a part of said cylinders is operated according to an operating condition of said vehicle, a torque converter with a lockup clutch connected to said engine, and a lockup clutch control device for controlling said lockup clutch, said control system comprising:

engine switch control means for switching the operating condition of said engine between said all-cylinder operating condition and said partial-cylinder operating condition;

failure determining means for determining a failure of said lockup clutch and said lockup clutch control device; and

switch inhibiting means for inhibiting the switch control of the operating condition of said engine by said engine switch control means during the failure determination by said failure determining means.

5. A control system for a vehicle having an engine with a plurality of cylinders whose operating condition is switchable between an all-cylinder operating condition where all of said cylinders are operated and a partial-cylinder operating condition where a part of said cylinders is operated according to an operating condition of said vehicle, a torque converter with a lockup clutch connected to said engine, and a lockup clutch control device for controlling said lockup clutch, said control system comprising:

engine switch control means for switching the operating condition of said engine between said all-cylinder operating condition and said partial-cylinder operating condition;

failure determining means for determining a failure of said lockup clutch and said lockup clutch control device; and

forcible switching means for forcibly switching the partial-cylinder operating condition to the all-cylinder operating condition in a case that the conditions for execution of the failure determination by said failure determining means are satisfied in the partial-cylinder operating condition.