Control system, control method, and control program for vehicle engine

• US 7,445,074 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2006
• Issued: 11/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Inventors: Oohashi, Hideyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Hurley; Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): BECK, KAREN JANE AMORES
• Application Number:
  US11/380,741
• Publication Number:
  US 20060243514A1
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 180/284, 180/282, 180/271, 180/773, 180/272, 180/273, 340/475, 477/183
• US Class Current: 180/282
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/14 responsive to accident or emergency, e.g. deceleration, tilt of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/12 Motorcycles, Trikes; Quads; Scooters
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/126 Scooters

Abstract

An engine control system correctly determines when a vehicle overturns and includes a vehicle inclination angle detector arranged to detect an inclination of a vehicle relative to a horizontal plane, a cumulative-duration-of-inclination detector arranged to detect a cumulative duration for which an inclination angle detected by the vehicle inclination angle detector is greater than a predetermined angle, a rider'"'"'s operation detector arranged to detect whether or not a rider is operating the vehicle, and an engine cut off device arranged to stop an engine of the vehicle when it has been determined that the vehicle has overturned, based on an output of the cumulative-duration-of-inclination detector indicating the cumulative duration for which the inclination angle detected by the vehicle inclination angle detector is greater than the predetermined angle, and an output of the rider'"'"'s operation detector indicating that the rider is operating the vehicle.

Claims

1. An engine control system comprising:

a vehicle inclination angle detector arranged to detect an inclination of a vehicle relative to a horizontal plane;

a cumulative-duration-of-inclination detector arranged to detect a cumulative duration for which the inclination angle detected by the vehicle inclination angle detector is greater than a predetermined angle;

a rider'"'"'s operation detector arranged to detect whether or not a rider is operating the vehicle; and

an engine cut off device arranged to stop an engine of the vehicle when an overturning of the vehicle has been determined based on an output of the cumulative-duration-of-inclination detector and an output of the rider'"'"'s operation detector;

wherein

the rider'"'"'s operation detector detects at least one of throttle opening, pressure within an intake pipe, braking, or braking and shifting of the vehicle responsive to rider'"'"'s operation; and

the output of the rider'"'"'s operation detector includes an output of the at least one of the throttle opening, the pressure within an intake pipe, the braking, and the braking and shifting of the vehicle detected by the rider'"'"'s operation detector.

2. The engine control system according to claim 1, wherein the cumulative-duration-of-inclination detector includes an up-down counter that is incremented when the inclination angle detected by the vehicle inclination angle detector is greater than a predetermined angle, and is decremented when the inclination angle detected by the vehicle inclination angle detector is smaller than the predetermined angle.

3. The engine control system according to claim 1, wherein the engine cutoff device stops at least one of ignition of the engine, fuel injection, and a fuel pump.

4. A vehicle comprising the engine control system according to claim 1.

5. An engine control system comprising:

a vehicle inclination angle detector arranged to detect an inclination of a vehicle relative to a horizontal plane;

a first cumulative-duration-of-inclination detector arranged to detect a first cumulative duration for which the inclination angle detected by the vehicle inclination angle detector is greater than a predetermined angle;

a second cumulative-duration-of-inclination detector arranged to detect a second cumulative duration that is set to be longer than the first cumulative duration;

a rider'"'"'s operation detector arranged to detect whether or not a rider is operating the vehicle;

a first engine cutoff device arranged to stop an engine of the vehicle when an overturning of the vehicle has been determined based on an output of the first cumulative-duration-of-inclination detector and an output of the rider'"'"'s operation detector; and

a second engine cutoff device arranged to stop the engine of the vehicle when an overturning of the vehicle has been determined based on an output of the second cumulative-duration-of-inclination detector.

6. The engine control system according to claim 5, wherein the first and second cumulative-duration-of-inclination detectors include an up-down counter that is incremented when the inclination angle detected by the vehicle inclination angle detector is greater than a predetermined angle, and is decremented when the inclination angle detected by the vehicle inclination angle detector is smaller than the predetermined angle.

7. The engine control system according to claim 5, wherein the rider'"'"'s operation detector detects at least one of throttle opening, pressure within an intake pipe, braking, or braking and shifting of the vehicle responsive to rider'"'"'s operation.

8. The engine control system according to claim 5, wherein the first and second engine cutoff devices stop at least one of ignition of the engine, fuel injection, and a fuel pump.

9. A vehicle comprising the engine control system according to claim 5.

10. An engine control method comprising the steps of:

detecting an inclination angle of a vehicle;

detecting a cumulative duration for which the inclination angle is greater than a predetermined angle;

detecting whether or not a rider is operating the vehicle; and

stopping an engine of the vehicle when an overturning of the vehicle has been determined based on an output indicating the cumulative duration and an output indicating whether or not the rider is operating the vehicle;

wherein

the step of detecting whether or not a rider is operating the vehicle includes detecting at least one of throttle opening, pressure within an intake pipe, braking, or braking and shifting of the vehicle responsive to rider'"'"'s operation; and

in the step of stopping the engine of the vehicle, the output indicating whether or not the rider is operating the vehicle includes an output of the at least one of the throttle opening, the pressure within an intake pipe, the braking, and the braking and shifting of the vehicle detected in the step of detecting whether or not the rider is operating the vehicle.

11. The engine control method according to claim 10, wherein the steps of detecting the cumulative duration includes incrementing an up-down counter when the inclination angle of the vehicle is greater than the predetermined angle and decrementing the up-down counter when the inclination angle of the vehicle is smaller than the predetermined angle.

12. The engine control method according to claim 10, wherein the step of stopping the engine of the vehicle includes stopping at least one of ignition of the engine, fuel injection, and a fuel pump.

13. A computer-readable medium storing an engine control program for a vehicle that is executable by a general purpose computer to perform the steps of the method according to claim 10.

14. An engine control method comprising the steps of:

detecting an inclination angle of a vehicle;

detecting a first cumulative duration for which the inclination angle is greater than a predetermined angle;

detecting a second cumulative duration for which the inclination angle is greater than a predetermined angle and that is set to be longer than the first cumulative duration;

detecting whether or not a rider is operating the vehicle;

stopping an engine of the vehicle when an overturning of the vehicle has been determined based on the first cumulative duration and an output indicating whether the rider is operating the vehicle; and

stopping the engine of the vehicle when an overturning of the vehicle has been detected based on an output indicating the second cumulative duration of inclination.

15. The engine control method according to claim 14, wherein the steps of detecting the first and second cumulative durations include incrementing an up-down counter when the inclination angle of the vehicle is greater than the predetermined angle and decrementing the up-down counter when the inclination angle of the vehicle is smaller than the predetermined angle.

16. The engine control method according to claim 14, wherein the step of detecting whether or not a rider is operating the vehicle includes detecting at least one of throttle opening, pressure within an intake pipe, braking, or braking and shifting of the vehicle responsive to rider'"'"'s operation.

17. The engine control method according to claim 14, wherein the step of stopping the engine of the vehicle includes stopping at least one of ignition of the engine, fuel injection, and a fuel pump.

18. A computer-readable medium storing an engine control program for a vehicle that is executable by a general purpose computer to perform the steps of the method according to claim 14.