Control of idle-stop operation

• US 8,511,270 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2011
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hamane, Shouta
• Primary Examiner(s): Cronin, Stephen K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Castro, Arnold
• Application Number:
  US13/013,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20110180031A1
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: 123/179.3, 123/179.4, 701/113
• US Class Current: 123/179.4
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/503 Battery correction, i.e. corrections as a function of the state of the battery, its output or its type
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0825 related to prevention of engine restart failure, e.g. disabling automatic stop at low battery state
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0862 characterised by the electrical power supply means, e.g. battery
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/10 Safety devices F02N11/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/061 Battery state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/063 Battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2250/02 Battery voltage drop at start, e.g. drops causing ECU reset
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2300/30 characterised by the use of digital means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

An ECM 2 performs an idle-stop operation on a vehicle internal combustion engine 4 in an idle operation state. The ECM 2 is supplied with power from a battery 3. The ECM 2 restarts the internal combustion engine 4 upon request by supplying power from the battery 3 to the starter motor 5. The ECM 2 is programmed to determine if the ECM 2 has experienced an unexpected restart during an engine start-up operation (S1, S2), and prevent the idle-stop operation from being executed on the internal combustion engine 4 when the determination is affirmative. Thus, starting failure of the internal combustion engine 4 from an operation-ceased state can be prevented without preventing the idle-stop operation from being executed excessively.

Claims

1. An idle-stop operation control device that performs an idle-stop operation on a vehicle internal combustion engine, whereby an operation of the vehicle internal combustion engine is ceased in an idle operation state and an engine start-up operation is performed on the internal combustion engine from an operation-ceased state upon request by operating a starter motor using a power of a battery, the device comprising:

a sensor configured to detect a terminal voltage of the battery; and

a programmable controller that operates using a power supplied from the battery, the programmable controller being programmed to;

determine if the controller is in a condition immediately after activation;

determine that the controller has experienced a shutdown and restart in the course of the engine start-up operation when the controller is in a condition immediately after activation and the terminal voltage of the battery is lower than a restart determining value; and

prevent the idle-stop operation from being executed on the internal combustion engine when the controller has experienced the shutdown and restart in the course of the engine start-up operation.

2. The idle-stop operation control device as defined in claim 1, wherein the controller is further programmed to compare the terminal voltage with a battery voltage drop determining value that is lower than the restart determining value when the controller has not experienced the shutdown and restart in the course of the engine start-up operation, and prevent the idle-stop operation of the internal combustion engine from being executed when the terminal voltage of the battery is lower than the battery voltage drop determining value.

3. The idle-stop operation control device as defined in claim 2, wherein the controller is further programmed to prevent the idle-stop operation by setting an idle-stop operation prevention flag that is reset when the controller is restarted.

4. The idle-stop operation control device as defined in claim 1, wherein the controller is further programmed to prevent the idle-stop operation by setting an idle-stop operation prevention flag that is reset when the controller is restarted.

5. The idle-stop operation control device as defined in claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises an ignition switch that activates the controller and a starter switch that activates the starter motor in order to crank the internal combustion engine to start up in a state where the ignition switch is turned ON.

6. An idle-stop operation control device comprising a controller that performs an idle-stop operation of a vehicle internal combustion engine, whereby an operation of the internal combustion engine is ceased in an idle operation state and an engine start-up operation is performed on the internal combustion engine from an operation-ceased state upon request by operating a starter motor using a power of a battery, the device comprising:

means for detecting a terminal voltage of the battery;

means for determining that the controller has experienced a shutdown and restart in the course of the engine start-up operation when the controller is in a condition immediately after activation and the terminal voltage of the battery is lower than a restart determining value; and

means for preventing the controller from performing the idle-stop operation on the internal combustion engine when the controller has experienced the unexpected shutdown and restart in the course of the engine start-up operation.

7. An idle-stop operation control device that performs an idle-stop operation on a vehicle internal combustion engine, whereby an operation of the vehicle internal combustion engine is ceased in an idle operation state and an engine start-up operation is performed on the internal combustion engine from an operation-ceased state upon request by operating a starter motor using a power of a battery, the device comprising:

a sensor configured to detect a terminal voltage of the battery; and

a programmable controller that operates using a power supplied from the battery, the programmable controller being programmed to prevent the idle-stop operation from being executed on the internal combustion engine when the terminal voltage of the battery is lower than a restart determining value at a time immediately after activation of the controller.

8. An idle-stop operation control method for performing an idle-stop operation of a vehicle internal combustion engine, whereby an operation of the internal combustion engine is ceased in an idle operation state and an engine start-up operation is performed on the internal combustion engine from an operation-ceased state upon request by operating a starter motor using a power of a battery, the method comprising:

detecting a terminal voltage of the battery;

determining that the controller has experienced a shutdown and restart in the course of the engine start-up operation when the controller is in a condition immediately after activation and the terminal voltage of the battery is lower than a restart determining value; and

preventing the controller from performing the idle-stop operation on the internal combustion engine when the controller has experienced the shutdown and restart in the course of the engine start-up operation.