Method and device for controlling an internal combustion engine with an automatic engine cut-off and starting system

• US 8,596,248 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2009
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vitesco Technologies GmbH (INA-Holding Schaeffler GmbH & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Eser, Gerhard, Jayaraman, Balaji, Lufer, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Kwon, John
• Application Number:
  US12/988,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20110040477A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,719 Days
• Field of Search: 123/481, 123/434, 123/678, 123/686, 123/690, 123/694, 123/695, 123/198.F, 123/325, 123/179.1, 123/179.4, 701/101, 701/103, 701/104, 701/112, 701/113
• US Class Current: 123/481
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/068 for warming-up
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0829 related to special engine control, e.g. giving priority to engine warming-up or learning
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

In a control method suitable for an internal combustion engine (1) of a motor vehicle with an automatic engine cut-off and starting system (33) by which the internal combustion engine (1) can be cut off and started independently from the driver of the motor vehicle, the starting of the internal combustion engine (1) is detected and a variable determined, which represents a measure for the work performed by the internal combustion engine (1) since it has been started. The cut-off of the internal combustion engine (1) is controlled by the automatic engine cut-off and starting system (33) according to the variable.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an internal combustion engine for a motor vehicle having an automatic engine cut-off and starting system, operable to cut off and start the internal combustion engine independently from the driver of the motor vehicle, comprising:

detecting a start-up of the internal combustion engine,

determining the value of a variable corresponding to work performed by the internal combustion engine since the start-up, and

cutting off the internal combustion engine by the automatic engine cut-off and starting system based at least in part on the value of the variable.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the variable represents a quantity of fuel which was metered into the internal combustion engine since the last start-up.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the variable represents a fresh air quantity which was fed to the internal combustion engine since the last start-up.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the variable represents a torque produced by the internal combustion engine and further comprising cutting off the internal combustion engine based at least in part on a temporal integral of the variable.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising cutting off the internal combustion engine if the value of the variable exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the threshold value determined as a function of a temperature of a coolant of the internal combustion engine during start-up.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the threshold value determined as a function of a downtime of the internal combustion engine until the start-up.

8. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the threshold value determined as a function of an ambient temperature during start-up.

9. A control device for an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle with an automatic engine cut-off and starting system, which cuts off and starts the internal combustion engine independently from a driver of the motor vehicle, wherein the control device is operable to:

detect a start-up of the internal combustion engine,

determine a variable, which represents a measure of the work performed by the internal combustion engine since the start-up, and

control the automatic engine cut-off and starting system to cut-off the internal combustion as a function of the variable.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the variable being the quantity of fuel which was metered into the internal combustion engine since the last start-up.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the variable being the fresh air quantity, which was fed to the internal combustion engine since the last start-up.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the torque produced by the internal combustion engine being determined and the variable being the temporal integral of the torque produced by the internal combustion engine since the start-up.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the cut-off of the internal combustion engine taking place by means of the automatic engine cut-off and starting system if the variable exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the control device is further operable to determine the threshold value as a function of the temperature of a coolant of the internal combustion engine during start-up.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the control device is further operable to determine the threshold value as a function of the downtime of the internal combustion engine until the start-up.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the control device is further operable to determine the threshold value as a function of the ambient temperature of the motor vehicle during start-up.

17. A system for controlling an internal combustion engine for a motor vehicle comprising:

an automatic engine cut-off and starting system, operable to cut off and start the internal combustion engine independently from the driver of the motor vehicle,

a software controlled control device coupled with said internal combustion engine via sensors and actuators,

wherein the software controlled control device receives at least one sensor signal to detect a start-up of the internal combustion engine, and is operable to determine a value for a variable corresponding to the work performed by the internal combustion engine since the start-up, and

wherein the software controlled control device controls said automatic engine cut-off and starting system to cut off the internal combustion engine as a function based at least in part on the determined value of the variable.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the variable represents a quantity of fuel metered into the internal combustion engine since the last start-up.

19. The system according to claim 17, wherein the variable represents a fresh air quantity fed to the internal combustion engine since the last start-up.

20. The system according to claim 17, wherein the control device receives at least one sensor signal corresponding to a torque produced by the internal combustion engine and the function includes a temporal integral of the torque produced by the internal combustion engine since the start-up.