Engine restart control device

• US 9,043,123 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2013
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Suzuki Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Suzuki Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Urabe, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, John R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Whittington, Jess
• Application Number:
  US13/748,502
• Publication Number:
  US 20130197787A1
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/112
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18018 Start-stop drive, e.g. in a traffic jam

Abstract

There is provided an engine restart control device. A controller is configured to stop an engine which is adapted to generate a driving force for running a vehicle when a predetermined stop condition is met and configured to restart the engine when a predetermined restart condition is met after stopping the engine. A steering torque detector is configured to detect a steering torque of a steering wheel which is adapted to be operated by a driver. The controller includes an origin torque setting unit configured to set the steering torque detected by the steering torque detector when the predetermined stop condition is met and the engine is stopped as an origin torque. The controller restarts the engine when the steering torque detected by the steering torque detector exceeds a predetermined threshold with reference to the origin torque set by the origin torque setting unit.

Claims

1. An engine restart control device comprising:

a controller configured to stop an engine which is adapted to generate a driving force for running a vehicle when a predetermined stop condition is met and configured to restart the engine when a predetermined restart condition is met after stopping the engine; and

a steering torque detector configured to detect a steering torque of a steering wheel which is adapted to be operated by a driver,

wherein the controller is configured to set, as an origin torque, a value of the steering torque detected by the steering torque detector at a time when the predetermined stop condition is met and the engine is stopped, and

wherein the controller restarts the engine when the value of the steering torque detected by the steering torque detector after the controller sets the value of the steering torque as the origin torque exceeds a predetermined threshold which is set with reference to the set origin torque wherein the controller updates the set origin torque to the value of the steering torque detected by the steering torque detector if an absolute value of the steering torque detected by the steering torque detector becomes smaller than an absolute value of the set origin torque after the controller sets the value of the steering torque as the origin torque and before the controller restarts the engine.