Vehicle control apparatus that controls throttle opening degree during engine stop

• US 9,266,523 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2011
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ideshio, Yukihiko, Kojima, Susumu, Nakanishi, Naoki, Sato, Akihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Hai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Laguarda, Gonzalo
• Application Number:
  US13/634,843
• Publication Number:
  US 20130166173A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,579 Days
• Field of Search: 701/103, 701/112, 701/113, 701/110, 123/399
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/11 Stepped gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/40 Controlling the engagement or disengagement of prime movers, e.g. for transition between prime movers power-up or power-down of the driveline B60W30/192
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/1005 Transmission ratio engaged
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0605 Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/00 Purposes of road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub-unit, e.g. of systems using conjoint control of vehicle sub-units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/1819 Propulsion control with control means using analogue circuits, relays or mechanical links
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 11/10 of the electric type
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 17/04 rendering engines inoperative or idling, e.g. caused by abnormal conditions dependent on lubricating conditions F01M1/22; dependent on cooling F01P5/14
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2011/102 at least one throttle being moved only by an electric actuator
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/501 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/02 peculiar to engines driving vehicles; peculiar to engines driving variable pitch propellers
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0002 Controlling intake air
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/042 for stopping the engine
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 9/02 concerning induction conduits throttle valves, or arrangements thereof in conduits F02D9/08
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0814 comprising means for controlling automatic idle-start-stop
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/061 : using electric control means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 : Engine management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/93 : Conjoint control of different elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/945 : Characterized by control of gearing, e.g. control of transmission ratio

Abstract

Disclosed is a vehicle control apparatus that can concurrently achieve an improved drivability and an excellent restart performance of an internal combustion engine. The vehicle control apparatus includes an eco-run system that automatically stops the engine when an automatic stop condition is established and restarts the engine when a restart condition is established, a throttle motor that opens and closes a throttle valve adjusting air amount to be sucked into the engine, and a vehicle speed sensor that detects the vehicle speed. The vehicle control apparatus is adapted to control the throttle motor to enlarge the throttle valve opening degree in response to the higher vehicle speed, according to the vehicle speed information from the vehicle speed sensor (Step S3 to Step S7), when the engine is automatically stopped while the vehicle is travelling (Step S2).

Claims

1. A vehicle control apparatus provided with an eco-run system which automatically stops an internal combustion engine under the condition that an automatic stop condition is established and restarts the internal combustion engine under the condition that a restart condition is established, and comprising:

a throttle opening and closing unit that opens and closes a throttle valve for regulating an amount of air to be sucked into the internal combustion engine, and

a vehicle speed detection unit that detects a vehicle speed, and

the vehicle control apparatus being operative to increase an opening degree of the throttle valve in response to an increase in the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detection unit when the internal combustion engine is automatically stopped while the vehicle is travelling.

2. A vehicle control apparatus as set forth in claim 1, which further comprises a fuel supply apparatus to supply fuel to the internal combustion engine, and which is operative to control the fuel supply apparatus to stop supplying the fuel to the internal combustion engine and to hasten a timing to stop supplying the fuel to the internal combustion engine in response to the increased vehicle speed when the internal combustion engine is automatically stopped while the vehicle is travelling.

3. A vehicle control apparatus as set forth in claim 2, which further comprises a transmission drivably connected with the internal combustion engine, and which is operative to hasten the timing to stop supplying the fuel to the internal combustion engine in response to an increased gear ratio set in the transmission.

4. A vehicle control apparatus as set forth in claim 1, which further comprises a transmission drivably connected with the internal combustion engine, and which is operative to increase the opening degree of the throttle valve in response to an increased gear ratio set in the transmission.

5. A vehicle control apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein as the vehicle speed increases, the opening of the throttle valve correspondingly increases.