AUTOMATIC CONTROL APPARATUS FOR ENGINE

• US 20170074189A1
• Filed: 02/27/2015
• Published: 03/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: SAKAI, Yu, ODA, Yasutaka, TABUCHI, Hiroaki
• Granted Patent: US 9,850,836 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/1005 Transmission ratio engaged
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/186 Status of parking brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18018 Start-stop drive, e.g. in a traffic jam
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/60 said parameters being related to the driver demands or status
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0225 in relation with the gear ratio or shift lever position
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/042 for stopping the engine
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/065 at hot start or restart F02D41/067 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/22 Safety or indicating devices for abnormal conditions in air/fuel ratio feedback systems F02D41/1495, in electric control linkage F02D11/107, in purge control systems F02M25/0809
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0822 related to action of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/0802 Transmission state, e.g. gear ratio or neutral state
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/0803 Parking brake state
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/0808 Steering state, e.g. state of power assisted steering
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/104 Driver's intention to turn, e.g. by evaluating direction indicators
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2300/2011 Control involving a delay; Control involving a waiting period before engine stop or engine start
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2312/14 Going to, or coming from standby operation, e.g. for engine start-stop operation at traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/08 Range selector apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 63/50 Signals to an engine or motor
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 : Engine management systems

Abstract

An automatic control apparatus for an engine detects an operation position of a mechanical shift lever for shifting gears of a transmission, automatically stops the engine when a predetermined condition is satisfied in the case where the operation position is at a first specific range, and automatically restarts the engine in the case where, after the operation position is switched from the first specific range to a second specific range while the engine is stopped, the second specific range is maintained for a pre-determined time. When the operation position is switched from the first specific range to the second specific range while the engine is stopped, it is determined whether or not the driver has an intention to start the vehicle, and if YES, the predetermined time is set to be shorter than when it is determined that there is no intention to start the vehicle.

Claims

1. An automatic control apparatus for an engine, comprising:

an operation position detection portion that is equipped on a vehicle with a mechanical shift lever, which is operated by a driver to switch shift stages of a transmission between a plurality of shift ranges, to detect an operation position of the mechanical shift lever;

an idling stop control portion that performs an idling stop function to automatically stop the engine when a predetermined condition is satisfied in the case where the operation position of the mechanical shift lever is located at a first specific range as a part of all the shift ranges, and that performs an idling start function to automatically restart the engine in the case where, after the operation position of the mechanical shift lever is switched from the first specific range to a second specific range different from the first specific range while the engine is stopped by the idling stop function, the operation position of the mechanical shift lever is maintained at the second specific range for a predetermined time;

a start intention determination portion that determines whether or not the driver has an intention to start the vehicle when the operation position of the mechanical shift lever is switched from the first specific range to the second specific range while the engine is stopped by the idling stop function; and

a time variation portion that sets the predetermined time to be shorter in the case where the start intention determination portion determines that the driver has the intention to start the vehicle than when it is determined that there is no intention to start the vehicle, wherein

the start intention determination portion determines whether or not the driver has the intention to start the vehicle based on whether or not a hazard warning lamp switch is turned on. whether or not a steering operation of a predetermined amount or above is performed. or whether or not a parking brake is operated.

3. The automatic control apparatus for an engine according to claim 1, wherein

in the case where the hazard warning lamp switch is turned on, in the case where the steering operation of the predetermined amount or above is preformed, or in the case where the parking brake is not operated, the start intention determination portion determines that the driver has the intention to start the vehicle;

on the other hand, in the case where the hazard warning lamp switch is not turned on, in the case where no steering operation of the predetermined amount or above is performed, or in the case where the parking brake is operated, the start intention determination portion determines that the driver does not have the intention to start the vehicle.

4. The automatic control apparatus for an engine according to claim 1, wherein

the start intention determination portion determines whether or not the driver has the intention to start the vehicle based on whether or not a period for which the operation position of the mechanical shift lever is maintained at the first specific range after the execution of the idling stop function is started is a predetermined threshold or above.

5. The automatic control apparatus for an engine according to claim 1, wherein

among all the shift ranges, there are two or more the first specific ranges, and an arrangement sequence of all the operation positions of the mechanical shift lever is set such that the second specific range is interposed between two of the first specific ranges.

2. (canceled)

6. An automatic control apparatus for an engine, comprising:

an operation position detection portion that is equipped on a vehicle with a mechanical shift lever, which is operated by a driver to switch shift stages of a transmission between a plurality of shift ranges, to detect an operation position of the mechanical shift lever;

an idling stop control portion that performs an idling stop function to automatically stop the engine when a predetermined condition is satisfied in the case where the operation position of the mechanical shift lever is located at a first specific range as a part of all the shift ranges, and that performs an idling start function to automatically restart the engine in the case where, after the operation position of the mechanical shift lever is switched from the first specific range to a second specific range different from the first specific range while the engine is stopped by the idling stop function, the operation position of the mechanical shift lever is maintained at the second specific range for a predetermined time;

an operation speed detection portion that detects an operation speed of the mechanical shift lever when the operation position of the mechanical shift lever is switched from the first specific range to the second specific range while the engine is stopped by the idling stop function; and

a time variation portion that varies the predetermined time according to the operation speed detected by the operation speed detection portion.

7. The automatic control apparatus for an engine according to claim 6, wherein

among all the shift ranges, there are two or more the first specific ranges, and an arrangement sequence of all the operation positions of the mechanical shift lever is set such that the second specific range is interposed between two of the first specific ranges.