Vehicle with automatic engine stop/restart function and automatic engine stop/restart system and method for vehicle

• US 6,881,170 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2003
• Issued: 04/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Abe, Hiroshi, Onoyama, Taiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tamai, Karl
• Assistant Examiner(s): GONZALEZ, JULIO CESAR
• Application Number:
  US10/405,628
• Publication Number:
  US 20030197385A1
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: 290/40.R, 290/40.C, 477/39, 477/37, 477/44, 477/78, 477/99, 477/97, 477/111, 477/167, 477/181
• US Class Current: 477/39
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 11/105 characterised by the function converting demand to actuation, e.g. a map indicating relations between an accelerator pedal position and throttle valve opening or target engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2400/12 Engine control specially adapted for a transmission comprising a torque converter or for continuously variable transmissions
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0215 in relation with elements of the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/022 in relation with the clutch status
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/084 State of vehicle accessories, e.g. air condition or power steering
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/023 Engine temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/061 Battery state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/0802 Transmission state, e.g. gear ratio or neutral state
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/0807 Brake booster state
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/101 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/102 Brake pedal position
• 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 61/0025 Supply of control fluid; Pumps therefore
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/66272 characterised by means for controlling the torque transmitting capability of the gearing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A vehicle with an automatic engine stop/restart function comprises an engine, an automatic transmission having an oil pump driven in synchronism with the engine to supply an oil pressure to the automatic transmission, an oil pressure controller to hold the oil pressure in the automatic transmission during an automatic stop of the engine, and a control system. The control system is configured to: determine whether the oil pressure in the automatic transmission becomes lower than a predetermined value during the engine automatic stop; shift the automatic transmission into a neutral state when the oil pressure in the automatic transmission becomes lower than a predetermined value during the engine automatic stop; restarts the engine; and then, shift the automatic transmission into a drive state after the oil pressure in the automatic transmission is increased to the predetermined value by the oil pump driven in synchronism with the engine.

Claims

1. A vehicle with an automatic engine stop/restart function, comprising:

an engine;

an automatic transmission having an oil pump driven in synchronism with the engine to supply an oil pressure to the automatic transmission;

an oil pressure controller to hold the oil pressure in the automatic transmission during an automatic stop of the engine; and

a control system configured to;

stop the engine automatically when an automatic engine stop condition is satisfied;

restart the engine automatically in a first mode when an automatic engine restart condition is satisfied;

determine whether the oil pressure in the automatic transmission becomes lower than a predetermined value during the automatic stop of the engine;

shift the automatic transmission into a neutral state when the oil pressure in the automatic transmission becomes lower than a predetermined value during the automatic stop of the engine;

restart the engine in a second mode after the automatic transmission is shifted to the neutral state; and

shift the automatic transmission into a drive state after the oil pressure in the automatic transmission is increased to the predetermined value by the oil pump driven in synchronism with the engine.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control system is further configured to limit a throttle opening of the engine to a prescribed opening amount necessary to restart the engine without reference to a driver'"'"'s accelerator operation until the automatic transmission is shifted to the drive state, when the oil pressure in the automatic transmission becomes lower than the predetermined value during the automatic stop of the engine.

3. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the control system is further configured to increase the throttle opening at a graduate ratio to achieve an engine torque corresponding to the driver'"'"'s accelerator operation when the automatic transmission is shifted to the drive state.

4. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the automatic transmission has a torque converter to receive the torque from the engine;

and

the control system is configured to allow the throttle opening to be increased at the graduate rate when an engine speed is higher than or equal to a first threshold value and an output shaft rotation speed of the torque converter is lower than or equal to a second threshold value.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control system is further configured to prohibit the engine from being automatically stopped even when the automatic engine stop condition is satisfied, once the engine has been automatically restarted in the second mode.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the oil pressure controller has:

a motor; and

an oil pump driven by the motor.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the automatic transmission has a belt-type continuously variable transmission unit.

8. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the automatic transmission has a forward clutch engaged and disengaged to shift the automatic transmission between the drive state and the neutral state.

9. An automatic engine stop/restart system for a vehicle, the system comprising:

means for stopping an engine automatically upon satisfaction of an automatic engine stop condition;

means for determining whether an oil pressure in an automatic transmission of the vehicle becomes lower than a predetermined value during an automatic stop of the engine;

means for restarting the engine automatically upon satisfaction of an automatic engine restart condition, when the oil pressure in the automatic transmission is higher than or equal to the predetermine value;

means for shifting the automatic transmission into a neutral state, when the oil pressure in the automatic transmission becomes lower than the predetermined value during the automatic stop of the engine;

means for restarting the engine automatically while the automatic transmission is in the neutral state; and

means for shifting the automatic transmission from the neutral state to a drive state after the oil pressure in the automatic transmission is increased to the predetermined value by an oil pump driven in synchronism with the engine.

10. An automatic engine stop/restart method for a vehicle, the method comprising:

determining whether an oil pressure in an automatic transmission of the vehicle becomes lower than a predetermined value while an engine of the vehicle is in an automatic stop state;

restarting the engine automatically from the automatic stop state upon satisfaction of an automatic engine restart condition, when the oil pressure in the automatic transmission is higher than or equal to the predetermined value;

shifting the automatic transmission into a neutral state, when the oil pressure in the automatic transmission is lower than the predetermined value;

restarting the engine automatically from the automatic stop state while the automatic transmission is in the neutral state; and

shifting the automatic transmission from the neutral state to a drive state, after the oil pressure in the automatic transmission is increased to the predetermined value by an oil pump driven in synchronism with the engine.

11. The automatic engine stop/restart method according to claim 10, further comprising limiting a throttle opening of the engine to a prescribed opening amount necessary to restart the engine without reference to an driver'"'"'s accelerator operation until the automatic transmission is shifted to the drive state, when the oil pressure in the automatic transmission becomes lower than the predetermined value.

12. The automatic engine stop/restart method according to claim 11, further comprising increasing the throttle opening at a graduate ratio to achieve an engine torque corresponding to the driver'"'"'s accelerator operation, when the automatic transmission is shifted to the drive state.

13. The automatic engine stop/restart method according to claim 12, further comprising:

determining whether an engine speed becomes higher than or equal to a first threshold value and an output shaft rotation speed of a torque converter of the automatic transmission becomes lower than or equal to a second threshold value; and

allowing the throttle opening to be increased at the graduate rate when the engine speed is higher than or equal to the first threshold value and the output shaft rotation speed of the torque converter is lower than or equal to the second threshold value.

14. The automatic engine stop/restart method according to claim 10, further comprising prohibiting the engine from being automatically stopped even when the automatic engine stop condition is satisfied, once the engine has been automatically restarted after the oil pressure in the automatic transmission became lower than the predetermined value.