Control system for cylinder cut-off internal combustion engine

• US 7,308,962 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2004
• Issued: 12/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Sen, Naoto, Okada, Tadayoshi, Sugiyama, Akira, Nishida, Kenichi, Tomokuni, Yasuhiko, Ishiyama, Mahito, Yamashita, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): VANAMAN, FRANK BENNETT
• Application Number:
  US10/781,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20040163866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,397 Days
• Field of Search: 180/170, 180/179, 180/167, 123/198.F, 701/96
• US Class Current: 180/179
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/04 and means for comparing one electrical quantity, e.g. voltage, pulse, waveform, flux, or the like, with another quantity of a like kind, which comparison means is involved in the development of an electrical signal which is fed into the controlling means
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 13/04 using engine as brake
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 13/06 Cutting-out cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 17/02 Cutting-out cutting-out engines in multiple engine arrangements F02D25/04
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/0012 with selective deactivation of cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0087 Selective cylinder activation, i.e. partial cylinder operation deceleration cut-off F02D41/123
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/12 for deceleration F02D41/0005, F02D41/107 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/123 the fuel injection being cut-off

Abstract

In a control system for an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders and mounted on a vehicle, in which the engine operation is switched based on the throttle opening between a full-cylinder operation in which all of the cylinders are operative and a cut-off cylinder operation in which some of the cylinders are inoperative, and a running control including at least a cruise control in which the vehicle runs at a desired vehicle velocity is conducted, the engine operation is switched to the full-cylinder operation when it is determined that deceleration is required in the running control, so as to increase pumping loss (engine loss). With this, it becomes possible to generate the deceleration sufficiently as desired, when, for example, the vehicle descends a downhill.

Claims

1. A system for controlling an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders and mounted on a vehicle, comprising:

an engine operation controller that conducts a switching control of engine operation based on a load of the engine between a full-cylinder operation in which all of the cylinders are operative and a cut-off cylinder operation in which some of the cylinders are inoperative; and

a running controller that conducts a running control of the vehicle including at least one of a cruise control in which the vehicle runs at a desired vehicle velocity and a preceding vehicle follow-up control in which the vehicle runs at a desired vehicle velocity to maintain a desired inter-vehicle distance from a preceding vehicle;

wherein the engine operation controller switches engine operation to the full-cylinder operation if it is determined that deceleration is required by the running controller when the running controller conducts at least one of the cruise control and the preceding vehicle follow-up control, and

wherein the engine operation controller switches engine operation to the full-cylinder operation if deceleration is required by the running controller when a supply of fuel to the engine is cut off.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the engine operation controller determines that deceleration is required by the running controller and switches engine operation to the full-cylinder operation when a device that is manipulated by an operator to input the instruction to decelerate the vehicle is kept manipulated for a predetermined period of time or more.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the engine operation controller determines that deceleration is required by the running controller and switches engine operation to the full-cylinder operation when a difference between a detected vehicle velocity and the desired vehicle velocity is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the engine operation controller determines that deceleration is required by the running controller and switches engine operation to the full-cylinder operation when change of the desired vehicle velocity is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the engine operation controller determines that deceleration is required by the running controller and switches engine operation to the full-cylinder operation if change of the desired vehicle velocity is equal to or greater than a predetermined value when the preceding vehicle follow-up control is in progress.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein the engine operation controller determines that deceleration is required by the running controller and switches engine operation to the full-cylinder operation when a gradient of a road on which the vehicle runs is equal to or less than a predetermined gradient threshold value.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein the engine operation controller determines that deceleration is required by the running controller and switches engine operation to the full-cylinder operation if a throttle valve is fully closed or is almost fully closed when the running control is in progress.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein the engine operation controller determines that deceleration is required by the running controller and switches engine operation to the full-cylinder operation when an accelerator pedal is not manipulated by an operator.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein the engine operation controller switches engine operation to the cut-off cylinder operation when it is determined that deceleration is not required by the running controller, after switching engine operation to the full-cylinder operation.

10. A method of controlling an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders and mounted on a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

conducting a switching control of engine operation based on a load of the engine between a full-cylinder operation in which all of the cylinders are operative and a cut-off cylinder operation in which some of the cylinders are inoperative; and

conducting a running control of the vehicle including at least one of a cruise control in which the vehicle runs at a desired vehicle velocity and a preceding vehicle follow-up control in which the vehicle runs at a desired vehicle velocity to maintain a desired inter-vehicle distance from a preceding vehicle;

wherein the step of engine operation control switches engine operation to the full-cylinder operation if it is determined that deceleration is required by the step of running control when the running controller conducts at least one of the cruise control and the preceding vehicle follow-up control, and

wherein the step of engine operation control switches engine operation to the full-cylinder operation if deceleration is required by the step of running control when a supply of fuel to the engine is cut off.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the step of engine operation control determines that deceleration is required by the step of running control and switches engine operation to the full-cylinder operation when a device that is manipulated by an operator to input the instruction to decelerate the vehicle is kept manipulated for a predetermined period of time or more.

12. A method according to claim 10, wherein the step of engine operation control determines that deceleration is required by the step of running control and switches engine operation to the full-cylinder operation when a difference between a detected vehicle velocity and the desired vehicle velocity is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

13. A method according to claim 10, wherein the step of engine operation control determines that deceleration is required by the step of running control and switches engine operation to the full-cylinder operation when change of the desired vehicle velocity is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

14. A method according to claim 10, wherein the step of engine operation control determines that deceleration is required by the step of running control and switches engine operation to the full-cylinder operation if change of the desired vehicle velocity is equal to or greater than a predetermined value when the preceding vehicle follow-up control is in progress.

15. A method according to claim 10, wherein the step of engine operation control determines that deceleration is required by the step of running control and switches engine operation to the full-cylinder operation when a gradient of a road on which the vehicle runs is equal to or less than a predetermined gradient threshold value.

16. A method according to claim 10, wherein the step of engine operation control determines that deceleration is required by the step of running control and switches engine operation to the full-cylinder operation if a throttle valve is fully closed or is almost fully closed when the running control is in progress.

17. A method according to claim 10, wherein the step of engine operation control determines that deceleration is required by the step of running control and switches engine operation to the full-cylinder operation when an accelerator pedal is not manipulated by an operator.

18. A method according to claim 10, wherein the step of engine operation control switches engine operation to the cut-off cylinder operation when it is determined that deceleration is not required by the step of running control, after switching engine operation to the full-cylinder operation.