Vehicle control device

• US 9,353,693 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2010
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kato, Hirokazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Cronin, Stephen K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Scharpf, Susan E
• Application Number:
  US13/819,654
• Publication Number:
  US 20130173142A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,087 Days
• Field of Search: 701/112, 417/44.11
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/02 peculiar to engines driving vehicles; peculiar to engines driving variable pitch propellers
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 35/00 Controlling engines, dependent on conditions exterior or interior to engines, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/084 State of vehicle accessories, e.g. air condition or power steering
• 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: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor

Abstract

A vehicle control device includes an engine that is a power source of a vehicle, an electrical storage device, a starting device connected to the electrical storage device and configured to consume electrical power to start the engine, and a power steering device connected to the electrical storage device and configured to consume electrical power to generate an assist torque, wherein an engine stop control of causing the engine to be in a stopped state is executable during travelling of the vehicle, and the engine stop control is prohibited in at least one of time of turning of the vehicle, time of steering of the vehicle during travelling, and time of generating an assist torque during travelling.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device comprising:

an engine that is a power source of a vehicle;

an electrical storage device that is configured to he capable of charging and discharging;

a starting device connected to the electrical storage device and configured to consume electrical power supplied from the electrical storage device to start the engine; and

a power steering device connected to the electrical storage device and configured to consume electrical power supplied from the electrical storage device to generate an assist torque, wherein

an engine stop control of causing the engine to be in a stopped state is executable during travelling of the vehicle,

the engine stop control is prohibited in at least one of time of turning of the vehicle, time of steering of the vehicle during travelling, and time of generating an assist torque during travelling under a situation where the engine is not stopped,

the engine stop control is determined on a basis of an assist current value of the power steering device,

the power steering device generates the assist torque by an electric motor, and

the engine stop control is prohibited on the basis of a maximum output of the electric motor determined from an output voltage of the electrical storage device of when the engine was started in the past.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the engine stop control is prohibited when the assist current value exceeds a current value defined in advance.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the engine stop control is prohibited on the basis of a changing speed of the assist current value.

4. A vehicle control device comprising:

an engine that is a power source of a vehicle;

an electrical storage device that is configured to be capable of charging and discharging;

a starting device connected to the electrical storage device and configured to consume electrical power supplied from the electrical storage device to start the engine; and

a power steering device connected to the electrical storage device and configured to consume electrical power supplied from the electrical storage device to generate an assist torque, wherein

an engine stop control of causing the engine to be in a stopped state is executable during travelling of the vehicle,

the vehicle control device predicts power consumption of the power steering device from a past steering history, and

the engine stop control is prohibited on a basis of the predicted power consumption.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 4, wherein

the past steering history is a transition of an assist current value of the power steering device, and

the engine stop control is prohibited on the basis of a predicted value of the assist current value based on the transition.

6. The vehicle control device according to claim 4, wherein

the power steering device generates the assist torque by an electric motor,

the past steering history is a transition of an assist current value and a rotation speed of the electric motor, and

the engine stop control is prohibited on the basis of a maximum output of the electric motor determined from an output voltage of the electrical storage device of when the engine was started in the past, and a predicted value of the assist current value and a predicted value of the rotation speed of the electric motor based on the transition.