JP2000303870A - Vehicle control system, road side equipment and automatic control device for internal combustion engine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To execute control such as the stopping and the like of an internal combustion engine in suitable timing. SOLUTION: It is determined whether vehicle speed is zero (100), clutch is turned on (110), brake is applied (120), and waiting time for a red signal on is longer than a prescribed time T1 (140), namely, it is determined whether or not sufficient time is available until a red signal turn into blue signal. In this case, if waiting time is more than T1, an engine is suspended (160), and meanwhile if it is less than T1 (160), the engine is left as is continuously operated.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for automatically stopping an internal combustion engine when a vehicle stops, and for automatically starting the internal combustion engine in response to a driver's starting operation (accelerator operation or clutch operation) when the vehicle starts moving. The present invention relates to a vehicle control system to be started, a roadside device, and an automatic control device for an internal combustion engine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when an automobile stops at an intersection or the like while driving in an urban area, an internal combustion engine (engine) is automatically stopped under predetermined stop conditions, and then the engine is restarted under predetermined start conditions. Saves fuel,
Automatic stop and start devices that improve exhaust emissions are known.

[0003] Such an apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-325.
The technology described in JP-A-99-99 is mentioned. With this technology,
The engine is stopped when all of the conditions such as the engine speed, idle switch, vehicle speed, and parking brake are satisfied.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned prior art, the possibility of the engine stop control is determined only based on the state of the vehicle by a human operation. However, improvement of fuel efficiency and reduction of exhaust emission could not be expected much.

[0005] In addition, since the determination is made only based on the state of the vehicle due to human operation, the engine stop control may not always be performed at an appropriate timing in terms of improving fuel efficiency. For example, the engine may be restarted immediately after stopping, which causes a problem that the exhaust emission increases and the battery voltage decreases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and a vehicle capable of performing control such as stop of an internal combustion engine at an appropriate timing in order to improve fuel efficiency and reduce exhaust emission. Control systems, roadside equipment,
And an automatic control device for an internal combustion engine.

[0007]

Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention (1) In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the signal until the signal for instructing the stop of the vehicle is switched to the signal for permitting the start of the vehicle is switched. A gist of the present invention is a vehicle control system that transmits information on a standby time to the vehicle and controls the operating state of the internal combustion engine of the vehicle based on the information when the vehicle receives the information.

In the present invention, information on the standby time (for example, the time from when a red signal changes to a green signal; the same applies hereinafter) is transmitted to the vehicle side, so that the vehicle receiving the information transmits the internal combustion engine based on the information. (For example, automatic stop and automatic start; the same applies hereinafter).

With this, the vehicle can know, for example, how long it will turn to a green light, and if the waiting time is long enough, the automatic stop control is permitted to improve fuel efficiency and reduce exhaust emissions. Reduction can be realized. Further, when the standby time is short, by prohibiting the control of the automatic stop, the switching from the automatic stop to the automatic start in a short time can be prevented, so that the driver does not feel uncomfortable ( Improved drivability). Further, it is possible to prevent a reduction in fuel consumption and an increase in exhaust emission due to frequent switching of the operation state, and a reduction in battery voltage.

[0010] In addition, since the automatic starting can be performed according to, for example, the standby time, there is an advantage that the vehicle can be started smoothly and the safety is improved. (2) The roadside device according to the second aspect of the present invention, wherein information on a standby time until a signal instructing stop of the vehicle is switched to a signal permitting start of the vehicle is transmitted to the vehicle. Is the gist.

The present invention exemplifies a roadside apparatus used in the vehicle control system of the first aspect. In the present invention, for example, the information of the standby time can be transmitted to the vehicle side by a signal information transmitter attached to a signal or the like. Can be changed. As a result, on the vehicle side, as described above, it is possible to improve fuel efficiency, reduce exhaust emissions, improve drivability, and smoothly start the vehicle.

(3) The invention according to claim 3 is that when a predetermined starting condition is satisfied, the starter is energized to automatically start the internal combustion engine of the vehicle, and when the predetermined stopping condition is satisfied. An automatic control device for an internal combustion engine for automatically stopping an internal combustion engine, wherein when information of a standby time until a signal for instructing stop of the vehicle is switched to a signal for permitting start of the vehicle is received, The gist of the present invention is to provide an automatic control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, which controls an operation state of the internal combustion engine based on the information.

The present invention exemplifies an automatic control device for an internal combustion engine used in the vehicle control system of the first aspect. According to the present invention, when a predetermined start condition is satisfied, the starter is energized to automatically start the internal combustion engine, and when a predetermined stop condition is satisfied, the internal combustion engine is automatically stopped. Then, in the automatic control device for the internal combustion engine on the vehicle side, for example, when the information of the standby time transmitted from the signal information transmitter is received, the operation of the internal combustion engine such as automatic stop and automatic start is performed based on the information. Control the state.

Thus, as described above, it is possible to improve fuel efficiency, reduce exhaust emissions, improve drivability, and smoothly start the vehicle. (4) The invention according to claim 4, wherein the automatic stop of the internal combustion engine is permitted when the predetermined stop condition is satisfied and the standby time is longer than a predetermined value. The gist is an automatic control device for an internal combustion engine described in (1).

The present invention exemplifies conditions for permitting an automatic stop. Here, for example, when the standby time is longer than a predetermined value other than the predetermined stop condition of claim 5 described later, the automatic stop of the internal combustion engine is permitted. By adding the condition of the standby time, the automatic stop is permitted when the standby time is long. As described above, it is possible to improve the fuel efficiency and reduce the exhaust emission.

(5) The invention according to claim 5 is characterized in that the predetermined stop condition is at least a stop condition including a condition that the vehicle speed is equal to or less than a predetermined value, a clutch is off, and a brake is on. The gist of the present invention is an automatic control device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 3 or 4.

The present invention exemplifies a predetermined stop condition. With this stop condition, it can be checked whether or not the basic condition for performing the automatic stop is satisfied. (6) The invention according to claim 6 is characterized in that after the automatic stop of the internal combustion engine,
6. The automatic internal combustion engine according to claim 4, wherein the automatic start of the internal combustion engine is permitted when a predetermined start condition is satisfied and the standby time is shorter than a predetermined value. The gist is a control device.

The present invention exemplifies conditions for permitting automatic start. Here, for example, when the standby time becomes shorter than a predetermined value other than the predetermined start condition of claim 7 described later, the automatic start of the internal combustion engine is permitted. By adding this standby time condition, automatic start is permitted when the standby time is shortened, so that the vehicle can start quickly, for example, when the signal changes from a red signal to a green signal as described above. And safety is improved.

(7) In the invention of claim 7, the predetermined starting condition is at least a starting condition including a condition in which a neutral state is ON. The gist is a control device.

The present invention exemplifies predetermined starting conditions. With this starting condition, it is possible to check whether or not the basic conditions for performing the automatic starting are satisfied. (8) The automatic control device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 3, wherein the automatic stop of the internal combustion engine is prohibited when the standby time is shorter than a predetermined value. Make a summary.

In the present invention, if the standby time is shorter than the predetermined value, the automatic stop is prohibited, so that the switching from the automatic stop to the automatic start in a short time can be prevented. Therefore, as described above, it is possible to improve not only the fuel efficiency and the exhaust emission but also the drivability and prevent the battery voltage from lowering.

[0022]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, an embodiment (embodiment) of a vehicle control system, a roadside device, and an automatic control device for an internal combustion engine of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. (Example) a) First, the configuration of the vehicle control system of the present example will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle control system according to the present embodiment has a signal information transmitter 3 disposed on a traffic light 1 as a roadside device, and an automatic control device for an internal combustion engine (automatic start / stop device). ) Includes a data receiver 7 mounted on the vehicle 5 and an electronic control unit (ECU) 9 for the engine (see FIG. 2).

FIG. 2 shows the electrical configuration of this system. The signal information transmitter 3 is a device for transmitting information on the time until the red signal changes to the green signal (hereinafter also referred to as a standby time) to the vehicle. The standby time is calculated by a control device (not shown) that controls the operation of the traffic light 1. For example, if the time of the red light is 30 seconds, 30 seconds
Subtract the elapsed time from the second to obtain the waiting time. The signal information transmitter 3 may be shared with a device for transmitting traffic information such as VICS to the vehicle. In addition, traffic light 1
And may be provided separately.

On the other hand, the data receiver 7 on the vehicle 5 side
This device is connected to U9 and receives the signal indicating the standby time transmitted from the signal information transmitter 3. ECU 9
Are a CPU 11 for controlling various devices, a ROM 13 in which various numerical values and programs are written in advance, a RAM 15 for temporarily storing data, and an input / output interface (I / O) 17 for inputting and outputting various digital signals. And so on. Note that a program shown in a flowchart described later is written in the ROM 13 in advance.

The I / O 17 of the ECU 9 includes a standby time from the data receiver 7, a vehicle speed signal from the vehicle speed sensor 19, a clutch signal from the clutch switch 21, a brake signal from the brake switch 23, and a signal from the neutral switch 24. A neutral signal or the like is input. still,
When the input signal is an analog signal, the signal is changed to a digital signal by an A / D converter (not shown) as necessary and input to the I / O 17.

The CPU 11 executes various calculations based on these various signals, and outputs a starter driving signal to the starter 25, an ignition cut and ignition signal to the igniter 27 from the I / O 17 via a driving circuit (not shown). The fuel cut and fuel injection signals for the fuel injection valve 29 are output.

B) Next, the processing performed by the ECU 9 of the vehicle 5 in the vehicle control system thus configured will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In step 100 of FIG. 3, based on the vehicle speed signal,
It is determined whether the vehicle speed is zero. If the vehicle speed is 0,
The process proceeds to step 110 for the next check. On the other hand, if the vehicle speed is not 0, the process proceeds to step 170.

In step 170, since the vehicle speed is not 0 and the condition for automatically stopping the engine is not satisfied, the engine is continuously operated, and the routine returns to step 100. On the other hand, in step 110, it is determined whether or not the clutch is off (OFF), that is, whether or not the clutch is disengaged by depressing the clutch pedal based on the clutch signal. If the clutch is off, step 12 is executed for the next check.
Go to 0. On the other hand, when the clutch is on, the condition for automatically stopping the engine is not satisfied, so
And the engine is continuously operated in the same manner.

In step 120, it is determined based on the brake signal whether the brake is on (ON), that is, whether the brake pedal is depressed. If the brake is on, the process proceeds to step 130 for the next check. On the other hand, when the brake is off, the condition for automatically stopping the engine is not satisfied, so the routine proceeds to step 170, and the engine is continuously operated in the same manner.

In step 130, step 100 is executed.
Since it is determined that the basic conditions for the automatic stop of the engine have been satisfied at １２０120, the information of the standby time from the signal information transmitter 3 is first included in order to determine the standby time later. The signal (standby time signal) is transmitted to the data receiver 7
It is determined whether or not it has been received. If received, the process proceeds to step 140 for the next check, while if not received, the process proceeds to step 150.

In step 140, it is determined whether or not the standby time of the red light is equal to or longer than a predetermined value T1. That is, it is determined whether or not there is sufficient time until the red light changes to the green light. The reason for judging the sufficient standby time is that if the engine is automatically stopped when the green light is immediately turned on, the interval between the stop and the start becomes short, which does not contribute to the improvement of fuel consumption and the reduction of exhaust emission. Also, frequent stopping and starting of the engine not only gives the driver discomfort but also lowers the battery voltage.

If the standby time is equal to or longer than the predetermined value T1, the process proceeds to step 160, where the engine is stopped (automatic stop). That is, the engine is automatically stopped by the fuel cut signal or the ignition cut signal. On the other hand, if the standby time is less than the predetermined value T1, the process proceeds to step 170, and the engine is continuously operated.

In step 150, it is determined whether the time since the clutch was turned off is equal to or longer than a predetermined value T2. If it is equal to or greater than the predetermined value T2, the process proceeds to step 160, assuming, for example, a stop at an intersection where there is no traffic light 1, and the engine is stopped. On the other hand, the predetermined value T2
If it is less than the predetermined time, since only a short time has elapsed since the clutch was turned off, the routine proceeds to step 170,
Keep the engine running.

After stopping the engine in step 160, it is determined in step 180 whether the neutral is on, that is, whether the gear is neutral, based on the neutral signal. Here, if it is neutral, the process proceeds to step 190, while if it is not neutral, it waits as it is.

In step 190, it is determined based on the clutch signal whether the clutch is on, that is, whether the clutch pedal is released and the clutch is connected. Here, if the clutch is on, the process proceeds to step 200, while if the clutch is off, the process proceeds to step 210.

In step 200, step 18 is performed.
At 0,190, the engine is started (automatic start) since the operation for starting the clutch is ON with the gear neutral, and the process is once ended. On the other hand, in step 210, it is determined whether or not the standby time of the red light is equal to or less than a predetermined value T3 (where T3 <T1). That is,
It is determined whether the time to become a green light is approaching. If the value is equal to or less than the predetermined value T3, the process proceeds to step 200 to start the engine in order to ensure a smooth and safe start.

If the value exceeds the predetermined value T3, there is still a considerable amount of time before the light turns green, so that the process returns to step 180 without starting the engine in order to improve fuel efficiency and reduce exhaust emissions. c) Next, the relationship between the above-described processing, the standby time of the red light, and the stop / start of the engine will be described with reference to the explanatory diagram of FIG.

When the waiting time of the red light is long As shown in FIG. 4, the condition that the vehicle stops, the vehicle speed is 0, the clutch is off, and the brake is on is satisfied, and the waiting time of the red light is a predetermined value T1 or more. If so, stop the engine because there is enough time before the light turns green.

Thereafter, when the neutral is turned on and the clutch is turned on, the engine is restarted. Further, even when the clutch is off, the engine is restarted if the standby time of the red light becomes equal to or less than the predetermined value T3. If the standby time of the red light is short, the vehicle speed is 0, the clutch is off, and the brake is on. If the standby time of the red signal is less than the predetermined value T1, the engine immediately stops at the green light, and the engine is stopped. Do not continue and continue operation.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the above-described vehicle speed,
In addition to the condition for the automatic stop of the clutch and brake engines, the standby time for the red light is added to the condition. If the standby time for the red light is sufficient, the engine is stopped. As a result, the engine can be stopped more frequently, fuel can be saved, and exhaust emissions can be reduced, as compared to the case where the control of the engine stop is determined only by the state of the vehicle by human operation as in the past. Can be reduced.

Also, in this embodiment, by adding the standby time of the red light to the condition, the engine is not restarted immediately after the stop, and this also contributes to improvement of fuel consumption and reduction of exhaust emission. In addition, it is effective in suppressing a decrease in battery voltage. Further, in the present embodiment, if the standby time of the red light becomes short after the engine is stopped, the engine is started immediately when a predetermined engine restart condition is satisfied. In the case of a change, the vehicle can be started smoothly, and the safety is improved.

In addition, in this embodiment, when the standby time of the red light is short, the engine is not stopped even if the above-described conditions for automatically stopping the engine of the vehicle speed, the clutch, and the brake are satisfied. Stop and start of the engine can be suppressed. This has the advantages of improving fuel economy, reducing exhaust emissions, suppressing a drop in battery voltage, and reducing the driver's discomfort.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment at all, and it goes without saying that the present invention can be implemented in various modes without departing from the present invention. For example, the signal information transmitter for transmitting the standby time does not need to be attached to the traffic light, and may transmit the information on the standby time using a transmitter used for transmitting road information such as VICS.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a vehicle control system according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of a signal-side signal information transmitter and a vehicle-side automatic control device used in the vehicle control system according to the embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a control process performed by the automatic control device according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a timing chart showing the operation of the automatic control device according to the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 traffic light 3 signal information transmitter 5 vehicle 7 data receiver 9 electronic control unit (ECU)

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page F term (reference) 3G092 AC03 BA10 BB01 BB10 CA01 CB04 CB05 EA14 EA17 FA15 FA24 FA30 GA01 GA10 GB01 GB10 HB01X HC08X HF05X HF13Z HF15Z HF21Z HF26Z HG04Z 3G093 BA19 BA01 DB21 BA10 EA00 EC02

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A waiting time until a signal instructing a stop of a vehicle is switched to a signal permitting the vehicle to start is transmitted to the vehicle, and the vehicle receiving the information transmits the information to the vehicle. A vehicle control system for controlling an operation state of an internal combustion engine of a vehicle based on the vehicle state. 2. A roadside apparatus for transmitting information on a standby time until a signal instructing stop of a vehicle is switched to a signal permitting start of the vehicle, to the vehicle. 3. When a predetermined starting condition is satisfied, a starter is energized to automatically start an internal combustion engine of the vehicle.
An automatic control apparatus for an internal combustion engine that automatically stops an internal combustion engine when a predetermined stop condition is satisfied, wherein the signal for instructing stop of the vehicle is switched to a signal for permitting start of the vehicle. An automatic control device for an internal combustion engine, wherein when an information of a standby time is received, an operation state of the internal combustion engine is controlled based on the information. 4. The internal combustion engine according to claim 3, wherein the automatic stop of the internal combustion engine is permitted when the predetermined stop condition is satisfied and the standby time is longer than a predetermined value. Automatic control device. 5. The predetermined stop condition includes at least:
5. The automatic control apparatus for an internal combustion engine according to claim 3, wherein the vehicle speed is a predetermined value or less, and a stop condition including a condition that a clutch is off and a brake is on. 6. The automatic start of the internal combustion engine is permitted when a predetermined start condition is satisfied after the automatic stop of the internal combustion engine and the standby time becomes shorter than a predetermined value. The automatic control device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 4 or 5. 7. The predetermined starting condition is at least:
The automatic control device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 6, wherein the neutral condition is a start condition including an ON condition. 8. The automatic control device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 3, wherein when the standby time is shorter than a predetermined value, the automatic stop of the internal combustion engine is prohibited.