JP5205494B2 - Vehicle control device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a control device that controls in-vehicle devices and an engine idle stop system.

  In order to conserve energy resources and protect the environment, it is conceivable that the engine is temporarily stopped (hereinafter referred to as idle stop) when a predetermined condition that allows the engine to be temporarily stopped is satisfied during operation of the vehicle. Is being implemented in automobiles. In addition, the starter motor is energized during engine inertia rotation for the purpose of shortening the restart time after the engine stops and reducing the restart time when there is a restart request during engine inertia rotation during idle stop. It is proposed to connect the starter gear to the engine before the engine stops (hereinafter referred to as pre-mesh).

Japanese Patent No. 4211208

  In the configuration where the starter motor is controlled before the engine stops and the pinion gear is connected to the engine as described above, the pinion gear collides with the engine because the engine rotation angular acceleration direction and the starter pinion angular acceleration direction are different. The collision torque when doing so increases. The subject of this invention is suppressing the collision torque at the time of connecting a pinion gear with an engine.

In order to solve the above-described problems, a vehicle control device according to the present invention is a vehicle control device that controls connection between an engine and a starter motor for starting the engine. Based on the rotational speed of the engine and the degree of decrease in the rotational speed so that the start timing of rotation of the starter motor becomes earlier as the decrease in the rotational speed of the engine becomes earlier. Starting the rotation of the starter motor in a state where the starter motor is not connected to the engine, and controlling energization to the starter motor so that the starter motor rotates inertially after the start of the rotation of the starter motor; the starter motor are both in the inertial rotation, and the rotational speed and the starter motor of times of the engine and The absolute value of the difference between the number which is characterized in that coupling the starter motor to the engine when it is below a predetermined value.

  According to the present invention, in the configuration in which pre-meshing is performed before the engine is stopped, the collision torque of the gear can be suppressed and the connection between the engine and the starter motor can be made smooth.

It is an idle stop system functional block diagram. It is a flowchart which shows a 1st Example. It is a flowchart which shows a 2nd Example. It is a flowchart which shows a 3rd Example. It is a flowchart which shows a 3rd Example. It is a flowchart which shows a 4th Example. It is a flowchart which shows a 4th Example. It is a flowchart which shows a 5th Example. It is a flowchart which shows a 6th Example. It is a flowchart which shows a 7th Example. It is an idle stop timing chart.

  In a system that performs fuel cut when the conditions that allow idling to stop during the operation of a conventional automobile are established, the starter motor is speed-controlled before the engine stops and the pinion gear is connected to the engine. In the configuration, the engine rotation angular acceleration direction and the starter pinion angular acceleration direction are different, so the collision torque when the pinion gear collides with the engine increases, and there is a problem with the wear and durability of the ring gear and pinion when connected there's a possibility that. Further, since the collision torque becomes large, the connection cannot be performed smoothly, and a collision sound between the ring gear and the pinion and a biting sound generated at the moment of connection may occur. Thus, the durability, wear resistance, quietness, and quick restart of the starter system with a smooth gear connection are one of the most important issues to be solved in this type of vehicle in a fuel-conserving vehicle. Examples of the present invention for solving the above problems will be described below.

  FIG. 1 is a functional configuration diagram of an idle stop system according to the present invention.

  The starter body 1 includes a starter motor 1a, a magnet switch 1b, a shift lever 1c, and a pinion 1d. The starter motor 1a and the magnet switch 1b are controlled by outputs from an ECU (Engine Control Unit) 3 by independent power supply relays (starter motor relay 4 and pinion relay 5). The starter motor 1a and the pinion 1d are connected to each other. When the starter motor 1a rotates, the pinion 1d also rotates. When the magnet switch 1b is energized, the shift lever 1c is pushed out and a pinion gear (hereinafter referred to as a pinion). 1 d is connected to the ring gear 6. That is, the control of the starter motor drive and the control of the connection between the starter motor and the engine can be performed independently. The rotation of the pinion 1d is detected by the pinion rotation sensor 2.

  Although not shown, the ECU 3 determines the idle stop permission in the idle stop permission determination block 3a from various sensor information such as the brake SW and the vehicle speed sensor in addition to the normal fuel injection, ignition and air control (electronic control throttle). The fuel injection control block 3c performs fuel cut according to the idle stop permission determination result, and the starter motor block 4 and the pinion relay 5 are controlled by the starter control block 3b.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a first embodiment of the present invention. This flow is executed at regular intervals (for example, 10 ms).

In step 200, the engine speed calculated based on the crank angle sensor information is read. In step 201, the starter pinion speed Np calculated based on the starter pinion rotation sensor is read. Although the starter pinion rotation speed is directly measured here, the pinion rotation may be simply estimated from the motor terminal voltage. In step 202, it is determined whether or not the idle stop can be executed from the various sensor information shown in FIG. When the idle stop permission determination is established, the process proceeds to step 203, and when it is not established, the process is terminated. If it is determined in step 202 that the idling stop permission is established, a fuel cut process is executed in step 203. After the fuel cut, the idle stop timer TMISS in step 204 is started, and the process proceeds to step 205. TMISS _-1 means the previous value, and is incremented every time a fixed interval is executed. In step 205, it is determined whether or not the engine is stopped. If the engine is not stopped, it is determined that the inertia is being rotated due to the fuel cut. Next, when the idle stop timer has exceeded a predetermined value (for example, 100 ms) in step 206, the process proceeds to step 207 to start energization of the starter motor. Here, the idle stop timer is set to a predetermined value (for example, 100 ms) because the engine inertia rotation speed varies depending on engine friction or the like, so that the idle stop timer is set to a suitable value according to the engine condition. Another reason is to suppress energization of the starter motor when the starter motor does not need to be rotated, assuming that the brake pedal is released immediately after the idle stop permission condition is satisfied. After energizing the starter motor, the starter motor energization time TMSTMR is started in step 208 and the process proceeds to step 209. TMSTSR ₋₁ means the previous value, and is incremented every execution of the regular interval. If TMSTMR is equal to or longer than a predetermined time (for example, 150 ms) in step 209, it is determined that the starter pinion rotational speed has sufficiently increased, and the process proceeds to step 210 to turn off the starter motor. If TMSTMR has not continued for a predetermined time, energization is continued.

  In step 210, the starter motor is turned off. When the starter motor is turned off, the starter motor shifts to an inertial rotation phase. After the starter motor is turned off in step 211, the timer TMSTMROF is started. In step 212, when TMSTMROF elapses for a predetermined time (for example, 150 ms) or more, the starter pinion is turned on and the pinion gear is connected to the ring gear. In addition, the inertial rotation in the present invention represents a state in which the rotational angular velocity is working so that the number of rotations decreases, but not only the state in which the fuel or motor energization is interrupted but also the degree of decrease in the number of rotations is adjusted. Therefore, a state in which the rotational angular velocity is controlled, such as PWM control by changing the duty ratio of ON / OFF of the motor energization within a range in which the rotation speed is not increased, is also included. According to this embodiment, both the engine rotation and the starter pinion rotation are connected during the inertia rotation, so that the collision torque between the ring gear and the pinion is alleviated, and the engine and the starter motor can be smoothly connected. Impact noise and biting noise are reduced, and wear of ring gear and pinion can be reduced.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the second embodiment. This flow is executed at regular intervals (for example, 10 ms).

In step 300, the engine speed calculated based on the crank angle sensor information is read. In step 301, the starter pinion speed Np calculated based on the starter pinion rotation sensor is read. In step 302, it is determined whether or not the idle stop can be executed from the various sensor information shown in FIG. When the idle stop permission determination is established, the process proceeds to step 303, and when it is not established, the process is terminated. If it is determined in step 302 that the idling stop permission is established, a fuel cut process is executed in step 303. After the fuel cut, the idle stop timer TMISS in step 304 is started, and the process proceeds to step 305. TMISS _-1 means the previous value, and is incremented every time a fixed interval is executed. In step 305, it is determined whether or not the engine is stopped. If the engine is not stopped, it is determined that the inertia is being rotated due to the fuel cut. Next, when the idle stop timer has exceeded a predetermined value (for example, 100 ms) in step 306, the process proceeds to step 307 to start energization of the starter motor. After energizing the starter motor, the starter motor energization time TMSTMR is started in step 308 and the process proceeds to step 309. TMSTSR ₋₁ means the previous value, and is incremented every execution of the regular interval. If TMSTMR is equal to or longer than a predetermined time (for example, 150 ms) in step 309, it is determined that the starter pinion rotational speed has sufficiently increased, and the process proceeds to step 310 to turn off the starter motor. If TMSTMR has not continued for a predetermined time, energization is continued.

  In step 310, the starter motor is turned off. When the starter motor is turned off, the starter motor shifts to an inertial rotation phase. When the engine speed Ne and the pinion speed Np coincide with each other or the absolute value of the difference between the engine speed Ne and the pinion Np is equal to or less than a predetermined value in step 311, the process proceeds to step 312 and the starter pinion is turned on. Moreover, although the determination in step 311 takes the difference between the engine speed and the pinion speed, a ratio may be taken.

  According to this embodiment, both the engine rotation and the starter pinion rotation are coupled during inertial rotation, and are coupled when the engine rotation speed and the pinion rotation speed are substantially the same, so that the collision torque between the ring gear and the pinion is reduced, and the engine The starter motor and the starter motor can be connected smoothly, and the collision noise and biting noise during the connection can be reduced and the ring gear and pinion can be prevented from being worn.

  4 and 5 are flow charts showing a third embodiment. This flow is executed at regular intervals (for example, 10 ms).

  In step 400, the engine speed calculated based on the crank angle sensor information is read. In step 401, the starter pinion speed Np calculated based on the starter pinion rotation sensor is read. In step 402, the engine rotation angular acceleration ΔNe is calculated. Here, the angular acceleration is simply calculated from the difference between the engine speed before 10 deg CA and the current engine speed. In step 403, the pinion rotation angular acceleration ΔNp is calculated. In step 404, the engine angular acceleration direction is determined. If ΔNe is smaller than zero, the routine proceeds to step 405 where it is determined as negative acceleration and the engine acceleration direction determination flag FDNE is set to 1. If ΔNe is greater than zero, the process proceeds to step 406, where it is determined that the acceleration is positive, and the engine acceleration direction determination flag FDNE is set to zero.

  In step 407, the starter pinion angular acceleration direction is determined. If ΔNp is smaller than zero, the process proceeds to step 408, where it is determined that the acceleration is negative, and the pinion acceleration direction determination flag FDNP is set to 1. If ΔNp is greater than zero, the process proceeds to step 409, where it is determined that the acceleration is positive, and the pinion acceleration direction determination flag FDNP is set to zero.

In step 410, it is determined whether or not the idle stop can be executed from the various sensor information shown in FIG. When the idle stop permission determination is established, the process proceeds to step 411, and when it is not established, the process is terminated. If it is determined at step 410 that the idling stop permission is established, a fuel cut process is executed at step 411. After the fuel cut, the idle stop timer TMISS in step 412 is started, and the process proceeds to step 413. TMISS _-1 means the previous value, and is incremented every time a fixed interval is executed. In step 413, it is determined whether or not the engine is stopped. If the engine is not stopped, it is determined that the inertia is being rotated due to the fuel cut. Next, when the idle stop timer exceeds a predetermined value (for example, 100 ms) in step 414, the process proceeds to step 415 to start energization of the starter motor. After energizing the starter motor, the starter motor energization time TMSTMR is started in step 416 and the process proceeds to step 417. TMSTSR ₋₁ means the previous value, and is incremented every execution of the regular interval. If TMSTMR is equal to or longer than a predetermined time (for example, 150 ms) in step 417, it is determined that the starter pinion rotational speed has sufficiently increased, and the process proceeds to step 418 to turn off the starter motor. If TMSTMR has not continued for a predetermined time, energization is continued.

  In step 418, the starter motor is turned off. When the starter motor is turned off, the starter motor shifts to an inertial rotation phase. In step 419, the engine angular acceleration direction flag and the pinion angular acceleration direction flag are ANDed. If 1, the process proceeds to step 420, where the pinion is turned on. In step 419, whether the engine and the pinion are in the same angular acceleration direction is because the engine repeats intake, compression, expansion, and exhaust, so it depends on the amount of charged air in the cylinder even during inertial rotation after engine fuel cut. Since the angular acceleration direction changes according to the crank timing, it is determined that the engine angular acceleration direction matches the pinion angular acceleration direction.

  Next, FIG. 5 will be described. This flow is executed at regular intervals (for example, 10 ms).

  In step 500, the engine speed calculated based on the crank angle sensor information is read. In step 501, the starter pinion speed Np calculated based on the starter pinion rotation sensor is read. In step 502, engine rotational angular acceleration ΔNe is calculated. Here, the angular acceleration is simply calculated from the difference between the engine speed before 10 deg CA and the current engine speed. In step 503, the pinion rotation angular acceleration ΔNp is calculated. In step 504, the engine angular acceleration direction is determined. If ΔNe is smaller than zero, the process proceeds to step 505 where it is determined that the acceleration is negative and the engine acceleration direction determination flag FDNE is set to 1. If ΔNe is greater than zero, the process proceeds to step 506, where it is determined that the acceleration is positive, and the engine acceleration direction determination flag FDNE is set to zero.

  In step 507, the starter pinion angular acceleration direction is determined. If ΔNp is smaller than zero, the process proceeds to step 508, where it is determined that the acceleration is negative, and the pinion acceleration direction determination flag FDNP is set to 1. If ΔNp is greater than zero, the process proceeds to step 509 where it is determined that the acceleration is positive and the pinion acceleration direction determination flag FDNP is set to zero.

In step 510, it is determined whether or not the idle stop can be executed from the various sensor information shown in FIG. When the idle stop permission determination is established, the process proceeds to step 511, and when it is not established, the process is terminated. If it is determined at step 510 that the idling stop permission is established, a fuel cut process is executed at step 511. After the fuel cut, the idle stop timer TMISS in step 512 is started, and the process proceeds to step 513. TMISS _-1 means the previous value, and is incremented every time a fixed interval is executed. In step 513, it is determined whether or not the engine is stopped. If the engine is not stopped, it is determined that the inertia is being rotated due to the fuel cut. Next, when the idle stop timer exceeds a predetermined value (for example, 100 ms) in step 514, the process proceeds to step 515, and energization of the starter motor is started. After energizing the starter motor, the starter motor energization time TMSTMR is started at step 516 and the process proceeds to step 517. TMSTSR ₋₁ means the previous value, and is incremented every execution of the regular interval. If TMSTMR is equal to or longer than a predetermined time (for example, 150 ms) in step 517, it is determined that the starter pinion rotational speed has sufficiently increased, and the process proceeds to step 518 to turn off the starter motor. If TMSTMR has not continued for a predetermined time, energization is continued.

  In step 518, the starter motor is turned off. When the starter motor is turned off, the starter motor shifts to an inertial rotation phase. If the difference between the engine angular acceleration and the pinion angular acceleration is equal to or smaller than the predetermined value in step 519, the process proceeds to step 520, where the pinion is turned on. Otherwise it ends.

  According to this embodiment, both the engine rotation and the starter pinion rotation are coupled during inertial rotation, and are coupled when the engine angular acceleration and the pinion angular acceleration have the same direction or when the difference between the engine angular acceleration and the pinion angular acceleration is equal to or less than a predetermined value. Therefore, the collision torque between the ring gear and the pinion is alleviated, the engine and the starter motor can be connected smoothly, and the collision noise and biting noise during the connection are reduced and the ring gear and pinion are worn. Can be prevented.

  6 and 7 are flow charts showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention. This flow is executed at regular intervals (for example, 10 ms). First, FIG. 6 will be described.

In step 600, the engine speed calculated based on the crank angle sensor information is read. In step 601, the starter pinion speed Np calculated based on the starter pinion rotation sensor is read. In step 602, it is determined whether or not the idle stop can be executed from the various sensor information shown in FIG. When the idle stop permission determination is established, the process proceeds to step 203, and when it is not established, the process is terminated. After the determination that the idling stop permission is established in step 602, the process proceeds to step 603, and the engine speed when the idling stop is started is stored in ISSTNE. Next, at step 604, fuel cut processing is executed. After the fuel cut, the idle stop timer TMISS in step 605 is started, and the process proceeds to step 606. TMISS _-1 means the previous value, and is incremented every time a fixed interval is executed. In step 606, it is determined whether or not the engine is stopped. If the engine is not stopped, it is determined that the inertia is rotating due to fuel cut, and if not established, it is determined that the engine is stopped and the process ends. Next, in step 607, when the idle stop timer has passed TMSTRON or more, the process proceeds to step 608 and energization of the starter motor is started. The TMSTRON to be compared with the idle stop timer TMISS will be described with reference to FIG.

After energizing the starter motor in step 608, starter motor energization time TMSTMR is started in step 609, and the process proceeds to step 610. TMSTSR ₋₁ means the previous value, and is incremented every execution of the regular interval. In step 610, if TMSTMR is equal to or longer than a predetermined time (for example, 150 ms), it is determined that the starter pinion rotational speed has sufficiently increased, and the process proceeds to step 611 to turn off the starter motor. If TMSTMR has not continued for a predetermined time, energization is continued.

  In step 611, the starter motor is turned off. When the starter motor is turned off, the starter motor shifts to an inertial rotation phase. After the starter motor is turned off in step 612, the timer TMSTMROF is started, and the process proceeds to step 613. In step 613, when TMSTMROF elapses for a predetermined time (for example, 150 ms) or more, the starter pinion is turned on and the pinion gear is connected to the ring gear.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart for determining a time for starting energization of the starter motor. In step 700, the engine speed is read, and in step 701, the engine rotational angular acceleration ΔNe is calculated. Next, in step 702, the idle stop start rotation ISSTNE is read, and in step 702, the time for starting energization of the stator motor is referred to in a table according to ΔNe and ISSTNE. Although the details of the energization timing control of the starter motor have been described so far, the motor speed may be controlled to a desired value while feeding back the engine speed by PWM control for controlling the duty ratio of ON / OFF switching.

  By connecting the engine rotation and the starter pinion rotation during the inertia rotation according to the present embodiment, the collision torque between the ring gear and the pinion is reduced, so that the engine and the starter motor can be smoothly connected. Collision noise and biting noise during connection can be reduced and wear of the ring gear and pinion can be alleviated, and the starter energization timing can be controlled according to the start of idling stop rotation and the angular acceleration of the engine at that time. It is possible to prevent the starter pinion and the ring gear from being bitten at an unexpected timing due to a difference in idle setting rotation, shift lever position, or the like.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a fifth embodiment of the present invention. This flow is executed at regular intervals (for example, 10 ms).

In step 800, the engine speed calculated based on the crank angle sensor information is read. In step 801, the starter pinion speed Np calculated based on the starter pinion rotation sensor is read. In step 802, it is determined whether or not the idle stop can be executed from the various sensor information shown in FIG. When the idle stop permission determination is established, the process proceeds to step 803, and when it is not established, the process is terminated. If it is determined in step 802 that the idle stop permission is established, a fuel cut process is executed in step 803. After the fuel cut, the idle stop timer TMISS in step 804 is started, and the process proceeds to step 805. TMISS _-1 means the previous value, and is incremented every time a fixed interval is executed. In step 805, it is determined whether or not the engine is stopped. If the engine is not stopped, it is determined that the inertia is being rotated due to the fuel cut. Next, when the idle stop timer exceeds a predetermined value (for example, 100 ms) in step 806, the process proceeds to step 807 and energization of the starter motor is started. After energizing the starter motor, the starter motor energization time TMSTMR is started in step 808 and the process proceeds to step 809. TMSTSR ₋₁ means the previous value, and is incremented every execution of the regular interval. In step 809, if TMSTMR is equal to or longer than a predetermined time (for example, 150 ms), it is determined that the starter pinion rotational speed has sufficiently increased, and the process proceeds to step 810 to turn off the starter motor. If TMSTMR has not continued for a predetermined time, energization is continued.

  In step 810, the starter motor is turned off. When the starter motor is turned off, the starter motor shifts to an inertial rotation phase. After the starter motor is turned off in step 810, the process proceeds to step 811 where the engine speed is equal to or less than a predetermined value (for example, 200r / min), the starter pinion is turned on, and the pinion gear is connected to the ring gear. The predetermined rotation is preferably as low as possible, but is set to a value lower than the normal starter cranking rotation at a minimum.

  According to this embodiment, both the engine rotation and the starter pinion rotation are connected during the inertia rotation, so that the collision torque between the ring gear and the pinion is alleviated, and the engine and the starter motor can be smoothly connected. Impact noise and biting noise are reduced, and wear of ring gear and pinion can be reduced. In addition, since the rotation speed connected to the pinion gear and the ring gear is low, the time until the engine stops is shortened, and the frequency of backlash generated by the backlash between the pinion gear and the ring gear after the connection is reduced. Can do.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a sixth embodiment of the present invention. This flow is executed at regular intervals (for example, 10 ms).

In step 900, the engine speed calculated based on the crank angle sensor information is read. In step 901, the crank timing of the engine is read, and the stroke of the engine is determined from the crank timing. In step 902, it is determined whether or not the idle stop can be executed from the various sensor information shown in FIG. When the idle stop permission determination is established, the process proceeds to step 903, and when it is not established, the process is terminated. If it is determined in step 902 that the idling stop permission is established, a fuel cut process is executed in step 903. After the fuel cut, the idle stop timer TMISS in step 904 is started, and the process proceeds to step 905. TMISS _-1 means the previous value, and is incremented every time a fixed interval is executed. In step 905, it is determined whether or not the engine is stopped. If the engine is not stopped, it is determined that the inertia is being rotated due to fuel cut. Next, when the idle stop timer exceeds a predetermined value (for example, 100 ms) in step 906, the process proceeds to step 907 to start energization of the starter motor. After energizing the starter motor, the starter motor energization time TMSTMR is started in step 908 and the process proceeds to step 909. TMSTSR ₋₁ means the previous value, and is incremented every execution of the regular interval. If TMSTMR is equal to or longer than a predetermined time (for example, 150 ms) in step 909, it is determined that the starter pinion speed has sufficiently increased, and the process proceeds to step 910 to turn off the starter motor. If TMSTMR has not continued for a predetermined time, energization is continued.

  In step 910, the starter motor is turned off. When the starter motor is turned off, the starter motor shifts to an inertial rotation phase. After the starter motor is turned off in step 910, the process proceeds to step 911, and the crank timing at that time is the expansion stroke. If so, turn on the starter pinion and connect the pinion gear to the ring gear.

  In step 911, the method of determining the expansion stroke based on the crank timing is described in the flowchart. However, although the description in the flowchart is omitted, the engine rotation angular acceleration is detected and the change in the angular acceleration direction (positive or negative) is detected. ) To determine the expansion timing. Note that the change in the angular acceleration direction here represents a change due to the crank timing as described above, that is, a change in angular acceleration caused by the pressure in the combustion chamber increased in the compression stroke. At this timing, the decreasing speed of the engine speed temporarily decreases, and the angular speed changes so that the absolute value decreases.

  According to this embodiment, both the engine rotation and the starter pinion rotation are connected during inertial rotation, and the collision torque between the ring gear and the pinion is alleviated, so that the engine and the starter motor can be connected smoothly, and at the time of connection Impact noise and biting noise are reduced, and wear of ring gear and pinion can be reduced. In addition, since the starter pinion is connected at the timing of the engine expansion stroke, the engine angular acceleration is reduced, and the speed of decrease in the engine speed is reduced. Torque can be further reduced.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a seventh embodiment of the present invention. This flow is executed at regular intervals (for example, 10 ms).

In step 1000, the engine speed calculated based on the crank angle sensor information is read. In step 1001, the starter pinion speed Np calculated based on the starter pinion rotation sensor is read. In step 1002, it is determined whether or not the idle stop can be executed from the various sensor information shown in FIG. When the idle stop permission determination is established, the process proceeds to step 1003, and when it is not established, the process is terminated. If it is determined in step 1002 that the idling stop permission is established, a fuel cut process is executed in step 1003. After the fuel cut, the idle stop timer TMISS in step 1004 is started, and the process proceeds to step 1005. TMISS _-1 means the previous value, and is incremented every time a fixed interval is executed. In step 1005, it is determined whether or not the engine is stopped. If the engine is not stopped, it is determined that the inertia rotation is being performed by fuel cut. Next, when the idle stop timer exceeds a predetermined value (for example, 100 ms) in step 1006, the process proceeds to step 1007 and energization of the starter motor is started. After energizing the starter motor, the starter motor energization time TMSTMR is started in step 1008 and the process proceeds to step 1009. TMSTSR ₋₁ means the previous value, and is incremented every execution of the regular interval. If TMSTMR is equal to or longer than a predetermined time (for example, 150 ms) in step 1009, it is determined that the starter pinion rotational speed has sufficiently increased, and the process proceeds to step 1010 to turn off the starter motor. If TMSTMR has not continued for a predetermined time, energization is continued.

  At step 1010, the starter motor is turned off. When the starter motor is turned off, the starter motor shifts to an inertial rotation phase. After the starter motor is turned off at step 1011, the timer TMSTMROF is started. In step 1012, when TMSTMROF elapses for a predetermined time (for example, 150 ms) or more, the starter pinion is turned on and the pinion gear is connected to the ring gear. In step 1014, the engine makes a stop determination. If the engine has stopped, the process proceeds to step 1015 and the starter pinion is turned off. If the engine is not stopped, the starter pinion will remain on. According to this embodiment, the collision torque between the ring gear and the pinion in the pre-mesh is alleviated, so that the engine and the starter motor can be connected smoothly, and the collision sound and the biting sound during the connection are reduced. At the same time, ring gear and pinion wear can be reduced. In addition, if the pinion is configured to return automatically when the engine speed exceeds a predetermined value, the pinion can be prevented from returning before the engine stops, so the engine and starter motor can be more reliably connected. Can be.

  Next, an eighth embodiment of the present invention will be described. The description of the parts common to the other embodiments is omitted. In the present embodiment, the engine load or the starter motor is energized to control the angular acceleration of the engine rotation and the angular acceleration of the starter motor rotation, and the engine and the starter motor rotation speed are made close to each other so that the engine speed decreases. And the starter motor can be smoothly connected. Note that control of the engine load during fuel cutoff can be realized by adjusting the amount of intake air into the engine by controlling the opening of the throttle valve. The starter motor energization control is not limited to the timing control of the energization timing, but may be controlled to a desired angular acceleration by PWM control that controls the duty ratio of ON / OFF switching, and the degree of decrease in the rotational speed may be adjusted. As in the other embodiments, in this embodiment, when the angular acceleration of the engine rotation and the angular acceleration of the starter motor rotation coincide with each other or when the difference is small, the coupling is performed, so the collision torque between the ring gear and the pinion As a result, the engine and the starter motor can be connected smoothly, and the collision noise and biting sound during the connection can be reduced and the wear of the ring gear and pinion can be reduced.

  Next, a ninth embodiment of the present invention will be described. The description of the parts common to the other embodiments is omitted. In this embodiment, the engine and the starter motor are connected when the rotation speed of the starter motor is equal to or higher than a predetermined value. This embodiment assumes the case of using a starter motor that is not a motor generator for a hybrid vehicle that also serves as a generator. Such a starter motor is connected to the engine when the rotational speed is low, and the collision torque If the starter motor reversely rotates, the starter motor will fail or deteriorate. Therefore, the reverse rotation of the starter motor due to the reverse rotation of the crank is prevented by performing the connection when the rotation speed of the starter motor is high enough that the reverse rotation of the starter motor does not occur even if the starter motor is connected. In this embodiment, by preventing reverse rotation of the starter motor, unlike a hybrid motor or the like, it is possible to suppress failure and deterioration of a starter motor that is not supposed to be reversely rotated.

  The operation of the present invention will be schematically described with reference to FIG. (1) represents a normal vehicle running state, and (2) represents a vehicle stop behavior by a driver brake operation. After the vehicle stops, if the vehicle speed is 0km / h and the brake is depressed, the idle stop is determined. In (4), the idle stop is permitted, the fuel cut is executed, and the idle is stopped. Stop state. After the idle stop determination (5), the motor relay is energized for a predetermined time. (6) is a state where both the engine rotation and the pinion rotation are rotating inertially. It should be noted that energization of the motor relay may cause the engine speed to rise again (combustion recovery) without using the motor by fuel injection when the brake pedal is suddenly released due to a user's will change (change mind). The current may be applied in consideration of possible timing. In addition, when the rotational speed behavior during inertial rotation can be predicted, energization may be performed so as to control the degree of the rotational speed effect in consideration of the pre-mesh timing or the pre-mesh rotational speed. (7) is a state where both the engine rotation and the pinion are rotating in an inertial state, and when a desired condition (for example, the engine speed or the difference between the engine rotation and the pinion rotation) is satisfied, the pinion is turned on, and the engine ring gear and the pinion gear are turned on. Connect.

  (8) represents a state where idling is stopped. In (9), when the driver releases the brake, idle stop is prohibited, and the starter motor relay and pinion are energized to start the engine. When it is determined in (10) that the engine has been started, both the starter motor and pinion are turned off. Here, it may be configured such that the pinion is automatically turned off when the engine speed increases due to the mechanism. (11) is the normal return state.

  In addition, this operation | movement description only represented the example in idle stop, and the vehicle driving state used as idle stop is not this limitation. Further, the present invention can be applied to engine stop and engine start other than idle stop without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, when the ignition key is turned off and the ignition key is turned on again, effects such as suppression of collision torque and shortening of engine restart can be expected.

  According to the present invention, in a system in which fuel is cut and the engine is stopped when a condition for allowing idle stop is satisfied during driving of the automobile, in the configuration in which pre-meshing is performed before the engine is stopped, Durability, wear resistance, and quietness can be improved. In addition, since a good pre-mesh is possible, it can contribute to shortening the restart time.

1 Starter body 1a Starter motor 1b Magnet switch 1c Shift lever 1d Pinion 2 Pinion rotation sensor 3 ECU (Engine Control Unit)
3a Idle stop determination 3b Starter control block 3c Fuel injection control block 4 Starter motor relay 5 Pinion relay 6 Ring gear

Claims (13)

In a vehicle control device for controlling connection between an engine and a starter motor for starting the engine,
Shut off the fuel supply to the engine and rotate the engine to inertia;
Based on the rotational speed of the engine and the degree of decrease in the rotational speed when the inertial rotation is started, the starter motor is configured so that the start timing of rotation of the starter motor is earlier as the rotational speed decrease of the engine is earlier. Start the rotation of the starter motor in a state where it is not connected to the engine, and control the energization to the starter motor so that the starter motor rotates inertially after the start of the rotation of the starter motor,
The starter motor is connected to the engine when the engine and the starter motor are both inertially rotated and the absolute value of the difference between the engine speed and the starter motor speed is less than a predetermined value. A vehicle control device. 2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein energization of the starter motor is controlled so that the starter motor is inertially rotated when a predetermined time has elapsed after the start of rotation of the starter motor. Vehicle control device.   2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the angular acceleration direction of the engine and the angular acceleration direction of the starter motor are the same, or the difference between the angular acceleration of the engine and the angular acceleration of the starter motor is equal to or less than a predetermined value. In some cases, the vehicle control device connects the starter motor to the engine.   2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein a timing for energizing the starter motor is controlled in accordance with an angular acceleration during inertia rotation of the engine.   2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the starter motor is connected to the engine when the rotational speed of the engine becomes a predetermined value or less.   2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the starter motor is connected to the engine when the engine during inertial rotation is in an expansion stroke, or when the engine is during inertial rotation and there is a change in angular velocity. The vehicle control apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned.   2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the connection between the engine and the starter motor is continued until the engine is stopped.   2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the engine load or the starter motor is controlled so that the angular acceleration of the engine and the angular acceleration of the starter motor coincide with each other or a difference falls within a predetermined range. A vehicle control device.   The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the starter motor is connected to the engine when the rotation speed of the starter motor is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.   2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the starter motor and the engine are connected when the rotation speed of the starter motor is high enough to prevent reverse rotation. 2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein control is performed by adjusting an intake air amount to the engine so that a rotational speed lowering speed of the engine during inertial rotation approaches a rotational speed lowering speed of the starter motor. A vehicle control device.   The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein energization to the starter motor is controlled based on a timing at which the combustion of the engine can be restored.   2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the starter motor is operated when the engine during inertial rotation is in an expansion stroke, or when the engine is during inertial rotation and the lowering speed is temporarily reduced. A vehicle control device connected to the engine.

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