JP3959146B2 - Remote engine starter - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a remote engine starter which starts an engine by a signal from a remote control transmitter or the like without operating an ignition key switch of an automobile and performs idling operation, and in particular, if sufficient idling operation is performed, the engine It is related with the control technology which stops automatically.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Some remote engine starters using a conventional remote control include an idling time changeover switch on a main body portion to be mounted on an automobile. The idling time from when the engine is started with the remote control to when the engine is automatically stopped can be switched between two stages, long and short, by this changeover switch.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The idling time changeover switch in the conventional remote engine starting device is of a type for initializing the idling time in accordance with the engine displacement of the automobile to be used. Therefore, since it is cold today, I want to extend the idling time and make the cabin sufficiently warm, or because the car has been left in the sun for a long time, I want to make the cabin cool enough by turning on the air conditioner sufficiently, etc. It was not possible to arbitrarily adjust the idling time according to the situation at the time of trying. In other words, even if the idling time can be adjusted in a multi-stage over a wide range by the changeover switch, if the changeover switch is provided in the main body mounted on the automobile, it cannot be used flexibly as described above.
[0004]
As a result, if the idling time is short, the engine may stop before the engine and the vehicle compartment are sufficiently warmed in a cold weather, and the engine may stop before the vehicle is air-conditioned to a sufficient temperature during extreme heat. . On the other hand, if the idling time is long, the engine is warmed up and the idling is continued even though the vehicle interior is in a desired temperature environment, and fuel is wasted.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in view of the background described above, it is an object to solve the problems described above, the remote engine starting device for starting the engine without operating the ignition key switch Ri by the remote control The idling time can be variably adjusted according to the situation at the time of starting, so that the vehicle interior can be kept at a predetermined temperature without wasting fuel, and the vehicle interior temperature is also used. Provided is a remote engine starting device that can be set according to the user's preference and the like so that a user at a remote location can easily know that the temperature in the passenger compartment has reached a predetermined temperature. .
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, in the remote engine starter according to the present invention, a relay contact circuit connected in parallel to an ignition key switch of an automobile, and the ignition key switch is driven by driving the relay contact circuit. Instead, a remote engine starter comprising a relay drive circuit for controlling engine start and operation of electrical components and a main control circuit for controlling the relay drive circuit to perform engine start processing when a start command signal is received. Assume equipment. And the temperature sensor which detects the vehicle interior temperature of the said motor vehicle is provided, and it becomes possible to monitor the temperature in a vehicle interior. Further, the main control circuit includes temperature control means for monitoring the output of the temperature sensor after starting the engine by the relay drive circuit and the relay contact circuit, and stopping the engine when the reference temperature is reached. It is assumed that the configuration is as follows .
[0007]
Here, the remote engine starter device, instead of the normal start of putting the switch to insert the key into the ignition key switch, intended for starting the engine based on the start command signal from the outside without inserting the key is there.
[0008]
The fact that the reference temperature has been reached does not necessarily mean that the reference temperature coincides with the reference temperature. For example, a certain margin is provided for the reference temperature, and if the temperature reaches the reference temperature range, the reference temperature is reached. You may make it determine with having carried out. In other words, the reference temperature is not a single point such as X ° C., but a reference temperature having a certain width such as Y to Z ° C. may be used.
[0009]
If comprised as mentioned above, an engine will start and it will be in an idling state. Then, if an air conditioner or a heater is switched on in advance, the air conditioner or the like is activated as the engine is started, and the vehicle interior is controlled to warm to a predetermined temperature set or warmed. Therefore, as the idling continues, the temperature in the passenger compartment approaches the set temperature. In the present invention, the temperature in the passenger compartment is detected by a temperature sensor, and the engine is stopped when the temperature reaches the reference temperature. If the temperature in the passenger compartment reaches the reference temperature in this way, the engine is also warmed up. As a result, the interior of the vehicle is not chilled or is not at a high temperature, and a comfortable space is created, and there is no discomfort when getting in with the door open. Furthermore, since idling does not continue more than necessary, fuel is not wasted.
[0010]
In the above premise, the start command signal is a signal sent from a wireless remote control transmitter, and the reference temperature is variably set by a predetermined signal transmitted from the remote control transmitter .
[0011]
Thereby, the temperature in the passenger compartment can be set to a user's preferred temperature, and a comfortable driving environment can be formed from when the vehicle is boarded. In addition, the reference temperature change that is more suitable, such as summer or winter, as well as the weather of the day, used for a person can be set to a temperature suitable from the state around at that time.
[0012]
On the other hand, based on the above assumption, the main control circuit further includes a timer that defines a maximum idling time until the engine is stopped, and the engine is stopped after a predetermined time even if the engine is not stopped by the temperature control means. With the ability to control to stop,
Even if the engine is not stopped by the temperature control means, it has a function of controlling the engine to stop after a lapse of a predetermined time, and the start command signal is a signal sent from a wireless remote control transmitter, The idling time may be variably set by a predetermined signal transmitted from the remote control transmitter.
[0013]
That is, for some reason, even if idling is continued, the temperature in the passenger compartment may not reach the reference temperature. In that case, a certain time limit is given, and idling is continued longer than necessary to prevent wasteful consumption of fuel. Thereby, for example, even if the user has forgotten to switch on the air conditioner or the like, the engine stops after a certain period of time. Note that the maximum idling time measured by the timer may be fixed or variable. If it is variable, it may be changed by a control signal from a remote control transmitter. Of course, a changeover switch or the like may be provided in the apparatus main body, thereby changing the maximum idling time.
[0014]
Furthermore, upon stopping the engine satisfies a predetermined condition, sends a stop information to a remote receiving device, but it may also the possible notification to the user via the output means provided in the receiving device . The receiver of this, it is also possible to be configured as a dedicated machine may also be integrated with a remote control transmitter for transmitting a start command signal as defined in claim 5 and a receiving device.
[0015]
Here, the predetermined condition is, for example, that the temperature in the passenger compartment has reached the reference temperature, or that the idling time has passed for a certain time. Of course, both may be sufficient, either one may be sufficient and others may be included.
[0016]
In this way, a user at a remote location such as a house can easily know that the interior of the vehicle has reached a predetermined temperature. Therefore, the user can get into the automobile without delay after confirming that the engine is stopped, that is, the temperature inside the vehicle compartment has reached the desired temperature.
[0017]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a remote engine starter according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows a method for connecting the relay contact circuit to an electric circuit of an automobile. First, FIG. 2 will be described. As is well known, a starter motor 110 of an automobile is connected to a battery 80 via a magnet switch 100 and an ignition key switch 90. Normally, the key switch 90 is operated with a key to start an engine or the like. Take control.
[0018]
As is well known, the ignition key switch 90 supplies power to the ignition circuit at a position where power supply to each part is stopped (OFF in the figure), an accessory position (ACC in the figure) that can drive various electrical components, and so on. Then, an ignition position (IG in the figure) for continuing idling operation, and a start position (ST in the figure) for starting the engine by energizing the starter motor 110 by energizing the magnet switch 100 when the engine is stopped. There is. Various electrical components 120 (ACC load) are connected to the ACC contact, and an ignition circuit 130 (IG load) is connected to the IG contact. The ACC relay contact 72a, the IG relay contact 73a, and the ST relay contact 74a of the remote engine starter of the present invention are connected in parallel with the respective contacts of the ignition key switch 90.
[0019]
The configuration of FIG. 1 will be described. In this embodiment, the remote control transmitter 1 that the user has at hand and the remote control receiver 10 of the apparatus main body mounted on the automobile are transceivers capable of two-way communication. These will be referred to as a device 1 and a remote control receiver 10. The remote control transmitter 1 is provided with an LED 1a and a speaker 1b as output means so that it can be notified that the temperature in the vehicle compartment has reached a reference temperature, as will be described later.
[0020]
As shown in FIG. 1, the remote control receiver 10 includes an antenna 11, a reception circuit 12, and a transmission circuit 13. A microprocessor (MPU) 60 corresponds to the main control circuit described above. The microprocessor 60 controls and drives the ACC relay 72, the IG relay 73, and the ST relay 74 corresponding to the ACC relay contact 72a, the IG relay contact 73a, and the ST relay contact 74a through the relay drive circuit 71.
[0021]
The starter device also includes a safety check sensor 20 for determining whether the engine can be started, such as whether the shift position of the vehicle is in the parking position or whether the ignition key switch 90 is in the OFF position. Further, a start confirmation sensor 50 for detecting whether or not the engine is started is provided. In addition, an operation unit 30 such as a keyboard for providing various operation inputs on the main body is provided. Further, as a characteristic element of the present invention, a temperature sensor 40 for detecting the temperature in the passenger compartment is provided. Further, as described below, a memory 61 (storage device) is provided for storing control data such as idling time and reference temperature that are variably set. These components are connected to the microprocessor 60, and the microprocessor 60 controls the control operation as shown in the flowcharts of FIGS.
[0022]
The operation of this apparatus will be described in order according to the flowcharts of FIGS. When the user starts the engine, the remote control transmitter 1 at hand is operated to transmit a radio signal for starting (ST1). When the remote control receiver 10 of the apparatus main body mounted on the vehicle receives this signal, the microprocessor 60 first determines whether the ID based on the memory 61 matches the ID in the received signal (ST2). ). If the ID is appropriate, the process proceeds to determine whether there is an engine start command in the received signal and whether there is any error in the data (ST3, ST4). If it is an appropriate engine start command, the control proceeds to engine start control.
[0023]
First, the output of the safety confirmation sensor 20 is checked to confirm that the engine may be started, and then the relay drive circuit 71 is controlled to drive the ACC relay 72, IG relay 73, and ST relay 74 at a predetermined timing. Then, control for driving the starter motor 110 is performed (ST5 to ST7). Thereby, it is checked by the output of the start confirmation sensor 50 that the engine has been started (ST8). If not started, restart processing is performed (ST9), and the process returns to step 7. If the engine starts normally, the ACC relay 72 and the IG relay 73 are continuously driven to shift to an idling state (ST10).
[0024]
The process so far is the same as the conventional apparatus. In the present invention, when the engine is started, the microprocessor 60 starts measuring time and compares the idling set time stored in the memory 61 with the actual idling time being measured. At the same time, the detected temperature is sampled by the vehicle interior temperature sensor 40 and compared with the reference temperature stored and stored in the memory 61 (ST11, ST12). If the detected temperature has not reached the reference temperature and the idling time has not reached the set time, it is confirmed that the idling can be continued using the safety confirmation sensor, and the process returns to step 10 to perform idling. Continue (ST13).
[0025]
On the other hand, if the difference between the detected temperature and the reference temperature falls within a certain range, the branch determination in step 11 is Yes, so the remote control receiver 10 capable of two-way communication allows the remote control at hand of the user. A signal is sent to the transmitter 1 notifying that idling is stopped because the temperature in the passenger compartment has reached the reference temperature (ST14). When the remote control transmitter 1 receives this signal, the LED lamp and buzzer of the transmitter 1 notifies the user of this. On the apparatus body side, idling is continued for an appropriate time set in an appropriate delay timer, and then the ACC relay 72 and the IG relay 73 are turned off to automatically stop idling (ST15, ST16). If the remote control transmitter is a short-direction transmission, it cannot be received as a matter of course, so the processing in step 14 is eliminated (a receiver that receives a set temperature coincidence signal or the like and provides a notification output is provided separately from the remote control transmitter). Except when).
[0026]
In addition, when the idling set time is reached before the temperature in the passenger compartment reaches the reference temperature, the remote control receiver 10 informs the user that the idling is stopped because time has passed from the remote control receiver 10 toward the remote control transmitter 1 at hand. A signal is transmitted (ST17). When the remote control transmitter receives this signal, the LED lamp and buzzer of the transmitter 1 informs the user of this. Then, the ACC relay 72 and the IG relay 73 are turned off, and idling is automatically stopped (ST16).
[0027]
The output of the safety confirmation sensor 20 is also checked during idling (ST13), and if it is detected that it is not appropriate to continue idling, the ACC relay 72 and the IG relay 73 are also turned off and idling is performed. Automatic stop (ST16).
[0028]
The memory 61 is a non-volatile readable / writable storage device, and data is written / rewritten by the microprocessor 60. By inputting the idling setting time and the reference temperature from the operation unit 30 of the main body, the idling setting time and the reference temperature in the memory 61 can be arbitrarily rewritten. Further, the idling set time and the reference temperature in the memory 61 can be arbitrarily rewritten by a radio signal from the remote control transmitter 1 at hand of the user. Therefore, when the user tries to start the engine with the remote control, it is cold today, so the idling time should be extended to make the cabin sufficiently warm, or the car has been left in the sun for a long time, so the air conditioner is fully effective The idling time can be arbitrarily adjusted according to the situation at the time, for example, to make the passenger compartment cooler.
[0029]
In this type of remote engine starting device, if the start time is set in the memory 61 and a timer start command is given to the microprocessor 60, the above-mentioned start control signal is automatically set at the set time. Processing begins. That is, it can be applied to a system in which a clock is built in and the engine is automatically started when the set time comes. Specifically, a function that executes a flowchart shown in FIG. 5 instead of the flowchart shown in FIG. 3 may be used.
[0030]
Since the timer method is the same as the conventional method until the engine is started (the flowchart shown in FIG. 5), detailed description thereof is omitted. Of course, in relation to the present invention, after the flowchart shown in FIG. 5 is executed, the flowchart shown in FIG. 4 is executed. The start start time can be set by various methods such as setting the apparatus main body side so as to be manually operated or set from the outside by a remote control transmitter.
[0031]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, since it is cold today, it is necessary to lengthen the idling time so that the passenger compartment is sufficiently warm, or because the automobile has been left in the sun for a long time, the air conditioner is sufficiently effective to cool the passenger compartment, etc. The idling time can be arbitrarily adjusted according to the situation when starting the engine. That is, idling is performed for a time suitable for reaching a desired temperature according to the external environment, and idling is not longer than necessary. Therefore, the fuel is not consumed wastefully. And when idling is finished, the temperature inside the passenger compartment is the set temperature, so when you get into the car, you get a desired temperature environment from the beginning and you may feel uncomfortable when you get in Disappear. Various adjustments and settings can be freely and easily performed by a radio signal from a remote controller, for example.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a remote engine starting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a circuit diagram showing a relationship between a relay contact of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 and a starting circuit system of an automobile.
FIG. 3 is a part of a flowchart showing a processing procedure of engine start control executed by a microprocessor 60 of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;
4 is a part of a flowchart showing a processing procedure of engine start control executed by a microprocessor 60 of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a flowchart corresponding to FIG. 3 showing a processing procedure of engine start control executed by the microprocessor 60 of the timer-driven remote engine starter.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Remote control transmitter 1a LED (output means)
1b Speaker (output means)
10 Remote control receiver 40 Car interior temperature sensor 60 Microprocessor (main control circuit)
61 Memory 71 Relay drive circuit 72 ACC relay 72a ACC relay contact 73 IG relay 73a IG relay contact 74 ST relay 74a ST relay contact 80 Battery 90 Ignition key switch 100 Magnet switch 110 Starter motor

Claims (4)

A relay contact circuit connected in parallel to the ignition key switch of the automobile;
By driving this relay contact circuit, a relay drive circuit that controls the operation of the engine start and electrical components in place of the ignition key switch,
In a remote engine starter comprising a main control circuit that controls the relay drive circuit to perform engine start processing when a start command signal is received,
A temperature sensor for detecting a temperature inside the vehicle is provided;
The main control circuit, the relay drive circuit and monitors the output of the temperature sensor after starting the engine by said relay contact circuit, saw including a temperature control means for stopping the engine if reached the reference temperature,
The start command signal is a signal sent from a wireless remote control transmitter, and the reference temperature is variably set by a predetermined signal transmitted from the remote control transmitter. . A relay contact circuit connected in parallel to the ignition key switch of the automobile;
By driving this relay contact circuit, a relay drive circuit that controls the operation of the engine start and electrical components in place of the ignition key switch,
In a remote engine starter comprising a main control circuit that controls the relay drive circuit to perform engine start processing when a start command signal is received,
A temperature sensor for detecting a temperature inside the vehicle is provided;
The main control circuit monitors the output of the temperature sensor after starting the engine by the relay drive circuit and the relay contact circuit, and stops the engine when the reference temperature is reached, and the engine Including a timer that defines a maximum idling time until the engine is stopped, and has a function of controlling the engine to stop after a lapse of a fixed time even if the engine is not stopped by the temperature control means ,
The start command signal is a signal sent from a wireless remote control transmitter, and the maximum idling time is variably set by a predetermined signal transmitted from the remote control transmitter. apparatus. Upon stopping the engine, sends a stop information to a remote receiving device, according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the enable state notification to the user via the output means provided in the receiving device The remote engine starter described in 1. The remote engine starting device according to claim 3, wherein the receiving device and the remote control transmitter are integrally formed .

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