JP4034768B2 - Engine automatic stop start device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an engine automatic stop and start device that automatically stops and starts an engine mounted on an automobile or the like when a predetermined condition is satisfied.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an engine mounted on a vehicle is automatically stopped, and an automatic stop / start function is provided for controlling the engine to be automatically started when a predetermined automatic start condition is satisfied after the automatic stop. Control devices with two starters have been proposed. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

  For example, the starter disclosed in Patent Document 1 starts a starter when an ignition key is operated and improves the response and startability, and reduces vibration noise. The starter and the motor generator are used appropriately and started by switching the starter start and the start by the motor generator depending on the engine ambient temperature such as the engine water temperature.

  On the other hand, the automatic stop condition of the automatic stop / start device mounted on the vehicle is considered to be safe so that it does not become impossible to start when starting after the automatic stop. There is a condition that automatic stop is not permitted if there is no travel history of traveling. (For example, refer to Patent Document 2).

  The conditions for the travel history are provided so that the engine operation is not automatically stopped under conditions where the state of charge of a power storage device such as a battery is not good, and the engine cannot be restarted. It is a condition.

  A normal automobile is equipped with a generator to charge the power storage device and supply power to an electrical load. As such a generator, what operates using a part of motive power output from an engine is common.

  The maximum amount of power that can be generated by the generator as described above changes in accordance with the magnitude of power output from the engine. In general, the power of the engine is larger when the engine speed is high and the engine load is high, such as when the vehicle is running, than during idle operation (low rotation, low torque) when the vehicle is stopped. Become.

  As a result, it can be said that the maximum amount of power that can be generated by the generator is larger when the vehicle is traveling than when the vehicle is stopped. In other words, the condition of the travel history allows the engine to automatically stop after the vehicle travels when the state of charge of the power storage device is not good or when the electrical load is large, and the performance of the power storage device decreases. To ensure sufficient power to operate the starter during restart.

Japanese Patent No. 3410056 (paragraphs 0025-0043, FIG. 1) JP 2000-337188 A (paragraphs 0054-0076, FIG. 1)

  However, in the method disclosed in Patent Document 1, since the starter and the motor generator are properly used depending on the driving conditions of the vehicle, it takes time and labor for the inspection process at the time of vehicle shipment at the manufacturing factory and the confirmation work at the dealer. There was a problem.

  That is, for example, for a starter that uses a starter that starts when the ignition key is operated and starts with a motor generator when the engine is automatically started after the automatic stop, once the automatic stop condition is satisfied and the motor stops automatically, If the automatic start operation by the generator is not performed, the start operation by the motor generator cannot be confirmed.

  Also, for example, starters that start when the engine water temperature is low and start with the motor generator when the engine water temperature is high are used. If the water temperature is low at the start time such as in winter, it takes time until the engine is warmed up, and it takes time to check the start operation by the motor generator. On the other hand, when the engine water temperature is high, such as in summer, the starter operation may not be confirmed.

  Further, in the method disclosed in Patent Document 2, since there is no automatic stop if there is no travel history that the vehicle engine has traveled even once after the start, it is necessary to travel the vehicle in order to confirm the automatic stop / start function. There was a problem that a place to run was required.

  In order to prevent the inconveniences described above, it is also possible to provide a switch on the vehicle for confirmation at the time of shipment from the factory, and to make it easier to confirm the starter start and motor generator start by switching the switch or the automatic stop function. However, in this case, there is a risk of increasing the cost of the vehicle by increasing useless human power, the burden on the inspector, or adding a switch.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and the object thereof is an automatic stop starter capable of switching a plurality of starters in accordance with a driving state of a vehicle. Confirmation and inspection of the operation and automatic stop function of multiple starters is not subject to time loss and place restrictions, and an automatic stop starter that can ensure safety without adding a special input for confirmation Is to provide.

An engine automatic stop start device according to the present invention includes a plurality of start devices capable of starting an engine mounted on a vehicle, and the engine when a predetermined stop condition is satisfied during operation of the engine. Control means for automatically stopping and starting the engine automatically when a predetermined start condition is satisfied, means for switching the plurality of start devices according to the driving state of the vehicle, and communication via an existing communication line Control means connected to a test apparatus and configured to switch the plurality of starters regardless of the driving state of the vehicle when a signal is exchanged with the test apparatus.

  Since the engine automatic stop / start device according to the present invention is configured as described above, time loss and place restrictions for checking the operation of the vehicle start device and the automatic stop / start function at the manufacturing factory or dealer are as follows. It is possible to confirm or inspect without receiving, and to secure safety without adding a special input for confirmation.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an engine automatic stop / start control device according to Embodiment 1. FIG.

  As shown in this figure, an engine automatic stop / start device 50 mounted on a vehicle is provided separately from a general gear type starter 2 for starting the engine 1 and the starter 2, and starts the engine 1. Belt type motor generator (hereinafter referred to as MG) 3 for generating rotational force, belt 20 for transmitting the rotational force of MG3 to the engine 1, and MG3 as a starting motor and operating as a generator as required. An inverter 4 that can be controlled so as to be controlled, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 5 that controls the entire automatic stop operation, and the like.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the ECU 5 includes an ignition key SW6 for starting / stopping the engine by a manual key operation, a rotational speed sensor 12 for detecting the rotational speed of the engine, a water temperature sensor 13 for detecting the cooling water temperature of the engine, An injector 14 that controls fuel supply to the engine, a vehicle speed sensor 7 that detects vehicle speed, an accelerator sensor 8 that detects the amount of depression of an accelerator, a shift position sensor 9 that detects a shift position of a transmission (not shown), and a brake pedal Various signal generators and other sensors 11 necessary for carrying out the automatic stop / start control of the engine 1, such as a brake SW 10 that is turned on when a step (not shown) is depressed, are connected.

  The ECU 5 controls the engine 1 to start when the ignition key SW6 is turned ON by the driver, and automatically stops the engine 1 when a predetermined stop condition is satisfied, and a predetermined restart condition is satisfied. Thus, the automatic stop start control for restarting the engine 1 that has been automatically stopped can be performed.

When the ignition key SW6 is turned ON from the OFF state and further started, the ECU 5 generates an initial start command and starts the engine 1.
When the engine automatic stop condition is satisfied during the operation of the engine 1, the ECU 5 outputs an OFF signal to the injector 14 so as to cut off the supply of fuel to the engine 1 to automatically stop the engine 1.

The engine automatic stop conditions are, for example, (1) traveling history (2) accelerator off
(3) Shift position is drive range (4) Cooling water temperature ≥ Predetermined value (5) Vehicle speed is zero (6) Brake SW ON
The automatic stop is permitted when all of these are established.

  Further, when a predetermined engine restart condition is satisfied while the engine 1 is automatically stopped, the ECU 5 generates a restart command and restarts the engine 1. The restart condition is, for example, that the brake SW is turned off.

  Here, when the engine 1 restarts from the automatic stop state, for example, the ECU 5 generates a start command for the inverter 4, and the inverter 4 generates a drive signal for the MG 3 to start the engine 1.

  By the way, in general, a vehicle is equipped with a failure diagnosis communication line, and by connecting a failure diagnosis tester (not shown) to a standard connector for connection (not shown), the failure diagnosis tester and the vehicle inside the vehicle are connected. Via the failure diagnosis communication line, it is connected to an automatic stop / start control ECU 5, a transmission control ECU (not shown) or a suspension control ECU (not shown) in the vehicle, and each ECU is connected to the failure diagnosis tester. It is possible to exchange data by communicating with.

  The failure diagnosis tester is normally not connected when the user drives the vehicle, but is connected only when necessary for investigation / confirmation of normality / abnormality of vehicle parts at a dealer maintenance shop or the like. .

By the way, in order to make the explanation easy to understand in FIG. 1, the above connection is simply represented by the ECU 5, the tester communication line 31, and the vehicle test apparatus 30 including the failure diagnosis tester function.
In the following description, a vehicle test apparatus 30 having a communication function is connected in place of the failure diagnosis tester for the description assuming factory shipment.

  In the first embodiment, the existing connection method described above can be used, and the automatic stop / start function and the device thereof can be confirmed more easily and in a short time when the vehicle is shipped or when checked by a dealer.

  Hereinafter, the contents of the start control in the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of an engine start control routine.
In this routine, input processing of signals from various sensors is performed in step S100.
Next, in step S101, it is determined whether or not the engine is stopped. If the engine is stopped, the process proceeds to step S102, and it is further determined whether or not the engine is automatically stopped.
If NO in step S101, the routine is exited.

  If the engine is automatically stopped in step S102, the process proceeds to step S103, and it is determined whether a restart condition for automatic start is satisfied. If the restart condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S107, and the engine 1 is started by MG3. If NO in step S103, the routine is exited.

  If NO in step S102, the process proceeds to step S104, and it is determined whether or not a starting operation has been performed by operating the ignition key SW. If YES, the process proceeds to step S105. If NO, exit from this routine.

  In step S105, it is determined whether or not the special mode 2 determined by the special mode determination in FIG. The special mode 2 determined by the special mode determination is established on the precondition that the ECU 5 of FIG. 1 and the vehicle test apparatus 30 are connected via the tester communication line 31 for communication. That is, when a general user drives the vehicle, since the above connection is not made, it is normally NO and the process proceeds to step S106 and the starter 2 starts the engine.

  If the special mode 2 is established in step S105, the process proceeds to step S107 and the engine is started by MG3. In other words, in this routine, when not in the special mode, the starter 2 or the MG3 is used to select the initial start when the user performs the start operation and the automatic start from the automatic stop.

  Next, an example of the automatic stop / start determination routine in the first embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

When the automatic stop / start determination routine shown in FIG. 3 is executed, it is determined in step S200 whether or not the special mode 1 is determined by the special mode determination of FIG.
As described above, when a general user drives a vehicle, it is determined as NO and the process proceeds to step S201. In the case of YES, that is, in the special mode 1, step S201 is skipped and the process proceeds to step S202.

  In step S201, it is determined whether or not there is a travel history, that is, whether or not the vehicle speed is not zero at least once after the engine is started. If NO, the engine is not automatically stopped and the process skips to step S208. If YES, the process proceeds to step S202.

  That is, when a normal ordinary user other than the special mode 1 drives the vehicle, the automatic stop process is not performed unless the vehicle speed is not zero at least once after the engine is started.

  Next, in step S202, it is determined whether or not the accelerator is off, that is, whether or not the vehicle user's foot is separated from the accelerator, then in step S203 whether or not the shift position is in the D range, and in step S204, the engine coolant temperature is predetermined. In step S205, it is determined whether or not the vehicle is in a stopped state. In step S206, it is determined whether or not the brake SW is ON, that is, whether the brake is depressed.

If it is determined that all of step S202 to step S206 are YES, an engine automatic stop process is performed in step S207, and the process proceeds to step S208.
In step S208, it is determined whether or not the engine is automatically stopped. If the engine is being automatically stopped, the process proceeds to step S209. If NO, exit this routine.

  In step S209, it is determined whether or not the brake SW is OFF, that is, whether or not the brake is off. If YES, it is determined in step S210 that the engine automatic start condition, that is, the restart condition is satisfied, and in step S211, there is no traveling experience. Reset, that is, the history of experiencing that the vehicle speed has become non-zero at least once after the engine is started, that is, the so-called travel experience history is deleted. If NO in step S209, the routine is exited.

  Next, the special mode determination in the first embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. As a precondition for the special mode determination in FIG. 4, as shown in FIG. 1, the ECU 5 and the vehicle test apparatus 30 are connected via a tester communication line 31 for fault diagnosis that is standard equipment in a normal vehicle. It is that you are.

  Here, the vehicle test apparatus 30 is a test apparatus dedicated to line check. For example, by communication with the ECU 5 via the tester communication line 31, data such as sensor information and failure diagnosis result information in the ECU 5 can be easily received. Various vehicle parts can be checked during a line check before the vehicle is shipped, and special mode 1 and special mode 2 request data can be transmitted to the ECU 5 through the tester communication line 31.

  When the process of FIG. 4 is executed, it is determined in step S300 whether or not a request for special mode 1 is transmitted from the vehicle test apparatus 30 to the ECU 5 via the tester communication line 31. If it is transmitted, it is determined that there is a request for the special mode 1, and the process proceeds to step S301, the special mode 1 is established, and the process proceeds to step S302. If NO in step S300, the process skips to step S302.

  In step S302, as in step S300, it is determined whether there is a request for special mode 2. If there is a request for the special mode 2, the process proceeds to step S303, the special mode 2 is established, and this routine is exited. If NO, skip and exit this routine.

  Here, as described in FIG. 3, the special mode 1 is a mode for skipping the determination of whether or not there is a travel history that is a condition for automatically stopping the engine in step S201. If 1 is established, the determination of the travel history is skipped.

  That is, in a normal case, after the engine is started, the vehicle speed is not zero at least once, that is, unless the vehicle is run, the automatic stop / start function does not work and a place for running once is necessary. When the line check is performed, the vehicle test apparatus 30 and the ECU 5 communicate with each other via the tester communication line 31 and the special mode 1 is established, so that the automatic stop / start function can be easily operated without causing the vehicle to travel. Confirmation is possible, and an extra place and trouble for running once are unnecessary.

  In addition, as described with reference to FIG. 2, the special mode 2 is used to determine whether to start the engine by the starter 2 or the engine by the MG 3 in step S105 after the start operation is performed by the vehicle user. ing.

  That is, in this embodiment, in the normal case, in the first start operation, the engine start is limited to the start by the starter 2, and the engine cannot be started by the MG3 unless the automatic stop start function is operated. Although it takes some time to start the engine, as described above, the vehicle test apparatus 30 and the ECU 5 communicate with each other via the tester communication line 31 during the line check, and the special mode 2 is established. The engine can be started, and the inspection time for the starting operation by the MG 3 can be shortened.

  As described above, when the line check is performed, the ECU 5 communicates with the vehicle test apparatus 30 via the tester communication line 31, whereby extra processing and time can be reduced with respect to the normal operation of the vehicle. Inspection can be performed efficiently without extra space, time and labor for confirming the operation of MG3.

  In addition, unless the vehicle test apparatus 30 is connected to the tester communication line 31, that is, the special mode 1 and the special mode 2 are not established during normal vehicle operation, no inconvenience occurs unless the connection is made for inspection. .

  The special mode 1 and the special mode 2 may be selectively used depending on the purpose of the inspection of the start / stop operation of the starter 2 or the MG 3 as a component or whether the inspection of the automatic stop / start function as a vehicle is desired. Two modes may be established simultaneously.

  Further, the vehicle test apparatus 30 does not need to be newly manufactured exclusively for the automatic stop / start function check. In general, the function check of other ECUs, sensors, and actuators by communication using a tester communication line is performed at the time of shipment from the factory. Therefore, it goes without saying that modification of existing vehicle test equipment is sufficient.

  Therefore, no special equipment is added for the inspection of the automatic stop start function and the start operation of the MG 3 and the connection work between the vehicle test apparatus 30 and the vehicle is not increased, and the burden on human power and the inspector is minimized. It can be suppressed to the limit.

  Further, as described above, the tester communication line 31 is standardly provided in the vehicle for failure diagnosis and is also connected to the ECU 5 as a standard. Therefore, special wiring and terminals for the vehicle and the ECU 5 are increased. Nor.

  In the description of the first embodiment, the line check at the factory at the time of vehicle shipment has been described. However, the normal failure diagnosis tester is provided with a function for requesting the special mode by the same communication as described above. In addition, when performing confirmation work at a dealer or a maintenance shop, work can be performed efficiently without taking extra space and time.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
In the second embodiment, there is no connection between the tester communication line 31 and the vehicle test apparatus 30 in FIG. 1, and a vehicle in the same state as a general user driving without any special connection to the vehicle is described in the first embodiment. It is possible to obtain substantially the same effect.

  In the second embodiment, the engine start control routine shown in FIG. 2 and the automatic stop / start determination shown in FIG. 3 are exactly the same as those in the first embodiment, and the flowchart of the special mode determination shown in FIG. 4 is replaced with FIG.

  When the process of FIG. 5 is executed, it is determined in step S400 whether a request for special mode 1 has been established by a special operation described later. If it is determined that a predetermined operation has been performed and the special mode 1 request has been established, the process proceeds to step S401, the special mode 1 is established, and the process proceeds to step S402. If NO, the process skips to step S402.

  In step S402, as in step S400, it is determined whether a request for special mode 2 has been established. When it is determined that a special mode operation different from the later-described special operation 1 is performed and the request for the special mode 2 is established, the process proceeds to step S403 and the special mode 2 is established, and this routine is exited. If NO, skip and exit this routine.

  Next, the special operation and the determination of the special mode by the operation will be described with reference to FIGS.

  6A and 6B are time charts showing a special operation for determining a special mode using an accelerator, for example. FIG. 6A is a diagram showing an ON / OFF state of the ECU power, and FIG. 6B is a signal from the accelerator sensor 8. The figure shown, (c) is a figure which shows the state which counted the signal of the accelerator opening degree shown in (b) with the counter.

  First, as a precondition for the determination, for example, the ignition SW is operated and the starting operation is not performed, and the electric system including the ECU 5 of the vehicle is turned on, that is, the engine is stopped as shown in FIG. Keep the power on. When the accelerator is stepped on or released, a signal indicating the accelerator opening as shown in FIG. 6B is input from the accelerator sensor 8 to the ECU 5. Here, the engine remains stopped, so there is no danger for the person who operates it.

  Therefore, as shown in (a), the ECU 5 counts how many times the accelerator opening shown in (b) crosses the judgment value for a predetermined time, for example, 10 seconds after the power is turned on, as the number of special operations, As shown in FIG. 6C, the counter is counted like a special operation counter C.

  Then, the determination is made as shown in the table of FIG. 7 according to the determination timing t of the special mode in (a), that is, how many times the special operation has been performed 10 seconds after the power is turned on.

  That is, for example, when the number of special operations c is less than 10 times during the measurement period of 10 sec in FIG. 6, the normal mode is 10 times or more and less than 20 times, and the special mode 1 is 20 times or more. judge.

  In this way, the special mode can be determined only by a special accelerator operation without any special connection to the existing vehicle. As a result, it takes a very short time to perform the special operation. Since the processes other than the mode determination are the same as those in the second embodiment and the first embodiment, as in the first embodiment, an extra process is performed when checking a vehicle at a factory shipment, checking a vehicle at a dealer, a maintenance shop, or the like. Time can be reduced, and the automatic stop / start function of the vehicle and the extra place and time for checking the operation of the MG 3 can be confirmed efficiently without taking time and effort.

  The special operation is very unlikely to be performed unconsciously when driving a normal vehicle, that is, it is very unlikely that a general user will unintentionally perform a special operation unintentionally. However, for example, if a special operation is performed once, the history is stored in a backup RAM (not shown) built in the ECU 5 until the battery is removed. If it is stored in the storage device and the engine 1 is started in the special mode for confirmation work, if the special mode judgment is prohibited, the special mode judgment will be made only during the confirmation work at the factory or dealer. If the general user drives after the work is completed, the special mode will not be entered unless the battery is removed. It is safe.

  The backup RAM generally uses a non-volatile memory for storing data to be stored when the ECU 5 is powered off.

  Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the special operation using the accelerator has been described. For example, the special operation is performed by using a vehicle direction indicator, a shift lever that operates the transmission, a brake, or other parts that are operated when the vehicle is operated. It is also possible to determine a special operation by an operation that is not performed in normal operation, such as performing a special mode determination or performing an operation using a plurality of vehicle parts.

  In the second embodiment, the special mode is determined by counting the number of times the accelerator opening has crossed the determination value. However, the determination method according to the second embodiment described above is particularly applicable if it can be determined by an operation that is not performed in normal operation. There is no need to stick to it.

  By the way, in the above-described second embodiment, among the automatic stop conditions of FIG. 3 in the first embodiment, the method of skipping and invalidating the travel experience condition if the special mode 1 is established is described. Other than traveling experience, it may be possible to invalidate the automatic stop condition by skipping the extra time and time generating condition when checking the line. If there are a plurality of conditions as described above, a plurality of conditions may be skipped.

  In the first and second embodiments described above, the engine is started using the starter 2 during the normal operation other than the special mode 2 in the engine start control of FIG. The switching of the starting means according to the presence or absence of the starting operation by the ignition key which starts the engine using MG3 at the time of automatic starting from the above has been described. However, if the method is to switch the starting means according to the operating conditions during normal operation, the ignition A method for switching the starting means other than the starting means by key operation is also effective.

  For example, with regard to a starter having a switching method of starting means that starts the engine by the starter 2 at a low temperature due to the engine water temperature at a normal time and starts by the MG3 at a high temperature, the MG3 Alternatively, by starting the engine with any one of the starter 2 of the starter 2, it is possible to confirm the desired starter regardless of the engine water temperature.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an automatic engine stop / start device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for engine start control according to the first embodiment. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure for automatic stop / start determination according to the first embodiment. 3 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for special mode determination in the first embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of the special mode determination in Embodiment 2 of this invention. 10 is a time chart showing a special operation for determining a special mode in the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the contents of special mode determination in Embodiment 2 as a table.

Explanation of symbols

1 engine, 2 starter, 3 MG, 4 inverter, 5 ECU,
6 Ignition key SW, 7 Vehicle speed sensor, 8 Accelerator sensor,
9 Shift position sensor, 10 Brake switch, 11 Other sensors,
12 Rotation speed sensor, 13 Water temperature sensor, 14 Injector, 20 Belt,
30 vehicle test equipment, 31 tester communication line, 50 automatic stop and start equipment.

Claims (5)

A plurality of starters capable of starting an engine mounted on a vehicle, and when a predetermined stop condition is satisfied during operation of the engine, the engine is automatically stopped and the predetermined start condition is satisfied Between the control device for automatically starting the engine at the time, means for switching the plurality of start devices according to the operating state of the vehicle, and a test device capable of communicating via an existing communication line. And a control means for switching the plurality of starting devices regardless of the driving state of the vehicle when a signal is transmitted and received. The existing communication lines, the automatic stop and start system according to claim 1 Symbol placement engine characterized in that it is a communication line for communication with the vehicle diagnosis tester.   A plurality of starters capable of starting an engine mounted on a vehicle, and when a predetermined stop condition is satisfied during operation of the engine, the engine is automatically stopped and the predetermined start condition is satisfied A control means for automatically starting the engine at a time, a means for switching the plurality of starting devices according to the driving state of the vehicle, and a driving operation that is very unlikely to be performed during normal driving, An engine automatic stop / start device comprising means for determining that the engine is in a special driving state and control means for switching the plurality of starting devices regardless of the driving state of the vehicle when the vehicle is in the special driving state . 4. The automatic stop / start apparatus for an engine according to claim 3, wherein the driving operation that is extremely unlikely to be performed during the normal driving is to operate the accelerator pedal at least ten times in 10 seconds. 4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising: means for storing a history that is determined to be the special operation state; and means for prohibiting the determination of the special operation state according to the history. The automatic stop and start device for an engine according to claim 4 .

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