WO2014168017A1 - Vehicle control device and vehicle control method - Google Patents

Abstract

A vehicle control device equipped with: a function whereby the engine is automatically stopped and restarted in response to the engine operating state after the ignition key has been switched on and the engine has been started initially; a function whereby automatic stopping of the engine is prohibited when the minimum voltage of the battery, which decreases due to cranking when the engine is initially started, falls below a prescribed voltage; and a function whereby charging of the battery is controlled on the basis of a target remaining battery capacity and the actual remaining battery capacity. With this vehicle control device, when the vehicle moves to an area which is colder than the site where the vehicle was initially started during the interval between the switching on of the ignition key and the switching off of the ignition key, the target remaining battery capacity is set so as to be greater than when the engine is initially started.

Description

Vehicle control apparatus and vehicle control method

The present invention relates to vehicle control, particularly to battery charge control for effectively utilizing automatic engine stop.

When the engine is started for the first time by the driver's ignition key operation, the minimum battery voltage that decreases due to cranking is detected, and when the detected minimum battery voltage is less than the predetermined voltage, the engine is automatically stopped (idle A technique for prohibiting (stop) is known (see JP2009-013953A).

By the way, in the technology of JP2009-013953A, after the initial engine start, when the engine is stopped by moving to a colder area from the point where the initial engine start is performed, The automatic stop may be prohibited when the voltage is lower than a predetermined voltage. If automatic stop is prohibited, engine fuel efficiency cannot be improved.

The object of the present invention is to provide a technique in which the automatic stop of the engine is hardly prohibited even when the engine is started for the first time after moving to a cold area from the point where the engine was first started.

The vehicle control apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes an automatic stop / automatic stop that can automatically stop the engine and restart the engine according to the operating state of the engine after the initial engine start in response to the ignition key ON operation. Restart execution means, automatic stop prohibiting means for prohibiting the automatic stop of the engine when the minimum voltage of the battery that is reduced by cranking at the first engine start falls below a predetermined voltage, and a target battery remaining capacity for setting a target battery remaining capacity Capacity setting means, and charge control means for performing charge control of the battery based on the target battery remaining capacity and the actual battery remaining capacity. The target battery remaining capacity setting means is configured to use the target battery remaining capacity for the first engine start when the vehicle moves to a colder region from the point of the first engine start between the ignition key ON operation and the ignition key OFF operation. Make it bigger than time.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle on which the vehicle control device according to the first embodiment is mounted. FIG. 2 is a control system diagram of the gasoline engine. FIG. 3 is a timing chart of a comparative example showing how each parameter changes when moving to a colder area than the key start point. FIG. 4 is a timing chart of the first embodiment showing how each parameter changes when moving to a colder area than the key start point. FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining battery determination at key start. FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining setting of the target battery remaining capacity according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a characteristic diagram of the target battery remaining capacity with respect to the amount of change of the outside air temperature per predetermined time according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining setting of the target battery remaining capacity according to the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a characteristic diagram of the target battery remaining capacity with respect to the temperature difference of the outside air temperature for each predetermined time according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a flowchart for explaining setting of the target battery remaining capacity according to the third embodiment. FIG. 11 is a characteristic diagram of the target battery remaining capacity with respect to the outside air temperature according to the third embodiment. FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explaining setting of the target battery remaining capacity according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 13 is a characteristic diagram of the target battery remaining capacity with respect to the amount of change in atmospheric pressure per predetermined time according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 14 is a flowchart for explaining setting of the target battery remaining capacity according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 15 is a characteristic diagram of the target battery remaining capacity with respect to the pressure difference at predetermined time intervals in the atmospheric pressure according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 16 is a flowchart for explaining setting of the target battery remaining capacity according to the sixth embodiment. FIG. 17 is a characteristic diagram of the target battery remaining capacity with respect to the atmospheric pressure according to the sixth embodiment. FIG. 18 is a flowchart for explaining setting of the target battery remaining capacity according to the seventh embodiment. FIG. 19 is a characteristic diagram of the target battery remaining capacity with respect to the altitude data of the seventh embodiment. FIG. 20 is a flowchart for explaining setting of the target battery remaining capacity according to the eighth embodiment. FIG. 21 is a characteristic diagram of the target battery remaining capacity with respect to the predicted minimum temperature at the destination according to the eighth embodiment.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle 1 on which a vehicle control device according to the first embodiment is mounted. In FIG. 1, a vehicle 1 includes an engine 2, an alternator (ALT in the figure) 21, and an air conditioner compressor 31. The output shaft 3 of the engine 2, the rotating shaft 22 of the alternator 21, and the rotating shaft 32 of the air conditioner compressor 31 are arranged in parallel. The crank pulley 4 is attached to one end of the output shaft 3, and the pulleys 23 and 33 are attached to the rotary shafts 22 and 32, respectively. A belt 5 is wound around each of the three pulleys 4, 23, and 33, and power is transmitted (conducted) between the output shaft 3 and the rotary shafts 23 and 33 of the engine 2 by the belt 5.

A starter (ST in the figure) 6 is provided to start the engine 2. A torque converter 8 and a belt type automatic transmission 9 are connected to the other end of the output shaft 3 of the engine 2. The torque converter 8 has a pump impeller and a turbine runner (not shown). The belt-type automatic transmission 9 includes a primary pulley and a secondary pulley (not shown) and a steel belt that is wound around these pulleys. The rotational driving force of the engine 2 is finally transmitted to vehicle driving wheels (not shown) via the torque converter 8 and the automatic transmission 9.

For example, a 14V battery 41 is provided as a power source of the vehicle 1. The electric power generated by the operation of the alternator 21 is stored in the battery 41. The battery 41 is directly connected to the starter 6, the first electric load 43, and the alternator 21. The first electric load 43 is, for example, an airbag.

A second electrical load 45 is connected to the battery 41 via a DC-DC converter 42. The second electrical load 45 is, for example, an audio system that is vulnerable to an instantaneous drop in battery voltage. The second electrical load 45 is connected via the DC-DC converter 42 for the following reason. That is, since the battery voltage temporarily decreases during cranking when the engine is restarted, the operation of the second electric load 45 is affected by the temporary decrease of the battery. Therefore, during the cranking, the DC-DC converter 42 is operated to boost the voltage of the battery 41 that temporarily decreases, thereby suppressing the supply voltage to the second electric load 45 from decreasing instantaneously. Here, the DC-DC converter 42 and the engine control module 51 are connected by a LIN (Local Interconnect Network), and the operation / non-operation of the DC-DC converter 42 is controlled by the engine control module 51.

The engine control module 51 controls the engine 2, the starter 6, and the alternator 21.

Here, the configuration of the gasoline engine will be outlined with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a control system diagram of the gasoline engine. Each intake port (not shown) is provided with a fuel injection valve 7. The fuel injection valve 7 intermittently supplies fuel to the engine 2.

An electronically controlled throttle valve 12 is provided in the intake passage 11. The opening of the throttle valve 12 (hereinafter referred to as “throttle opening”) is controlled by a throttle motor 13. The actual throttle opening is detected by the throttle sensor 14 and input to the engine control module 51.

The engine control module 51 receives an accelerator opening signal (amount of depression of the accelerator pedal 52) from the accelerator sensor 53, a crank angle signal from the crank angle sensor 54, and an intake air amount signal from the air flow meter 55. ing. From the signal of the crank angle sensor 54, the rotational speed of the engine 2 is calculated. The engine control module 51 calculates a target intake air amount and a target fuel injection amount based on these signals, and applies the throttle motor 13 and each fuel injection valve 7 to obtain the target intake air amount and the target fuel injection amount. Issue a command.

The gasoline engine 2 has a spark plug facing the combustion chamber (cylinder). The engine control module 51 generates a spark in the spark plug by cutting off the primary current of the ignition coil at a predetermined time before the compression top dead center, thereby igniting the air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber.

Further, the engine control module 51 drives the starter 6 to start the engine 2 when it is determined that there is a first start request based on the ON operation of the ignition key 71 by the driver.

The engine control module 51 (automatic stop / restart execution means) performs automatic stop (idle stop) of the engine 2 and restart of the engine 2 for the purpose of improving fuel efficiency. For example, when the accelerator pedal 52 is not depressed (accelerator opening = 0), the brake pedal 57 is depressed (brake switch 58 is ON), and the vehicle 1 is stopped (vehicle speed = 0). The idle stop permission condition is satisfied. At this time, the fuel injection from the fuel injection valve 7 to the intake port is shut off, and the engine 2 is automatically stopped (idle stop). This reduces wasteful fuel consumption. Thereafter, when the accelerator pedal 52 is depressed in the idle stop state or the brake pedal 57 is returned (the brake switch 58 is OFF), the idle stop permission condition is not satisfied. At this time, the engine 2 is cranked by using the starter 6, the fuel injection from the fuel injection valve 7 and the spark ignition by the spark plug are restarted, and the engine 2 is restarted.

Returning to Fig. 1, the explanation will be continued. The vehicle 1 includes an automatic transmission control unit (CVTCU in the figure) 61. The automatic transmission control unit 61 controls the gear ratio of the automatic transmission 9 in a stepless manner according to the vehicle running conditions determined from the vehicle speed and the throttle opening. The torque converter 8 having a pump impeller and a turbine runner is provided with a mechanical lockup clutch for fastening and releasing the pump impeller and the turbine runner. The travel range of the vehicle that engages the lockup clutch is predetermined as a lockup region (vehicle speed and throttle opening are used as parameters). The automatic transmission control unit 61 engages the lockup clutch to directly connect the engine 2 and the transmission 9 when the vehicle driving condition is in the lockup region, so that the vehicle driving condition is in the lockup region. When not, release the lock-up clutch. When the engine 2 and the transmission 9 are in a directly connected state, the torque converter 8 does not absorb the torque, and the fuel efficiency is improved accordingly.

The vehicle 1 also includes another control unit 62, an air conditioner auto-amplifier (A / C AMP) 63, an ITS 64, a navigation system (NAVI in the figure) 65, and an IPDM (Intelligent Power Distribution Module) 66. ITS (Intelligent Transport System) is a system for sending and receiving information between people, roads, and automobiles, and for solving various problems such as accidents, traffic jams, and environmental measures involving road traffic. is there. The ITS 64 acquires the weather data 69.

The navigation system 65 inputs a signal from GPS (Global Positioning System), a signal from a vehicle speed sensor, a signal from a gyro, and a signal from an acceleration sensor, and calculates the current position of the vehicle at a constant cycle. The signal from the GPS includes altitude data of the current position of the vehicle.

The two control units 61, 62, ITS64, and NAVI65 are electric loads that cannot tolerate a voltage drop. Therefore, they are supplied with power via the DC-DC converter 42.

The engine control module 51 and the two control units 61 and 62, the air conditioner auto-amplifier 63, the ITS 64, the NAVI 65, and the IPDM 66 are connected by CAN (Controller-Area-Network).

The charge / discharge current of the battery 41 is detected by the current sensor 67 and input to the engine control module 51 via the IPDM 66. The engine control module 51 (target battery remaining capacity setting means) sets the target battery remaining capacity tSOC (State Of Charge) in accordance with the operating conditions of the engine 2 and the charge / discharge current of the battery 41 at regular time intervals. Based on the integrated value, the actual remaining battery capacity rSOC is calculated. The balance of charge / discharge of the battery 41 is managed based on the target remaining battery capacity tSOC and the actual remaining battery capacity rSOC. For example, when the actual battery remaining capacity rSOC is less than the target battery remaining capacity tSOC, the engine control module 51 increases the target power generation voltage of the alternator 21. The control module 24 (see FIG. 2) (charging control means) variably controls the target power generation voltage of the alternator 21 so that this target power generation voltage is obtained.

When starting the engine for the first time based on the ON operation of the ignition key 71 (see FIG. 2), the starter 6 (cranking means) cranks the engine 2 in response to power supply from the battery 41. When the engine 2 is cranked, the battery voltage temporarily decreases. There is a strong correlation between the minimum value of the battery voltage that temporarily decreases (that is, the minimum battery voltage) and the actual remaining battery capacity rSOC, and the minimum battery voltage decreases as the actual remaining battery capacity rSOC decreases. .

Therefore, the engine control module 51 (automatic stop prohibiting means) detects the minimum battery voltage when the engine is started for the first time, and prohibits idle stop when the detected minimum battery voltage is lower than the predetermined voltage Va. The reason for prohibiting the idle stop is that when cranking from the idle stop, the system voltage may drop below the predetermined voltage Va and the first electric load 43 may be reset. That is, if the battery minimum voltage is less than the predetermined voltage Va, the merchantability is significantly impaired.

Here, after the first engine start based on the ON operation of the ignition key 71, the point where the vehicle 1 performed the first engine start after the ignition key 71 was turned OFF and the engine 2 was stopped. When moving to a colder area, the following problems occur: The initial engine start based on the ON operation of the ignition key 71 is also referred to as “key start” in order to distinguish it from engine restart (engine start) by releasing the idle stop. Further, the first engine start based on the ON operation of the ignition key 71 is also simply referred to as “first engine start”.

For example, when a vehicle moves to a colder area than the point at the time of key start, for example, after moving from a home that is not cold and cold to a ski area that is colder than the point at the time of key start and higher than the home. Consider a case where the engine is stopped and the key is started the next day. An example in which conventional control is performed in this case is a comparative example. In the comparative example, what happens to each parameter such as outside temperature, atmospheric pressure, idle stop permission signal, minimum battery voltage at the time of key start, target battery remaining capacity, actual battery remaining capacity, battery charging voltage in the above case Is shown in a timing chart in FIG. In addition, although the numerical value is described on the vertical axis | shaft of FIG. 3 (also about FIG. 4 mentioned later), this numerical value is shown for reference and is not limited to this numerical value. In the following description, the outside air temperature is used, but the intake air temperature may be used.

As shown in the comparative example of FIG. 3, it is assumed that the outside air temperature is 10 ° C. at home in a lowland and not a cold region. Key start at the timing of t1 at home, when entering the uphill road toward the ski resort at the timing of t2, and when arriving at the highland where the ski resort is at t3, the outside air temperature drops to -5 ° C, the ignition at the timing of t4 It is assumed that the engine is stopped by the key OFF operation. The next morning, it is assumed that the outdoor temperature of the ski resort is as low as -5 ° C. The next morning, when the key is started at the timing of t5 when the outside temperature at the ski resort is as low as -5 ° C and the vehicle is cold, the battery temperature has dropped to -5 ° C, and the day before the key start The state of charge remains. That is, since the target remaining battery capacity tSOC [%] is set to a low value of about 85%, the internal resistance of the battery 41 is further increased, and an instantaneous voltage drop (instantaneous decrease) at the time of key start at the ski resort. ) Becomes larger. As a result, even if the actual battery remaining capacity rSOC [%] is 85% and the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is satisfied, the battery minimum voltage VbMin [V] at the key start at the ski resort is set to the predetermined voltage Va [ V]. If the battery minimum voltage at the time of key start falls below a predetermined voltage, idle stop is prohibited immediately after the timing t5 (idle stop permission signal = 0).

By the way, when the outside air temperature is about 10 ° C. (around normal temperature), the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is not normally set to 100% corresponding to the fully charged state by the regenerative control by the alternator 21, but 100% Generally, it is set to a lower value, for example, about 85%. Here, the value of 85% is determined as follows. That is, the smaller the target battery remaining capacity is, the better, in order to recover the electric power by the regenerative control by the alternator 21. On the other hand, the larger the target remaining battery capacity of the battery 41 as the power source, the better. That is, 85% is selected because it is necessary to leave a margin for charging while responding to a request for the battery 41 as a power source. The target remaining battery capacity tSOC is 85% because the battery 41 still has 15% of the chargeable allowance, and even if there is remaining charge capacity, the skiing starts without using this remaining charge capacity. Therefore, idle stop is prohibited. In other words, even if the target remaining battery capacity of 85% is appropriate as long as the target is around room temperature, if the target remaining battery capacity is 85% until the key start at the ski resort, the remaining charge capacity of the battery 41 The idle stop is prohibited unnecessarily while leaving In other words, there is an opportunity to improve fuel efficiency when the vehicle is running after starting the key at the ski resort.

Therefore, in the first embodiment of the present invention, when the vehicle moves to an area colder than the key start point between the ON operation of the ignition key 71 and the OFF operation of the ignition key 71, the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is set to the key. Make it larger than at startup. This will be specifically described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 4 shows a case where the vehicle is run under the same situation as in FIG. 3, and when the control by the vehicle control device in the first embodiment is performed, the outside air temperature, the atmospheric pressure, the idle stop permission signal, the key It is a figure which shows what happens to each parameter, such as a battery minimum voltage at the time of starting, a target battery remaining capacity, an actual battery remaining capacity, a battery charging voltage. As shown in FIG. 4, the outside air temperature decreases from the point at the time of key start at home during the period from the timing t2 when the vehicle starts moving on the uphill road to the timing t3, and after the timing of t3, the temperature is -5 ° C. It is a constant value. In response to such a change in the outside air temperature, in the present embodiment, it is predicted that the vehicle is moving from the point at the time of key start at home to the ski resort in the period from t2 to t3 when the outside air temperature decreases. For this reason, the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is made larger than the target battery remaining capacity tSOC (85%) at the time of key start at home from the timing of t2. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is increased to 95% at the timing of t3. After t3, since the outside air temperature does not fall below −5 ° C., the target battery remaining capacity is not set higher than 95%.

In order to realize the target battery remaining capacity tSOC that increases to 95%, the target power generation voltage (battery charging voltage) of the alternator 21 applied to the control module 24 (charge control means) is increased from 13V to 14V, and the amount of power generated by the alternator 21 is increased. Increase. As the amount of power generated by the alternator 21 increases, the charging current to the battery 41 increases. As a result, the actual remaining battery capacity rSOC increases following the target remaining battery capacity tSOC, and reaches the same 95% as the remaining remaining battery capacity tSOC at a timing slightly delayed from the timing t3. In order to clearly understand the difference from the target battery remaining capacity tSOC, the actual battery remaining capacity rSOC is indicated by a solid line, and the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is overlapped by a broken line. The control module 24 (see FIG. 2) controls the target generated voltage of the alternator 21.

When the engine 2 is stopped by turning off the ignition key 71 at t4, the immediately preceding target remaining battery capacity tSOC, actual remaining battery capacity rSOC, and battery charging voltage are stored in the memory.

The next morning, when the key is started at the timing of t5, the target battery remaining capacity tSOC, the actual battery remaining capacity rSOC, and the battery charging voltage are read from the memory and used. On the previous day, by increasing the target battery remaining capacity tSOC from 85% to 95% during the period from t2 to t3 when the outside air temperature decreases, the actual battery remaining capacity rSOC is increased from 95% to 95%. The minimum battery voltage at the time of key start in the ski area increases. For this reason, when the key is started at t5, in this embodiment, since the battery minimum voltage at the time of key start at the ski resort exceeds the predetermined voltage Va, the idle stop is permitted (idle stop permission signal = 1). When starting a key at a ski resort, the charge remaining capacity of the battery 41 is reduced from 15% to 5% compared to when starting a key at home. Allow. As a result, even when the vehicle is driven after the key is started at the ski resort, idle stop is performed and fuel efficiency is improved.

Next, a method for predicting whether or not the vehicle will move to the ski resort from the point at the key start at home from when the key is started at home until the engine 2 is stopped by turning off the ignition key 71. explain. As shown in FIG. 4, since the outside air temperature decreases from 10 ° C. to −5 ° C. during the period from t2 to t3 when the vehicle travels on the uphill road, the target remaining battery capacity tSOC is set to 85 according to the decrease in outside air temperature. It would be sufficient to increase it from 95% to 95%. Therefore, in this embodiment, the amount of decrease in the outside air temperature per predetermined time (the outside air temperature decreasing gradient) is calculated every predetermined time Δt, and the target remaining battery capacity SOC1 is calculated according to the amount of decrease dTa / dt per predetermined time. . Then, the calculated target battery remaining capacity SOC1 is set as the target battery remaining capacity tSOC. As described above, in FIGS. 3 and 4, the key start at home has been considered as a reference, but is not limited to the key start at home.

The above-described control executed by the engine controller 51 will be described according to the following flowchart.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing for performing battery determination at the time of key start. 5 is executed only once after the engine 2 is cranked by the starter 6 based on the ON operation of the ignition key 71.

In step S1, the minimum value of the battery voltage detected by the voltage sensor 72 (see FIG. 2) at the time of key start is read as the battery minimum voltage VbMin at the time of key start. When the engine 2 is cranked by the starter 6 for key start, a large battery current flows through the starter 6, so that the battery voltage temporarily decreases. The lowest value of the battery voltage that temporarily decreases is the lowest battery voltage VbMin at the time of key start.

In step S2, the battery minimum voltage VbMin at the time of key start is compared with a predetermined voltage Va. Here, the minimum battery voltage VbMin at the time of key start has a strong correlation with the actual remaining battery capacity, and the lower the minimum battery voltage VbMin at the time of key start, the smaller the actual remaining battery capacity. The predetermined voltage Va is a battery minimum voltage corresponding to the upper limit value of the remaining battery capacity at which the starter 6 cannot crank the engine 2 and is determined in advance. When the minimum battery voltage VbMin at the time of key start is equal to or higher than the predetermined voltage Va, it is determined that the first electric load 43 is not reset by cranking. At this time, the process proceeds to step S3.

In step S3, it is determined whether or not the other idle stop condition is OK. For example, the determination is made based on the engine state (water temperature or the like), the transmission state (is the operation of the electric oil pump OK), the air conditioning state (room temperature or the like), and the like. If it is determined that the other idle stop condition is OK, the process proceeds to step S4, where the idle stop permission flag (abbreviated as “IS permission flag” in the figure) = 1. When the idle stop permission flag = 1, idle stop is permitted.

On the other hand, when the battery minimum voltage VbMin at the time of key start is less than the predetermined voltage Va in step S2, it is determined that the first electric load 43 is reset by cranking. Therefore, in order to prohibit the idling stop, the process proceeds to step S5 and the idling stop permission flag = 0 is set. Also, when it is determined in step S3 that the other idle stop conditions are not OK, the process proceeds to step S5 and the idle stop permission flag = 0 is set. When the idle stop permission flag = 0, idle stop is prohibited.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing for setting the target battery remaining capacity tSOC. The process of the flowchart of FIG. 6 is executed at regular time intervals. Here, since it is predicted whether or not the vehicle will move to a colder area than the key start point, the flow calculation cycle is not a short time interval such as every 10 ms, but a long time interval Δt [min] such as every few minutes. Good. The flow of FIGS. 8 and 10 described later is also the same. Normally, the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is variably set according to the operating conditions of various engines (see t1 to t2 in FIG. 4), but in the flowchart of FIG. 6, the engine for setting the target battery remaining capacity is set. Only the outside air temperature is considered as the operating condition.

In step S11, it is determined whether or not the key start idle stop permission flag is 1 during the current process. If it is determined that the idle stop permission flag is 1, the process proceeds to step S12. If it is determined that the idle stop permission flag is 0, the current process is terminated.

In step S12, the current outside air temperature Ta [° C.] detected by the outside air temperature sensor 68 is read. As shown in FIG. 1, since the signal of the outside air temperature from the outside air temperature sensor 68 is input to the air conditioner auto amplifier 63, this signal is used in the present embodiment. As described above, the intake air temperature may be used instead of the outside air temperature. Although not shown, a temperature sensor for detecting the intake air temperature is provided attached to the air flow meter 55.

In step S13, a change amount dTa / dt [° C./s] per predetermined time of the outside air temperature Ta is calculated by the following equation.
dTa / dt = (Taz−Ta) / Δt (1)
Where Taz: the previous value of Ta,
Δt: time interval of the calculation routine,

Referring to FIG. 4, the outside air temperature changes from 10 ° C. to −5 ° C. when moving to the ski resort. For this reason, the amount of change in the actual outside air temperature per predetermined time is a negative value and is difficult to handle. Therefore, by subtracting Ta from Taz, the value of dTa / dt is a positive value as shown in equation (1). deal with.

In step S14, the target battery remaining capacity SOC1 [%] is calculated as a positive value by searching a table having the relationship shown in FIG. 7 based on the change amount dTa / dt of the outside air temperature per predetermined time. As shown in FIG. 7, the target remaining battery capacity SOC1 is a value that increases as the change amount dTa / dt of the outside air temperature per predetermined time increases. This is because the minimum battery voltage VbMin at the time of key start at the vehicle arrival point decreases as the change amount dTa / dt of the outside air temperature per predetermined time increases, that is, as the outside air temperature decreases. This is to make it larger. However, in a region where the change amount dTa / dt of the outside air temperature per predetermined time is equal to or greater than the predetermined value ThA, the target remaining battery capacity SOC1 is set to a constant value. This is because the target battery remaining capacity tSOC has the upper limit MAX even when the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is increased.

In step S15, as shown in the following equation (2), the target battery remaining capacity SOC1 calculated in step S14 is set to the current target battery remaining capacity tSOC.
tSOC = SOC1 (2)

In step S16, the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is compared with the upper limit value MAX of the target battery remaining capacity. The upper limit value MAX is a value that determines the remaining charge capacity of the battery 41 in a cold region (a region colder than the point where the key start is performed), and is made larger than that in a non-cold region. When 85% is set as a value for determining the remaining charge capacity of the battery in a non-cold region, a value larger than 85%, for example, 95% is set as the upper limit value MAX. Even in cold regions, 100% is not set as the upper limit value MAX, and 5% is left as the remaining charge capacity. When the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is less than or equal to the upper limit value MAX, the process proceeds to step S18 without performing the process of step S17, and the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is output.

On the other hand, when the target remaining battery capacity tSOC exceeds the upper limit MAX, the process proceeds to step S17. In step S17, the target battery remaining capacity is limited by setting the upper limit value MAX as the target battery remaining capacity tSOC, and the process proceeds to step S18.

In step S19, the outside air temperature Ta is set as Taz which is the previous value of the outside air temperature.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing for setting the target battery remaining capacity tSOC in the vehicle control apparatus of the second embodiment. The process of the flowchart shown in FIG. 8 is executed at regular time intervals. Note that the flowchart shown in FIG. 8 replaces the flowchart of FIG. 6 of the first embodiment, and steps that perform the same processing as in the flowchart of FIG. 6 are given the same reference numerals. In the flowchart of FIG. 8 as well, only the outside air temperature is considered as the engine operating condition for setting the target battery remaining capacity, and the operating conditions other than the outside air temperature are not considered.

In the first embodiment, whether or not the vehicle moves to a colder area than the point at the time of key start is predicted based on the change amount dTa / dt of the outside air temperature per predetermined time. In the second embodiment, whether or not the vehicle moves to a colder area than the point at the time of key start is predicted based on the temperature difference dTa for each predetermined time of the outside air temperature.

The description will be given mainly of the differences from the first embodiment. Only the steps S31 to S33 are different from the first embodiment.

When the current outside air temperature Ta [° C.] is read in step S12, the process proceeds to step S31. In step S31, the temperature difference dTa [° C.] for each predetermined time Δt of the outside air temperature is calculated by the following equation (3).
dTa = Taz−Ta (3)
Where Taz: the previous value of Ta,

Referring to FIG. 4, when moving to the ski area, the outside air temperature changes from 10 ° C. to −5 ° C. For this reason, the temperature difference for every predetermined time of the actual outside air temperature becomes a negative value and is difficult to handle. Therefore, the value of dTa is handled as a positive value by subtracting Ta from Taz as shown in equation (3).

In step S32, the target battery remaining capacity SOC2 [%] is calculated as a positive value by searching a table having the relationship shown in FIG. 9 based on the temperature difference dTa for each predetermined time of the outside air temperature. As shown in FIG. 9, the target battery remaining capacity SOC2 is a value that increases as the temperature difference dTa for each predetermined time of the outside air temperature increases. This is because the battery minimum voltage VbMin at the time of key start at the vehicle arrival point decreases as the temperature difference dTa for the predetermined time of the outside air temperature increases, that is, as the outside air temperature decreases, so that the target battery remaining capacity tSOC increases. It is to do. However, the target battery remaining capacity SOC2 is set to a constant value in a region where the temperature difference dTa for each predetermined time of the outside air temperature is equal to or greater than the predetermined value ThB. This is because the target battery remaining capacity tSOC has the upper limit MAX even when the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is increased.

In step S33, as shown in the following equation (4), the target battery remaining capacity SOC2 calculated in step S32 is set to the current target battery remaining capacity tSOC.
tSOC = SOC2 (4)

In step S16 following step S33, the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is compared with the upper limit value MAX of the target battery remaining capacity as in the first embodiment. When the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is equal to or lower than the upper limit value MAX, the process proceeds to step S18 without performing the process of step S17, and the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is output.

On the other hand, when the target remaining battery capacity tSOC exceeds the upper limit MAX, the process proceeds to step S17. In step S17, the target battery remaining capacity is limited by setting the upper limit value MAX as the target battery remaining capacity tSOC, and in step S18, the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is output.

(Third embodiment)
FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing for setting the target battery remaining capacity tSOC in the vehicle control apparatus of the third embodiment. The process of the flowchart shown in FIG. 10 is executed at regular time intervals. The flowchart of FIG. 10 replaces the flowchart of FIG. 6 of the first embodiment, and steps that perform the same processing as the flowchart of FIG. 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals. Also in the flowchart of FIG. 10, only the outside air temperature is considered as the engine operating condition for setting the target battery remaining capacity, and the operating conditions other than the outside air temperature are not considered.

In the third embodiment, it is predicted based on the outside air temperature whether or not the vehicle moves to an area colder than the key start point.

The difference from the first embodiment will be mainly described. If it is determined in step S11 that the idle stop permission flag = 1, the process proceeds to step S12. In step S12, the current outside air temperature Ta [° C.] detected by the outside air temperature sensor 68 (see FIG. 1) is read.

In step S41, the target battery remaining capacity tSOC [%] is calculated as a positive value by searching a table having the relationship shown in FIG. 11 based on the outside air temperature Ta. As shown in FIG. 11, the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is a value that increases as the outside air temperature Ta decreases. This is because the lower the outside air temperature Ta, that is, the lower the temperature, the lower the battery minimum voltage VbMin at the time of key start, so that the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is increased.

However, in the temperature range where the outside air temperature Ta is lower than the predetermined value ThC, the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is the upper limit value MAX (a constant value) of the target battery remaining capacity. The upper limit value MAX is 95% as in the first embodiment. Referring to FIG. 4, the temperature range where the outside air temperature Ta is less than the predetermined value ThC is a ski resort. The reason why the upper limit MAX is set in the temperature range where the outside air temperature Ta is lower than the predetermined value ThC is that the upper limit MAX is the limit even when the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is increased.

On the other hand, in the temperature range where the outside air temperature Ta exceeds the predetermined value ThD, the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is a value obtained by increasing the remaining charge capacity of the battery 41, for example, 85% (a constant value). Referring to FIG. 4, the temperature range where the outside air temperature Ta exceeds the predetermined value ThD is home. The reason why the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is set to a constant value in the temperature range where the outside air temperature Ta exceeds the predetermined value ThD is as follows. That is, in the temperature range where the outside air temperature Ta exceeds the predetermined value ThD, the battery minimum voltage at the time of key start becomes equal to or higher than the predetermined voltage Va, and idling stop is not prohibited, so there is no need to narrow the remaining charge capacity of the battery 41. Because.

Here, the operation of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the second embodiment shown in FIG. 8, and the third embodiment shown in FIG. 10 will be described together. In the first embodiment, if the vehicle does not move to a colder region than the point at the time of key start, the decrease amount dTa / dt of the outside air temperature per predetermined time in the above equation (1) remains zero, so the target battery remaining capacity tSOC Does not change. In the second embodiment, if the temperature does not move to a region colder than the point at the time of key start, the temperature difference dTa per predetermined time of the outside air temperature of the above equation (3) remains zero, so the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is It does not change.

On the other hand, in the first embodiment, when moving to a colder area than the point at the time of key start, the decrease amount dTa / dt of the outside air temperature per predetermined time in the above equation (1) occurs as a positive value, so the above (2) The target battery remaining capacity tSOC increases according to the equation. In the second embodiment, when moving to a colder area than the point at the time of key start, the temperature difference dTa for each predetermined time of the outside air temperature in the above equation (3) is a positive value. The target battery remaining capacity tSOC increases.

In the third embodiment, the outside air temperature Ta is in a temperature range exceeding a predetermined value ThD if the vehicle does not move to a cold area from the point at the time of key start, and the target battery remaining capacity tSOC at this time is 85%. On the other hand, when moving to a colder region than the point at the time of key start, the outside air temperature Ta falls below the predetermined value ThD, so the target battery remaining capacity tSOC becomes larger than 85%.

Referring to FIG. 4, when moving to a ski resort, in each of the first to third embodiments, the target battery remaining capacity tSOC increases from 85% to 95%. The target power generation voltage of the alternator is increased so as to realize this increasing target battery remaining capacity tSOC, and the power generation amount of the alternator increases. Thus, the actual remaining battery capacity rSOC increases following the target remaining battery capacity tSOC. Therefore, the actual remaining battery capacity rSOC (≈tSOC) when the vehicle arrives at the ski area, stops the engine, and starts the key the next day is the actual remaining battery capacity when the key is started at home the previous day. It is larger than rSOC. In this case, there is a strong correlation between the actual remaining battery capacity rSOC and the minimum battery voltage VbMin at the time of key start. The larger the actual remaining battery capacity rSOC, the higher the minimum battery voltage VbMin at the time of key start. For this reason, when the process of the flowchart of FIG. 5 is executed when starting the key at the arrived ski resort, the battery minimum voltage VbMin at the time of starting the key becomes equal to or higher than the predetermined voltage Va in step S2, and the process proceeds to step S3. If it is determined that the idle stop condition is OK, the process proceeds to step S4, and the idle stop permission flag = 1 is set. By increasing the target remaining battery capacity tSOC in advance while moving to the ski area, the state of charge of the battery is improved, so that idling stop is prohibited when starting the key at the arrived ski area. So that there is no.

As described above, in the first to third embodiments, when the vehicle moves to a colder region than the key start point between the ignition key ON operation and the OFF operation, the target remaining battery capacity is set larger than that at the key start. To do. This makes it possible to charge using the chargeable charge remaining as the remaining charge capacity of the battery 41 during the movement from the point at the time of key start (at the time of initial engine start) to the cold region. For this reason, at the time of key start in the cold district of the moving destination, the minimum voltage VbMin of the battery 41 becomes equal to or higher than the predetermined voltage Va, and it is possible to suppress the idle stop from being prohibited unnecessarily. By preventing the idle stop from being prohibited unnecessarily, the fuel efficiency of the engine can be improved even in cold regions.

When the vehicle moves to a colder region than the point at the time of key start, a decrease amount dTa / dt of the outside air temperature per predetermined time and a temperature difference dTa of the outside air temperature every predetermined time are generated, and the outside air temperature Ta is lowered. According to the first embodiment, the region where the vehicle is colder than the point at the time of key start based on the amount of change in the outside air temperature per predetermined time (gradient of the outside air temperature) from the ON operation to the OFF operation of the ignition key Predict whether or not to move to. According to the second embodiment, between the ignition key ON operation and the OFF operation, the vehicle is colder than the point at the time of key start based on the temperature difference (amount of decrease in the outside air temperature) of the outside air temperature every predetermined time. Predict whether or not to move to the area. According to the third embodiment, whether or not the vehicle moves to a colder area than the point at the time of key start is predicted based on the outside air temperature (the outside air temperature itself) between the ON operation and the OFF operation of the ignition key. To do. As a result, it can be directly predicted that the vehicle will move to an area colder than the point at the time of key start.

(Fourth embodiment)
FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing for setting the target battery remaining capacity tSOC in the vehicle control apparatus of the fourth embodiment. The process of the flowchart shown in FIG. 12 is executed at regular time intervals. Here, since it is predicted whether or not the vehicle will move to a colder area than the point at the time of key start, the calculation cycle of the flowchart is not a short time interval such as every 10 ms but a long time interval Δt [min] such as every several minutes. Good. The flowcharts of FIGS. 14 and 16 described later are also the same. The flowchart of FIG. 12 replaces the flowchart of FIG. 6 of the first embodiment, and steps that perform the same processing as in the flowchart of FIG. 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the flowchart of FIG. 12, it is assumed that only the atmospheric pressure is considered as the engine operating condition for setting the target battery remaining capacity, and the operating conditions other than the atmospheric pressure are not considered.

In the first embodiment, whether or not the vehicle moves to a colder region than the point at the time of key start is predicted based on the change amount dTa / dt of the outside air temperature per predetermined time. On the other hand, in the fourth embodiment, whether or not the vehicle moves to a colder area than the point at the time of key start is predicted based on the change amount dPa / dt of atmospheric pressure per predetermined time. Reasons to expect based on atmospheric pressure are as follows. That is, in association with the case of FIG. 4, the home where the key is started is in a lowland of about 0 meters, and the ski resort is in a highland of 1500 meters. This is because when the key is started from the home to the ski resort, the atmospheric pressure decreases, so that it can be expected to move to the ski resort based on the decrease in the atmospheric pressure.

In FIG. 12, in step S11, it is determined whether or not the key start idle stop permission flag is 1 during the current process. If it is determined that the idle stop permission flag is zero, the current process is terminated. On the other hand, when the key start idle stop permission flag is 1, the process proceeds from step S11 to step S51.

In step S51, the current atmospheric pressure Pa [hPa] detected by the atmospheric pressure sensor 73 is read. In step S52, a decrease amount dPa / dt [hPa / s] of atmospheric pressure per predetermined time is calculated by the following equation (5).
dPa / dt = (Paz−Pa) / Δt (5)
Where Paz: the previous value of Pa,
Δt: time interval of the calculation routine,

Referring to FIG. 4, when moving from home to a ski resort, the atmospheric pressure changes from a high side slightly over 900 hPa to a low side of 600 hPa. For this reason, the actual amount of decrease in atmospheric pressure per predetermined time is a negative value, which is difficult to handle. Therefore, the value of Pa / dt is handled as a positive value as in equation (5).

In step S53, the target battery remaining capacity SOC3 [%] is calculated as a positive value by searching a table having the relationship shown in FIG. 13 based on the atmospheric pressure decrease amount dPa / dt per predetermined time. As shown in FIG. 13, the target battery remaining capacity SOC3 increases as the decrease dPa / dt of the atmospheric pressure per predetermined time increases. This is because the battery minimum voltage VbMin at the time of key start at the vehicle arrival point decreases as the atmospheric pressure decrease amount dPa / dt per predetermined time increases (that is, as the atmospheric pressure decreases), so the target battery remaining capacity tSOC This is to increase the size. However, the target remaining battery charge SOC3 is set to a constant value in a region where the decrease amount dPa / dt of the atmospheric pressure per predetermined time is equal to or greater than the predetermined value ThE. This is because the target battery remaining capacity tSOC has the upper limit MAX even when the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is increased.

In step S54, as shown in the following equation (6), the target battery remaining capacity SOC3 calculated in step S53 is set to the current target battery remaining capacity tSOC.
tSOC = SOC3 (6)

In step 16, it is determined whether the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is larger than the upper limit value MAX of the target battery remaining capacity. The upper limit value MAX is the same as in the first embodiment. That is, it is a value that determines the remaining charge capacity of the battery 41 in a cold region (a region colder than the point where the key is started), and is larger than that in a non-cold region. When the remaining charge capacity of the battery when not in a cold region is 85%, a value larger than 85%, for example, 95% is set as the upper limit value MAX. Even in cold regions, 100% is not set as the upper limit value MAX, and 5% is left as the remaining charge capacity. If the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is less than or equal to the upper limit value MAX, step S17 is skipped and the process proceeds to step S18 to output the target battery remaining capacity tSOC.

On the other hand, when the target remaining battery capacity tSOC exceeds the upper limit MAX, the process proceeds to step S17. In step S17, the target battery remaining capacity is limited by setting the upper limit value MAX as the target battery remaining capacity tSOC, and the process proceeds to step S18.

In step S55, the atmospheric pressure Pa is set as the previous value Paz of the atmospheric pressure for the next processing.

(Fifth embodiment)
FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing for setting the target battery remaining capacity tSOC in the vehicle control apparatus of the fifth embodiment. The process of the flowchart shown in FIG. 14 is executed at regular intervals. The flowchart of FIG. 14 replaces the flowchart of FIG. 12 of the fourth embodiment, and steps for performing the same processing as in the flowchart of FIG. 12 are given the same reference numerals. In the flowchart of FIG. 14 as well, only atmospheric pressure is considered as the engine operating condition for setting the target battery remaining capacity, and operating conditions other than atmospheric pressure are not considered.

In the fourth embodiment, whether or not the vehicle moves to a colder area than the point at the time of key start is predicted based on the amount of change in atmospheric pressure per predetermined time. On the other hand, in the fifth embodiment, whether or not the vehicle moves to an area colder than the point at the time of key start is predicted based on the pressure difference for each predetermined time of atmospheric pressure.

The difference from the fourth embodiment will be mainly described. Only the steps S61 to S63 are different from the fourth embodiment.

When the current atmospheric pressure Pa [° C.] is read in step S51, the process proceeds to step S61. In step S61, a pressure difference dPa [° C.] for each predetermined time Δt of atmospheric pressure is calculated by the following equation (7).
dPa = Paz−Pa (7)
Where Paz: the previous value of Pa,

Referring to the case of FIG. 4, when moving to a ski resort, the atmospheric pressure changes from a high side slightly exceeding 900 hPa to a low side of 600 hPa. For this reason, the pressure difference of the actual atmospheric pressure every predetermined time becomes a negative value and is difficult to handle. Therefore, by subtracting Pa from Paz as shown in equation (7), the dPa value is handled as a positive value. .

In step S62, the target battery remaining capacity SOC4 [%] is calculated as a positive value by searching a table having the relationship shown in FIG. 15 based on the pressure difference dPa for each predetermined time of the atmospheric pressure. As shown in FIG. 15, the target battery remaining capacity SOC4 increases as the pressure difference dPa for each predetermined time of atmospheric pressure increases. This is because the minimum battery voltage VbMin at the time of key start at the vehicle arrival point decreases as the pressure difference dPa at predetermined time intervals of the atmospheric pressure increases (that is, as the atmospheric pressure decreases). This is to make it larger. However, the target battery remaining capacity SOC4 is set to a constant value in a region where the pressure difference dPa per predetermined time of the atmospheric pressure is equal to or greater than the predetermined value ThF. This is because the target battery remaining capacity tSOC has the upper limit MAX even when the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is increased.

In step S63, as shown in the following equation (8), the target battery remaining capacity SOC4 calculated in step S62 is set to the current target battery remaining capacity tSOC.
tSOC = SOC4 (8)

In step S16, as in the fourth embodiment, the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is compared with the upper limit value MAX of the target battery remaining capacity. When the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is less than or equal to the upper limit value MAX, step S17 is skipped and the process proceeds to step S18. In step S18, the target remaining battery capacity tSOC is output.

On the other hand, when the target remaining battery capacity tSOC exceeds the upper limit MAX, the process proceeds to step S17. In step S17, the target battery remaining capacity is limited by setting the upper limit value MAX as the target battery remaining capacity tSOC, and the process proceeds to step S18.

(Sixth embodiment)
The flowchart of FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of processing for setting the target battery remaining capacity tSOC in the vehicle control apparatus of the sixth embodiment. The process of the flowchart shown in FIG. 16 is executed at regular time intervals. The flowchart of FIG. 16 replaces the flowchart of FIG. 12 of the fourth embodiment, and steps that perform the same processing as the flowchart of FIG. 12 are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the flowchart of FIG. 16 as well, only atmospheric pressure is considered as the engine operating condition for setting the target battery remaining capacity, and operating conditions other than atmospheric pressure are not considered.

In the sixth embodiment, it is predicted based on the atmospheric pressure itself whether or not the vehicle will move to a colder area than the key start point.

The difference from the fourth embodiment will be mainly described. If it is determined in step S11 that the idle stop permission flag = 1, the process proceeds to step S51. In step S51, the current atmospheric pressure Pa [hPa] detected by the atmospheric pressure sensor 73 (see FIG. 2) is read.

In step S71, the target battery remaining capacity tSOC [%] is calculated as a positive value by searching a table having the relationship shown in FIG. 17 based on the atmospheric pressure Pa. As shown in FIG. 17, the target battery remaining capacity tSOC increases as the atmospheric pressure Pa decreases. This is because the lower the atmospheric pressure Pa (that is, the lower the temperature), the lower the battery minimum voltage VbMin at the time of key start, so that the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is increased.

However, the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is the upper limit value MAX (a constant value) of the target battery remaining capacity in the pressure range where the atmospheric pressure Pa is less than the predetermined value ThG. The upper limit MAX is 95% as in the fourth embodiment. Describing in association with the case of FIG. 4, the pressure region where the atmospheric pressure Pa is less than the predetermined value ThG is a ski resort. The reason why the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is set to the upper limit MAX in the pressure region where the atmospheric pressure Pa is less than the predetermined value ThG is that the upper limit MAX is the limit even when the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is increased.

On the other hand, the target battery remaining capacity tSOC in the pressure range where the atmospheric pressure Pa exceeds the predetermined value ThI is a constant value (for example, 85%) in which the remaining charge capacity of the battery 41 is increased. Describing in association with the case of FIG. 4, the pressure region where the atmospheric pressure Pa exceeds the predetermined value ThI is home. The target battery remaining capacity tSOC is set to a constant value in the pressure range where the atmospheric pressure Pa exceeds the predetermined value ThI. In the pressure range where the atmospheric pressure Pa exceeds the predetermined value ThI, the battery minimum voltage at the time of key start is equal to or higher than the predetermined voltage Va. This is because idling stop is not prohibited and there is no need to reduce the remaining charge capacity of the battery 41.

Here, the operation of the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 12, the fifth embodiment shown in FIG. 14, and the sixth embodiment shown in FIG. 16 will be described together. In the fourth embodiment, the target battery remaining capacity tSOC because the decrease dPa / dt of the atmospheric pressure per predetermined time in the above equation (5) remains zero if it does not move to a colder area than the key start point. Does not change. In the fifth embodiment, since the pressure difference dPa per predetermined time of the atmospheric pressure in the above equation (7) remains zero if the vehicle does not move from the point at the time of key start to the cold area where the ski resort is located, the target battery The remaining capacity tSOC does not change.

On the other hand, in the fourth embodiment, when moving to a colder area than the point at the time of starting the key, the decrease dPa / dt of the atmospheric pressure per predetermined time in the above equation (5) occurs as a positive value, so the above (6) The target battery remaining capacity tSOC increases according to the equation. In the fifth embodiment, when moving to a colder area than the point at the time of key start, the pressure difference dPa of the atmospheric pressure of the above equation (7) every predetermined time is a positive value. The target battery remaining capacity tSOC increases.

In the sixth embodiment, the atmospheric pressure Pa is in a temperature range that exceeds a predetermined value ThI if it does not move to a colder area than the key start point, and the target battery remaining capacity tSOC at this time is 85%. On the other hand, when moving to a colder area than the point at the time of key start, the atmospheric pressure Pa decreases below the predetermined value ThI, so that the target battery remaining capacity tSOC becomes larger than 85%.

Referring to the case of FIG. 4, when moving from home to a ski resort, in each of the fourth to sixth embodiments, the target remaining battery capacity tSOC increases from 85% to 95%. The target power generation voltage of the alternator is increased so that this increasing target battery remaining capacity tSOC is realized, and the power generation amount of the alternator increases, so that the actual battery remaining capacity rSOC increases following the target battery remaining capacity tSOC. Become. For this reason, the actual remaining battery capacity rSOC (≈tSOC) when the engine is stopped after arriving at a cold area with a ski resort and the key is started the next day is the actual battery when the key is started at the previous day at home. It is larger than the remaining capacity rSOC. In this case, there is a strong correlation between the actual remaining battery capacity rSOC and the minimum battery voltage VbMin at the time of key start. The larger the actual remaining battery capacity rSOC, the higher the minimum battery voltage VbMin at the time of key start. . For this reason, when the process of the flowchart of FIG. 5 is executed when the key is started at the arrived ski resort, the battery minimum voltage VbMin at the time of key start becomes equal to or higher than the predetermined value Va in step S2, and the process proceeds to step S3. If the idle stop condition is OK, the process proceeds to step S4 where the idle stop permission flag = 1. By increasing the target remaining battery capacity tSOC in advance while moving to the ski area, the state of charge of the battery is improved, so that idling stop is prohibited when starting the key at the arrived ski area. So that there is no.

As described above, also in the fourth to sixth embodiments, when the vehicle moves to a colder region than the key starting point between the ignition key ON operation and the OFF operation, the target battery remaining capacity is set at the key starting time. Make it bigger. This makes it possible to charge using the chargeable charge remaining as the remaining charge capacity of the battery 41 during the movement from the point at the time of key start (at the time of initial engine start) to the ski resort. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the idle voltage stop from being prohibited unnecessarily because the minimum voltage VbMin of the battery 41 becomes equal to or higher than the predetermined voltage Va at the time of key start at the destination ski resort.

Suppose that, apart from FIG. 4 above, the key start is performed in the early morning cold hours, the day when the ski arrives at the ski resort, and the engine is stopped immediately after arrival. It is assumed that the temperature of the outside air during the day is high and the outside temperature is below freezing the next morning. In such a case, since the outside air temperature does not change much from the point when the key is started until it reaches the ski resort from the point when the key is started and the ignition key is turned OFF, the ski resort starts from the point when the key is started. It will be difficult to expect to move to.

As described above, even when the outdoor air temperature during the day at the ski resort is high and the outdoor air temperature does not decrease much from the point at the time of starting the key, the atmospheric pressure decrease amount dPa / dt per predetermined time and the atmospheric pressure every predetermined time A pressure difference dPa occurs, and the atmospheric pressure Pa decreases. According to the fourth embodiment, an area where the vehicle is colder than the point at the time of key start based on the amount of decrease in atmospheric pressure per predetermined time (decreasing gradient of atmospheric pressure) between the ON operation and the OFF operation of the ignition key. Predict whether or not to move to. According to the fifth embodiment, the vehicle is colder than the point at the time of starting the key based on the pressure difference (amount of decrease in the atmospheric pressure) of the atmospheric pressure every predetermined time from the ON operation to the OFF operation of the ignition key. Predict whether or not to move to the area. According to the sixth embodiment, whether or not the vehicle moves to a colder region than the point at the time of key start is predicted based on the atmospheric pressure (atmospheric pressure itself) between the ON operation and the OFF operation of the ignition key. To do. As a result, even when the outside air temperature during the day when the engine is stopped is high and the outside air temperature suddenly drops at night and moves to the freezing point the next morning, the vehicle will It is possible to directly expect to move to the ski area from the point.

(Seventh embodiment)
The flowchart of FIG. 18 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of processing for setting the target battery remaining capacity tSOC in the vehicle control apparatus of the seventh embodiment. The process of the flowchart shown in FIG. 18 is executed at regular time intervals. Here, since it is predicted whether or not the vehicle will move to a colder area than the key start point, the flow calculation cycle is not a short time interval such as every 10 ms, but a long time interval Δt [min] such as every few minutes. Good. The same applies to the flowchart of FIG. The flowchart of FIG. 18 replaces the flowchart of FIG. 16 of the sixth embodiment, and steps for performing the same processing as in the flowchart of FIG. 16 are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the flowchart of FIG. 18, it is assumed that engine operating conditions for setting the target battery remaining capacity are not considered.

In the sixth embodiment, it is predicted based on the atmospheric pressure Pa whether or not the vehicle will move to a colder area than the key start point. In the seventh embodiment, it is predicted based on the altitude data obtained by the navigation system 65 whether or not the vehicle moves to an area colder than the point at the time of key start.

The differences from the sixth embodiment will be mainly described. If it is determined in step S11 that the idle stop permission flag = 1, the process proceeds to step S81. In step S81, the current elevation data Ht [m] obtained by the navigation system 65 is read. In step S82, the target battery remaining capacity tSOC [%] is calculated as a positive value by searching a table having the relationship shown in FIG. 19 based on the altitude data Ht. As shown in FIG. 19, the target remaining battery capacity tSOC increases as the altitude data Ht increases. This is because the higher the altitude data Ht (that is, the colder it is), the lower the battery minimum voltage VbMin at the time of key start is, so that the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is increased.

However, in a region where the altitude data Ht exceeds the predetermined value ThK, the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is the upper limit value MAX (a constant value) of the target battery remaining capacity. The upper limit value MAX is 95% as in the sixth embodiment. In association with the case of FIG. 4, the region where the elevation data Ht exceeds the predetermined value ThK is a ski resort. The reason why the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is set to the upper limit MAX in the region where the altitude data Ht exceeds the predetermined value ThK is that the upper limit MAX is the limit even when the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is increased.

On the other hand, in the region where the altitude data Ht is less than the predetermined value ThJ, the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is a constant value (for example, 85%) in which the remaining charge capacity of the battery 41 is increased. When described in association with the case of FIG. 4, the region where the elevation data Ht is less than the predetermined value ThJ is home. The reason why the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is set to a constant value in the region where the altitude data Ht is less than the predetermined value ThJ is as follows. In other words, in the region where the altitude data Ht is less than the predetermined value ThJ, the minimum battery voltage at the time of key start becomes equal to or higher than the predetermined voltage Va, and idle stop is not prohibited, so there is no need to narrow the remaining charge capacity of the battery 41. is there.

(Eighth embodiment)
The flowchart of FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing for setting the target battery remaining capacity tSOC in the vehicle control apparatus of the eighth embodiment. The process of the flowchart shown in FIG. 20 is executed at regular time intervals. The flowchart of FIG. 20 replaces the flowchart of FIG. 16 of the sixth embodiment, and steps that perform the same processing as the flowchart of FIG. 16 are denoted by the same reference numerals. Even in the flowchart of FIG. 20, it is assumed that the engine operating conditions for setting the target battery remaining capacity are not considered.

In the eighth embodiment, whether or not the vehicle moves to an area colder than the point at the time of key start is predicted based on the predicted minimum temperature Tatmmin of the destination to which the vehicle heads. Here, the meteorological data 69 includes at least the point at the time of key start and the point of meteorological data colder than the point at the time of key start. Further, it is assumed that the destination to which the vehicle heads is in an area colder than the point at the time of key start.

The differences from the sixth embodiment will be mainly described. If it is determined in step S11 that the idle stop permission flag = 1, the process proceeds to step S91. In step 91, the expected minimum temperature Tatmmin [° C.] at the destination is read. Here, the predicted minimum temperature Tatmmin of the destination can be obtained from the weather data 69 acquired by the ITS 64 and the destination input to the navigation system 65. In step S92, the target SOC [%] is calculated as a positive value by searching a table having the relationship shown in FIG. 21 based on the predicted minimum temperature Tatmmin of the destination. As shown in FIG. 21, the target remaining battery capacity tSOC increases as the predicted minimum temperature Tatmmin at the destination decreases. This is because the lower the expected minimum temperature Tatmmin of the destination (that is, the lower the temperature), the lower the battery minimum voltage VbMin at the time of key start, so that the target SOC is increased.

However, the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is the upper limit value MAX (a constant value) of the target battery remaining capacity in the temperature range where the predicted minimum temperature Tatmmin of the destination is less than the predetermined value ThL. The upper limit value MAX is 95% as in the sixth embodiment. When explaining in association with the case of FIG. 4, the temperature range where the expected minimum temperature Tatmmin of the destination is less than the predetermined value ThL is a ski resort. The reason why the upper limit MAX is set in the temperature range where the predicted minimum temperature Tatmmin of the destination is less than the predetermined value ThL is that the upper limit MAX is the limit even when the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is increased.

On the other hand, in the temperature range where the predicted minimum temperature Tatmmin of the destination exceeds the predetermined value ThM, the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is a constant value (for example, 85%) in which the remaining charge capacity of the battery 41 is increased. Describing in association with the case of FIG. 4, the temperature range where the predicted minimum temperature Tatmmin of the destination exceeds the predetermined value ThM is near the home. The reason why the target remaining battery capacity tSOC is set to a constant value in the temperature range where the predicted minimum temperature Tatmmin of the destination exceeds the predetermined value ThM is as follows. That is, in the temperature range where the predicted minimum temperature Tatmmin of the destination exceeds the predetermined value ThM, the battery minimum voltage at the time of key start becomes equal to or higher than the predetermined voltage Va, and idle stop is not prohibited, so that the remaining charge capacity of the battery 41 is narrowed. This is because there is no need.

Here, the operations of the seventh embodiment shown in FIG. 18 and the eighth embodiment shown in FIG. 20 will be described together. In the seventh embodiment, if the vehicle does not move to a certain cold area from the point at the time of key start, the altitude data Ht is in an area less than the predetermined value ThJ, and the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is 85%. In the eighth embodiment, if the vehicle does not move to an area colder than the point at the time of key start, the expected minimum temperature Tatmmin of the destination is in a temperature range exceeding a predetermined value ThM, and the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is 85%.

On the other hand, when moving to a colder area than the key start point, in the seventh embodiment, since the altitude data Ht increases from the predetermined value ThJ, the target battery remaining capacity tSOC becomes larger than 85%. In the eighth embodiment, when moving to a colder area than the point at the time of key start, the expected minimum temperature Tatmmin at the destination decreases from the predetermined value ThM, so the target battery remaining capacity tSOC becomes larger than 85%. .

Referring to FIG. 4, the target battery remaining capacity tSOC increases from 85% to 95% in the seventh and eighth embodiments when moving to the ski resort. The target power generation voltage of the alternator is increased so that the increasing target battery remaining capacity tSOC is realized, and the power generation amount of the alternator increases, so that the actual battery remaining capacity rSOC increases following the target battery remaining capacity tSOC. . For this reason, the actual remaining battery capacity rSOC (≈tSOC) when the engine is stopped after arriving at a cold area with a ski resort and the key is started the next day is the actual battery when the key is started at the previous day at home. It becomes larger than the remaining capacity rSOC. In this case, there is a strong correlation between the actual remaining battery capacity rSOC and the minimum battery voltage VbMin at the time of key start. The larger the actual remaining battery capacity rSOC, the higher the minimum battery voltage VbMin at the time of key start. For this reason, when the process of the flowchart of FIG. 5 is executed when the key is started at the arrived ski resort, the battery minimum voltage VbMin at the time of key start becomes equal to or higher than the predetermined value Va in step S2, and the process proceeds to step S3. If the idle stop condition is OK, the process proceeds to step S4 where the idle stop permission flag = 1. By increasing the target remaining battery capacity tSOC in advance while moving to the ski area, the state of charge of the battery is improved, so that idling stop is prohibited at the time of key start at the arrived ski area. So that there is no.

As described above, according to the seventh and eighth embodiments, when the vehicle moves from the key start point to the ski resort between the ignition key ON operation and the OFF operation, the target battery remaining capacity tSOC is key-started. Make it bigger than time. This makes it possible to charge using the chargeable charge remaining as the remaining charge capacity of the battery 41 while moving from the point at the time of key start (at the time of initial engine start) to the ski resort. For this reason, it is possible to suppress that the minimum voltage VbMin of the battery 41 becomes equal to or higher than the predetermined voltage Va at the time of key start at the destination ski area, and idle stop is prohibited unnecessarily.

According to the seventh embodiment, whether or not the vehicle moves to a colder area than the point at the time of key start is predicted based on the altitude data Ht between the ON operation and the OFF operation of the ignition key. Thus, even if the outside air temperature sensor 68 and the atmospheric pressure sensor 73 are not provided, it can be predicted that the vehicle moves to an area colder than the point at the time of key start.

According to the eighth embodiment, whether or not the vehicle moves to a colder area than the point at the time of key start is predicted based on the weather data 69 between the ON operation and the OFF operation of the ignition key. As a result, similarly to the seventh embodiment, the vehicle can be expected to move to an area colder than the point at the time of key start without providing the outside air temperature sensor 68 and the atmospheric pressure sensor 73. Further, since the prediction is based on the weather data 69, it is possible to cope with a sudden change in weather.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and applications are possible.

This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2013-083194 filed with the Japan Patent Office on April 11, 2013, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims (6)

1. Automatic stop / restart execution means capable of automatically stopping the engine and restarting the engine according to the operating state of the engine after the engine is started for the first time in response to the ignition key ON operation;
   Automatic stop prohibiting means for prohibiting the automatic stop of the engine when the minimum voltage of the battery that is lowered by cranking at the time of the first engine start falls below a predetermined voltage;
   Target battery remaining capacity setting means for setting the target battery remaining capacity;
   Charge control means for performing charge control of the battery based on the target battery remaining capacity and the actual battery remaining capacity;
   The target battery remaining capacity setting means moves between the ignition key ON operation and the ignition key OFF operation so that the vehicle equipped with the engine moves to a colder area than the point at the time of the first engine start. When the target battery remaining capacity is larger than the initial engine start,
   Vehicle control device.
2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1,
   A temperature detecting means for detecting the outside air temperature or the intake air temperature;
   The target battery remaining capacity setting means includes a decrease gradient of the outside air temperature or the intake air temperature, a decrease amount of the outside air temperature or the intake air temperature, from the ON operation of the ignition key to the OFF operation of the ignition key, Predicting whether the vehicle will move to a colder area than the point at the time of the first engine start, based on at least one of the outside air temperature itself or the intake air temperature itself;
   Vehicle control device.
3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1,
   It further comprises atmospheric pressure detection means for detecting atmospheric pressure,
   The target remaining battery capacity setting means sets at least one of the atmospheric pressure decrease gradient, the atmospheric pressure decrease amount, and the atmospheric pressure itself during the period from the ignition key ON operation to the ignition key OFF operation. On the basis of whether or not the vehicle will move to a colder area than the initial engine start point,
   Vehicle control device.
4. The vehicle control device according to claim 1,
   A navigation system for receiving signals from GPS;
   The target battery remaining capacity setting means is configured such that when the vehicle starts the first engine start based on altitude data included in a signal from the GPS between an ON operation of the ignition key and an OFF operation of the ignition key. Predict whether or not to move to an area colder than the point,
   Vehicle control device.
5. The vehicle control device according to claim 1,
   A road traffic system for receiving weather data;
   The target battery remaining capacity setting means moves the vehicle to a colder region than the point at the time of the first engine start based on the weather data between the ignition key ON operation and the ignition key OFF operation. Predict whether or not
   Vehicle control device.
6. An automatic stop / restart function that can automatically stop the engine and restart the engine according to the operating state of the engine after the engine is started for the first time in response to the ignition key ON operation;
   A function of prohibiting the automatic stop of the engine when the minimum voltage of the battery that is lowered by cranking at the time of the first engine start falls below a predetermined voltage;
   A vehicle control method comprising:
   When the vehicle equipped with the engine moves to a colder region than the point at the time of the first engine start between the ignition key ON operation and the ignition key OFF operation, the target battery remaining capacity is Set to be larger than when the engine starts,
   Performing charging control of the battery based on the set target battery remaining capacity and the actual battery remaining capacity,
   Vehicle control method.

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