JP6384397B2 - Engine stop / start control device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an engine stop / start control device.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a technique for performing so-called idling stop control that automatically stops an engine when a predetermined automatic stop condition is satisfied and restarts the engine when a predetermined restart condition is satisfied is known. According to this idling stop control, an effect such as reduction in fuel consumption of the engine can be obtained.

  In addition, depending on the driver's intention and driving situation, there is a case where it is desired to restrict the automatic engine stop by the idling stop control, and a technique for changing the automatic engine stop condition according to the driver's operation has been proposed. . For example, in the one described in Patent Document 1, a threshold value for automatically stopping the engine is determined in a predetermined parameter in order to determine whether or not an automatic stop condition is satisfied, and the threshold value is selected by a driver's operation. A changeover switch is provided in the vehicle. In this case, when the driver operates the changeover switch, the threshold value is changed from the initial value, and the engine is automatically stopped under the automatic stop condition according to the driver's intention.

JP 2004-270532 A

  By the way, it is conceivable that the vehicle is used by a plurality of drivers, and the automatic stop condition is changed by the driver's own operation for each driver. Here, when one driver sets his / her favorite automatic stop condition when driving the vehicle and then another driver drives the vehicle, the automatic stop start is started for the driver who newly starts driving. It seems that there may be a sense of incongruity in the conditions and frequency of For example, such a situation is likely to occur when a vehicle is shared by a plurality of users. Moreover, even if the same driver starts driving again, such a situation can occur.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problem, and provides an engine stop / start apparatus capable of performing an appropriate engine automatic stop while taking into consideration the driver's intention.

  The first invention is an engine that automatically stops the engine (11) when a predetermined automatic stop condition is satisfied in the vehicle and restarts the engine when a predetermined restart condition is satisfied after that. A stop / start control device (21), wherein the automatic stop condition is changed from an initial condition to a specific condition determined based on the operation according to a driver's operation, and the automatic stop condition is the specific condition. And an initialization means for performing initialization processing for returning the automatic stop condition to the initial condition regardless of the presence or absence of the operation in response to establishment of a predetermined initialization execution condition. It is characterized by that.

  As the predetermined initialization execution condition is satisfied, the automatic stop condition is initialized regardless of whether or not the driver performs an operation. In this case, even if the driver switches arbitrarily, it is possible to prevent the driver who newly starts driving from feeling uncomfortable with respect to the condition and frequency of the automatic stop start. As a result, an appropriate automatic engine stop can be performed while considering the driver's intention.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, when the automatic stop condition is changed to the specific condition, the initialization means satisfies the initialization execution condition when the vehicle starts or ends. The initialization process is performed.

  At the start of driving or at the end of driving, the automatic stop condition is initialized regardless of the presence or absence of the driver's operation. In this case, when the driver starts driving the vehicle, the automatic stop condition is returned to the initial condition regardless of the presence or absence of the driver's operation. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the driver who newly starts driving from feeling uncomfortable at the start of driving each time.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a change determination unit that determines whether or not a driver has changed in the vehicle, and the initialization unit is operated in the vehicle when the automatic stop condition is changed to the specific condition. It is characterized in that the initialization execution condition is satisfied when it is determined that there is a change of persons, and the initialization process is performed.

  When the driver is changed, the automatic stop condition is initialized regardless of the driver's operation. In this case, even if the driver before the change of driving has set his / her favorite automatic stop condition, the automatic stop condition is returned to the initial condition when the driver after the change of drive performs driving. It has become. For this reason, even if the vehicle is used by a plurality of drivers and the automatic stop condition is changed by the operation of at least one of the drivers, the driver after the change of driving regarding the conditions and frequency of the automatic stop start It is possible to prevent the user from feeling uncomfortable.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the vehicle has a communication function that enables communication with a portable device (28) possessed by a driver, and the change determination means is based on communication information with the portable device. And determining whether or not the driver is changed.

  When the portable device becomes communicable with the vehicle side, the presence or absence of a driver change is determined based on communication information acquired on the vehicle side. In this case, it is possible to determine whether or not the driver is replaced by recognizing the owner of the portable device as the driver.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the change determination unit is configured to change the driver based on at least one of the driver leaving the driver's seat of the vehicle and the driver's door of the vehicle being opened. It is characterized by determining the presence or absence of.

  When the driver leaves the driver's seat of the vehicle or when the driver's seat door is opened, the driver may get off and take over for another driver. In this case, in the above configuration, it is possible to determine whether or not the driver has been changed based on a change in the state of the vehicle that accompanies the driver getting off the vehicle.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the changing means has at least one of a specific condition on the side where the automatic stop of the engine is likely to be performed with respect to the initial condition and a specific condition on the side where the automatic stop is difficult to be performed as the specific condition. It can be changed to.

  The automatic stop condition is configured to be changeable to a specific condition on the side where the automatic engine stop is likely to be performed and a specific condition on the side where it is difficult to perform the automatic stop condition with respect to the initial condition. Here, there is a case where the driver desires that the engine automatic stop is difficult to be performed or a case where the driver desires that the automatic stop is easily performed depending on a driving situation or the like. For this reason, according to the above, the automatic stop condition can be changed to a condition desired by the driver, and the engine automatic stop can be realized without giving the driver unpleasant feeling.

  According to a seventh aspect of the invention, the changing means includes an operating member (25) provided near a driver's seat in the vehicle, a portable device (28) possessed by the driver, and an external diagnosis capable of communicating with the vehicle. The initial condition is changed to the specific condition based on a command signal from any of the tools.

  The automatic stop condition is configured to be changed from the initial condition to a specific condition corresponding to the command signal based on a command signal from any of the operation member, the portable device, and the external diagnostic tool. In this case, the automatic stop condition can be changed according to various situations in which the change of the automatic stop condition is required.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, the changing means can change the specific condition to a specific condition on the side where the automatic stop of the engine is likely to be performed and a specific condition on the side where the automatic stop is difficult to be performed with respect to the initial condition. And the initialization means performs the initialization process when the initialization execution condition is satisfied, if the specific condition at that time is a condition that makes it difficult to automatically stop the engine, The initialization process is not performed if the specific condition at the time is a condition that facilitates the automatic stop of the engine.

  When the initialization execution condition is satisfied, if the automatic stop condition is a specific condition on the side where the engine automatic stop is difficult to be performed, the automatic stop condition is initialized, and the automatic stop condition is specified on the side where the automatic engine stop is likely to be performed. If the condition is satisfied, the automatic stop condition is not initialized. In this case, it is possible to set the automatic stop condition while giving priority to enhancing the effect of improving the fuel consumption.

  A ninth invention is characterized by comprising setting means for variably setting the initial condition, and the initialization means performs the initialization process according to the initial condition set by the setting means.

  The initial condition of the automatic stop condition is variably set. In this case, the initial condition can be set to a condition desired by the driver.

  In a tenth aspect of the invention, the setting means variably sets the initial condition by a driver's operation, and stores identification information of the driver who has performed the operation together with the initial condition after setting. If the initial condition corresponding to the driver is stored when the initialization execution condition is satisfied, the current driver can be identified and the initial condition corresponding to the driver is stored. An initialization process is performed.

  When the automatic stop condition is initialized, the initial condition set for each identified driver is restored. In this case, when the automatic stop condition is initialized, the initial condition set by the driver according to his / her preference is restored regardless of whether or not the driver has operated. For this reason, it is not necessary to perform a re-operation for setting the user's preference when the driver is arbitrarily switched, and the convenience can be improved.

The schematic block diagram of an engine control system. The flowchart which shows the initialization process of an automatic stop condition. The flowchart which shows the subroutine of the initialization process of an automatic stop condition. The flowchart which shows the subroutine of the initialization process of an automatic stop condition.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present embodiment embodies a vehicle equipped with an engine, and performs idling stop control using an electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as ECU). FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an engine automatic stop / restart system according to the present embodiment.

  In FIG. 1, an engine 11 is a spark ignition gasoline engine, and includes an injector 12 and an ignition device 13 for each cylinder. Further, a starter 14 is connected to the engine 11 as a starting device that applies initial rotation (cranking rotation) to the engine 11 when the engine is started. The engine 11 is not limited to a gasoline engine, and may be a diesel engine. The starter 14 may be an ISG (Integrated Starter Generator).

  The ECU 21 is an electronic control device including a microcomputer including a well-known CPU, ROM, RAM, and the like, and controls the fuel injection amount by the injector 12 based on detection results of various sensors provided in the system. Various engine controls such as ignition control by the ignition device 13 are performed.

  For details on the sensors, the ECU 21 includes an accelerator sensor 22 that detects a pedaling force (accelerator pedaling force) of an accelerator pedal as an accelerator operation member, a brake sensor 23 that detects a pedaling force (brake pedaling force) of a brake pedal as a brake operation member, A speed sensor 24 for detecting the vehicle speed is connected, and signals from these sensors are sequentially input to the ECU 21.

  In addition, the ECU 21 includes an operation unit 25 for performing operations related to idling stop control, a seat belt sensor 26 for detecting that the seat belt of the driver's seat is connected to the buckle, and a mobile phone or mobile device brought into the vehicle. A communication unit 27 that communicates with a portable terminal 28 such as a communication device is connected, and signals from these units are sequentially input to the ECU 21.

  The communication unit 27 is an in-vehicle device provided in the front part of the driver's seat, and has a communication function that enables wireless communication with the mobile terminal 28 within a predetermined range from the driver's seat. With this communication function, communication information with the portable terminal 28 possessed by the driver who is present in the driver's seat is acquired by the communication unit 27, and the communication information is input from the communication unit 27 to the ECU 21.

  The ECU 21 performs idling stop control of the engine 11 based on information such as vehicle speed, accelerator pedal force, and brake pedal force. The idling stop control automatically stops the engine 11 when a predetermined automatic stop condition is satisfied, and then restarts the engine 11 when a predetermined restart condition is satisfied. In this case, the automatic stop condition includes, for example, that the accelerator pedal force becomes zero or the brake pedal force increases to the threshold value Th1, and the vehicle speed decreases to the threshold value Th2 (for example, 10 km / h). The restart condition includes, for example, that the accelerator pedal force has increased from zero after the engine has been automatically stopped, and that the brake pedal force has decreased below the threshold value Th1. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the engine control function and the idling stop control function are implemented by separate ECUs 21.

  The operation unit 25 includes a plurality of button switches as operation members that can be operated by the driver. By pressing any one of the plurality of button switches, the automatic stop condition can be changed from the initial condition to a specific condition corresponding to the operation of the button switch. Specifically, a plurality of button switches are arranged in a line on the front portion of the driver's seat, and an automatic stop condition setting mode is set for each button switch. For example, a threshold Th1 is set according to the setting mode. Is changed to one of the specific value on the larger brake pedal force side and the specific value on the smaller side. At this time, if the threshold value Th1 is changed to a specific value on the side where the brake pedal force is larger than the initial value, the engine is automatically stopped with a larger brake pedal force than when the threshold value Th1 is set to the initial value. Become. This makes it difficult for the engine to be automatically stopped. On the other hand, when the threshold value Th1 is changed to a specific value on the side where the brake pedal force is smaller than the initial value, the engine is automatically stopped with a brake force that is smaller than when the threshold value Th1 is the initial value. This facilitates automatic engine stop. As described above, the automatic stop condition is changed by operating the operation unit 25.

  By the way, it is conceivable that the vehicle is used by a plurality of drivers, and the automatic stop condition is changed by the driver's own operation for each driver. Here, when one driver sets his / her favorite automatic stop condition when driving the vehicle and then another driver drives the vehicle, the automatic stop start is started for the driver who newly starts driving. It seems that there may be a sense of incongruity in the conditions and frequency of For example, such a situation is likely to occur when a vehicle is shared by a plurality of users. Moreover, even if the same driver starts driving again, such a situation can occur.

  In view of this point, in the present embodiment, when the automatic stop condition is changed from the initial condition to the specific condition corresponding to the operation of the operation unit 25, the predetermined initialization execution condition of the automatic stop condition is satisfied. Initialization is performed to return the automatic stop condition from the specific condition to the initial condition. Specifically, the threshold value Th1 is changed from the initial value to the specific value, with the initializing condition being immediately after an ignition switch (not shown) is turned on or the driver being changed. In this case, if the initialization execution condition is satisfied, the threshold value Th1 is initialized.

  Hereinafter, the process of initializing the automatic stop condition performed by the ECU 21 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. This process is repeatedly performed by the ECU 21 at a predetermined cycle.

  First, in step S11, it is determined whether or not it is immediately after the ignition switch is turned on. In step S12, it is determined whether or not the threshold value Th1 has been changed from the initial value to a specific value corresponding to the operation of the operation unit 25. judge. At this time, if the threshold value Th1 has been changed to a specific value during the previous driving of the vehicle, the history of the change is stored in the memory, and whether or not the threshold value Th1 has been changed is determined based on the history. If YES in both steps S11 and S12, the process proceeds to step S13, and the threshold value Th1 is initialized. That is, the threshold value Th1 is returned from the specific value to the initial value. When it is NO in either step S11 or S12, or after execution of step S13, the process proceeds to step S14. In step S11, it may be determined whether it is immediately after the ignition switch is turned off, and the threshold value Th1 may be initialized on the condition that the ignition switch is turned off.

  In step S14, it is determined whether or not the operation unit 25 has been operated. If NO in step S14, the process proceeds to step S16. When YES is determined in the step S14, the process proceeds to a step S15, the threshold value Th1 is changed according to the operation of the operation unit 25, and the process proceeds to the step S16.

  In step S16, it is determined whether or not the threshold value Th1 has been changed and the driver has been changed. Here, the determination of whether or not the driver has been changed is performed based on a detection signal input to the ECU 21 from the seat belt sensor 26 or the communication unit 27. Specifically, based on the detection signal of the seat belt sensor 26, when it is determined that the seat belt is disconnected from the buckle, it is determined that the driver has been removed and the driver has been replaced. . Further, when it is determined based on the communication information of the mobile terminal 28 acquired by the communication unit 27 that the mobile terminal 28 to be communicated has been switched, it is determined that the driver has been changed. Specifically, in the configuration in which the model information of the mobile terminal 28 and the identification information given to each mobile terminal 28 are received through the communication unit 27, when the communication information is changed, the change of the driver is changed. Determine that it was done. Note that, when it is determined that the driver's seat door is opened based on a detection signal from an open / close sensor provided on the driver's seat door, it may be determined that the driver is changed.

  If “NO” in the step S16, the present process is terminated as it is, and if “YES” in the step S16, the process proceeds to a step S17 to initialize the threshold value Th1, and the present process is terminated.

  As mentioned above, according to this embodiment explained in full detail, the following outstanding effects are acquired.

  According to the above configuration, the automatic stop condition is initialized regardless of the presence or absence of the driver's operation as the predetermined initialization execution condition is established. In this case, even if the driver switches arbitrarily, it is possible to prevent the driver who newly starts driving from feeling uncomfortable with respect to the condition and frequency of the automatic stop start. As a result, an appropriate automatic engine stop can be performed while considering the driver's intention.

  According to the above configuration, at the start of driving or at the end of driving, the automatic stop condition is initialized regardless of the driver's operation. In this case, when the driver starts driving the vehicle, the automatic stop condition is returned to the initial condition regardless of the presence or absence of the driver's operation. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the driver who newly starts driving from feeling uncomfortable at the start of driving each time.

  According to the above configuration, when the driver is changed, the automatic stop condition is initialized regardless of the presence or absence of the driver's operation. In this case, even if the driver before the change of driving has set his / her favorite automatic stop condition, the automatic stop condition is returned to the initial condition when the driver after the change of drive performs driving. It has become. For this reason, even if the vehicle is used by a plurality of drivers and the automatic stop condition is changed by the operation of at least one of the drivers, the driver after the change of driving regarding the conditions and frequency of the automatic stop start It is possible to prevent the user from feeling uncomfortable.

  When the portable terminal 28 becomes communicable with the vehicle side, the presence or absence of a driver change is determined based on communication information acquired on the vehicle side. In this case, the presence / absence of a driver change can be determined by recognizing the owner of the portable terminal 28 as a driver.

  Based on the fact that the driver leaves the driver's seat of the vehicle and the driver's seat door is opened, the presence or absence of a driver change is determined. In this case, the presence or absence of a driver change can be determined based on a change in the state of the vehicle that accompanies the driver getting off the vehicle.

  The automatic stop condition is configured to be changeable to a specific condition on the side where the automatic engine stop is likely to be performed and a specific condition on the side where it is difficult to perform the automatic stop condition with respect to the initial condition. Here, there is a case where the driver desires that the engine automatic stop is difficult to be performed or a case where the driver desires that the automatic stop is easily performed depending on a driving situation or the like. For this reason, according to the above, the automatic stop condition can be changed to a condition desired by the driver, and the engine automatic stop can be realized without giving the driver unpleasant feeling.

(Other embodiments)
The above embodiment may be modified as follows, for example.

  ・ When the initialization condition is satisfied, if the specific condition at that time is a condition that makes it difficult to stop the engine automatically, the initialization process is performed. The initialization process may not be performed as long as it is easy to break. Specifically, when the initialization execution condition is satisfied based on immediately after the ignition switch is turned on or when the driver is changed, the initialization process of the subroutine shown in FIG. Perform the process. In step S21 of FIG. 3, it is determined whether or not the threshold value Th1 at that time has been changed to a side where the automatic engine stop is less likely to be performed (a frequency reduction side where the automatic stop is performed). When YES is determined in the step S21, the process proceeds to a step S22 so as to perform an initialization process. If NO in step S21, the process proceeds to step S23, and the initialization process is not performed, and the specific value of the threshold Th1 corresponding to the operation of the operation unit 25 is maintained.

  According to the above configuration, since the automatic stop condition is initialized if the automatic stop condition is a specific condition on the side where it is difficult to perform the engine automatic stop, it is possible to suppress a reduction in the fuel efficiency improvement effect. Further, since the automatic stop condition is initialized if the automatic stop condition is a specific condition that facilitates the automatic engine stop, it is possible to improve the fuel efficiency improvement effect while reflecting the driver's preference. In this case, it is possible to set the automatic stop condition while giving priority to enhancing the effect of improving the fuel consumption.

  -The initial condition is variably set by the driver's operation, the driver's identification information is stored together with the initial condition after setting, and the current driver can be identified when the initialization execution condition is satisfied, and When the initial condition corresponding to the driver is stored, the initialization process may be performed according to the initial condition corresponding to the driver. Specifically, when the initialization execution condition is established based on the fact that the ignition switch has been turned on or the driver has been changed, the initialization process of the subroutine shown in FIG. Perform the process. In step S31 of FIG. 4, when initialization conditions are established, identification information given to each portable terminal 28 as communication information of the portable terminal 28 is acquired, and an initial value of the threshold Th1 corresponding to the identification information It is determined whether or not exists. Then, when there is an initial value of the threshold value Th1 corresponding to the identification information, the process proceeds to step S32, where the initial value set for each identified driver is set. On the other hand, when the identification information is not acquired or when the identification information is acquired and there is no initial value of the threshold Th1 corresponding to the identification information, the process proceeds to step S33 and is set for each driver. Set to the previous normal initial value.

  According to the above configuration, when the automatic stop condition is initialized, the initial condition set for each identified driver is restored. In this case, when the automatic stop condition is initialized, the initial condition set by the driver according to his / her preference is restored regardless of whether or not the driver has operated. For this reason, it is not necessary to perform a re-operation for setting the user's preference when the driver is arbitrarily switched, and the convenience can be improved.

  Although the automatic stop condition is configured to be changeable between the side where the automatic engine stop is likely to be performed and the side where the automatic engine stop is difficult to be performed, this may be configured to be changeable to one of the sides.

  -When the seat position which is the position in the front-rear direction or the height direction of the driver's seat is changed, it may be determined that the driver is changed. That is, when a vehicle is used by a plurality of drivers, it is conceivable that a seat position suitable for the driver is selected. In this case, the change of the driver can be suitably determined by changing the seat position.

  Although the automatic stop condition is changed by the operation of the operation unit 25, the present invention is not limited to this, and is not limited to this, but can be performed by operating any one of the mobile terminal 28 and an external diagnostic tool that is communicably connected to the ECU 21. It is good also as a structure performed.

  According to the above configuration, the automatic stop condition is changed from the initial condition to the specific condition corresponding to the command signal based on the command signal from any of the operation unit 25, the portable terminal 28, and the external diagnostic tool. In this case, the automatic stop condition can be changed according to various situations in which the change of the automatic stop condition is required.

  ・ At least one of the vehicle speed threshold value, accelerator pedal force threshold value, battery remaining capacity threshold value, vehicle speed history threshold value, and shift position, which are the conditions for automatic engine stop, is set to the initial value according to the driver's operation. It is good also as a structure changed from to a specific value.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Engine, 21 ... ECU (engine stop start control apparatus).

Claims (9)

An engine stop / start control device (21) that automatically stops the engine (11) when a predetermined automatic stop condition is satisfied in the vehicle, and then restarts the engine when a predetermined restart condition is satisfied. ) And
Changing means for changing the automatic stop condition from an initial condition to a specific condition determined based on the operation according to a driver's operation;
When the automatic stop condition has been changed to the specific condition, an initialization process is performed to return the automatic stop condition to the initial condition regardless of the presence or absence of the operation according to the establishment of a predetermined initialization execution condition. Bei example and initialization means for, the,
The changing means can be changed as the specific condition to a specific condition on the side where the automatic stop of the engine is likely to be performed with respect to the initial condition and a specific condition on the side where the automatic stop is difficult to be performed.
The initialization means performs the initialization process when the initialization execution condition is satisfied, if the specific condition at that time is a condition on the side where it is difficult for the engine to be automatically stopped. An engine stop / start control device that does not perform the initialization process if the specific condition is a condition that facilitates the automatic stop of the engine.   The initialization means determines that the initialization execution condition is satisfied at the start of driving or at the end of driving of the vehicle when the automatic stop condition is changed to the specific condition, and the initialization process is performed. The engine stop / start control apparatus according to claim 1 to be implemented. Comprising a change determination means for determining the presence or absence of a driver change in the vehicle;
The initialization means determines that the initialization execution condition is satisfied by determining that there is a driver change in the vehicle when the automatic stop condition is changed to the specific condition. The engine stop / start control apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the process is performed. The vehicle has a communication function that enables communication with the portable device (28) possessed by the driver,
The engine stop / start control device according to claim 3, wherein the change determination unit determines whether or not a driver is changed based on communication information with the portable device.   The change determination means determines whether or not the driver is changed based on at least one of the driver leaving the driver's seat of the vehicle and the driver's door of the vehicle being opened. Item 5. The engine stop / start control device according to Item 3 or 4.   The changing means can change the specific condition to at least one of a specific condition on the side where the automatic stop of the engine is likely to be performed and a specific condition on the side where the automatic stop is difficult to be performed with respect to the initial condition. Item 6. The engine stop / start control device according to any one of Items 1 to 5.   The changing means includes any one of an operation member (25) provided near the driver's seat in the vehicle, a portable device (28) possessed by the driver, and an external diagnostic tool capable of communicating with the vehicle. The engine stop / start control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a change from the initial condition to the specific condition is performed based on the command signal. Setting means for variably setting the initial condition;
The engine stop / start control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein the initialization unit performs the initialization process according to the initial condition set by the setting unit. The setting means variably sets the initial condition by a driver's operation, and stores the identification information of the driver who performed the operation together with the initial condition after setting,
The initialization means is configured so that when the initialization execution condition is satisfied, the current driver can be identified, and the initial condition corresponding to the driver is stored when the initial condition corresponding to the driver is stored. The engine stop / start control apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the initialization process is performed by the control.

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