Internal-combustion engines – Accessories – Covers – trays – vibrators – corrosion inhibitors – air filters
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-29
2001-09-04
McMahon, Marguerite (Department: 3747)
Internal-combustion engines
Accessories
Covers, trays, vibrators, corrosion inhibitors, air filters
C123S179400
Reexamination Certificate
active
06283086
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an engine control apparatus for a vehicle for temporarily stopping the operation of an engine when, for example, the vehicle is in a halted state while the engine is operating.
This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. Hei 11-283578 (Unpublished), the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a vehicle is known that is provided with an engine stopping apparatus for temporarily stopping an engine that is operating in an idling state such as when waiting for a signal at an intersection, or when a vehicle is stopped in congested traffic or the like, or when a state in which the accelerator pedal is not depressed continues for a predetermined length of time. In this type of vehicle, by stopping the operation of the engine while the vehicle is in an idling state such as when the vehicle is stopped, and operating the engine only when it is necessary for the vehicle to travel, a reduction in the volume of exhaust gas that is expelled and an improvement in the fuel consumption rate is achieved.
However, in congested traffic, for example, when the traveling of the vehicle is series of frequent repeated starts and stops, the stopping and starting of the engine is also frequently repeated. When the engine is started, a shock is generated in the vehicle, and the drawback arises that the frequent repetition of this shock being generated leads to a deterioration in the drivability. Moreover, when the engine is started, the drawback arises that there is an increase in fuel consumption due to the energy used to rotate the starter and the operation of the engine in the poor state of combustion efficiency that exists during startup of the engine. At the same time, the drawback arises that the frequent repetition of the engine starting causes the volume of exhaust gas expelled to increase, compared to when the engine is running while the vehicle is in an idling state.
To counter drawbacks such as these, as is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. Hei 8-168105, a hybrid vehicle is known which is provided with an engine stopping apparatus for stopping the engine when a congestion determining apparatus determines that the vehicle is in congested traffic and causing a vehicle to travel using only a motor. According to this hybrid vehicle, the frequent repetition of the starting and stopping of the engine can be avoided when the vehicle is in congested traffic, and it possible to achieve a reduction in the amount of exhaust gas expelled and an improvement in the fuel consumption rate by traveling using only the motor.
However, the above hybrid vehicle is a type of hybrid vehicle that is capable of traveling using the output of only the motor when the operation of the engine is stopped. Accordingly, in, for example, a type of hybrid vehicle in which the output of the engine is supplemented by the output of the motor while the vehicle is being started, or in a vehicle that is not provided with a motor (i.e. is not a hybrid vehicle), it is not possible to reduce the repeated starting and stopping of the engine that accompanies the frequent repetition of the starting and stopping of a vehicle in congested traffic or the like. Therefore, the drawback exists that it is not possible to inhibit the deterioration in drivability caused by the shock that is generated in a vehicle when the engine is started, or the increase in the volume of exhaust gas that is expelled.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention was conceived of in view of the above circumstances. It is an object of the present invention to provide an engine control apparatus capable of improving drivability and reducing the volume of exhaust gas expelled by reducing the number of times an engine stops and starts in accordance with the operational state of the vehicle.
In order to solve the above described drawbacks and achieve the above object, the engine control apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention comprises an engine stopping determining device (steps S
201
, S
203
, and S
204
in the embodiment described below) for determining whether to stop an operation of an engine (the engine E) based on predetermined stopping conditions; an engine stopping device (step S
205
) for stopping the operation of the engine when a determination is made to stop the operation of the engine by the engine stopping determining device; a traffic congestion determining device (steps S
104
and S
105
) for determining whether traffic is congested; and an engine stopping prohibiting device (step S
106
) for prohibiting an operation of the engine stopping device so as to prohibit the operation of the engine from being stopped when it is determined by the traffic congestion determining device that traffic is congested.
According to the engine control apparatus having the above structure, because the stopping of the operation of the engine is prohibited when it is determined by the traffic congestion determining device that traffic is congested, even in driving conditions in which the vehicle would normally be repeatedly starting and stopping frequently, it is possible to prohibit the frequent repeated starting and stopping of the engine. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the number of times a shock is generated in the vehicle when the engine starts, and to prevent a deterioration in the drivability. It is also possible to reduce the volume of exhaust gas expelled by reducing the operation of the engine in the state of poor combustion efficiency that exists when the engine is started.
Moreover, in the engine control apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention, the engine stopping prohibiting device prohibits stopping of the operation of the engine for a predetermined time when it is determined by the traffic congestion determining device that traffic is congested.
According to the engine control apparatus having the above structure, it is possible to reliably prohibit the stopping of the operation of the engine for a predetermined time, and to more surely improve the drivability. At the same time, it is also possible to reduce the volume of exhaust gas that is expelled.
Furthermore, by making it possible to appropriately alter this predetermined time in accordance with information such as the traveling conditions of the vehicle and the extent of the congested area, it is possible to bring about an even greater improvement in drivability and reduction in the volume of exhaust gas expelled.
In the engine control apparatus according to the third aspect of the present invention, the engine control apparatus further comprises a traffic congestion information acquisition device (the road information receiving section
51
) for acquiring traffic congestion information from outside a vehicle in which the engine control apparatus is mounted, and the traffic congestion determining device determines whether traffic is congested based on the traffic congestion information acquired by the traffic congestion information acquisition device.
According to the engine control apparatus having the above structure, it is possible to easily and reliably determine whether a vehicle is in congested traffic by using traffic congestion information included in road traffic information such as VICS (vehicle information and communication system) information and the like for congestion information. As a result, it is possible to bring about an even greater improvement in drivability and reduction in the volume of exhaust gas expelled. Moreover, in a navigation device that is capable, for example, of calculating the current position of a vehicle using beacon devices installed in the road, gyro-sensors, or GPS (global positioning system) that uses artificial satellites, or is capable of setting route information to a destination or the like based on the current position and map information, by using traffic congestion information
Kiuchi Takeo
Kubodera Masao
Yamamoto Kazuhisa
Armstrong Westerman Hattori McLeland & Naughton LLP
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
McMahon Marguerite
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