Engine Control Unit Prevents Idling Stop During Deceleration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle controlling devices face discomfort issues for occupants due to concurrent deceleration and restart requests when idling stop control is performed during deceleration, leading to potential power supply shortages.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle controlling device with a deceleration control unit and an engine control unit that prohibits idling stop control during deceleration, ensuring smooth vehicle control by avoiding concurrent deceleration and restart requests, using a shared power supply for both functions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If idling stop control is performed during deceleration to improve fuel efficiency, then fuel consumption is reduced, but concurrent deceleration and restart requests occur causing power supply shortage and occupant discomfort

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefuel efficiencyVSAvoidpower supply stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The engine control unit predicts whether a restart request will be generated during deceleration control based on vehicle speed and other parameters. This prediction is made in advance before the actual deceleration begins, allowing the system to prepare appropriate stop conditions for the idling stop control to prevent concurrent requests

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Weight of stationary object

If idling stop control is performed during deceleration to reduce power supply demands, then power supply capacity and weight can be reduced, but concurrent deceleration and restart requests cause control conflicts

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower supply weightVSAvoidvehicle control smoothness

Core Design Contradiction:

Weight of stationary objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary prediction of restart requests using vehicle speed and other parameters before deceleration begins. This advance prediction allows the engine control unit to set appropriate stop conditions that prevent the generation of concurrent restart requests during deceleration control

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The stop conditions for idling stop control are dynamically adjusted based on the predicted restart request. The engine control unit modifies the stop conditions in real-time according to the prediction results, allowing flexible adaptation to different driving scenarios while preventing control conflicts

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS11110925B2Vehicle controlling device and vehicle having the same

Publication Date: 2021.09.07 HONDA MOTOR CO LTD

AI summary

A vehicle controlling device includes: a VSA-ECU that performs deceleration control of a host vehicle using an inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and another vehicle traveling in front of the host vehicle; and an engine control unit that performs idling stop control of stopping drive of an engine as a driving source of the host vehicle upon satisfying stop conditions including a condition that vehicle speed of the host vehicle enters a predetermined low vehicle speed range and performs restart control of restarting the engine upon satisfying a predetermined restart condition. A power supply mounted on the host vehicle is used in common as a power supply used in executing the deceleration control and a power supply used in executing the restart control. The engine control unit prohibits execution of the idling stop control during execution of the deceleration control.