Engine Starting System Actuation Signal Refusing Section

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional engine starting systems for vehicles are vulnerable to battery drain and overheating due to repeated tampering with the starting switch, leading to potential battery failure and system deterioration.

Innovation Solution

An engine starting system that includes an actuation signal refusing section, which ignores repeated or prolonged actuation signals from the switch without a corresponding answer signal, preventing unnecessary battery consumption and overheating by limiting communication with the portable equipment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the switch is repeatedly actuated by a third party to communicate with portable equipment, then the system responds to each actuation signal, but the battery is consumed excessively and the radio wave transmission portion becomes overheated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem reliabilityVSAvoidbattery consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The control device performs preliminary detection to determine whether portable equipment exists in the vicinity before responding to actuation signals. This preliminary action prevents unnecessary radio wave transmission and battery consumption when no legitimate portable equipment is present, while still allowing normal operation when legitimate equipment is detected.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The control device uses feedback from the detection result to control whether to respond to actuation signals. When portable equipment is detected, the system responds normally; when not detected, the system ignores actuation signals. This feedback mechanism prevents excessive battery consumption and overheating while maintaining system reliability for legitimate operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Ease of operation

If the equipment transmits radio waves every time the switch is actuated even without portable equipment, then the system remains responsive, but the battery runs out due to power supply voltage drop

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveswitch responsivenessVSAvoidpower supply voltage drop

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The control device performs preliminary detection to determine whether portable equipment exists in the vicinity before responding to actuation signals. This preliminary action prevents unnecessary radio wave transmission and battery consumption when no legitimate portable equipment is present, while still allowing normal operation when legitimate equipment is detected.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The control device uses feedback from the detection result to control whether to respond to actuation signals. When portable equipment is detected, the system responds normally; when not detected, the system ignores actuation signals. This feedback mechanism prevents excessive battery consumption and overheating while maintaining system reliability for legitimate operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If the radio wave transmission portion operates continuously in response to repeated switch actuation, then communication is maintained, but the circuit deteriorates and the engine starting system fails

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoidradio wave transmission portion temperature

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The control device performs preliminary detection to determine whether portable equipment exists in the vicinity before responding to actuation signals. This preliminary action prevents unnecessary radio wave transmission and battery consumption when no legitimate portable equipment is present, while still allowing normal operation when legitimate equipment is detected.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The control device uses feedback from the detection result to control whether to respond to actuation signals. When portable equipment is detected, the system responds normally; when not detected, the system ignores actuation signals. This feedback mechanism prevents excessive battery consumption and overheating while maintaining system reliability for legitimate operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS7483784B2Engine starting system

Publication Date: 2009.01.27 MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC MOBILITY CORP

AI summary

Provided is an engine starting system which is highly reliable in that a battery does not run out even if a manual switch is tampered and operated many times by a third party. Equipment on the propelled object side (2) includes an actuation signal refusing unit (22a) which avoids responding to an actuation signal from a switch (31) for a third predetermined time in at least one of the states where a number of actuation signals successively transmitted from the switch without producing an answer signal thereto has become equal to or larger than a prescribed number of times predetermined in a first predetermined time period and where the actuation signal has been kept tuned ON for a period equal to or longer than a second predetermined time period without producing an answer signal thereto.