Automatic Engine Stop Control During ACC Abnormality
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Solution Overview
Problem
The automatic engine stop function in vehicles with Active Cruise Control (ACC) is unnecessarily disturbed when an abnormality occurs in the preceding vehicle following control function, leading to potential engine restarts during acceleration, which is wasteful and disrupts the fuel efficiency and emission reduction benefits of the automatic engine stop function.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle control apparatus with a first control unit for preceding vehicle following control and a second control unit for automatic engine stop, where the second unit maintains the automatic engine stop function despite prohibition requests from the first unit when an abnormality is detected in the preceding vehicle following control function, using a mask flag to differentiate between normal and abnormal conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the automatic engine stop function is prohibited when an abnormality occurs in the preceding vehicle following control function, then the control safety is improved, but the fuel efficiency and emission reduction benefits are worsened due to unnecessary engine restarts
Solution Approach 1:
The determination unit continuously monitors the operation status of the preceding vehicle following control function and provides feedback to decide whether to prohibit the automatic engine stop function. This feedback mechanism ensures that the automatic engine stop function is only prohibited when there is a confirmed abnormality in the preceding vehicle following control, preventing unnecessary engine restarts and maintaining fuel efficiency while still ensuring control safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The prohibition status of the automatic engine stop function is made dynamic rather than static. The system can switch between prohibited and non-prohibited states based on the real-time abnormality detection results. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to maintain control safety when needed while avoiding unnecessary energy loss during normal operation.
2Loss of energy
If the automatic engine stop function is maintained during abnormalities in the preceding vehicle following control function, then the fuel efficiency is improved, but the ease of operation is worsened due to potential conflict between control functions
Solution Approach 1:
The determination unit serves as an intermediary that coordinates between the preceding vehicle following control function and the automatic engine stop function. It detects abnormalities and makes intelligent decisions about whether to maintain or prohibit the automatic engine stop function, thereby maintaining fuel efficiency while managing potential conflicts between control functions to preserve ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The second control unit (automatic engine stop function) is designed to independently determine its own operation status based on abnormality detection results. It can autonomously maintain operation during certain abnormalities without requiring direct intervention from the first control unit, reducing control complexity and improving ease of operation while maintaining fuel efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle control apparatus is provided that can maintain an automatic engine stop function when an abnormality occurs in a preceding vehicle following control function. The vehicle control apparatus includes a first control unit configured to include a preceding vehicle following control function to control vehicle speed, based on a traveling state of a preceding vehicle, and to output a prohibition request to an automatic engine stop function; and a second control unit configured to include the automatic engine stop function, and to maintain the automatic engine stop function, contrary to the prohibition request output from the first control unit, when an abnormality occurs in the preceding vehicle following control function.