Vehicle Control Device Engine Stop Prohibition Steering

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Solution Overview

Problem

In vehicles equipped with power steering devices capable of traveling with the engine stopped, the simultaneous power supply requests from the starting device and power steering device often lead to a large-capacity electrical storage device, increasing weight and reducing power supplying ability to the power steering device.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle control device that prohibits engine stop control during vehicle steering or assist torque generation, ensuring power supply to the power steering device and reducing the capacity of the electrical storage device by managing power supply requests.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the electrical storage device is designed to simultaneously supply power to both the starting device and the power steering device, then the power supplying ability is ensured, but the capacity and weight of the electrical storage device increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower supplying abilityVSAvoidweight of electrical storage device
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSWeight of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The control device dynamically adjusts engine stop control based on real-time steering operation detection. When steering operations are detected during engine stop control, the system dynamically changes the engine state from stopped to running, ensuring power supply to the power steering device without requiring oversized electrical storage capacity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The control device continuously monitors steering operations and uses this feedback to determine whether to maintain or cancel engine stop control. This feedback mechanism allows the system to respond appropriately to power demands, ensuring reliable power supply while optimizing electrical storage device capacity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Loss of energy

If engine stop control is implemented during vehicle travelling, then fuel economy is improved, but power supply reliability to the power steering device cannot be ensured during steering operations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefuel economyVSAvoidpower supply reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The control device automatically detects steering operations and self-adjusts the engine stop control state without external intervention. When steering is detected, the system automatically cancels engine stop control to ensure power supply, and can resume engine stop control when steering ceases, maintaining fuel economy where applicable.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The power steering device uses hydraulic assistance that requires engine-driven pump operation. By linking engine stop control cancellation to steering operation detection, the system ensures the hydraulic system receives adequate power during steering maneuvers while maintaining fuel economy during non-steering periods.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

Data Source

PatentEP2617970B1Vehicle control device
Publication Date: 2020.02.12 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK
  • EP2617970B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2617970B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP2617970B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

A vehicle control device includes an engine that is a power source of a vehicle, an electrical storage device, a starting device connected to the electrical storage device and configured to consume electrical power to start the engine, and a power steering device connected to the electrical storage device and configured to consume electrical power to generate an assist torque, wherein an engine stop control of causing the engine to be in a stopped state is executable during travelling of the vehicle, and the engine stop control is prohibited (S4, S5) in at least one of (Yes in S2) time of turning of the vehicle, time of steering of the vehicle during travelling, and time of generating an assist torque during travelling.