Vehicle Idle Reduction Control via Preceding Vehicle Acceleration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicles face inefficiencies in fuel or electrical power usage due to inappropriate restarts of internal combustion engines or traction motors when following a preceding vehicle, leading to deteriorated fuel efficiency or electrical power efficiency, especially in situations where drivers may not promptly react to the preceding vehicle's movement.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle system that includes a preceding vehicle information acquiring device and an electronic control unit to manage the drive source, automatically stopping or restarting the internal combustion engine or traction motor based on the state of the preceding vehicle and traffic conditions, ensuring efficient idle reduction mode management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the internal combustion engine is automatically restarted when the distance change reaches a predetermined value, then the host vehicle can smoothly start moving along with the preceding vehicle, but the fuel efficiency deteriorates when the preceding vehicle immediately decelerates and stops
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary assessment of the preceding vehicle's movement state (acceleration vs. deceleration) before initiating engine restart. By evaluating the acceleration state in advance, the system avoids unnecessary engine restarts when the preceding vehicle is decelerating, thus preventing fuel waste while maintaining readiness for smooth movement when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors the preceding vehicle's acceleration state and distance changes, using this feedback to dynamically adjust engine control decisions. The ECU compares real-time acceleration data with threshold values to determine whether to maintain idle reduction mode or restart the engine, optimizing fuel efficiency while ensuring reliable vehicle movement when appropriate.
2Reliability
If the traction motor is driven in advance to generate creep torque when the preceding vehicle starts to move, then the host vehicle can start moving smoothly tracking the preceding vehicle, but electrical power efficiency deteriorates when the driver does not intend to start moving
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary assessment of the preceding vehicle's movement state and the driver's intent before activating the traction motor. By evaluating acceleration state and distance changes in advance, the system activates the traction motor only when the preceding vehicle is accelerating, preventing unnecessary electrical power consumption while ensuring smooth tracking movement when required.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors preceding vehicle acceleration, distance changes, and driver input signals, using this feedback to dynamically control traction motor activation. The ECU compares real-time data with threshold values to determine whether to drive the traction motor, optimizing electrical power efficiency while maintaining reliable smooth tracking when the driver intends to move.
3Device complexity
If the internal combustion engine is restarted based solely on distance change threshold, then the system is simple to implement, but it cannot suitably respond to traffic conditions where the preceding vehicle decelerates and stops
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary assessment of the preceding vehicle's acceleration state before triggering engine restart or traction motor activation. By evaluating whether the preceding vehicle is accelerating or decelerating in advance, the system adapts its response to match actual traffic conditions, preventing unnecessary engine restarts or motor activation when the preceding vehicle is stopping.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts control parameters (engine restart thresholds, traction motor activation conditions) based on real-time assessment of the preceding vehicle's acceleration state. The ECU modifies its response behavior according to whether the preceding vehicle is accelerating or decelerating, enabling adaptive response to varying traffic conditions while maintaining relatively simple control logic.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle comprising an internal combustion engine, a preceding vehicle information acquiring device for acquiring preceding vehicle information relating to a preceding vehicle, including a parameter relating to a distance between vehicles which becomes greater the wider the distance between a host vehicle and the preceding vehicle, and an electronic control unit for controlling the internal combustion engine, in which, the electronic control unit is configured to initiate an idle reduction mode where the internal combustion engine is made to automatically stop when a preset engine stop condition stands and to continue the idle reduction mode if the preceding vehicle is decelerating or has stopped and to make the internal combustion engine automatically restart if the preceding vehicle is accelerating or is running at an equal speed when the parameter becomes a first predetermined value or more during the idle reduction mode.