Control device of vehicle and control method of vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9638155-B2
Application number	US-201314422638-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2013
Priority date	Nov 21, 2012
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

A control device of a vehicle includes: a first gear connected to a crankshaft of an engine; a second gear capable of engaging the first gear; an actuator configure to move the second gear up to a position where the second gear engages the first gear; a motor configured to cause the second gear to rotate; and a controller configured to, when the engine is cranked by driving of the motor in response to elapsing of a predefined period after the actuator is actuated in response to a startup request signal of the engine, adjust a length of the predefined period on the basis of an operating state of a driver and a state of the vehicle at the time of reception of the startup request signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control device for a vehicle, the control device comprising:
a first gear connected to a crankshaft of an engine;
a second gear capable of engaging the first gear;
an actuator configured to move the second gear—up to a position—where at which the second gear engages the first gear;
a motor configured to cause the second gear to rotate;
and an electronic control unit programmed to: adjust a length of a time period between (i) actuation of the, actuator in response to a startup request signal of the engine and (ii) subsequent driving of the motor to crank the engine, based on a state based on a state of the vehicle at a time of reception of the startup request signal, wherein
the electronic control unit sets the length of the time period to a first length when the startup request signal is received in a state where a rotational speed of the engine is higher than a reference speed, and
the electronic control unit sets the length of the time period to a second length shorter than the first length when the startup request signal is received in a state where the rotational speed of the engine is lower than the reference speed.

2. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit is programmed to increase the first length as the rotational speed of the engine increases above the reference speed.

3. A control method for a vehicle having an electronic control unit, the control method being performed by the electronic control unit and comprising:
actuating an actuator that moves a second gear that is capable of engaging a first gear connected to a crankshaft of an engine of the vehicle, so that the second gear is moved to a position at which the second gear engages the first gear, in response to a startup request signal of the engine;
driving a motor that causes the second gear to rotate, in response to elapsing of a time period after the actuator has been actuated; and
adjusting a length of the time period between (i) the actuating of the actuator in response to the startup request signal of the engine and (ii) the subsequent driving of the motor to cause the second gear to rotate and crank the engine, based on a state of the vehicle at a time of reception of the startup request signal, wherein
the electronic control, unit sets the length of the time period to a first length when the startup request signal is received in a state where a rotational speed of the engine is higher than a reference speed; and,
the electronic control unit sets the length of the time period to a second length shorter than the first length when the startup request signal is received in a state where the rotational speed of the engine is lower than the reference speed.

4. The control method according to claim 3 , wherein
the electronic control unit increases the first length as the rotational speed of the engine increases above the reference speed.

5. The control method according to claim 3 , wherein
the electronic control unit also adjusts the length of the time period based on an operating state of a driver of the vehicle.

6. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit also is programmed to adjust the length of the time period based on an operating state of a driver of the vehicle.

Assignees

• Kato Hirokazu
• Kakehi junpei
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kato Hirokazu
• Kakehi junpei

Classifications

• F02D2200/606

  Driving style, e.g. sporty or economic driving · CPC title

• F02N2200/101

  Accelerator pedal position · CPC title

• F02N11/0851 Primary

  characterised by means for controlling the engagement or disengagement between engine and starter, e.g. meshing of pinion and engine gear · CPC title

• F02N2200/0801

  Vehicle speed · CPC title

• F02N15/067

  the starter comprising an electro-magnetically actuated lever · CPC title