Idling stop device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9644592-B2
Application number	US-201313734686-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 4, 2013
Priority date	Jan 6, 2012
Publication date	May 9, 2017
Grant date	May 9, 2017

Abstract

There is provided an idling stop device. An ECU sets a lighting color index by recognizing a lighting color of a traffic light in front of a vehicle based upon external environment captured by an onboard camera, sets a distance index based upon a distance between the traffic light and a vehicle just in front of the vehicle, and sets a brake index based upon whether a brake lamp of the vehicle just in front of the vehicle is turned on or not. The ECU adds up these indices to obtain an ISS general index, sets a basic ISS speed based upon the ISS general index, and sets an ISS start speed based upon the basic ISS speed and a mode-based coefficient set based upon an engine mode.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An idling stop device for a vehicle, comprising:
an external environment recognition unit for recognizing external environment of the vehicle, including a traffic signal, a preceding vehicle immediately in front of the vehicle, road signs, and road markings; and
a controller configured to:
detect deceleration factors in front of the vehicle based on the recognized external environment, including a distance between a recognized traffic signal and a recognized preceding vehicle immediately in front of the vehicle, a lighting color of the recognized traffic signal, and a lighting state of a brake lamp of the recognized preceding vehicle;
calculate an idling stop index based on index values corresponding to the detected deceleration factors, which is a factor to determine an idling-stop start speed at which an idling stop starts;
determine whether the external environment recognition unit recognizes one or more of a stop sign and a stop line before an intersection;
reset the idling stop index below a predetermined value when it is determined that the external environment recognition unit recognizes one or more of a stop sign and a stop line before an intersection;
when the idling stop index is greater than the predetermined value, set the idling-stop start speed based upon the idling stop index; and
stop an engine when a speed of the vehicle is reduced to a speed lower than the idling-stop start speed.

2. The idling stop device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a brake pedal force detecting unit for detecting a force on a brake pedal mounted to the vehicle, wherein the idling-stop start speed setting unit sets the idling-stop start speed based upon at least the brake pedal force detected by the brake pedal force detecting unit.

3. The idling stop device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a brake pedal force detecting unit for detecting a force on a brake pedal mounted to the vehicle, wherein the idling-stop start speed setting unit sets the idling-stop start speed based upon at least the brake pedal force detected by the brake pedal force detecting unit.

4. The idling stop device according to any one of claim 1 , wherein the engine mounted to the vehicle has plural engine modes, each having a different output characteristic, and when an engine mode focusing on power is selected, the idling-stop start speed is canceled.

5. The idling stop device according to any one of claim 1 , wherein the engine mounted to the vehicle has plural engine modes, each having a different output characteristic, and when an engine mode focusing on power is selected, the idling-stop start speed is canceled.

6. The idling stop device according to any one of claim 1 , wherein the external environment recognition unit is an onboard camera including a main camera and a sub-camera.

Assignees

• Fuji Heavy Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Nishina Hirotake

Classifications

• B60W2555/60

  Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way · CPC title

• F02N2200/125

  Information about other vehicles, traffic lights or traffic congestion · CPC title

• F02N2200/102

  Brake pedal position · CPC title

• F02N11/0822

  related to action of the driver · CPC title

• B60W30/182

  Selecting between different operative modes, e.g. comfort and performance modes · CPC title