Vehicle travel control device for controlling a running mode of an engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9789874-B2
Application number	US-201214439593-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2012
Priority date	Oct 31, 2012
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

A running control device has an engine coupling running mode enabling an engine brake running mode performed by coupling an engine and wheels with an engine brake applied by driven rotation of the engine, and an inertia running mode performed with an engine brake force lower than that of the engine brake running mode. The running control device includes a steering wheel steering angle as a condition of terminating the inertia running mode. The running control device performs a first inertia running mode with the rotation of the engine stopped and a second inertia running mode with the engine rotating. The first inertia running mode is terminated when the steering angle becomes equal to or greater than a predefined first determination value. The second inertia running mode is terminated when the steering angle becomes equal to or greater than a predefined second determination value larger than the first determination value.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A running control device of a vehicle having an engine, an alternator generating electricity from rotation of the engine, a battery storing electric power generated by the alternator, a steering wheel operated by a driver, and an electric power steering system assisting a steering operation of the driver by using electric power of the battery,
the running control device of a vehicle being configured to execute an engine coupling running mode enabling an engine brake running mode performed by coupling the engine and wheels with an engine brake applied by driven rotation of the engine, and an inertia running mode performed with an engine brake force made lower than that of the engine brake running mode, the running control device of a vehicle including a steering angle of the steering wheel as a condition of terminating the inertia running mode,
the running control device of a vehicle performing a first inertia running mode performed with the rotation of the engine stopped and a second inertia running mode performed with the engine kept rotating as the inertia running mode in accordance with predefined respective execution conditions,
the first inertia running mode being terminated when the steering angle becomes equal to or greater than a predefined first determination value while the first inertia running mode is performed,
the second inertia running mode being terminated when the steering angle becomes equal to or greater than a predefined second determination value larger than the first determination value while the second inertia running mode is performed.

2. The running control device of a vehicle of claim 1 , wherein
if the steering angle becomes equal to or greater than the first determination value while the first inertia running mode is performed, a shift to the second inertia running mode is made, and wherein
if the steering angle becomes equal to or greater than the second determination value while the second inertia running mode is performed, a return to the engine coupling running mode is made.

3. The running control device of a vehicle of claim 1 , wherein
if the steering angle becomes equal to or greater than the first determination value while the first inertia running mode is performed, a return to the engine coupling running mode is made.

4. The running control device of a vehicle of claim 1 , wherein
the first inertia running mode is a free-run inertia running mode in which the engine is separated from the wheels with fuel supply to the engine stopped to stop rotation, and wherein
the second inertia running mode is a neutral inertia running mode in which fuel is supplied to allow the engine to operate while the engine is separated from the wheels.

5. The running control device of a vehicle of claim 1 , wherein
the first inertia running mode is a free-run inertia running mode in which the engine is separated from the wheels with fuel supply to the engine stopped to stop rotation, and wherein
the second inertia running mode is a cylinder resting inertia running mode in which fuel supply to the engine is stopped with the engine kept coupled to the wheels while operation of at least one of a piston and intake/exhaust valves is stopped in some or all of multiple cylinders of the engine.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Suzuki Takeaki
• Matsunaga Masaki
• Kido Yasunari
• Kogure Takayuki
• Okamura Yukari
• Kuroki Rentaro
• Hirai Takuya
• Mitsuyasu Masaki
• Kim Jonggap
• Sato Akihiro
• Kinoshita Yusuke

Classifications

• B60W10/20

  including control of steering systems · CPC title

• F02D29/02

  peculiar to engines driving vehicles; peculiar to engines driving variable pitch propellers · CPC title

• B60W10/06 Primary

  including control of combustion engines · CPC title

• B60W2510/244

  Charge state · CPC title

• B60W10/10

  including control of change-speed gearings · CPC title