Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Yasutaka Oda

Hirokazu Kato

Hiroaki Tabuchi

Yu Sakai

An automatic control apparatus for an engine detects an operation position of a mechanical shift lever for shifting gears of a transmission, automatically stops the engine when a predetermined condition is satisfied in the case where the operation position is at a first specific range, and automatically restarts the engine in the case where, after the operation position is switched from the first specific range to a second specific range while the engine is stopped, the second specific range is maintained for a predetermined time. When the operation position is switched from the first specific range to the second specific range while the engine is stopped, it is determined whether or not the driver has an intention to start the vehicle, and if YES, the predetermined time is set to be shorter than when it is determined that there is no intention to start the vehicle.

Automatic control apparatus for engine

An automatic engine control apparatus installed in a vehicle causes an engine of the vehicle to stop automatically when a predetermined stop condition is satisfied, and after the automatic stop of the engine, causes the engine to restart automatically when a predetermined restarting condition is satisfied. The apparatus includes an electronic control unit configured to inhibit or permit, while the vehicle is stopped, a second automatic stop of the engine in response to the predetermined stop condition being satisfied, depending on whether the predetermined restarting condition satisfied most recently to have caused the engine to restart automatically was a first restarting condition or a second restarting condition different from the first restarting condition. The first restarting condition represents an intention of a driver of the vehicle to start moving the vehicle.

Growing community of inventors

Nagoya, Japan

Yasutaka Oda