Patent ID: 8862371
Filing Date: 2014-10-14
Classification: B60R,F02D,F02N

Abstract:
1. An engine control apparatus, comprising a microprocessor that drives and controls a group of electric loads including an electromagnetic relay that drives at least a starter motor for an engine, in response to an operation state of a group of input sensors including a starting switch for the engine and a gearshift sensor that creates position information on a gearshift lever of a vehicle transmission and to contents of a control program stored in a program memory; a first detection circuit that detects at least one or both of a state where the transmission is in a neutral position and a state where the transmission is in a parking position, based on the position information on the gearshift lever generated by the gearshift sensor, and that generates a first detection signal; a second detection means in which there are detected at least one or both of the state where the transmission is in the neutral position and the state where the transmission is in the parking position, based on the position information, and then the microprocessor generates a second detection signal; wherein the first detection circuit is a signal processing circuit that is operated with a lower power-source voltage than the microprocessor; wherein the first and second detection signals perform circuit-closing drive of a safety driving transistor, by way of a logical sum circuit; wherein the starter motor is energized and driven by a vehicle battery when the starting switch is manually closed and then the safety driving transistor is closed; wherein the safety driving transistor energizes an excitation coil of a serial electromagnetic relay that drives a second output contact connected in series with an output contact of the electromagnetic relay that is energized by way of a direct driving circuit when the starting switch is closed, or the safety driving transistor is connected in series with a driving circuit for a serial opening/closing device connected in series with the excitation coil of the electromagnetic relay or is connected in series with the serial opening/closing device itself; and wherein the direct driving circuit is a circuit that, instead of an indirect starting command output generated by the microprocessor, energizes the electromagnetic relay when the starting switch is manually closed, regardless of the operation state of the microprocessor.