Apparatus and method for controlling engine restarting of vehicle

An apparatus and a method for controlling engine restarting of a vehicle includes a hood opening recognition switch automatically on when a hood of the vehicle is opened and outputting a hood opening recognition signal; a front sensor installed on the front of the vehicle and outputting a sensing signal by sensing an object positioned with a predetermined distance in front of the vehicle; a determination unit verifying whether at least one of the hood opening recognition signal and the sensing signal is inputted in the state where an engine of the vehicle is off; and a setting unit setting a lock of restarting of the engine when it is verified that at least one of the hood opening recognition signal and the sensing signal is inputted.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to Korean Patent Application Number 10-2010-0120792 filed Nov. 30, 2010, the entire contents of which application is incorporated herein for all purposes by this reference.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for controlling engine restarting of an ISG based vehicle, and more particularly, to an apparatus and a method for controlling engine restarting of a vehicle limiting engine restarting according to an opening state of a hood of the vehicle and sensing an object in front of the vehicle.

2. Description of Related Art

In general, an ISG based vehicle can automatically control starting an engine to suit system's requirements regardless of driver's will.

Of course, when the engine is restarted while working by opening a hood for maintenance in front of the vehicle, danger may occur. Therefore, a switch capable of recognizing an opening state of the hood is installed in a corresponding vehicle against the danger occurrence and the opening state of the hood is recognized according to operating the switch to prevent restating of the vehicle.

However, the vehicle restating preventing operation in the prior art can be made only in the state where opening of the hood is recognized by operating the switch on the front of the vehicle. In other words, when the work is performed while not opening the hood on the front of the vehicle or another object is positioned in front of the vehicle, the vehicle automatically controls engine starting irrespective of a front state of the vehicle.

In this case, when the engine is restarted while a human or an object is positioned in front of the vehicle, a dangerous situation may occur. In addition, when the switch on the front of the vehicle is defective, the opening of the hood is not recognized in spite of the opening of the hood, and as a result, the dangerous situation by engine restarting may occur likewise.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Various aspects of the present invention provide for an apparatus and a method for controlling engine restarting of a vehicle in which engine restarting is locked by operating a switch enabling an opening state of a hood in the front of the vehicle to be recognized or by sensing an object in front of the vehicle through operation of a sensor installed on the front of the vehicle so as to solve a problem in dangerous accident by engine restarting.

Various aspects of the present invention provide for an apparatus for controlling engine restarting of a vehicle, which comprises a hood opening recognition switch automatically on when a hood of the vehicle is opened and outputting a hood opening recognizing signal, a front sensor installed on the front of the vehicle and outputting a sensing signal by sensing an object positioned with a predetermined distance in front of the vehicle, a determination unit verifying whether at least one of the hood opening recognizing signal and the sensing signal is inputted in the state where an engine of the vehicle is off, and a setting unit setting a lock of restarting of the engine when it is verified that at least one of the hood opening recognizing signal and the sensing signal is inputted.

The determination unit may determine whether an engine restarting condition is generated in the state where the engine is off.

The determination unit may verify whether at least one of the hood opening recognizing signal and the sensing signal is inputted for a predetermined time when the engine restarting condition is generated in the state where the engine is off.

The apparatus may further include a driving unit restarting the engine when the hood opening recognizing signal and the sensing signal is not inputted for a predetermined time in the case where the engine restarting condition is generated in the state where the engine is off.

The setting unit may unlock engine restarting when the hood opening recognizing signal and the sensing signal is not inputted for a predetermined time in the state where engine restarting is locked.

Other aspects of the present invention provide for a method for controlling engine restarting of a vehicle, which comprises outputting a hood opening recognizing signal according to operating of a hood opening recognition switch when a hood of the vehicle is opened, outputting a sensing signal when an object positioned within a predetermined distance in front of the vehicle is sensed through a front sensor installed on the front of the vehicle, verifying whether at least one of the hood opening recognizing signal and the sensing signal is inputted in the state where an engine of the vehicle is off, and setting a lock of restarting of the engine when it is verified that at least one of the hood opening recognizing signal and the sensing signal is inputted.

The method may further include determining whether an engine restarting condition is generated in the state where the engine is off.

In the verifying, it may be verified whether at least one of the hood opening recognizing signal and the sensing signal is inputted for a predetermined time when the engine restarting condition is generated in the state where the engine is off.

The method may further include restarting the engine when the hood opening recognizing signal and the sensing signal is not inputted for a predetermined time in the case where the engine restarting condition is generated in the state where the engine is off.

The method may further include unlocking engine restarting when the hood opening recognizing signal and the sensing signal is not inputted for a predetermined time in the state where engine restarting is locked.

According to various embodiments of the present invention, engine restarting is locked by operating a switch enabling an opening state of a hood in the front of the vehicle to be recognized or by sensing an object in front of the vehicle through operation of a sensor installed on the front of the vehicle so as to solve a problem in dangerous accident by engine restarting.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring toFIG. 1, an apparatus for controlling engine restarting of a vehicle according to various embodiments of the present invention controls restarting of an engine based on operating of a hood open recognition switch111for recognizing an opening state of a hood11of a vehicle10and sensing information from a front sensor112. That is, the apparatus for controlling engine restarting according to various embodiments of the present invention is to control restarting of the engine by monitoring the operation of hood opening recognition switch111or an operation of front sensor112in the state where the engine of vehicle10is off (in idle stop).

In this case, hood opening recognition switch111is disposed on the front of vehicle10. Hood opening recognition switch111may be automatically operated when hood11is opened and may also be manually operated by a user.

Front sensor112is installed on the front of vehicle10to sense an object positioned in front of vehicle10. In this case, front sensor112as a proximity sensor using ultrasonic waves, a laser, and the like senses a corresponding object through a signal reflected from an object positioned within a predetermined distance in front of vehicle10.

In this case, as front sensor112, one sensor may be installed on the front of vehicle10, but a plurality of sensors may be installed and the number of front sensors112is variously applicable for the various embodiments.

FIG. 2shows an operation of recognizing an opening state of a hood by operating a switch when a hood of a vehicle is opened. When hood11of vehicle10is opened, the switch connected to hood11is automatically operated when hood11is opened. Of course, hood opening recognition switch111may be manually operated by the user when hood11is opened, but preferably, it is automatically operated.

As such, when hood opening recognition switch111is operated by the opening of the hood11, a signal enabling the opening of hood11to be recognized is automatically generated by operating hood opening recognition switch111. The apparatus for controlling engine restarting according to various embodiments of the present invention recognizes the opening state of hood11through the signal generated at that time.

FIG. 3shows an operation of sensing an object in front of a vehicle according to an operation of a front sensor disposed on the front of the vehicle. Front sensor112transmits the signal such as ultrasonic waves or laser and in this case, senses that an object is present within a predetermined distance in front of vehicle10through the signal reflected from the object positioned in front of vehicle10.

InFIG. 3, front sensor112senses the object in front of vehicle10in the state where hood11is closed, but front sensor112senses the object in front of vehicle10even in the state where hood11is opened.

As a result, the apparatus for controlling engine restarting according to various embodiments of the present invention may control engine restarting according to sensing of the object in front of vehicle10when an engine restarting condition is generated in the state where hood11is closed or even if the engine restarting condition is generated in the state where hood11is opened, but hood opening recognition switch111is defective.

FIG. 4is a block diagram referenced to describe a configuration of an apparatus for controlling engine restarting of a vehicle according to various embodiments of the present invention. The apparatus for controlling engine restarting according to various embodiments of the present invention includes a hood opening recognition switch111, a front sensor112, a control unit113, a determination unit114, a setting unit115, and a driving unit116. Control unit113controls an operation of each of the components of the apparatus for controlling engine restarting.

Hood opening recognition switch111is disposed on the front of a vehicle10and automatically operated according to opening of hood11as shown inFIGS. 1 to 3. That is, hood opening recognition switch111is off in the state where hood11is closed and automatically on when hood11is opened to output a hood opening recognition signal to control unit113.

Of course, in the case where hood opening recognition switch111is implemented to be manually operated by a user, when hood opening recognition switch111is operated by the user at the time of opening hood11, hood opening recognition switch111is on to output the hood opening recognition signal to control unit113.

Front sensor112is installed on the front of vehicle10to sense the object in front of vehicle10as shown inFIGS. 1 to 3. That is, front sensor112transmits a signal such as ultraviolet waves or a laser to the front of vehicle10like the illustrated exemplary embodiment shown inFIG. 2. In this case, front sensor112senses the object through the signal reflected from the object positioned within a predetermined distance in front of vehicle10.

Front sensor112operates regardless of an opening state of hood11and when front sensor112senses the object in front of vehicle10, it outputs a sensing signal to control unit113.

Determination unit114verifies whether at least one of the hood opening recognition signal and the sensing signal is inputted when an engine of vehicle10is off.

Further, determination unit114verifies whether an engine restarting condition is generated when the engine of vehicle10is off. In this case, determination unit114verifies whether at least one of the hood opening recognition signal and the sensing signal is inputted when the engine restarting condition is generated.

Setting unit115sets a lock so as to prevent the engine from being restarted when it is verified that at least one of the hood opening recognition signal and the sensing signal is inputted when the engine of vehicle10is off. Even though the engine restarting condition is generated when engine restarting is locked by setting unit115, engine restarting is stopped.

Setting unit115may unlock engine restarting when at least one of the hood opening recognition signal and the sensing signal is not inputted for a predetermined time or more in the state where engine restarting is locked.

Control unit113outputs a control signal to driving unit116when the engine restarting condition is generated in the state where engine restarting is not locked. In this case, driving unit116restarts the engine according to the control signal from control unit113.

FIG. 5is a flowchart showing an operational flow associated with a method for controlling engine restarting of a vehicle. The apparatus for controlling engine restarting according to various embodiments of the present invention verifies whether the engine is in idle stop state (the engine is off) (S100). When the engine is in idle stop state, the apparatus for controlling engine restarting verifies whether the engine restarting condition is generated (S110).

When the engine restarting condition is generated, the apparatus for controlling engine restarting verifies an opening state of hood11and a front state of corresponding vehicle10.

In other words, the apparatus for controlling engine restarting verifies whether the hood opening recognition signal is inputted according to the operating of hood opening recognition switch111and when the hood opening recognition signal is inputted (S120), the apparatus for controlling engine restarting determines that hood11is opened to lock engine restarting (S150).

Further, the apparatus for controlling engine restarting verifies whether the sensing signal is inputted from front sensor112and when the sensing signal is inputted (S130), the apparatus for controlling engine restarting determines that the object is sensed in front of vehicle10to lock engine restarting (S150).

Of course, although not shown inFIG. 5, when at least one of the hood opening recognition signal and the sensing signal is inputted even though the engine restarting condition is not generated, the apparatus for controlling engine restarting may lock engine restarting.

In this case, since the apparatus for controlling engine restarting locks engine restarting even though the engine restarting condition is generated, the apparatus for controlling engine restarting stops engine restarting. In this case, the apparatus for controlling engine restarting may unlock engine restarting when the hood opening recognition signal and the sensing signal are not inputted for a predetermined time.

Meanwhile, the apparatus for controlling engine restarting determines that no object is sensed in front of vehicle10to restart the engine when the hood opening recognition signal and the sensing signal are not inputted in the state where the engine restarting condition is generated.

Steps ‘S100’ to ‘S150’ are repetitively performed until a travelling termination command is inputted and when the travelling termination command is inputted (S160), they are terminated.

For convenience in explanation and accurate definition in the appended claims, the terms front and etc. are used to describe features of the exemplary embodiments with reference to the positions of such features as displayed in the figures.