Dead battery preventing device for preventing engine start failure of vehicle having economy running function and dead battery prevention method

Abstract

A dead battery preventing device enables to prevent an engine start failure (a dead battery) of a vehicle having an economy running function which is caused by the vehicle's being left stand in an engine stall state. The dead battery preventing device to be mounted on a vehicle having an economy running function comprises a unit for judging whether an informing condition for informing a user that the vehicle is in an engine stall state has been satisfied or not, and a unit for informing the user that the vehicle is in the engine stall state when it is judged that the informing condition has been satisfied, wherein the informing condition includes that the vehicle is in the engine stall state and that the vehicle shifted from an economy running state to the engine stall state.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing the principal part of a dead battery preventing system comprising a dead battery preventing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a processing operation performed by a microcomputer in the dead battery preventing device according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a processing operation performed by the microcomputer in the dead battery preventing device according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing operation performed by the microcomputer in the dead battery preventing device according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing operation performed by the microcomputer in the dead battery preventing device according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a processing operation performed by the microcomputer in the dead battery preventing device according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a processing operation performed by the microcomputer in the dead battery preventing device according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a graph showing a relation between a battery open voltage and a battery charging rate;

FIG. 9 is a graph showing a relation between a battery liquid temperature and a correction factor to the battery charging rate;

FIG. 10 is a graph showing a relation between a battery internal resistance and a correction factor to the battery liquid temperature;

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a processing operation performed by a microcomputer in a dead battery preventing device according to a second embodiment;

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a processing operation performed by a microcomputer in a dead battery preventing device according to a third embodiment;

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a processing operation performed by the microcomputer in the dead battery preventing device according to the third embodiment;

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a processing operation performed by the microcomputer in the dead battery preventing device according to the third embodiment; and

FIG. 15 is a block diagram schematically showing the principal part of a dead battery preventing system comprising a dead battery preventing device according to a fourth embodiment.

Claims

1. A dead battery preventing device to be mounted on a vehicle having an economy running function, comprising: an informing condition satisfaction judging unit for judging whether an informing condition for informing a user that the vehicle is in an engine stall state has been satisfied or not; andan information unit for informing the user that the vehicle is in the engine stall state when it is judged that the informing condition has been satisfied by the informing condition satisfaction judging unit,wherein the informing condition includes that the vehicle is in the engine stall state and that the vehicle shifted from an economy running state to the engine stall state.

2. A dead battery preventing device according to claim 1, comprising: an operation presence judging unit for judging whether an operation for restricting a power supply to electrical components mounted on the vehicle by the user was conducted or not,wherein the informing condition includes that it is judged that the operation has not been conducted by the operation presence judging unit.

3. A dead battery preventing device according to claim 1, comprising: a movement judging unit for judging whether or not the user is leaving or left the vehicle,wherein the informing condition includes that it is judged that the user is leaving or left the vehicle by the movement judging unit.

4. A dead battery preventing device to be mounted on a vehicle having an economy running function, comprising: a restricting condition satisfaction judging unit for judging whether a restricting condition for restricting a power supply to electrical components mounted on the vehicle has been satisfied or not; anda restriction unit for restricting the power supply to the electrical components when it is judged that the restricting condition has been satisfied by the restricting condition satisfaction judging unit,wherein the restricting condition includes that the vehicle is in an engine stall state, that the vehicle shifted from an economy running state to the engine stall state, and that an operation for restricting the power supply to the electrical components by a user has not been conducted, andwherein the restricting condition includes any one of that a predetermined time elapsed from a point in time after the vehicle shifted to the engine stall state, that a battery charging rate reached a prescribed value or less, and that the user is leaving or left the vehicle.

5. A dead battery preventing device according to claim 4, comprising: an informing condition satisfaction judging unit for judging whether an informing condition for informing the user that the vehicle is in the engine stall state has been satisfied or not; andan information unit for informing the user that the vehicle is in the engine stall state when it is judged that the informing condition has been satisfied by the informing condition satisfaction judging unit,wherein the informing condition includes that the vehicle is in the engine stall state and that the vehicle shifted from the economy running state to the engine stall state, andwherein the point in time is a starting point of information by the information unit.

6. A dead battery preventing device according to claim 4, wherein the electrical components include IG units to which electric power is supplied from a battery when the power is in an IG state, and ACC units to which electric power is supplied from the battery when the power is in the IG state or an ACC state, andwherein the restriction unit restricts a power supply to the IG units or the ACC units.

7. A dead battery prevention method to be adopted in a vehicle having an economy running function, comprising the steps of: judging whether a restricting condition for restricting a power supply to electrical components mounted on the vehicle has been satisfied or not; andrestricting the power supply to the electrical components when it is judged that the restricting condition has been satisfied,wherein the restricting condition includes that the vehicle is in an engine stall state, that the vehicle shifted from an economy running state to the engine stall state, and that an operation for restricting the power supply to the electrical components by a user has not been conducted, andwherein the restricting condition includes any one of that a predetermined time elapsed from a point in time after the vehicle shifted to the engine stall state, that a battery charging rate reached a prescribed value or less, and that the user left the vehicle.