IP Library Granted Patent US 7,136,741
Granted Patent B2
US 7,136,741 · App. 10/953,383 · Granted Nov 14, 2006

Apparatus and method for controlling vehicle

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,136,741
App. No.
10/953,383
Granted
Nov 14, 2006
Kind
B2
Abstract

When an operation of internal combustion engine is stopped, the power consumption of a control unit is lowered, to measure an elapsed time. When the elapsed time reaches a standby time, the processing of lowering the power consumption is cancelled, to diagnose whether or not the leakage occurs in an evaporation purge line of a fuel vapor processing apparatus.

Claims (37)

1. An apparatus for controlling a vehicle provided with an engine, comprising:

a control unit which measures an elapsed time after an operation of said engine is stopped, and performs a previously determined control when said elapsed time reaches a standby time,

wherein said control unit executes the processing of lowering a power consumption during said standby time,

wherein said control unit includes a CPU, and said control unit lowers a clock frequency of said CPU during said standby time, as said processing of lowering the power consumption,

wherein said engine is provided with a fuel vapor processing apparatus, and

the control executed by said control unit after said standby time has elapsed after the operation of said engine was stopped is a leakage diagnosis for diagnosing whether or not a leakage occurs in an evaporation purge line of said fuel vapor processing apparatus,

wherein said control unit calculates a time until the generation of fuel vapor is stopped after the operation of said engine is stopped, as said standby time.

2. An apparatus for controlling a vehicle according to claim 1 ,

wherein said control unit self-shuts off the power supply when completing the previously determined control after said standby time has elapsed.

3. A method for controlling a vehicle provided with an engine by a control unit, comprising the steps of:

measuring an elapsed time after an operation of said engine is stopped;

executing the processing of lowering a power consumption during the time said elapsed time is measured;

performing a previously determined control when said elapsed time reaches a standby time,

wherein said step of executing the processing of lowering the power consumption lowers a clock freciuency, as said processing of lowering the power consumption,

wherein said engine is provided with a fuel vapor processing apparatus, and

wherein said step of performing the previously determined control when said elapsed time reaches the standby time diagnoses whether or not a leakage occurs in an evaporation purge line of said fuel vapor processing apparatus after said standby time has elapsed after the operation of said engine was stopped; and

calculating a time until the generation of fuel vapor is stopped after the operation of said engine is stopped, as said standby time.

4. A method for controlling a vehicle according to claim 3 , further comprising the step of;

self-shutting off the power supply when the previously determined control is completed after said standby time has elapsed.

5. An apparatus for controlling a vehicle provided with an engine, comprising:

a control unit which measures an elapsed time after an operation of said engine is stopped, and performs a previously determined control when said elapsed time reaches a standby time,

wherein said control unit executes the processing of lowering a power consumption during said standby time,

wherein said control unit shifts to a sleeping mode during said standby time, as said processing of lowering the power consumption,

wherein said engine is provided with a fuel vapor processing apparatus, and

the control executed by said control unit after said standby time has elapsed after the operation of said engine was stopped is a leakage diagnosis for diagnosing whether or not a leakage occurs in an evaporation purge line of said fuel vapor processing apparatus,

wherein said control unit calculates a time until the generation of fuel vapor is stopped after the operation of said engine is stopped, as said standby time.

6. An apparatus for controlling a vehicle according to claim 5 ,

wherein said control unit self-shuts off the power supply when completing the previously determined control after said standby time has elapsed.

7. A method for controlling a vehicle provided with an engine by a control unit, comprising the steps of:

measuring an elapsed time after an operation of said engine is stopped;

executing the processing of lowering a power consumption during the time said elapsed time is measured;

performing a previously determined control when said elapsed time reaches a standby time,

wherein said step of executing the processing of lowering the power consumption shifts to a sleeping mode during said standby time, as said processing of lowering the power consumption,

wherein said engine is provided with a fuel vapor processing apparatus, and said step of performing the previously determined control when said elapsed time reaches the standby time diagnoses whether or not a leakage occurs in an evaporation purge line of said fuel vapor processing apparatus after said standby time has elapsed after the operation of said engine was stopped; and

calculating a time until the generation of fuel vapor is stopped after the operation of said engine is stopped, as said standby time.

8. A method for controlling a vehicle according to claim 7 , further comprising the step of;

self-shutting off the power supply when the previously determined control is completed after said standby time has elapsed.

Assignments (2)
MERGER Recorded Feb 11, 2005
From: HITACHI UNISIA AUTOMOTIVE, LTD.
To: HITACHI, LTD.
Reel/Frame 016245/0106 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 30, 2004
From: HOSOYA, HAJIME; WAKAIRO, MASAHIKO
To: HITACHI UNISIA AUTOMOTIVE, LTD.
Reel/Frame 015867/0549 →