Even when, due to an abnormal decrease in the battery voltage, an engine control apparatus is inoperative, an engine can safely be started. Based on gearshift lever selection position information generated by a gearshift sensor (109A), a first detection circuit (194) generates a first detection sign
Even when, due to an abnormal decrease in the battery voltage, an engine control apparatus is inoperative, an engine can safely be started. Based on gearshift lever selection position information generated by a gearshift sensor (109A), a first detection circuit (194) generates a first detection signal PS1 when the gearshift lever is in the neutral position or in the parking position; a microprocessor (110A) is provided with a second detection means that generated a second detection signal PS2 when the gearshift lever is in the neutral position or in the parking position. Even when, due to an abnormal decrease in the voltage of a vehicle battery, the microprocessor (110A) is inoperative, by ascertaining through the first detection signal PS1 that the vehicle is in a state of not being driven, the engine can be started by means of a starting switch.
대표청구항▼
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 engi
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; andwherein 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. 2. The engine control apparatus according to claim 1, where in that the gearshift sensor not only generates a signal voltage corresponding to a selection position of the gearshift lever of the transmission, but also outputs at least one or both of a predetermined-period pulse-width modulation signal having an ON-width in proportion to the signal voltage and a logic inverted signal, which is a signal obtained by inverting the logic of the pulse-width modulation signal,in that the first detection circuit is configured with an integral circuit that smoothes at least one or both of the pulse-width modulation signal and the logic inverted signal, which is a signal obtained by inverting the logic of the pulse-width modulation signal, so as to reproduce the signal voltage corresponding to a selection position of the gearshift lever of the transmission; and a window comparator that detects 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 whether the reproduced signal voltage is within a first predetermined bandwidth or within a second predetermined bandwidth, and that generates the first detection signal,in that the first detection circuit being incorporated in the engine control apparatus regardless of whether or not the engine control apparatus is utilized along with the transmission control apparatus, or in that the first detection circuit being incorporated in the transmission control apparatus when the engine control apparatus is utilized along with the transmission control apparatus, and transmitting the first detection signal to the engine control apparatus,in that the second detection means calculates the duties, which are each the ratio of an ON-pulse width or an OFF-pulse width to the pulse period, of at least one or both of the pulse-width modulation signal and the logic inverted signal, which is a signal obtained by inverting the logic of the pulse-width modulation signal, compares the calculated duty values with preliminarily stored duty values that vary depending on whether the transmission gearshift lever is in the neutral position or in the parking position, and detects 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 so as to output the second detection signal through the microprocessor,in that the second detection signal is calculated and detected by the second detection means of the microprocessor incorporated in the engine control apparatus regardless of whether or not the engine control apparatus is utilized along with the transmission control apparatus, orin that the second detection means transmits through a communication line to the engine control apparatus the second detection signal that is calculated and detected by the microprocessor incorporated in the transmission control apparatus in the case where the engine control apparatus is utilized along with the transmission control apparatus. 3. The engine control apparatus according to claim 1, where in that a voltage at the connection point between the second output contact of the serial electromagnetic relay and the output contact of the electromagnetic relay is inputted, as a contact operation monitoring signal, to the microprocessor; and in the case where, when the second detection signal is not generated, the contact operation monitoring signal is generated, the microprocessor prohibits driving of the excitation coil that energizes the electromagnetic relay. 4. The engine control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a reading device that reads an identification code added to an operation key for the starting switch and inputs the identification code to the microprocessor;a serial switching element that is connected in series with the excitation coil of the electromagnetic relay and turns on so as to start the engine when the starting switch is closed;a comparison determination means that compares an inherent code stored in the program memory with an identification code inputted from the reading device to the microprocessor and generates a comparison determination output;a fuel-injection interruption means that interrupts fuel injection, in response to a fact that the comparison determination means determines that coincidence has not been established; andan auxiliary switching element that prohibits the serial switching element from being turned on, in response to a fact that the comparison determination means determines that coincidence has not been established, and is biased not to hinder the serial switching element from being turned on when the microprocessor is inoperative. 5. The engine control apparatus according to claim 3, where in that the program memory includes a control program that calculates a present engine rotation speed, by measuring an interval or a density of a pulse signal that is inputted to the microprocessor from an engine rotation sensor, and prohibits restarting of the engine which is in a rotation mode and excessive starting driving in such a way that, when the calculated engine rotation speed is the same as or higher than a first threshold value, engine starting is prohibited, or when the calculated engine rotation speed exceeds a second threshold value that is larger than the first threshold value, there is generated the conduction prohibition command output for forcibly interrupting the serial switching element to be turned on so as to interrupt starting of the engine, even when the engine has already been started and operated. 6. 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 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; anda direct driving circuit that is connected in series with the starting switch and energizes the electromagnetic relay so that a vehicle battery supplies the starter motor with electric power when at least one of the first detection signal and the second detection signal are outputted because the neutral position or the parking position is detected, the engine control apparatus being characterizedin that the direct driving circuit continues to energize the electromagnetic relay even when, due to an abnormal decrease in the voltage of the vehicle battery, the microprocessor is inoperative, and starts the engine as long as the first detection signal is generated, even when the second detection signal is not generated;in that the gearshift sensor not only generates a signal voltage corresponding to a selection position of the gearshift lever of the transmission, but also outputs at least one or both of a predetermined-period pulse-width modulation signal having an ON-width in proportion to the signal voltage and a logic inverted signal, which is a signal obtained by inverting the logic of the pulse-width modulation signal,in that the first detection circuit is configured with an integral circuit that smoothes at least one or both of the pulse-width modulation signal and the logic inverted signal, which is a signal obtained by inverting the logic of the pulse-width modulation signal, so as to reproduce the signal voltage corresponding to a selection position of the gearshift lever of the transmission; and a window comparator that detects 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 whether the reproduced signal voltage is within a first predetermined bandwidth or within a second predetermined bandwidth, and that generates the first detection signal,in that the first detection circuit being incorporated in the engine control apparatus regardless of whether or not the engine control apparatus is utilized along with the transmission control apparatus, or in that the first detection circuit being incorporated in the transmission control apparatus when the engine control apparatus is utilized along with the transmission control apparatus, and transmitting the first detection signal to the engine control apparatus,in that the second detection means calculates the duties, which are each the ratio of an ON-pulse width or an OFF-pulse width to the pulse period of at least one or both of the pulse-width modulation signal and the logic inverted signal, which is a signal obtained by inverting the logic of the pulse-width modulation signal, compares the calculated duty values with preliminarily stored duty values that vary depending on whether the transmission gearshift lever is in the neutral position or in the parking position, and detects 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 so as to output the second detection signal through the microprocessor,in that the second detection signal is calculated and detected by the second detection means of the microprocessor incorporated in the engine control apparatus regardless of whether or not the engine control apparatus is utilized along with the transmission control apparatus, orin that the second detection means transmits through a communication line to the engine control apparatus the second detection signal that is calculated and detected by the microprocessor incorporated in the transmission control apparatus in the case where the engine control apparatus is utilized along with the transmission control apparatus, andin that the first detection circuit is provided with a delay gate circuit that prohibits the first detection signal from being generated at least within a predetermined time from a time instant when a power switch is turned on; and the second detection means is provided with a delay processing means that prohibits the second detection signal from being generated at least within a predetermined time from a time instant when the power switch is turned on.
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