Abstract: An engine is cranked by a motor generator at a start time of the engine. An engine ECU opens an intake valve or an exhaust valve during a compression stroke using a valve control mechanism during a period from when cranking is started until when a predetermined crank angle position (detected by a crank angle sensor) is reached, thereby reducing a compression workload.

Abstract: To a neutral point of a motor is connected a positive electrode of an auxiliary battery and an auxiliary load. Voltage on a power supply line to the auxiliary load, a neutral point voltage, is detected, and disconnection of the auxiliary battery is determined when an increase of ripples in the neutral point voltage is detected. When a voltmeter cannot be used, control of the neutral point voltage is continued by measuring current of the auxiliary battery and performing control such that the current value becomes 0. A resolver is further provided on the motor for detecting the rotor angle with high accuracy. A control circuit generates, in accordance with an output of the resolver, a voltage control signal for each phase current having the same amplitude as the carrier amplitude during startup, and compares the voltage control signal to carrier to obtain a gate signal having the same frequency as the carrier frequency.

Abstract: A start control apparatus for an internal combustion engine according to the present invention is characterized by that in a port injection type internal combustion engine, fuel is supplied in the interior of a cylinder that is in its compression stroke or expansion stroke upon stoppage of the internal combustion engine, and upon the next start of the internal combustion engine, the fuel in the interior of the aforementioned cylinder is burned to rotate the engine output shaft utilizing the pressure generated when the fuel is burned. Thus, the torque required for cranking the internal combustion engine is reduced and the load applied on a starter apparatus such as a starter motor is reduced.

Abstract: There is provided a valve gear of an internal combustion engine, comprising a cam mechanism for converting rotational motion of an electric motor into linear motion to drive a valve for opening and closing a cylinder against a valve spring, and a torque reduction mechanism for adding an opposite torque, which serves so as to reduce a torque applied to the cam mechanism from the valve spring at the time of driving the valve, to the cam mechanism.

Abstract: In a starting control system for an internal combustion engine, an output shaft is rotated in a reverse direction at a predetermined direction upon start of the internal combustion engine, and then is rotated in a normal direction so as to start a cranking operation. The system serves to combust the fuel in a cylinder in an expansion stroke when the output shaft is rotated in the reverse direction, and the resultant combustion pressure is used for performing the cranking operation. This makes it possible to reduce the load exerted to the electric motor.

Abstract: When the brightness of a subject detected by a detecting device 4 is higher than a predetermined value, for example 700 [cd/m2], a switching judgment circuit 5 judges that an area sensor (solid-state image-sensing device) 3 should perform logarithmic conversion. In response to this judgment by the switching judgment circuit 5, a switching signal generating circuit 6 outputs a switching signal to instruct the area sensor 3 to perform logarithmic conversion. When the brightness of the subject detected by the detecting device 4 is lower than the predetermined value, for example 700 [cd/m2], a switching judgment circuit 5 judges that the area sensor 3 should perform linear conversion. In response to this judgment by the switching judgment circuit 5, the switching signal generating circuit 6 outputs a switching signal to instruct the area sensor 3 to perform linear conversion.

Abstract: A valve-driving system for an internal combustion engine is provided with: an electric motor for generating a rotational driving force to drive a valve for intake or exhaust mounted on a cylinder in the internal combustion engine so as to open and close the valve in synchronization with a piston motion in the internal combustion engine; a transmitting device capable of changing between (i) a first condition to transmit therethrough the rotational driving force to the valve from said electric motor and (ii) a second condition to stop an opening or closing operation of the valve or to make the valve driven by a low lift amount; a judging device for judging whether or not synchronization between the opening or closing operation of the valve and the piston motion is abnormal; and a fail-safe device for changing said transmitting device to the second condition if it is judged by the judging device that the synchronization is abnormal.

Abstract: A stop and start control apparatus of an internal combustion engine prevents fuel supplied in a specific cylinder at the time of stopping the engine from being discharged in an unburned state. When an ignition switch is turned off in a state that the unburned fuel is sealed in the combustion chamber of a specific cylinder during idling stop, the unburned fuel is combusted to prevent the unburned fuel from being discharged. The vibration occurring at that time can be suppressed by rotating the motor generator in the counter direction to the rotation direction of the crankshaft. After the unburned fuel is sealed in the combustion chamber of the specific cylinder, if it is estimated that the unburned fuel is discharged, the exhaust valve corresponding to the specific cylinder is closed at the predetermined timing, or the unburned fuel is combusted, whereby the unburned fuel is prevented from being discharged. Thus, deterioration of emission can be avoided.

Abstract: When a crank angle is controlled to stop at an optimal crank angle stop position by an engine automatic stop control, such as idling stop, or when the crank angle stop position can be estimated with high accuracy, the automatic engine restart is performed by a motor generator serving as an electric motor or an electric generator, at the next time of restarting of the engine. On the other hand, when the crank angle is not controlled to stop at the optimal crank angle stop position, when the crank angle stop position cannot be estimated with the high accuracy, or when the crank angle stop position changes after the stop control, the engine is restarted by a DC starter having an output torque larger than that of a motor generator, at the next time of restarting of the engine.

Abstract: A magnitude of current that does not cause electric power generation is supplied to a field winding of a movable element, and an induced voltage generated in a armature winding of a stationary element is measured. A position of the movable element is determined from the measured induced voltage. In addition to the thus-determined position of the movable element, a position of the movable element measured on a different basis is used to measure an error regarding the position of the movable element.

Abstract: Power from a high voltage battery (10) (for example 36V) is supplied through an inverter (12) to a motor generator (14). A low voltage battery (20) (for example 12V) is connected through a reactor (18) to the neutral point of the motor generator (14). A voltage ratio of the low voltage battery (20) to the high voltage battery (10) is preferably from 1:2 to 1:4. In order to set the neutral point voltage to a desired charging voltage into the low voltage battery (20), the inverter (12) is controlled so as to follow a current distortion phenomenon. In this way, in a dual-power source system with a voltage ratio of a low voltage battery (20) to a high voltage battery (10) between 1:2 and 1:4, voltage switching means for use in charging a charge voltage of a high voltage side into a low voltage source can be implemented at low cost.

Abstract: A stop and start control apparatus of an internal combustion engine prevents fuel supplied in a specific cylinder at the time of stopping the engine from being discharged in an unburned state. When an ignition switch is turned off in a state that the unburned fuel is sealed in the combustion chamber of a specific cylinder during idling stop, the unburned fuel is combusted to prevent the unburned fuel from being discharged. The vibration occurring at that time can be suppressed by rotating the motor generator in the counter direction to the rotation direction of the crankshaft. After the unburned fuel is sealed in the combustion chamber of the specific cylinder, if it is estimated that the unburned fuel is discharged, the exhaust valve corresponding to the specific cylinder is closed at the predetermined timing, or the unburned fuel is combusted, whereby the unburned fuel is prevented from being discharged. Thus, deterioration of emission can be avoided.

Abstract: A stop position control apparatus of an internal combustion engine is applied to a vehicle of a type in which a function of a motor or a generator is connected to a crankshaft of the engine, such as an economic-running vehicle and a hybrid vehicle, for example. A rotation position of a motor generator is detected by a motor angle sensor or the like, and a crank angle of the engine is detected by a crank angle sensor or the like. A stop position of the internal combustion engine i.e., a crank angle, at the time of stop page is estimated based on the rotation position of the motor generator and the crank angle. By utilizing both the detection results, the stop position of the internal combustion engine can be accurately estimated. By detecting a rotation direction of the crankshaft from the output of the motor angle sensor, the stop position of the engine can be accurately estimated even when the engine is rotated in the reverse direction at the time of the engine stopping.

Abstract: When a crank angle is controlled to stop at an optimal crank angle stop position by an engine automatic stop control, such as idling stop, or when the crank angle stop position can be estimated with high accuracy, the automatic engine restart is performed by a motor generator serving as an electric motor or an electric generator, at the next time of restarting of the engine. On the other hand, when the crank angle is not controlled to stop at the optimal crank angle stop position, when the crank angle stop position cannot be estimated with the high accuracy, or when the crank angle stop position changes after the stop control, the engine is restarted by a DC starter having an output torque larger than that of a motor generator, at the next time of restarting of the engine.

Abstract: A valve-driving system which is applied to an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders for driving an intake or exhaust valve provided in each cylinder, including a plurality of valve-driving apparatuses provided for driving valves of different cylinders of the internal combustion engine, wherein each valve-driving apparatus includes an electrical motor as a driving source for generating rotation motion; and a power transmission mechanism for converting the rotation motion of the electric motor into opening and closing motion of the valve to be driven and for transmitting the opening and closing motion to the valve through a cam or a link.

Abstract: A stop control apparatus for an internal combustion engine is provided with a valve mechanism capable of operating at least one of an intake valve and an exhaust valve independently a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine, and a valve controlling device for controlling an operation of the valve mechanism so that the internal combustion engine is stopped in a predetermined state.

Abstract: A valve-driving system, which is applied to an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders, for driving an intake or exhaust valve provided in each cylinder, comprising: a plurality of valve-driving apparatuses, each of which is provided for at least each one of the intake valve and the exhaust valve, each valve-driving apparatus having an electrical motor as a driving source for generating rotation motion and a power transmission mechanism provided with a transmitting section for transmitting the rotation motion generated by the electrical motor and a converting section for converting the rotation motion transmitted from the transmitting section into opening and closing motion of the valve to be driven; and a motor control device which controls operations of electric motors of the respective valve-driving apparatuses in accordance with the operation state of the internal combustion engine.

Abstract: In a starting control system for an internal combustion engine, an output shaft is rotated in a reverse direction at a predetermined direction upon start of the internal combustion engine, and then is rotated in a normal direction so as to start a cranking operation. The system serves to combust the fuel in a cylinder in an expansion stroke when the output shaft is rotated in the reverse direction, and the resultant combustion pressure is used for performing the cranking operation. This makes it possible to reduce the load exerted to the electric motor.

Abstract: In a method of starting an internal combustion engine, a combustion energy is generated by combusting a fuel that has been injected into a cylinder in an expansion stroke when the internal combustion engine is stopped. In the aforementioned method, the combustion energy generated by combusting the fuel is obtained based on a state of an air/fuel mixture within the cylinder to which the fuel has been injected. Based on the obtained combustion energy, a kinetic energy to be supplied to the internal combustion engine from a primary energy supply source is estimated. A difference between a predetermined target kinetic energy required for starting the internal combustion engine subsequent to the start of combustion and the estimated kinetic energy to be supplied from the primary energy supply source is obtained. The kinetic energy corresponding to the obtained difference is supplied from a secondary energy supply source in the form of a starter motor.

Abstract: An engine is cranked by a motor generator at a start time of the engine. An engine ECU opens an intake valve or an exhaust valve during a compression stroke using a valve control mechanism during a period from when cranking is started until when a predetermined crank angle position (detected by a crank angle sensor) is reached, thereby reducing a compression workload.