CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-0157337 filed on Nov. 29, 2019 and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0086393 filed on Jul. 13, 2020, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein for all purposes by this reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a starting control apparatus of a vehicle, and more particularly, to a method and a device configured for controlling a start of a vehicle capable of controlling speed of the vehicle during initial starting.

Description of Related Art

In general, a vehicle is driven by transmitting power generated by an engine to a driving wheel through a power delivery device. The engine receives air and fuel from an outside thereof and combusts a mixture of air and fuel in a combustion chamber to generate power.

When a driver of the vehicle requests start of the vehicle using a start button or an ignition key, the engine spontaneously starts so that revolutions per minute (RPM) of the engine increases to an idle RPM before the start.

In a case of a cold-start or when voltage of a battery is insufficient, the vehicle maintains the idle RPM at a high RPM to increase load of the engine. For example, the engine's idle RPM may be about 550-800 RPM in a case of a normal start, but the engine's idle RPM may be about 1000-1800 RPM in the case of the cold-start.

When a driver of the vehicle inexperienced in the cold-start does not check the engine's idle RPM and releases a brake pedal immediately after requesting the start of the vehicle, the vehicle may rapidly start due to high speed of the vehicle caused by the high RPM so that a likelihood of an accident increases.

Furthermore, the driver may be surprised or embarrassed because the vehicle speed is rapidly increased. Since the vehicle starts without a will of the driver, the driver may have perception that a quality of the vehicle is low.

The information included in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and may not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Various aspects of the present invention are directed to providing a method and a device configured for controlling a start of a vehicle configured for controlling speed of a vehicle during initial starting.

Furthermore, various aspects of the present invention are directed to providing the method and the device configured for controlling a start of the vehicle configured for providing a braking force of the vehicle when the start is requested in a case of a cold-start of the vehicle or in a case that voltage of a battery is insufficient.

Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention may provide the method for controlling a start of the vehicle, including: determining, by a controller, whether revolutions per minute (RPM) of an engine of the vehicle is within a reference range when the start of the vehicle is requested; determining, by the controller, whether state data for controlling the vehicle satisfies a control condition for controlling the start of the vehicle when the revolutions per minute (RPM) of the engine is within the reference range; determining, by the controller, whether a position value of an accelerator pedal of the vehicle is less than or equal to a first reference position value when the state data satisfies the control condition; determining, by the controller, whether a speed of the vehicle is greater than or equal to a reference speed when the position value of the accelerator pedal is less than or equal to the first reference position value; and controlling, by the controller, a brake device of the vehicle when the speed of the vehicle is greater than or equal to the reference speed.

The determining whether the state data satisfies the control condition may include: determining, by the controller, whether a shifting stage of a transmission of the vehicle is a driving (D) stage; and determining, by the controller, whether a position value of a brake pedal of the vehicle is less than or equal to a second reference position value when the shifting stage is the driving (D) stage.

The determining whether the position value of the accelerator pedal is less than or equal to the first reference position may include: determining, by the controller, whether a state of charge (SOC) value of a battery supplying power to an starter of the vehicle is equal to or less than a reference amount when the state data satisfies the control condition; and determining, by the controller, whether the position value of the accelerator pedal is less than or equal to the first reference position when the state of charge (SOC) value of the battery is less than or equal to the reference amount.

The determining whether the position value of the accelerator pedal is less than or equal to the first reference position may include: determining, by the controller, whether a temperature of a coolant of the engine or a temperature of an oil of the engine is less than or equal to a reference temperature when the state data satisfies the control condition; and determining, by the controller, whether the position value of the accelerator pedal is less than or equal to the first reference position when the temperature of the coolant or the temperature of the oil is less than or equal to the reference temperature.

The controlling the brake device may include: controlling, by the controller, the brake device so that the vehicle is braked by a control value when the speed of the vehicle is greater than or equal to the reference speed.

Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention may provide the device configured for controlling a start of the vehicle, including: an engine which is a power source of the vehicle; a brake device mounted in the vehicle and configured to brake the vehicle; a state detector configured to detect state data for controlling the vehicle; and a controller connected to the state detector and configured to determine whether revolutions per minute (RPM) of the engine is within a reference range when the start of the vehicle is requested, determine whether the state data satisfies a control condition for controlling the start of the vehicle when the revolutions per minute (RPM) of the engine is within the reference range, determine whether a position value of an accelerator pedal of the vehicle is less than or equal to a first reference position value when the state data satisfies the control condition, determine whether a speed of the vehicle is greater than or equal to a reference speed when the position value of the accelerator pedal is less than or equal to the first reference position value, and control the brake device when the speed of the vehicle is greater than or equal to the reference speed.

The controller may be configured to determine that the state data satisfies the control condition when a shifting stage of a transmission of the vehicle is a driving (D) stage and a position value of a brake pedal of the vehicle is less than or equal to a second reference position value.

The controller may be configured to determine whether a state of charge (SOC) value of a battery supplying power to an starter of the vehicle is equal to or less than a reference amount when the state data satisfies the control condition and to determine whether the position value of the accelerator pedal is less than or equal to the first reference position when the state of charge (SOC) value of the battery is less than or equal to the reference amount.

The controller may be configured to determine whether a temperature of a coolant of the engine or a temperature of an oil of the engine is less than or equal to a reference temperature when the state data satisfies the control condition and to determine whether the position value of the accelerator pedal is less than or equal to the first reference position when the temperature of the coolant or the temperature of the oil is less than or equal to the reference temperature.

The device configured for controlling a start of the vehicle may further include: an electronic stability control (ESC) device connected to the controller and configured to stabilize a posture of the vehicle. The controller may be configured to control the brake device using the electronic stability control (ESC) device.

The state detector may include: a revolutions per minute (RPM) detector configured to detect the revolutions per minute (RPM) of the engine; a shifting stage detector configured to detect a shifting stage of a transmission of the vehicle; a brake pedal position detector configured to detect a position value of a brake pedal of the vehicle; a speed detector configured to detect a speed of the vehicle; a state of charge (SOC) detector configured to detect a state of charge (SOC) value of the battery supplying power to an starter of the vehicle; a coolant temperature detector configured to detect a temperature of a coolant of the engine; an oil temperature detector configured to detect a temperature of an oil of the engine; and an accelerator pedal position detector configured to detect a position value of the accelerator pedal.

The method and the device configured for controlling a start of the vehicle according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention may control speed of the vehicle during initial starting so that the exemplary embodiment of the present invention prevents an accident caused by sudden start and eliminates dissatisfaction of a driver of the vehicle.

Furthermore, the exemplary embodiment of the present invention may improve drivability of the vehicle by providing the braking force of the vehicle when the start is requested in the case of the cold-start of the vehicle or in the case that voltage of the battery is insufficient.

In addition to the aforementioned advantageous effect, an effect which may be obtained or anticipated by applying various exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be included explicitly or implicitly in the detailed description of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In other words, various effects expected by applying various exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be included within the detailed description to be provided later.

The methods and apparatuses of the present invention have other features and advantages which will be apparent from or are set forth in more detail in the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and the following Detailed Description, which together serve to explain certain principles of the present invention.

