# US 12,215,644 B2 · Vehicle control method, and vehicle control device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,215,644 B2 - Document ID: US12215644B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/566,575 - Filed: 2021-06-03 - Published: 2024-08-01 - Granted: 2025-02-04 - Earliest claimed: 2021-06-03 - Assignees: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Masahiro Omori; Kazuki Hirasako - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12215644B2 ## CPC - F02D 41/022: {in relation with the clutch status} - F02D 29/02: peculiar to engines driving vehicles; peculiar to engines driving variable pitch propellers - F02D 41/123: {the fuel injection being cut-off} - F02D 41/126: {transitional corrections at the end of the cut-off period} - F02D 2200/50: said parameters being related to the vehicle or its components - F02D 2200/501: Vehicle speed - F02D 2200/602: Pedal position - Y02T 10/40: Engine management systems - F02D: CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES (vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed B60K31/00; conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function, road vehicle drive control systems for purposes other than the control of a single sub-unit B60W) - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract An engine controller inhibits a fuel cut when it is predicted that a lockup clutch is released after elapse of a predetermined period of time, at the time of the starting of the fuel cut. Specifically, engine controller is configured to predict (calculate) the vehicle speed after a predetermined period of time, and inhibit the fuel cut when the predicted (calculated) vehicle speed after the predetermined period of time is equal to or less than a lockup release speed. With this, it is possible to avoid a situation in which an internal combustion engine restarts fuel supply immediately after the fuel supply has been cut. Consequently, in the vehicle, the occurrence of the torque fluctuation of internal combustion engine resulting from fuel cut recovery can be suppressed, a change in acceleration in the front-rear direction of the vehicle is suppressed, and a deterioration in driving performance can be suppressed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for controlling a vehicle in which an automatic transmission and a torque converter are provided on a path for transmitting a rotation of an internal combustion engine to a drive wheel, comprising: carrying out a fuel cut for stopping fuel supply to the internal combustion engine when a predetermined condition is established during traveling in a state in which a lockup clutch provided to the torque converter is engaged in an accelerator-off state in which an accelerator pedal is not stepped; and restarting the fuel supply to the internal combustion engine when the lockup clutch is released during the fuel cut, wherein, at a time of starting of the fuel cut, a vehicle speed after a predetermined period of time is predicted and when the predicted vehicle speed after the predetermined period of time is equal to or less than a lockup release speed for releasing the lockup clutch, the fuel cut is inhibited. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method for controlling the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, at the time of starting of the fuel cut, when it is predicted that the lockup clutch is released after elapse of a predetermined period of time, the fuel cut is inhibited, and the vehicle speed after the predetermined period of time is predicted and when the predicted vehicle speed after the predetermined period of time is equal to or less than the lockup release speed for releasing the lockup clutch, a gear ratio is set to a lower side than a middle between settable highest and lowest. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method for controlling the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, at the time of starting of the fuel cut, when it is predicted that the lockup clutch is released after elapse of a predetermined period of time, the fuel cut is inhibited, and the vehicle speed after the predetermined period of time is predicted and when the predicted vehicle speed after the predetermined period of time is equal to or less than the lockup release speed for releasing the lockup clutch, the lockup release speed is set higher as a gear ratio is lower. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method for controlling the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the automatic transmission is a stepless transmission. ### Claim 5 A device for controlling a vehicle, comprising: an internal combustion engine as a driving source for a drive wheel of the vehicle; an automatic transmission and a torque converter provided on a path for transmitting a rotation of the internal combustion engine to the drive wheel; an accelerator opening degree detection part configured to detect a stepping amount of an accelerator pedal; and an engine controller configured to carry out a fuel cut for stopping fuel supply to the internal combustion engine when a predetermined condition is established during traveling in a state in which a lockup clutch provided to the torque converter is engaged in an accelerator-off state in which the accelerator pedal is not stepped, and restart the fuel supply to the internal combustion engine when the lockup clutch is released during the fuel cut, wherein the engine controller predicts a vehicle speed after a predetermined period of time and inhibits the fuel cut when the predicted vehicle speed after the predetermined period of time is equal to or less than a lockup release speed for releasing the lockup clutch, at a time of starting of the fuel cut.