Engine start and stop control

• US 10,024,291 B1
• Filed: 05/17/2017
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Khafagy, Hafiz Shafeek, Hakeem, Mohannad, Salam, Mahmud
• Primary Examiner(s): HUYNH, HAI H
• Application Number:
  US15/597,424
• Time in Patent Office: 426 Days
• Field of Search: 1231793, 1231794, 7311412, 701112, 701113, 701117
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18018 Start-stop drive, e.g. in a traffic jam
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/04 the motors being associated with current generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0822 related to action of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0837 Environmental conditions thereof, e.g. traffic, weather or road conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/0801 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/102 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/124 Information about road conditions, e.g. road inclination or surface
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2300/306 with external senders or receivers, e.g. receiving signals from traffic lights, other vehicles or base stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A vehicle includes an engine and a brake system. The vehicle includes a controller configured to maintain an ignition state of the engine such that changes in an ignition state between engine start and engine stop are inhibited during a pressurization of the brake system that is prompted by the indication and initiated prior to brake pedal application. The maintained ignition state is responsive to receiving an indication of a degraded road condition from a source in a vicinity of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

an engine;

a brake system; and

a controller configured to, responsive to receiving an indication of a degraded road condition from a source in a vicinity of the vehicle, maintain an ignition state of the engine such that changes in the ignition state between engine start and engine stop are inhibited during a pressurization of the brake system that is prompted by the indication and initiated prior to brake pedal application.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to, responsive to the indication subsiding, start the engine.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to, responsive to the indication subsiding, stop the engine.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the degraded road condition is a reduced friction coefficient.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the reduced friction coefficient is caused by inclement weather.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle has a nonzero velocity during the maintaining.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to maintain the ignition state responsive to the receiving only if a speed of the vehicle is less than a predetermined threshold.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein a path of the vehicle and a path of the source intersect.

9. A vehicle comprising:

an engine; and

a controller configured to, responsive to receiving an indication of a degraded road condition through designated short range communications from a source in a vicinity of the vehicle, maintain an ignition state of the engine such that changes in the ignition state between engine start and engine stop are inhibited until the indication subsides.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to, responsive to the receiving, initiate a brake system pressurization prior to brake pedal application and the subsiding.

11. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to, responsive to the indication subsiding, start the engine.

12. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to, responsive to the indication subsiding, stop the engine.

13. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the degraded road condition is a reduced friction coefficient.

14. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the reduced friction coefficient is caused by inclement weather.

15. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the vehicle has a nonzero velocity during the maintaining.

16. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein controller is further configured to maintain the ignition state responsive to the receiving only if a speed of the vehicle is less than a predetermined threshold.

17. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein a path of the vehicle and a path of the source intersect.

18. A control method for a vehicle, comprising:

responsive to receiving an indication of a degraded road condition from a source in a vicinity of the vehicle and a vehicle speed less than a predetermined threshold, maintaining by a controller an ignition state of an engine such that changes in the ignition state between engine start and engine stop are inhibited until the indication subsides.

19. The control method of claim 18 further comprising, responsive to the receiving, initiating a brake system pressurization prior to brake pedal application and the subsiding.

20. The control method of claim 18, wherein the source is another vehicle.