Vehicle park mechanism actuation

• US 10,040,455 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2016
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2016
• 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, Malone, Mark Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Wright, Dirk
• Application Number:
  US15/365,042
• Publication Number:
  US 20180148057A1
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/04 responsive to presence or absence of the driver, e.g. to weight or lack thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/182 including control of parking brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/188 Parking lock mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/30 Auxiliary equipments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18054 at stand still, e.g. engine in idling state hill holding B60W30/18118
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/746 Engine running state, e.g. on-off of ignition switch
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/50 Inputs being a function of the status of the machine, e.g. position of doors or safety belts
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/0202 the signals being electric F16H61/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 63/48 Signals to a parking brake or parking lock; Control of parking locks or brakes being part of the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A vehicle includes an engine and a vehicle park mechanism. The vehicle further includes a controller configured initiate an auto-stop of the engine in response to an auto-stop condition. The controller is further configured to actuate the vehicle park mechanism in response to a driver exit condition and the engine being auto-stopped.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

an engine;

a vehicle park mechanism; and

a controller configured initiate an auto-stop of the engine in response to an auto-stop condition, and to actuate the vehicle park mechanism in response to a driver exit condition and the engine being auto-stopped.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the driver exit condition is an unbuckling of a seatbelt.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the driver exit condition is an opening of a door.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle park mechanism is an electric park brake.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle park mechanism is a parking pawl.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to reduce power to an auxiliary load in response to the driver exit condition and the engine being auto-stopped.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the auxiliary load is a climate control system, an engine fan, or a seat warmer.

8. A vehicle system comprising:

a controller configured initiate an engine auto-stop mode in response to an auto-stop condition, and to actuate a vehicle park mechanism in response to a driver exit condition and the engine auto-stop mode.

9. The vehicle system of claim 8, wherein the driver exit condition is an unbuckling of a seatbelt.

10. The vehicle system of claim 8, wherein the driver exit condition is an opening of a door.

11. The vehicle system of claim 8, wherein the vehicle park mechanism is an electric park brake.

12. The vehicle system of claim 8, wherein the vehicle park mechanism is a parking pawl.

13. The vehicle system of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to reduce power to an auxiliary load in response to the driver exit condition and the engine auto-stop mode.

14. The vehicle system of claim 13, wherein the auxiliary load is a climate control system, an engine fan, or a seat warmer.

15. A method for controlling an engine of a vehicle comprising:

by a controller,

initiating an engine auto-stop mode in response to an auto-stop condition;

detecting a driver exit condition while in the engine auto-stop mode; and

actuating a vehicle park mechanism in response to the detecting.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

reducing power to an auxiliary load in response to the detecting.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

initiating an engine auto-start in response to a battery state of charge falling below a state of charge threshold.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

initiating an engine auto-start mode in response to an auto-start condition; and

deactivating the vehicle park mechanism in response to a user command.