Powertrain fault management

• US 10,401,853 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2017
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Miller, Kenneth James, Leone, Thomas G., Dudar, Aed M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Assistant Examiner(s): Greene, Daniel L
• Application Number:
  US15/671,650
• Publication Number:
  US 20190049952A1
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0055 with safety arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0293 Convoy travelling

Abstract

A computer is programmed to modify a first route for a vehicle to a second route in response to data indicating a critical condition of a powertrain of the vehicle, such as a temperature of the powertrain exceeding a temperature threshold. A predicted energy consumption by the powertrain is lower for the second route than for the first route.

Claims

1. A system comprising a computer including a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:

modify a first route for a vehicle to a second route in response to data indicating a critical condition of a powertrain of the vehicle;

receive data from at least one sensor indicating a number of vehicles following the vehicle; and

instruct the vehicle to pull over to a side of a route upon determining that the number of vehicles following the vehicle exceeds a following-vehicle threshold only when the vehicle is following the second route;

wherein a metric of exertion by the powertrain is lower for the second route than for the first route.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the critical condition is a temperature of the powertrain exceeding a temperature threshold.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the metric of exertion is one of a predicted energy consumption, average power consumption, average heat generation rate, and peak power consumption.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the computer is further programmed to generate a plurality of possible routes in response to data indicating the critical condition of the powertrain, and to select one of the possible routes having a lowest metric of exertion as the second route.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the computer is further programmed to calculate the metric of exertion of the possible routes based on map data.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the computer is further programmed to calculate the metric of exertion of the possible routes based on traffic data.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further programmed to instruct the vehicle to pull over in response to the critical condition of the powertrain, and to then instruct a tow attachment of the vehicle to detach a trailer.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the vehicle is a first vehicle, the computer is further programmed to transmit a request to a second vehicle to tow the trailer in response to the critical condition of the powertrain.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first vehicle and the second vehicle are in a platoon.

10. A method comprising:

a computer;

modifying a first route for a vehicle to a second route in response to data indicating a critical condition of a powertrain of the vehicle;

receiving data from at least one sensor indicating a number of vehicles following the vehicle; and

instructing the vehicle to pull over to a side of a route upon determining that the number of vehicles following the vehicle exceeds a following-vehicle threshold only when the vehicle is following the second route;

wherein a metric of exertion by the powertrain is lower for the second route than for the first route.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the critical condition is a temperature of the powertrain exceeding a temperature threshold.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the metric of exertion is one of a predicted energy consumption, average power consumption, average heat generation rate, and peak power consumption.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising generating a plurality of possible routes in response to data indicating the critical condition of the powertrain, and selecting one of the possible routes having a lowest metric of exertion as the second route.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising calculating the metric of exertion of the possible routes based on map data.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising calculating the metric of exertion of the possible routes based on traffic data.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising instructing the vehicle to pull over in response to the critical condition of the powertrain, and then instructing a tow attachment of the vehicle to detach a trailer.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the vehicle is a first vehicle, the method further comprising transmitting a request to a second vehicle to tow the trailer in response to the critical condition of the powertrain.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first vehicle and the second vehicle are in a platoon.