Powertrain fault management

• US 10,464,564 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2017
• Issued: 11/05/2019
• 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): Pang, Roger L
• Application Number:
  US15/671,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20190047567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 180272, 180273
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/00 Input parameters relating to occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/06 Combustion engines, Gas turbines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0644 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/1005 Transmission ratio engaged
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18054 at stand still, e.g. engine in idling state hill holding B60W30/18118
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/1843 Overheating of driveline components B60W30/186 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/188 Controlling power parameters of the driveline, e.g. determining the required power
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0098 Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/038 Limiting the input power, torque or speed
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/60 said parameters being related to the driver demands or status
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0087 Selective cylinder activation, i.e. partial cylinder operation deceleration cut-off F02D41/123
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/021 Introducing corrections for particular conditions exterior to the engine conjoint control of vehicle sub-units for propelling the vehicle B60W30/18
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0215 in relation with elements of the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/22 Safety or indicating devices for abnormal conditions in air/fuel ratio feedback systems F02D41/1495, in electric control linkage F02D11/107, in purge control systems F02M25/0809
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/0223 Generating of new shift maps, i.e. methods for determining shift points for a schedule by taking into account driveline and vehicle conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2306/20 : Timing of gear shifts for smoothing gear shift F16H61/08
• 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 59/64 : Atmospheric temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/0213 : characterised by the method for generating shift signals
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 : specially adapted to land vehicles

Abstract

A computer is programmed to determine an occupancy status of a vehicle based on received sensor data; and adjust a parameter of a powertrain of the vehicle in response to data indicating a critical condition of the powertrain based on the occupancy status. The parameter may be one of engine speed, cylinder deactivation, transmission-shift time, and shift schedule.

Claims

1. A system comprising a computer programmed to:

determine an occupancy status of a vehicle based on received sensor data;

adjust a cylinder deactivation of a powertrain of the vehicle in response to data indicating a critical condition of the powertrain based on the occupancy status; and

in response to the data indicating the critical condition of the powertrain, increase cylinder deactivation more for an unoccupied status than for an occupied status, wherein a positive number of cylinders are active for the unoccupied status and for the occupied status.

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 2, wherein the computer is further programmed to determine the temperature threshold based on an ambient temperature.

4. A method comprising:

determining an occupancy status of a vehicle based on received sensor data; and

adjusting a cylinder deactivation of a powertrain of the vehicle in response to data indicating a critical condition of the powertrain based on the occupancy status; and

in response to the data indicating the critical condition of the powertrain, increasing cylinder deactivation more for an unoccupied status than for an occupied status, wherein a positive number of cylinders are active for the unoccupied status and for the occupied status.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the critical condition is a temperature of the powertrain exceeding a temperature threshold.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining the temperature threshold based on an ambient temperature.