Automatic engine stopping and starting for a parked vehicle

• US 10,598,143 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2019
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Siddiqui, Siraj, Awadi, Ahmed, Rademacher, Eric, Makkiya, Hussam, Khafagy, Hafiz
• Primary Examiner(s): Mo, Xiao En
• Application Number:
  US16/523,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20190345908A1
• Time in Patent Office: 242 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0814 comprising means for controlling automatic idle-start-stop
• 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 2200/0802 Transmission state, e.g. gear ratio or neutral state
• 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 2200/125 Information about other vehicles, traffic lights or traffic congestion
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

Systems and methods for operating an engine that may be automatically stopped and started responsive to vehicle operating conditions are disclosed. In one example, the engine may be automatically started after it has been automatically stopped in response to a driver applying a brake pedal while the vehicle'"'"'s transmission is engaged in park. The engine may be started to increase transmission pump pressure prior to engaging a gear to reduce vehicle launch time.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a vehicle including an engine;

a transmission coupled to the engine;

vehicle sensors configured to sense motion of vehicles in a path of the vehicle; and

a controller including executable instructions stored in non-transitory memory to automatically stop the engine, and instructions to automatically start the engine after the engine is most recently automatically stopped, the engine automatically started while the transmission is engaged in park in response to the vehicle sensors detecting motion of the vehicles in the path of the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising additional instructions to automatically start the engine after the engine is most recently automatically stopped, the engine automatically started while the transmission is engaged in park in response to output of an infrastructure device that broadcasts road conditions.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising additional instructions to automatically start the engine after the engine is most recently automatically stopped, the engine automatically started while the transmission is engaged in park in response to a human driver applying a brake pedal while the engine is automatically stopped and the transmission is engaged in park.

4. The system of claim 1, where the engine is automatically stopped while the transmission is in park.

5. The system of claim 1, where the engine is automatically stopped while the transmission is in drive.

6. The system of claim 1, where the engine is automatically stopped while the transmission is in neutral.

7. The system of claim 1, where the vehicle sensors configured to sense motion of the vehicles in the path of the vehicle include light detection and ranging (LIDAR) systems.

8. The system of claim 1, where the vehicle sensors configured to sense motion of the vehicles in the path of the vehicle include radio detection and ranging (RADAR) systems.