ROAD GRADE COORDINATED ENGINE CONTROL SYSTEMS

• US 20110040471A1
• Filed: 08/12/2009
• Published: 02/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Krupadanam, Ashish S., McDonald, Mike M., Albertson, William C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,606,483 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/101
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/702 Road conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0087 Selective cylinder activation, i.e. partial cylinder operation deceleration cut-off F02D41/123

Abstract

An engine control system of a vehicle includes a road grade module and a predictive control module. The road grade module detects a grade of a road that is ahead of the vehicle. The predictive control module detects that a first cylinder of an engine of the vehicle is deactivated while a second cylinder of the engine is activated. The predictive control module activates the first cylinder based on the grade.

Claims

1. An engine control system of a vehicle comprising:

a road grade module that detects a grade of a road that is ahead of the vehicle; and

a predictive control module that detects that a first cylinder of an engine of the vehicle is deactivated while a second cylinder of the engine is activated,

wherein the predictive control module activates the first cylinder based on the grade.

2. The engine control system of claim 1, wherein the predictive control module activates the first cylinder when the grade is a downhill grade.

3. The engine control system of claim 1 further comprising a cylinder command module that prevents an intake valve and an exhaust valve of the first cylinder from opening when the first cylinder is deactivated.

4. The engine control system of claim 1, wherein the predictive control module determines a magnitude of the grade, and activates the first cylinder when the magnitude exceeds a slope threshold.

5. The engine control system of claim 1, wherein the predictive control module determines an activation time period based on the grade, and activates the first cylinder for the activation time period.

6. The engine control system of claim 1, wherein the predictive control module determines an activation distance of travel of the vehicle based on the grade, and activates the first cylinder for the activation distance.

7. The engine control system of claim 1 further comprising a GPS sensor that generates a vehicle position signal for detecting the grade.

8. The engine control system of claim 1 further comprising a GPS sensor that generates a vehicle heading signal for detecting the grade.

9. The engine control system of claim 1 further comprising a road map module that comprises a digital map database,

wherein the road map module generates a map signal based on data in the digital map database and detects the grade based on the map signal.

10. The engine control system of claim 1 further comprising a vehicle communication module that wirelessly receives a grade signal from at least one of another vehicle and a base station,

wherein the road grade module detects the grade based on the grade signal.

11. A method of operating an engine control system of a vehicle comprising:

detecting a grade of a road that is ahead of the vehicle;

detecting that a first cylinder of an engine of the vehicle is deactivated while a second cylinder of the engine is activated; and

activating the first cylinder based on the detecting of the grade.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first cylinder is activated when the grade is a downhill grade.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein an intake valve and an exhaust valve of the first cylinder are prevented from opening when the first cylinder is deactivated.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising determining a magnitude of the grade,

wherein the first cylinder is activated when the magnitude exceeds a slope threshold.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the first cylinder is activated for a predetermined time period, and

wherein the first cylinder is re-deactivated after the predetermined time period.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the first cylinder is activated for a predetermined distance of vehicle travel, and

wherein the first cylinder is enabled to be re-deactivated after the predetermined distance of vehicle travel.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

generating a vehicle position signal; and

detecting the grade based on the vehicle position signal.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

generating a vehicle heading signal; and

detecting the grade based on the vehicle heading signal.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

accessing a map database stored in memory;

generating a map signal based on data in the map database; and

determining the grade based on the map signal.

20. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

wirelessly receiving a grade signal from at least one of another vehicle and a base station; and

detecting the grade based on the grade signal.