Vehicle Initiated Remote Engine Start for Battery Charge Maintenance and Driver Initiated Remote Engine Start for Vehicle Preconditioning Having Battery Charge Maintenance Priority

• US 20140379174A1
• Filed: 09/03/2014
• Published: 12/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Holub, Patrick Kevin, Van Wiemeersch, John Robert
• Granted Patent: US 9,784,229 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/033 characterised by the use of electrical cells or batteries for propulsion puposes B60K1/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06; testing of charge state G01R31/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/00 Fittings or systems for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles locks for vehicles E05B77/00-E05B85/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0807 Remote means
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0862 characterised by the electrical power supply means, e.g. battery
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/061 Battery state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2300/306 with external senders or receivers, e.g. receiving signals from traffic lights, other vehicles or base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/46 for ICE-powered road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1438 in combination with power supplies for loads other than batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/002 in which a reserve is maintained in an energy source by disconnecting non-critical loads, e.g. maintaining a reserve of charge in a vehicle battery for starting an engine

Abstract

One method for remotely starting an engine of a vehicle includes notifying, from the vehicle, a remote user of the vehicle that a battery of the vehicle has a charge level below a predetermined threshold. This method includes remotely starting the engine to charge the battery with energy from the engine upon receiving from the user a confirmation to start the engine. Another method includes remotely starting the engine in response to a command, from the user, to start the engine for preconditioning the vehicle. This method assesses charge level of the battery following engine start and adjusts engine-on time and vehicle settings to prioritize battery charge maintenance versus preconditioning based on the charge level.

Claims

1. A method for remotely starting an engine of a vehicle, comprising:

notifying, from the vehicle, a remote user of the vehicle that a battery of the vehicle has a charge level below a predetermined threshold; and

remotely starting the engine to charge the battery with energy from the engine upon receiving from the user a confirmation to start the engine.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

notifying includes using a communications device of the vehicle to contact a communications device of the user.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein:

the communications device of the vehicle is at least one of a cellular transceiver, a Bluetooth transceiver, a WiFi transceiver, a WiMax transceiver, and a radio-frequency transceiver.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein:

the communications device of the user is at least one of a cellular device and a keyless fob.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein:

the communications device of the vehicle is a cellular transceiver and the communications device of the user is a cellular phone.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein:

the communications device of the vehicle is one of a Bluetooth transceiver, a WiFi transceiver, and a WiMax transceiver and the communications device of the user is a cellular phone.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein:

the communications device of the vehicle is a radio-frequency transceiver and the communications device of the user is a keyless fob.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

monitoring the charge level of the battery such that the step of notifying occurs upon the charge level falling below the predetermined threshold.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the step of notifying includes providing from the vehicle to the user information indicative of the location of the vehicle.

10. A remote engine start system for a vehicle, comprising:

a controller configured to use a communications device of the vehicle to notify a remote user of the vehicle that a battery of the vehicle has a charge level below a predetermined threshold and to start the engine to charge the battery with energy from the engine upon receiving from the user a confirmation to start the engine.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein:

the communications device of the vehicle is at least one of a cellular transceiver, a Bluetooth transceiver, a WiFi transceiver, a WiMax transceiver, and a radio-frequency transceiver.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein:

the controller is further configured to monitor the charge level of the battery such that the user is notified that the battery has a charge level below the predetermined threshold upon the charge level falling below the predetermined threshold.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein:

the controller is further configured to use the communications device of the vehicle to further notify the user with information indicative of the location of the vehicle.

14. A method for remotely starting an engine of a vehicle, comprising:

remotely starting the engine in response to a command, from a remote user of the vehicle, for preconditioning the vehicle;

assessing a charge level of a battery of the vehicle following engine start;

adjusting apportionment of battery charge maintenance versus vehicle preconditioning based on the charge level of the battery; and

charging the battery with energy from the engine apportioned for battery charge maintenance, and preconditioning the vehicle with energy from the engine apportioned for vehicle preconditioning.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein:

the step of adjusting apportionment occurs over time such that energy from the engine apportioned for charging the battery decreases as the charge level of the battery rises and the energy from the engine apportioned for vehicle preconditioning increases as the charge level of the battery rises.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein:

the step of charging the battery with energy from the engine ceases upon the charge level of the battery rising up to a predetermined threshold and the step of preconditioning the vehicle with energy from the engine includes using all of the energy from the engine upon the charge level of the battery rising up to the predetermined threshold.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein:

the step of adjusting apportionment includes adjusting engine-on time and vehicle settings to prioritize battery charge maintenance versus vehicle preconditioning based on the charge level of the battery.