METHOD AND APPARATUS TO EVALUATE A STARTER MOTOR FOR AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE

• US 20170211536A1
• Filed: 01/21/2016
• Published: 07/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Ghoneim, Youssef A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,828,965 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/387 Actuated clutches, i.e. clutches engaged or disengaged by electric, hydraulic or mechanical actuating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/08 Circuits or control means specially adapted for starting of engines
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0818 Conditions for starting or stopping the engine or for deactivating the idle-start-stop mode
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0848 with means for detecting successful engine start, e.g. to stop starter actuation
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0862 characterised by the electrical power supply means, e.g. battery
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/108 for diagnosis of the starter or its components
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/022 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/061 Battery state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2300/304 with other systems inside the vehicle
• 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: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

A method for monitoring an engine starting system includes detecting a first engine crank command, monitoring engine speed states, and collecting the engine speed states in a first buffer disposed in a first controller. A second engine crank command is determined based upon monitored electric power states from a battery. The electric power states from the battery are collected in a second buffer disposed in a second controller. The engine speed states collected in the first buffer are synchronized with the electric power states from the battery collected in the second buffer based upon the first engine crank command and the second engine crank command. A starter resistance is determined based upon the electric power states from the battery. A telematics device communicates the starter resistance and the monitored engine speed states synchronized with the monitored electric power states to a remote system.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a starting system for an internal combustion engine, wherein the starting system includes a starter motor electrically connectable to a battery, the method comprising:

detecting a first engine crank command;

monitoring engine speed states, and collecting the engine speed states in a first buffer disposed in a first controller after the first engine crank command;

monitoring electric power states from the battery;

determining a second engine crank command based upon the electric power states;

collecting the electric power states in a second buffer disposed in a second controller, wherein the monitored electric power states include current and voltage states;

synchronizing the engine speed states collected in the first buffer and the electric power states collected in the second buffer based upon the first engine crank command and the second engine crank command;

determining a starter resistance based upon the electric power states collected in the second buffer; and

communicating, via a telematics device, the starter resistance and the monitored engine speed states synchronized with the monitored electric power states to a remote system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the starter resistance based upon the electric power states from the battery collected in the second buffer comprises:

determining a maximum battery current and a minimum battery voltage for the electric power states from the battery collected in the second buffer; and

determining the starter resistance based upon the maximum battery current and the minimum battery voltage.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the second engine crank signal based upon the electric power states from the battery comprises:

determining a plurality of delta current states based upon the electric power states from the battery collected in the second buffer; and

estimating the second crank signal based upon the delta current states.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining the plurality of delta current states based upon the electric power states from the battery collected in the second buffer comprises determining a difference between a present current state and a current state from a preceding time state for each of the electric power states.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein estimating the second crank command based upon the delta current states comprises estimating occurrence of the second crank command when a magnitude of the delta current state is greater than a threshold value.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the first engine crank command comprises detecting a point-to-point communication to the first controller indicating occurrence of the first engine crank command.

7. A method for monitoring a starting system for an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes a first controller in communication with a first bus, a second controller in communication with a second bus, a starter motor, a battery, and a telematics device, the method comprising:

detecting, via the first controller, a first engine crank command;

periodically monitoring and storing engine speed states in a first buffer disposed in the first controller after detecting the first engine crank command;

periodically monitoring and storing electric power states from the battery in a second buffer disposed in the second controller;

determining a second engine crank command based upon the electric power states;

synchronizing the engine speed states collected in the first buffer with the electric power states collected in the second buffer based upon the first engine crank command and the second engine crank command;

determining a starter resistance based upon the electric power states; and

communicating the starter resistance and the monitored engine speed states synchronized with the monitored electric power states to a remote system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the starter resistance based upon the electric power states from the battery comprises:

determining a maximum battery current and a minimum battery voltage for the electric power states from the battery; and

determining the starter resistance based upon the maximum battery current and the minimum battery voltage.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the second engine crank signal based upon the electric power states from the battery comprises:

determining a plurality of delta current states based upon the electric power states from the battery; and

estimating the second crank signal based upon the delta current states.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the plurality of delta current states based upon the electric power states from the battery comprises determining a difference between a present current state and a current state from a preceding time state for each of the electric power states.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein estimating the second crank command based upon the delta current states comprises estimating occurrence of the second crank command when a magnitude of the delta current state is greater than a threshold value.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein detecting, via the first controller, the first engine crank command comprises detecting a point-to-point communication to the first controller indicating occurrence of the first engine crank command.

13. A system for a vehicle platform, comprising:

an internal combustion engine including a starting system including a starter motor electrically connectable to a battery;

an engine controller operatively connected to the internal combustion engine and including a first data buffer;

a body controller operatively connected to the starting system;

a battery controller in communication with the battery and including a second data buffer;

a telematics system;

first and second communication buses;

wherein the engine controller, the body controller, and the telematics system communicate using the first communication bus, wherein the engine controller and the body controller employ a direct point-to-point communication link, wherein the battery controller communicates using the second communication bus, and wherein the first and second communication buses communicate therebetween;

the body controller including a processor and an instruction set executable to initiate a first engine crank command, activate the starting system to crank the internal combustion engine and communicate the first engine crank command to the engine controller via the direct point-to-point communication link;

the engine controller including a processor and an instruction set executable to monitor and store engine speed states in the first data buffer in response to the first crank command;

the battery controller including a processor and an instruction set executable to monitor electric power states from the battery, determine a second engine crank command based upon the monitored electric power states from the battery and collect the electrical power states from the battery in the second data buffer;

the body controller including a processor and an instruction set executable to synchronize the engine speed states collected in the first buffer and the electrical power states from the battery collected in the second buffer based upon the first engine crank command and the second engine crank command;

the body controller including a processor and an instruction set executable to determine a starter resistance based upon the electrical power states from the battery collected in the second buffer; and

the telematics device including a processor and an instruction set executable to communicate the starter resistance and the monitored engine speed states synchronized with the monitored electrical power states to a remote system.