Idle shutdown override with defeat protection

• US 6,595,180 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2001
• Issued: 07/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Detroit Diesel Corporation (Daimler Truck Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Detroit Diesel Corporation (Daimler Truck Holding AG)
• Inventors: Avery, Richard M. Jr., Thompson, Marleen Frances, McKenzie, Ian Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Yuen, Henry C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Benton, Jason
• Application Number:
  US09/996,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20020033157A1
• Time in Patent Office: 601 Days
• Field of Search: 123/198.DB, 123/198.DC
• US Class Current: 123/198.0DB
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 3/06 with compression ignition compression ignition engines using air or gas for blowing fuel into compressed air in cylinder F02B13/02
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 17/04 rendering engines inoperative or idling, e.g. caused by abnormal conditions dependent on lubricating conditions F01M1/22; dependent on cooling F01P5/14
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/501 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/042 for stopping the engine
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/08 for idling F02D41/06, F02D41/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0803 characterised by means for initiating engine start or stop F02N11/0814 takes precedence

Abstract

A system and method for controlling a compression ignition internal combustion engine having an electronic control module with an idle shutdown feature to automatically stop the engine after idling for a period of time include determining whether the engine is being loaded and overriding the idle shutdown feature to keep the engine running when the engine is being loaded. In one embodiment, the present invention includes monitoring operating conditions to determine that the vehicle is stationary, monitoring the engine to determine the engine is idling, initiating a timer/counter to provide an indication of idling time, determining that the engine is operating in an auxiliary power mode, determining engine load, and automatically stopping the engine when the idling time exceeds a first threshold and the engine load is less than a second threshold. The present invention makes it more difficult for engine operators to defeat the idle shutdown feature by detecting current engine operating conditions to verify that the selected operating mode is consistent with current engine operating conditions.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an engine having an electronic control module with an idle shutdown feature to automatically stop the engine after idling for a period of time, the method comprising:

determining whether the engine is operating in power take-off mode;

determining whether the engine is being loaded; and

overriding the idle shutdown feature to keep the engine running when the engine is being loaded wherein overriding the idle shutdown is performed only when the engine is operating in power take-off mode and when the engine is being loaded.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein overriding the idle shutdown feature comprises overriding the idle shutdown feature for a predetermined period of time after determining the engine is being loaded.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein overriding the idle shutdown feature comprises continuing to override the idle shutdown feature for a period of time after determining that the engine is not being loaded.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein determining whether the engine is being loaded comprises monitoring fuel usage.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein determining whether the engine is being loaded comprises monitoring pressure.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein determining whether the engine is being loaded comprises monitoring turbocharger boost pressure.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the engine is operating using a variable speed governor wherein overriding the idle shutdown is performed only when using the variable speed governor and when the engine is being loaded.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

automatically stopping the engine after the engine has been idling for a predetermined period of time and the engine is not being loaded.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

automatically restarting the engine based on engine coolant temperature being below a threshold temperature.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

automatically restarting the engine based on battery voltage being below a threshold voltage.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

automatically restarting the engine based on ambient temperature being above a threshold ambient temperature.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

automatically restarting the engine based on ambient temperature being below a threshold ambient temperature.

13. A method for controlling an engine, the method comprising:

determining whether the engine is idling;

determining whether the engine is operating in power take-off mode;

determining engine load; and

automatically stopping the engine after idling for a selectable time only if the engine load is less than a corresponding threshold wherein stopping the engine is performed only when the engine operating in power take-off mode and when the engine is being loaded.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the engine is installed in a vehicle, the method further comprising determining whether the vehicle is stationary and automatically stopping the engine only if the vehicle is stationary for a selectable time.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein determining whether the vehicle is stationary comprises determining whether a parking brake is engaged.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein determining whether the vehicle is stationary comprises monitoring vehicle speed and determining vehicle speed is below a corresponding threshold.

17. A method for reducing tampering with engine features designed to improve fuel economy in an electronically controlled compression ignition internal combustion engine, the method comprising:

monitoring current engine operating conditions to determine whether an operator selected engine operating mode is consistent with current engine operating conditions.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein monitoring current engine operating conditions comprises monitoring engine load.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising comparing current engine load to a programmable threshold to determine whether the selected engine operating mode is consistent with current operating conditions.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising automatically stopping the engine if the current engine operating conditions are determined to be inconsistent with the operator selected engine operating mode.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the engine is in a vehicle and wherein automatically stopping the engine is performed only if vehicle speed is below a corresponding threshold.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein the operator selected operating mode results in operation of the engine using a variable speed governor to control engine speed:

determining whether the engine is idling;

determining engine load; and

automatically stopping the engine after idling for a selectable time only if the engine load is less than a corresponding threshold.

23. A system for controlling a compression ignition internal combustion engine, the system comprising an electronic control module having an idle shutdown feature to automatically stop the engine after idling for a period of time, wherein the electronic control module determines whether the engine is being loaded and whether the engine is operating in power take-off mode, and overrides the idle shutdown feature to keep the engine running when the engine is being loaded and overriding the idle shutdown is performed only when the engine is operating in power take-off mode and when the engine is being loaded.

24. A system for reducing tampering with engine features designed to improve fuel economy in an electronically controlled compression ignition internal combustion engine, the system comprising:

an engine controller having program instructions for monitoring current engine operating conditions to determine whether an operator selected engine operating mode is consistent with current engine operating conditions.

25. A computer readable storage medium having stored data representing instructions executable by a computer for controlling an engine having an idle shutdown feature to automatically stop the engine after idling for a period of time, the computer readable storage medium comprising:

instructions for determining whether the engine is operating in power take-off mode;

instructions for determining whether the engine is being loaded; and

instructions for overriding the idle shutdown feature to keep the engine running when the engine is being loaded wherein overriding the idle shutdown is performed only when the engine is operating in power take-off mode and when the engine is being loaded.

26. The computer readable storage medium of claim 25 wherein the instructions for overriding the idle shutdown feature comprise instructions for overriding the idle shutdown feature for a predetermined period of time after determining the engine is being loaded.

27. The computer readable storage medium of claim 25 wherein the instructions for overriding the idle shutdown feature comprise instructions for continuing to override the idle shutdown feature for a period of time after determining that the engine is not being loaded.

28. The computer readable storage medium of claim 25 wherein the instructions for determining whether the engine is being loaded comprise instructions for monitoring fuel usage.

29. The computer readable storage medium of claim 25 wherein the instructions for determining whether the engine is being loaded comprise instructions for monitoring pressure.

30. The computer readable storage medium of claim 25 wherein the instructions for determining whether the engine is being loaded comprise instructions for monitoring turbocharger boost pressure.

31. The computer readable storage medium of claim 25 further comprising instructions for determining the engine is operating using a variable speed governor wherein overriding the idle shutdown is performed only when using the variable speed governor and when the engine is being loaded.

32. The computer readable storage medium of claim 25 further comprising:

instructions for automatically stopping the engine after the engine has been idling for a predetermined period of time and the engine is not being loaded.

33. The computer readable storage medium of claim 32 further comprising:

instructions for automatically restarting the engine based on engine coolant temperature being below a threshold temperature.

34. The computer readable storage medium of claim 32 further comprising:

instructions for automatically restarting the engine based on battery voltage being below a threshold voltage.

35. The computer readable storage medium of claim 32 further comprising:

instructions for automatically restarting the engine based on ambient temperature being above a threshold ambient temperature.

36. The computer readable storage medium of claim 32 further comprising:

instructions for automatically restarting the engine based on ambient temperature being below a threshold ambient temperature.

37. A system for controlling an engine having an electronic control module with an idle shutdown feature to automatically stop the engine after idling for a period of time, the system comprising:

means for determining whether the engine is operating in power take-off mode;

means for determining whether the engine is being loaded; and

means for overriding the idle shutdown feature to keep the engine running when the engine is being loaded wherein overriding the idle shutdown is performed only when the engine is operating in power take-off mode and when the engine is being loaded.

38. A system for controlling an engine, the system comprising:

means for determining whether the engine is idling;

means for determining whether the engine is in power take-off mode;

means for determining engine load; and

means for automatically stopping the engine after idling for a selectable time only if the engine load is less than a corresponding threshold wherein the stopping is performed only when the engine is operating in power take-off mode and when the engine is being loaded.

39. A system for reducing tampering with engine features designed to improve fuel economy in an electronically controlled compression ignition internal combustion engine, the system comprising:

means for monitoring current engine operating conditions; and

means for determining whether an operator selected engine operating mode is consistent with the current engine operating conditions.